[laryb]

Hi everyone!
My wife and I have visited TV several times and love it so much that we want to buy this March / April. She will retire next April so we intend to rent it until then (sold one home low, want to buy one low), and move down full time then. We have stayed in a villa and designer homes and have enjoyed both. Right now we are leaning toward villas and ranches. If we go with a villa, will we find ourselves alone when the snowbirds fly home? Do residents tend to stay year round more in cottages and designers? Any pros and cons and help with our choice of home styles would be great. Although a larger home is nice, it's not that important to us, but we do want to be happy and comfortable.

[Russ_Boston]

Since you've visited enough you realize that having direct neighbors snowbird on you doesn't mean you have no neighbors. Heck all of your friends are neighbors in a sense even if they aren't right next door. I'm not going to let that bother my decision. But I have heard that a higher % of homes stay year round vs. villas.

[Larryandlinda]

Originally Posted by Russ_Boston

Since you've visited enough you realize that having direct neighbors snowbird on you doesn't mean you have no neighbors. Heck all of your friends are neighbors in a sense even if they aren't right next door. I'm not going to let that bother my decision. But I have heard that a higher % of homes stay year round vs. villas.

We agree with Russ
it's not who is next door or across the lane- it's one huge neighborhood of neighborhoods.
Besides, what if those right next to you or across the way turn out to be something a bit less than bosom buddies?(unlikely in the friendliest home town)

L&L

[laryb]

We have only stayed in lifestyle homes for 4 to 5 days at a time. Although I liked both layouts, it just seems the villas don't offer the neighborhood interaction that the ranch layouts do, but some of the deals on the villas fully furnished are excellent. By the way Russ, we were in Norton Sunday at "The Chateau" for the Sunday brunch. If you haven't tried it, it's excellent! Almost as good as Katie Belles, only twice as much!

[elevatorman]

We rented in a villa neighborhood once and there were only a few people around. We now live in a designer and of the 100 houses nearby only 1 has Snobirds. Another man goes north for 5 months to coach a high school team, leaving his wife here. All the rest are frogs, here till they croak.

[golfnut]

I agree, it seems to me villas have a higher percentge of seasonal residents...gn

[smsgtdaves]

Do the Villas have alot of rentals? Or are they spread out all over.

[l2ridehd]

I would suggest you rent for 3 or 4 months and try a different type home and location every month. Rent in the North and the South, rent a villa, a ranch and designer. It is a very cheap investment to determine the right type home for you and the location you like best. Everyone who has done that never regrets that decision. If you buy a home or location you don't really like, the amount you spend for just the realtors fee will be 3 times the cost of renting for a few months. It will be the best investment you ever made.

[BB14616]

We have a villa, which we really like for the privacy.