[Michael 61]

I did two lifestyle visits this past summer, and closed on a new build in Richmond in December. I was very fortunate with the sales rep assigned to me on the first visit. We bonded, and I trusted him completely. He was honest, and told me the “bad” and the “good” of the various properties, locations, and housing styles available. I did however, have to give him some direction to help him narrow-down my search. I initially was torn between new and existing homes, he showed me both. I told him I wanted to be south of 466A, wanted white or neutral-colored kitchen cabinets, wanted to be a least several blocks away from any pickle ball courts, and if a corner lot, needed some degree of privacy (landscaping). This helped narrow our search - in Aug/Sept DeLuna was still selling, but I had my eyes on Richmond -which was a gamble, since there was no guarantee that would come through for me (it did after 6 lottery tries). Location I believe is #1 factor. I wanted to be close to Brownwood. Many posters call our lack of shopping in the South. I don’t understand people’s need to be 5 minutes from big box stores. I am within 10 minutes to two Publix stores, where I also use their excellent pharmacy. For most household goods, I use Amazon and Costco deliveries. If looking south for a new build, check out proximity to noise from Turnpike. May or may not be an issue for you. Make sure to inspect those neighborhoods both day and night and see if the noise is an issue or not - also interview people who live nearby and get their opinions. Lastly, what was so invaluable to me during my lifestyle visits, was talking to existing Villagers and informally interviewing them, about likes and dislikes. Enjoy your lifestyle visit - for me the visits far exceeded my already high opinion of The Villages - I love it here!

[MrFlorida]

Deed restrictions, make sure you understand what you can and cannot do.

[Lisanp@aol.com]

The “new” areas during you visit will be Newell, etc. in Lake County. These areas do have higher taxes and higher bonds then the last newly built areas in Sumter County. If this is important, and you decide you want new, you may want to wait a bit to buy until new construction is back in Sumter County - but this will be on the other side of the turnpike so you need to consider that in your decision as well.

There are also a lot of 1-year old resales hitting the market so you may want to pay close attention the those areas. You will get a newish house, in Sumter County, and know for certain the exact tax and bond amounts. With new construction your taxes are on vacant land year one and a bit of a guess year two forward.

Village salespeople make a higher commission on the sale of new construction (they get the buy and sell sides of the transaction) then on a resale where they will only get the buy side (unless it is their listing that they sell). You need to understand the incentive here from their perspective. I would just open the paper early every morning (front 3 pages of the classified section) or look online the night before to see what resales have an open house that day and go to any that are of interest to you on your own without your sales agent.

I owned a CYV because of my dog too and sold it for a designer. We were adjacent to a beautiful preserve and I couldn’t let the dog out alone because of the hawks constantly circling around (and a few coyotes living in there too). If you dog is small, a CYV may still not provide what you are looking for.

I know your question was related to taxes and bonds, but below is the list that we used during our lifestyle visit in case you find it helpful. Please don’t listed to the north vs south contrarians. There are plenty of grocery stores and doctors and restaurants in the south. I just get my Walmart order delivered and I don’t eat at Red Lobster or Olive Garden - no biggie. The other point not mentioned is that everyone in a new area is new, and they all want to meet people. In an established area, the friend groups already exist and you will need to put more effort into that area of your acclamation into Village life.

Our list when we came down to see the villages was as follows:
All 3 town squares and Ednas/Sawgrass both during the day and in the evening.
A few village recreation centers
A few regional recreation centers (open the doors and peek into the classes going on if the signage on the doors allows)
A few golf courses of differing types
A few country clubs (lunch or dinner)
Where the prison, cement plant and quarry were in relation to where we were looking
Listening for the turnpike in the areas we were looking at various times during the day and night
Checking out amenities that were important to us (running/biking trails, gym, dog parks, theaters, etc.)
Sitting at the neighborhood pool and chatting it up with the locals in the neighborhoods we were were considering
How far squares/stores were by golf cart in the areas we were looking and what impact future bridge will have on that distance

In addition to seeing homes, we went to the following places:
A few golf cart stores to get pricing/check out models
A few local insurance brokers (our insurance won’t write new Florida policies so ask yours now)
A representative from our bank at their local branch
Stopped into the villages health to check it out/inquire about doctors accepting new patients
The local grocery store, proximity of our preferred pharmacy, etc.

Most Villages reps will show you the latest neighborhood property releases (new construction) first. Stop them from doing so, and ask to see the model homes first - Review the floor plans online now so you have a better idea of what series/models you might be interested in. There are a few different areas where you can see model homes, and each has a few different series/models available to see. The only way to get into these model homes is on appointment with a Villages Sales agent. This will help you to narrow down exactly what it is you think you want (home series and model), then you can go see what is actually available. Then, most importantly, don’t get discouraged when you don’t find what you want in what is actually available for sale!!! Just open your eyes and see all of the potential future inventory being built. Houses are released almost every day. Patience is the name of the game when buying new in the villages today. On the flip side, if you decide that you would rather be in an established area and want to buy a resale, you must be ready to act immediately. Houses go within hours of being listed and having a good MLS agent is key. In this case, you need all of your documents immediately ready to go (Mortgage pre-approval letter and/or proof of funds, and your local attorney’s contact information if you will be using one)

The most important aspect of your visit is just driving around and looking at everything going on around you. Get lost in the golf cart, hop in the car and head all the way north on Morse to the historic section, and then south by another route. Try to see as much as your energy will allow each day, and talk to everyone you come in contact with. Carry a small notebook (or use the notes feature on your phone) to jot things down or questions to ask because a ton of information is going to come at you. Get the newspaper every morning and look at the real estate listings and open houses for the day. There is much more available then any agent can possibly show you, so you need to direct the visit the way you want it to go as much as you can. Have fun and good luck!

[ahrens fox]

Originally Posted by CharlieK

Long time lurker to the forum but first post. I just booked a lifestyle visit for June. My wife & I want to look at some houses of course - we're leaning towards CYV because we have a dog and would like a fenced in yard. I'm leaning towards a new house while my wife is leaning towards a more established house / village. We have been to TV twice but only for a day at a time - this will be our first extended visit.

I'm aware of the North v South debates and also understand there really is no bad place to live in TV. I'm curious as to if there are better locations in terms of bonds / taxes.

I have read comments on other threads that the salespeople don't necessarily volunteer information. I'm wondering what questions / information do you wish you had asked for while you looking for your house.

Where is the turnpike and where is the prison.

[Olyrain]

We rented a Villa for 4 months because we had 2 small dogs. We realized that it would be a bad design for us to buy because:
#1 People left their patio door slightly open while they left for the day or evening giving their dogs yard access. The problem was the dogs would start barking and bring others into their "conversation's." This could go on for hours. (Many different homes and dogs)
#2 In the summer the enclosed concrete patio became so hot our dogs refused to make the run from the villa to backyard strip of grass.
#3 You are missing out on the BEST socializing and information gathering tool in the T.V. "The Dog Walk." Hubbie comes back everyday with the best information on the neighbors, T.V. World Views, invites etc. Your dog will soon have favorites, both human and canine on your route. FYI In the Villages dogs rule, we are here simple to serve.

[Papa_lecki]

Originally Posted by Olyrain

#1 People left their patio door slightly open while they left for the day or evening giving their dogs yard access. The problem was the dogs would start barking and bring others into their "conversation's." This could go on for hours. (Many different homes and dogs)

With all the wildlife, i wouldn’t do this unless my dog was at least 75 lbs.

[kingofbeer]

Originally Posted by MandoMan

“Expensive” is relative. My recollection is that SECO is charging about 11 cents per kilowatt hour. There aren’t many places in the nation charging less than that, and there are some states charging as much as three times that much. Last month my water bill was $13 and my sewage bill was $26. There are places charging that much per day for water! Most of us don’t have natural gas. My electricity runs around $110 to $230 per month depending on the temp, with either the AC or the heat turned on 24/7. That’s about, what, $4 to $7 a day?

FPL rate is lower. Plus the Base charge is 8.99. SECO base charge is 30.00. Min charge for FPL is $25 per month.

[KathyandBob]

We rented for 3 months. Each month in a different ‘area’ and in Designer, Patio Villas, and CYV.
We made our decision based upon that.
You can rent from The Villages or Air BnB type sites.
Highly recommend renting and actually living somewhere first.

[Babubhat]

Do not rely on any salesperson representation as it’s not legally binding. Verify information with a second source. Read deed restrictions , they are not the same in each cdd. Talk to neighbors and get feel of neighborhood. Don’t want to live near one who appeared in that v news site

[Ktots]

Originally Posted by CharlieK

Long time lurker to the forum but first post. I just booked a lifestyle visit for June. My wife & I want to look at some houses of course - we're leaning towards CYV because we have a dog and would like a fenced in yard. I'm leaning towards a new house while my wife is leaning towards a more established house / village. We have been to TV twice but only for a day at a time - this will be our first extended visit.

I'm aware of the North v South debates and also understand there really is no bad place to live in TV. I'm curious as to if there are better locations in terms of bonds / taxes.

I have read comments on other threads that the salespeople don't necessarily volunteer information. I'm wondering what questions / information do you wish you had asked for while you looking for your house.

Bonds/ taxes: There are areas of Sumter County (and Marion County I think) in TV that are unincorporated, so tax wise, you will not have municipal taxes in those areas and would only pay taxes to the county. Some areas of Sumter and Lake counties are in municipalities (Wildwood, Fruitland Park or Leesburg)and pay additional taxes to whatever municipality they are in.
I think someone else already covered that you will have a bond on a new home, but can find homes in the mid and northern areas with no, or partially paid bonds.

Age of roof on preowned homes is a factor for insurance purposes.

You will have annual maintenance fees, which often are not mentioned by agents. Not a large fee, but some people are surprised by it after they buy.

CYVs are not your only option for fenced yards. There are designer homes called Verandas that have fenced yards. Also, there are a small number of homes in the village of Bradford that have, or allow, 3ft rail fences that are not shared with the abutting property as the CYV and Veranda homes do. Many people (even some agents, I suspect)are not aware those properties even exist.

If you like to walk you dog, the areas south of 44 have miles of recreational paths that you can walk without dodging golf carts. Yep, there’s a turnpike. Sometimes you hear it, sometimes not so much, depending on the wind, season (more foliage in summer), amount of traffic and proximity. We live south of 44 and haven’t met anyone yet who is bothered by it, although some are. We aren’t. My mom lives way up near Lopez and it’s very quiet but lovely up there, too. It all depends on what suits you best.

There are so many options! Enjoy your visit and have fun exploring.

[splashes]

If you want all the correct info have Beth Pope as your realator 352-552-1511

[Geeg524]

Originally Posted by CharlieK

Long time lurker to the forum but first post. I just booked a lifestyle visit for June. My wife & I want to look at some houses of course - we're leaning towards CYV because we have a dog and would like a fenced in yard. I'm leaning towards a new house while my wife is leaning towards a more established house / village. We have been to TV twice but only for a day at a time - this will be our first extended visit.

I'm aware of the North v South debates and also understand there really is no bad place to live in TV. I'm curious as to if there are better locations in terms of bonds / taxes.

I have read comments on other threads that the salespeople don't necessarily volunteer information. I'm wondering what questions / information do you wish you had asked for while you looking for your house.

We are very new to TV world. We had a 1 week visit in Jan and are working on renting for a month next winter.
Testing the waters to see if we would want to buy.
Where do we find information on a lifestyle visit?

[chrisinva]

Re: dog & fence - don't let your decision be influenced by that. It all depends on dog size, age, walking frequency, exercise preferences and if they are an escape artist. If there's a dog park near by (walking distance) you might use that for daily needs & maybe dog exercise. During the summer (maybe May - Sept) the black asphalt & even concrete can be too hot for dog paws & you'll need to drive to dog park. There are also some walking trails, Sugar Cane postal area & Spanish Moss rec area come to mind & are popular with dog walkers. It's also very easy to a neighborhood walk with your. Ask your agent to point out dog parks. PLEASE BE SURE TO PICK UP WHATEVER YOUR DOG DEPOSITS, anywhere in the Villages. We have a 15 lb maltipoo, 11 years old, who is an escape artist. We live near a pond & it's a common area that neighborhood dogs recognize as the poop/ pee place. That's where we walk to in morning, then the dog park at noon & then walk the pond area again after dinner. I leash her mid morning & mid day for a backyard pee break, we have no fence. She sleeps a lot & isn't interested in more walking unless it's 40 degrees outside.

Re: villas & fences - besides villas, cottage homes have fences, so do designer homes but they are called verandas if they have a fence. Good luck & welcome to your new life.

[roadrnnr]

Originally Posted by splashes

If you want all the correct info have Beth Pope as your realator 352-552-1511

Any one had Dan Collins?

[roadrnnr]

Originally Posted by Olyrain

We rented a Villa for 4 months because we had 2 small dogs. We realized that it would be a bad design for us to buy because:
#1 People left their patio door slightly open while they left for the day or evening giving their dogs yard access. The problem was the dogs would start barking and bring others into their "conversation's." This could go on for hours. (Many different homes and dogs)
#2 In the summer the enclosed concrete patio became so hot our dogs refused to make the run from the villa to backyard strip of grass.
#3 You are missing out on the BEST socializing and information gathering tool in the T.V. "The Dog Walk." Hubbie comes back everyday with the best information on the neighbors, T.V. World Views, invites etc. Your dog will soon have favorites, both human and canine on your route. FYI In the Villages dogs rule, we are here simple to serve.

How Hard was it to find a rental with Dogs?

I have a 8 YO Lab