[MargaretR]

After lurking for a year and learning much, I finally have something to post!

We are visiting TV on December 5! Yes, only for one day but that's a start. We will be with family at Disney, and DH and I are making a quick trip up to TV.

A sales agent should be calling me back soon to set up an appointment. We want to take the trolley ride before that, though. Does anyone know what time the trolley starts on a Saturday? We hope to get the trolley ride and sales agent visit done before lunch. After lunch, I guess we will just drive around.

If all goes well after our one-day visit (as we expect it to), we will be back for an overnight visit in March while again visiting Disney with family. And assuming that goes well, we will be back for a week-long lifestyle visit in the fall of 2010, with an expected move in March of 2011.

If anyone has any suggestions or advice, I'd be happy to hear it. We are 99% sure we want a CYV since we have dogs, Grantham or Stoneybrook, and are looking for new or less than five years old so I guess we will be looking south of 466.

Margaret in CT

PS What we have learned on TOTV is really helping us with our decision, so thanks so much!

[tpop1]

Hi Margaret,

Our 1st visit to TV was for 1 day and it was enough to make us want a longer visit. We then did a life-style vist a year later and were convinced.

We went up cold and walked into the LS Sales center. An agent, who ultimately sold us our house, took us around and showed us models. You seem farther along than that!

On that one day, I'd suggest you eat a meal in one of the Counrty Club restaurants....our lunch at The Palmer Club let us know that, at least on that day, the food was good and resonably priced.

Also, just visit the venues for the activities you want to do ...pools, golf courses if you play, pickleball courts if you desire, etc.

You can tell a lot about the place by just observing and lisetning. I think we found the answers to a lot of our questions from a couple we sat next to and spoke to outside of Starbucks.

Ask everyone you can, in as many ways as you can, "Are you happy here?"

Lastly, visit a town square in the early evening to observe the music and the people. Listen and you will learn much.

Lots of luck on your visit.

Len in Clinton CT....15 days til TV!!!!

[Hoosiervillager]

Hi Margaret,

You are going to love this place. Here's my suggestion. Skip the trolley tour and have your sales agent take you on a tour. On our first visit we just walked into the sales office and said we wanted to check out The Villages. The sales agent said we could take the trolley tour or she would just take us on our own private tour. That sounded great to us. And it was. The trolley will drive you past a rec center. Our agent took us inside. Also, the trolley has a very limited area it tours and an agent can show you a bigger area. Good luck and enjoy what time you have here. I also recommend you go to Sumter Landing and sit outside Starbucks. There will be lots of folks there that would love to give you their opinions of The Villages. We all have them and 99.9% are over the top positive.

[MargaretR]

Thanks for the responses! I'm glad I asked. It's nice to know others started out with a one-day visit.

I will ask our sales agent when he/she calls to take us on a tour instead of the trolley. And eating in a country club is a good idea. No point eating at TGIF, Ruby Tuesday, etc., something we can do back home. And we'll have to get over our Connecticut Yankee reserve and talk to strangers!

And will Christmas decorations be up by December 5?

Thanks again.

Margaret in CT