[Bubbalarry]

Originally Posted by KathieI

Bubba, I never checked out Sun City. Good suggestion!

I have a home in Los Angeles 1 mile from the ocean and another in Palm Springs. I just hated P.S. cause the 100+ temp starts in May through Oct. and with 0 humidity, its a killer. My Dad literally couldn't breath. So that let that out - Dad comes first.!!! Also, I found people were not nearly as friendly as TV and it was very difficult to get into a group. I was extremely lonely and we all know I'm so outgoing, if I'm lonely can you imagine how a really shy :redface: person would feel lonely.

When I looked at all my options and spent almost a month in November in TV, there was just no alternative, TV it was. It had all I wanted and more......

I agree with JohnN, a smart developer should look at duplicating TV elsewhere in the country, but TV in FL is for me....

This is all, of course, my opinion. Kathie (now admitting, not so :redface

I am surprised to hear about the climate being bad for your dad. Usually people who suffer from breathing problems need the dry climate to survive. It suits me well simply because I have contracted a southeast asia (Viet Nam) jungle rot. That when humidity rises I get it bad all over my hotspots. Under arms, and many other spots on my body. It is a pain in the you know what and I have to stay on top of it at all times down here in TV.

[chuckinca]

Muncle:

Arizona is full of retired midwesterners. And it's uninhabitable 6 months of the year outside of an AC space.

The cost of living in the California Northern coast and inland (say, starting 30 miles north of Santa Rosa or Sacramento) isn't that much different than the retirement areas of Florida.

[BUC]

I would move back to Calf. today if I could afford it. I bought a house in Oxnard in 1970 and sold it in 1990. and moved to Ga. I hope to be living in the villages inabout 3 years.

[KathieI]

Buc, I think you'd be surprised at what the houses cost in Oxnard these days. Its a booming area with Angelinos who can't afford L.A. near the ocean. But it is beautiful, I must admit. I actually thought of retiring in Port Hueneme at one time.

Bubba, sorry about your breathing problems from the VN war. Dad got asbestos exposure during WWII that's what his breathing problems are, so he can't take deep breaths and when its dry like that, he literally can't catch his breath. Its very sad but at 91, and still dancing, I guess its not all that bad for him. Hope we all see that age.

Good Luck!!!

[Frangyomory]

You can buy a retirement home anywhere but you can't find the Villages lifestyle anywhere else. We looked for years at other places and I liked California for the climate. All you will find is a lovely community, high cost, tennis, golf and swimming with one, perhaps two country clubs. That's about it. You won't find all the community clubs the town centers, etc.

The Villages sells a lifestyle and most places are selling you a house.

I also believe the cost of living here is a bit better than in California. Housing is out of this world in many So. California locations. Del Webb builds a beautiful home but does not put into the community the thought and lifestyle that the Villages does.

Wish you much luck but even this California lover found the Villages a much better solution for us.

[chuckinca]

Originally Posted by BUC

I would move back to Calf. today if I could afford it. I bought a house in Oxnard in 1970 and sold it in 1990. and moved to Ga. I hope to be living in the villages inabout 3 years.

We sold our condo in '85 to a family that moved from the East Bay to Atlanta, hated it and moved back to CA.

[Bubbalarry]

Originally Posted by KathieI

Buc, I think you'd be surprised at what the houses cost in Oxnard these days. Its a booming area with Angelinos who can't afford L.A. near the ocean. But it is beautiful, I must admit. I actually thought of retiring in Port Hueneme at one time.

Bubba, sorry about your breathing problems from the VN war. Dad got asbestos exposure during WWII that's what his breathing problems are, so he can't take deep breaths and when its dry like that, he literally can't catch his breath. Its very sad but at 91, and still dancing, I guess its not all that bad for him. Hope we all see that age.

Good Luck!!!

Sorry if I led you wrong but I didn't say it was breathing but jungle rot that affects my skin when humidity is high along with temps from the mid 60's on up.

[dalecrenshaw]

We have a place in the Villages and also have our full time home in California. We love California lifestyle and weather, but there is no place like the Villages. I have found that the lifestyle, friendliness, activities, golf courses and country clubs, Town Centers, entertainment, safety, weather, relatively low costs of living compared to most anywhere else, etc. etc. can not be matched anywhere. There are only a couple of months that are particularily hot, but with air conditioning everywhere, I don't notice the heat that much. Saying all that, there is a very nice builder that specializes in retirement homes here in California and elsewhere in the country, called Horvanian. Several of my friends live in one of these developments and love it. They build a very nice home. Their retirement communities are generally gated and they usually have a very nice large clubhouse. However, it is "nothing" like the Villages. If you want to check them out, go to their website at: http://www.khov.com

We lived in the Palm Desert area for 8 years -- great mountains (which I miss) and beautiful weather in the Winter. Really hot in the summer. Golf is expensive at all of the courses. Dell Webb is beautiful but boring. You never see anyone out on the streets except if they were heading for the golf course. Clubhouse also not active. We were at Disney for a wedding and decided to drive to the Dell Webb here and on the way we passed the Villages. We thought it was a shopping center and thought that it was strange as far from Orlando. Came for a look see, took the tour bus and went back to Calif. and sold. People here are alive!!! :joke:
Green Valley in Ariz. has several golf courses and small areas of communities and has a small shopping center and several clubhouses. Lifestyle is not the same as everthing is scattered from the top of a mountain to the low point. We have some friends there from the Midwest. They hike because of the cost of the golf! We looked at many places and the Villages are A++++++ 040 LIFESTYLE IS SUPER!!

[Ron G.]

Hi,

I was the original poster and I appreciate the many responses.

I'm not really surprised that there isn't a similar community in California. TV seems unique.

I've also gotten the sense before that the retirement communities in S. California tend to be in the desert and don't enjoy the year-round moderate climate that you find in the more expensive parts of the state.

Actually, my preference is Florida, anyway. My wife is concerned about very hot summers and hurricanes. We live in Baltimore and I talk 'most every day to my mother in the Tampa area. In fact, the Baltimore summers tend to be hotter (and more humid) than Tampa (although not as long).

We'll see if my wife opens up her mind a bit.

Thanks, again, for the replies.

Ron

[punkpup]

Ron,

As I mentioned in a previous post my family owns a condo in the Walnut Creek, CA Rossmore but none of us wants to live there so it's rented to a family friend. We play golf there 'cuz it's cheap when visiting my parents in the East Bay. Even my 81 year old mother refuses to live there saying, "why :dontknow: would I want to hang around a bunch of old fogeys"; she just sneers when I point out that she too could be considered an old fogey and then I duck.

At some point when my parents who are both 81 get tired of going up and down all the stairs in their hillside split ranch we will build them a smaller, single floor or 2 floor w/elevator house at the top of the lot and we will occupy the ranch house but in all honesty I don't really see us spending that much time there. I felt differently about it before I had "experienced" TV; up until then we had planned to retire in CA but I much prefer TV.

[funnygirl]

We moved to TV from Alameda, Calif. Loved the climate there but couldn't really find anything remotely like TV in Northern Ca. Did see one much smaller 55+ community in The Delta. I think it was called The Vinyards.... the prices started at $600,000+.... nice golf course and community center but that's about all. I mentioned TV to the rep. and I must have sounded like a commercial because she went to her desk top and pulled up the website. There is really no comparison.... anywhere.

This place is Disney, Universal, and Pleasure Island in one package. In this area there are also many things to do such as sailing, deep sea fishing, hiking, and Silver Springs with all of the stars. Saw Willy Nelson yesterday and with a park pass for $50.00 you can attend all of the concerts free with free parking. I believe they have stars every weekend from Dec. to April. Lots of plays in the small towns around the Villages. Orlando is just a hour or so away. You can be so busy here you may never venture out of the area but you do have options.
If you told me three years ago that I would leave Calif. for Central Florida I would have laughed. 1rnfl After one visit HERE I AM with no regrets. You just never know where life will take you!