Both homes we have had here were well built, one a designer, and one a premier, and both had excellent follow up from warranty. We are not novice home owners or home builders. Only one out of the 12 we lived in we did not see built.

You hear very, very, few complaints from people who live in The Villages about their homes.

I think you make very good points. I also think it depends on the personality of the home buyer. Ours (well, mine, to be exact) have always come down to emotional attachment. We have built, bought old and renovated, bought used, and designed total interiors from a blank three-story space with four walls. In the end, it all came down to Did it catch our eye when we walked in.


Neither one of us is an engineer nor a mathematician. We never made a spreadsheet. One of us is more practical than the other (guess which one). But we both either loved a place on sight or didn't, and that was the deciding factor.


Our two best purchases (current one here, one to be renovated in the '80s) had nothing in common. We knew the area we wanted, and they just spoke to us. One needed a ton of work; the other needed almost nothing.

We based our purchase on practicality. Our criteria:
1. We had to be able to pay in full, no mortgage. So affordability, and our budget was limited.
2. Older area, fewer restrictions. We are happy having SOME restrictions, but I can't stand nitpicky restrictions. I will absolutely maintain my lawn, regardless of my opinion of lawns in general. Not gonna measure the size of my ceramic flower pot, to make sure it complies, or ensure that it's the "right" color. That just ain't gonna happen. So - older area is perfect.
3. No single-wide. We needed room to breathe because our budget is limited. We need to be able to enjoy spending a lot of time IN the house, because we can't afford to do all that much outside of it.
4. A covered or enclosed lanai.
5. Secure storage for the golf cart, regardless of whether or not the house came with a normal car garage, or just a car port. So - either a normal garage, or a golf cart garage plus a covered car port. Both is optimal but either is acceptable.
6. Must be in move-in condition. "Needs repairs" or "as is" not an option, because budget.

Our needs were few, honestly. We wanted a lot more than this, but the above was the minimum. We got the minimum, plus a little more. Nice sized manufactured home with great neighbors, extra wide driveway with covered carport and golf cart garage in addition to the laundry shed, quiet street, landscaping not so extravagant that it'd cost a fortune to maintain. Home was kept in great shape by previous owners, and unlike the last place we'd looked at, the sink for the master bathroom was actually IN the bathroom, and not running along the wall of the bedroom (That was the weirdest thing I'd ever seen in my life, heh).

Hi Joe! I lived both in Bossier City and Shreveport for a number of years, also. The quality of construction here is only basic and average. Compared to what you are used to there is not a good comparison for here but I am sure you will be comfortable.

If it is the clubs and other amenities that are attracting you, then here is where you probably want to be. You definitely get more bang for your buck, however, within one mile or so outside of The Villages and you should investigate what is offered in the other communities close by.

A word of caution for visiting family and friends. For them to use some of the amenities is a pain in the butt. You must register these people if you want them to be able to participate in some of the things which are offered. Yes -- you read correctly; they need to be registered. When you are here you might stop by one of the clubhouses and ask them about this.

There's a lot to take in when you get here. Do your homework and you will be enlightened. Ask questions (there are no dumb questions) and continue to ask things on this forum, too. The responses will give you food for thought!

Good luck and have fun when you come. Oh -- and one of the plusses is that you are less than an hour from Orlando!

I very much disagree . . . Quality is NOT subjective. If the R factor in a roof is R-11 compared to R-19, there is nothing subjective as to which one is built by the quality builder.

If your air conditioning unit has a SEER rating of 11 which is only a fair rating, a rating of R-16 is far superior and will save you a lot of money on your electric bill for many years.

I would say that quality is based upon facts, not what you think.

:agree:

That's interesting because we are from NH too and have found that the square footage cost is far higher here than in Manchester, NH.

It's not about the "brick and mortar". It's about the lifestyle. We could have had a nicer home in Ohio but we would have been all alone and lonely.

When you get here, the place speaks for itself. We have never looked back.

Allow me to be the first to Welcome you home. You and your wife will love it.

By the way the airport in Orlando is on the south side (far side from the Villages), but it takes us about an hour to get there (even at rush hour). Therefore you can get to Orlando Venues in an hour or less, most of the time.

Location, location, location. Many of us from the north wanted a warmer climate where we could enjoy outside activities year around. When we retire most of us want to do some traveling, we wanted to stay active for health reasons, and most of us have a “bucket list” of things we put off in our “ other life” because we were working and saving for our retirement. Retirement is a huge change in lifestyle. Most of us don’t mow and trim anymore (for $50 a month why) and we have no need for an acre or half acre lot. You will meet many interesting persons from all walks of life who have made The Villages their place to call home. Technology has made the transition easier. For example, keeping up with family you leave behind is much easier with FaceTime and social media. Most of us are only a two or three hour plane ride for any need for those quick visits to our families. The Villages is close to all the “attractions” that appeals to our children and grandchildren. And I can guarantee your children and grandchildren will enjoy The Villages. Finally, we have bought and sold several homes during our lifetime and we found the homes here to be as good as any custom built homes we had built and the guarantees and follow up much better.

We live in CO, in the last 7 years our property value has doubled. We are currently down here spending time, and trying to make up our minds on what, where, and if this is the lifestyle we really want. Homes are going up in value with demand, location, and availability. The home we left in IN 7 years ago is about the same value as what we sold it for. Just different in all locations. I would move here in a heartbeat, and hope to!

I agree that these are medium-quality homes (we have home building and buying experience--10 homes, three built, two renovated). I also agree that the lifestyle is very important, these homes appreciate in value, and they seem to be sturdy. I'm very happy with activities on offer here and the housing choices we have. If we wanted a better-quality house with the same lifestyle, we would probably pay a lot more somewhere else.

We are also very happy with the activities on offer and the housing choices we have in The Villages.
And you're right, you would probably pay a lot more somewhere else for this lifestyle.
IMHO, it's a top-notch community. :ho:

In the lifestyle visit, the Villages sales agent will push you towards the "new" areas, Fenney, McClure, etc. Be firm and tell him/her that you want to see pre-owned in the 3 distinct areas, Spanish Springs, Lake Sumter and Brownwood. We much prefer Lake Sumter Landing, but to each his own.:ho: