[bobcat]

Does anyone have experience with thevillages4rent.com? I would appreciate hearing about your good or bad experiences, suggestions, etc. Instead of doing a Lifestyle Preview, we are interested in renting for 1 week.

Thanks for any info you can give.

[kit9240]

You should do a Lifestyle preview for your first visit, but after that renting a home from Villages4 rent is the way to go. I have rented 2 homes from owners and it is very economical, especially off season. Most rentals include a golf cart and guest passes. You can pick up the Village Sun and check out the open houses each day. Best way to go IMHO!

[Pturner]

Bobcat,
I'm prejudiced because we have our TV home listed on thevillages4rent.com, but I do agree with Kit that it has the best values, as there are no commission markups. I also agree with Kit that a lifestyles tour is your best bet on your firsts visit. It includes a golf cart, bicycles and coupons for a lot of free meals at various restaurants.

BTW, while we do not offer our home for weekly rental, many weekly rentals are available at thevillages4rent.com.

Come on down for your visit to Lower Paradise. I know you will love it!

[cher54461]

Originally Posted by bobcat

Does anyone have experience with thevillages4rent.com? I would appreciate hearing about your good or bad experiences, suggestions, etc. Instead of doing a Lifestyle Preview, we are interested in renting for 1 week.

Thanks for any info you can give.

I have rented from villages4rent and have been happy with the experience. The last rental had internet plus golf car. We have since bought a house and are very happy here. Cheryl P

[J & J plus M]

We have done the Lifestyles program (which is great for first timers) and have rented thru thevillages4rent four times. Both have their advantages. The Lifestyles homes are conveinently located and you are introduced to a sample of the many fine restaurants, the movie theaters, golfing etc that are included. ( max of 6 days left us wanting more time) Renting thru thevillages4rent allows you to choose the type of home and which amenities you require, the amount of time you wish to stay and the amount you want to pay. We rent in different parts of The Villages each time to get a feel of the different areas (Lake Sumpter, Spanish Springs and the historic section across the bridge in Spanish Springs) They do have their distinct personalities from the types of homes to the traffic patterns. We also choose a different style of home each time from the villas, ranches and designer homes to get a feel of which would be best for us. (like test driving a car before buying it) Hope this info helped and have fun while your in The Villages.

[bobcat]

Original plan was to do Lifestyle Preview in May, but nothing was available the week we are available.

Plan B is a week in July, and based on feedback on this forum, we feel renting a home will work well. I believe we have found a villa that will suit us. Thanks again for all the replies.

[Boomer]

Originally Posted by J & J plus M

We have done the Lifestyles program (which is great for first timers) and have rented thru thevillages4rent four times. Both have their advantages. The Lifestyles homes are conveinently located and you are introduced to a sample of the many fine restaurants, the movie theaters, golfing etc that are included. ( max of 6 days left us wanting more time) Renting thru thevillages4rent allows you to choose the type of home and which amenities you require, the amount of time you wish to stay and the amount you want to pay. We rent in different parts of The Villages each time to get a feel of the different areas (Lake Sumpter, Spanish Springs and the historic section across the bridge in Spanish Springs) They do have their distinct personalities from the types of homes to the traffic patterns. We also choose a different style of home each time from the villas, ranches and designer homes to get a feel of which would be best for us. (like test driving a car before buying it) Hope this info helped and have fun while your in The Villages.

Thanks J and J plus M.

This is really good advice for anybody considering buying but not in a big hurry to do so. (That would be us because we are in the market for a second home and will keep the house in Ohio.)

We have not yet done a Lifestyle. We have been to TV twice, once in Chatham for a month, and once on the historic side for a couple of weeks. We will be returning. I hope soon. (We have a very old dog that somewhat limits our renting and so we usually line up a dogsitter here at home, but would love to have her with us.)

I really would like to spend some time in different areas of TV. Our interest is in buying pre-owned only.

Also, we have never been there during the winter months. Only in October in 2007 and November in 2009. We had perfect weather, both times, but without the bigger crowds that happen in winter. The seasons have their own feel I am sure. And the areas certainly do.

Renting allows potential buyers the time to find the fit, if that is something that is important to them.

I personally like the area in the (current) middle because it is conveniently located to stuff I would like. But we have not rented in that part yet. The north end is beautiful. The landscaping there looked lush and wonderful to me. And the historic side is charming and has a relaxed feel to it. We do not want a brand new home because we have done so many projects in our lives, and we would now just want to find one where somebody else has done all the stuff already.

We are not quite there yet, but we plan to be back to look more closely. I am glad to hear about the good experiences with rental companies.

Boomer