[createquilts]

We visited about 5 years ago and finally we are leaving our jobs in Upstate NY, north of Syracuse. We are planning a lifestyle visit in August -I think we need to experience the heat before making our final decision. We are downsizing our possessions now, and getting our house ready to put on the market. It is just too big for the two of us and I am anxious to leave the snow belt. We don't need all this stuff we have accumulated.

we've been reading these forums for several days now and although I know it won't be perfect, I think this will be a good place for us. Our hobbies are swimming, pottery, quilting, woodworking. bicycle riding and card playing so I know there will be lots of things for us to do.

I have no idea how we'll decide which place to buy and in which location. I see so many houses for resale as well as new sales.

How in the world did you narrow down your choices on which house to buy?

[collie1228]

Hi createquilts, nice to hear from a fellow Syracusian. We live north of the city as well, plan to retire in the next 2-3 months and expect to move to TV sometime this summer/fall. In fact, we just spent the weekend cleaning out the house (twelve years of "stuff" in the basement) and yesterday Syracuse Haulers hauled a full dumpster out of our driveway. The house going on the market before the end of May, hopefully. We did the Lifestyle Preview in 2008 and visited again last summer. Our house choice is a new courtyard villa, as we have a dog, but the choices in TV are amazing. Good luck on your quest.

[Bill-n-Brillo]

Originally Posted by createquilts

........How in the world did you narrow down your choices on which house to buy?

Go to lots of open houses in TV, review the floor plans on the web site, do lots of thinking, talk to others/read TOTV threads to get feedback from others, look at new and resale, think about where in TV you'd like to be................then do what feels right for you!

Bill

[asianthree]

If you have the time some rent by the week in the summer months. We tried a ranch but for the square foot was not impressed, loved the courtyard but we just lost our dog and i just hated to hear the barking of someones baby. We bought a patio because of small lawn and the lanai in the front so we see more people. We will be buying an Iris when we come down for good in three years, (rented that one too and loved it) All together we rented six different houses and found the one we could both live in

[George Bieniaszek]

I agree with Bill and his post! The Villages is HUGH and you will be overwhelmed with options and choices. There are 12-18 open houses every day on new homes plus an additional amount of pre-owned. The new homes are marketed as "No Pressure" and you can walk-in and look at the various floor plans and what could work for you. Do your research on-line.

If you are leaning towards a pre-owned home, building generally went in a southerly direction from Spanish Springs as the starting point, so homes to the north are older than those to the south.

This is a big decision and probably a second visit once you are back and able to digest all the information would be the time to decide if this is the place for you. You will be able to make a better and clearer decision with home selection and location.

Good Luck!!

[babynurse]

Welcome from another Northern New Yorker (and quilter)! We live up the road just off Rt 81 in Adams. We just returned to NY after spending our first winter in TV. It was wonderful - every minute!! When we bought our house 2 years ago, we thought we would get a CYV near Lake Sumter. Ended up with a ranch north of 466 and could not be happier. As other posters have suggested, take your time and enjoy the search. Send me a PM if you have any questions! We will be back in TV in Sept for a visit, and then early Dec for the winter. Cathie

[Schaumburger]

Originally Posted by George Bieniaszek

I agree with Bill and his post! The Villages is HUGH and you will be overwhelmed with options and choices. There are 12-18 open houses every day on new homes plus an additional amount of pre-owned. The new homes are marketed as "No Pressure" and you can walk-in and look at the various floor plans and what could work for you. Do your research on-line.

If you are leaning towards a pre-owned home, building generally went in a southerly direction from Spanish Springs as the starting point, so homes to the north are older than those to the south.

This is a big decision and probably a second visit once you are back and able to digest all the information would be the time to decide if this is the place for you. You will be able to make a better and clearer decision with home selection and location.

Good Luck!!

I agree with both Bill and George, There is such a variety of homes to choose from -- both size, style and price. That is one reason The Villages is such an appealing place, besides the wide variety of activities. And since TV has open houses every day, that is also a plus for those looking for a home.

I think you are wise to plan your LSV for August to see if how to handle Florida's summertime weather. One of the reasons I rented in TV last year in July and will be renting again in TV next month is to experience the Florida summer weather. But I tell myself that you don't have to shovel the heat and humidity.

If you last visited TV 5 yrs. ago, you will certainly notice that TV has grown quite a bit. TV has grown (opened up the new villages south of 466A) just since I last visited 9 months ago. Good luck with your home search.

[createquilts]

thank you all so much. We have actually gone to some other retirement communities and looked at homes, and have some definite likes and dislikes.

dislikes, less than a two car garage, which I notice some of the models have. Also, I don't like the master bedroom to be right next to the family room.

Three bedrooms would be nice. One to sew, one for computer which can both double as guest bedrooms and we can have some space from each other if we want. The Seabreeze looks like the square footage and layout that would fit us, but we know you really have to look at them in person and try to envision yourself and what you like to do in the particular house. Also, the actual lot is something to consider.

I didn't realize the CYV were preferred by dog owners, something to keep in mind.

I am sure there will be a lot of people from this area down there. We don't plan on keeping our house here as our kids have moved away and we have no other family here. We also are going to try to take as little as possible with us. That will be a challenge but both of us are on board to do so which helps.

Thanks again.

[gmcneill]

Your first post!! Welcome to TOTV!

Your main question was, How in the world did you narrow down your choices on which house to buy? The easy answer to that question is also the most difficult to explain:
You will just know! Really, you will.

As you read the postings of other TOTVers, you will see that some experiences are unique; others are a recurring standard (We came. We saw. We bought before we left!); and many others are a blend of experiences, kind of like variations of the same theme.

But the one thing that almost every one of us has in common is that, eventually, we all just knew what is the most right for our particular situation.

Enjoy your journey, future Villager!

[leenie24]

Hi Creatquilts, I am finalizing packing up my apartment here in New York City and will be driving down to TV on Saturday, May 19th. I have sold much of my furniture to the buyer of my apartment and given the rest to family members in this area. I visited my sister and brother in law in TV for 4 years before I even entertained the idea of retiring and moving to TV. In fact, I decided to move to TV before I decided to retire. Once I decided I was going south, that was what made my decision about retirement. I chose a pre-owned Oleander because I knew I loved that model. I chose the Village I live in because my sister lives near by and I like the area very much. Whether it is south of 466 or north of 466 - I still haven't gotten all that down yet. I just got back from TV yesterday after spending a few days getting my house ready.
Having lived in NYC for 40 years, I am looking forward to having space, light, nature and activitiies. I have met such wonderful folks during my visits, some of which have become friends. There are so many wonderful choices here as to the type of home and the many Villages. i hope you have fun deciding. Good luck with your process.

[Count'n the days]

I can imagine that your impression will be that it's too hot for you based on only an August visit. We moved from WV to TX in the month of May. Between the heat and mosquitos that first summer - I was miserable. REALLY MISERABLE! My first winter however seemed wonderful when my friends and co-workers from Houston were freezing I thought "get real it's not cold." Thank goodness the next summer was more tolerable and since then I've accumulated. I can take the heat much better and complain about the cold just like my friends. I think the climates are similar and look forward to retiring in TV this December!

[createquilts]

thanks countin the days. We have been to Florida half a dozen times, my son used to live outside Orlando but we really have never spent a week just living the life we would not being a tourist. We are sure that this is the spot for us, but people keep warning us about July and August so that is why we are specifically going then.

[Pturner]

Hi Createquilts,
Welcome. Count'n the days-- welcome to you too-- has given you some good advice about the summer heat. I live the in the burbs of Atlanta and most of my neighbors are from "up north". I can't tell you how many of them thought there first summer here was unbearable and by the second or third, they were used to it and swore they would never move to the cold again!

Since many of your hobbies are indoor activities, the heat shouldn't be a problem. Plan your indoor activities in the heat of the day in the summer and you'll enjoy the cool airconditioning, while doing what you love in a beautiful recreation center near you. (No matter where you live in TV, there will be a beautiful recreation center near you!)

You already have a good start on your "must haves" in your home: three bedroom, at least two car garage, master not off the living room.

Let me suggest two more. Since heat will be an issue for you, look for one with an east (or north-east/ south-east) facing lanai. That way, you will not have the afternoon sun beaming into it. The other, is a 2 1/2 car garage. With no basements and lots of downsizing to do, you'll love the extra storage.

My next suggestion is that you work with both a Villages sales agent and an MLS Realtor (for resales), since the two do not share listings. Let them know your "must haves," "likes" and "dislikes" in a home and let them do a lot of the legwork for you.

Think about whether you would prefer to live near grocery and other shopping or near a town square; and perhaps if you would prefer an established neighborhood or one just being built (which will temporarily have a lot of construction noise and traffic, although this too shall pass). Other than that, I personally wouldn't get to hung up on which Village you live in. Most of us are pretty darn sure that our own Village is the best, regardless of which Village we live in.

When considering price, remember to add the sales price + bond (if any) when figuring total price. Also when comparing new vs. resale, figure the cost of any upgrades you plan to any new or resale homes that don't already your upgrades. Remember too that the price on resales is negotiable, the price on new homes is not.

Get your MLS Realtor to provide a written Buyers Agent agreement. This requires the Realtor to represent your interests exclusively.

Hope this is helpful. Best of luck and please keep us posted!

[IADCathy]

I feel like a broken record, but I have to say that the whole process begins with your sales rep. You can talk to a zillion people but what I would recommend is the personal consultation you would have with the realtor who helped us (Julia Powell of "Properties of The Villages"...her (c)352-636-6944. She gently and professionally will guide you in the entire process so that you are clearly aware of everything you need to know to make the important and wonderful decision of buying and living in The Villages. It may be warm here in the summer but I would rather deal with A/C than snow and cold and dry air any day! We are so happy to be living here. It is unbelievable.

[graciegirl]

We are waiting here with open arms to greet all of you. It is the best decision you have ever made.

Looking forward to meeting you in person.

We'll leave the light on fer ya.