[Bogie Shooter]

Originally Posted by Gpsma

I often wonder if jerry and linda work for the esteemed, benovent Developer

Originally Posted by Gpsma

Jerry and Linda do a great job. Their kool aid is the tastiest around….but soooo sweet….gaggingly so.

Really?


Where is that hide button again…………..

[Ecuadog]

Originally Posted by rustyp

FYI your villa is in Sumter County not Sumptner. A common rookie mistake.

There's another needless correction. A common pedant trait.

[rustyp]

Originally Posted by Ecuadog

There's another needless correction. A common pedant trait.

pedantic ? I think I may have just double dipped.

[Ecuadog]

Originally Posted by rustyp

FYI your villa is in Sumter County not Sumptner. A common rookie mistake.

Originally Posted by Ecuadog

There's another needless correction. A common pedant trait.

Originally Posted by rustyp

pedantic ? I think I may have just double dipped.

Nope. I responded in kind. You used a noun (rookie), not an adjective. I used a noun (pedant), not an adjective.

[PersonOfInterest]

The Villages is a great place to live, maybe even the Best place to live in the U.S., but its not Utopia. It has negatives just like anywhere else you might choose to live/retire. The Villages has changed from its original form and has grown into an ultra-large community that is not much different than any medium sized city in rural U.S. Its a safe place to live with wonderful amenities and a rich social, retirement population, but its also become overcrowded and more expensive. It may be great and wonderful for you, especially if you're a new resident, but time may also change that somewhat.

[coconutmama]

Originally Posted by PersonOfInterest

The Villages is a great place to live, maybe even the Best place to live in the U.S., but its not Utopia. It has negatives just like anywhere else you might choose to live/retire. The Villages has changed from its original form and has grown into an ultra-large community that is not much different than any medium sized city in rural U.S. Its a safe place to live with wonderful amenities and a rich social, retirement population, but its also become overcrowded and more expensive. It may be great and wonderful for you, especially if you're a new resident, but time may also change that somewhat.

Well said.
Short term rentals to all age groups & infrastructure issues that we end up paying for are also disappointing, but so far we give it an 8 out of a possible 10. Hard to beat.

Everyone has a right to their opinion & upbeat posts are always nice to start our day.

Looking forward to looking up the YouTube video when we get home

[Michael 61]

Thank you to all who have taken the time to post on this thread - I appreciate all of you - looking forward to an exciting and great second year here in The Villages!

Retirement is the best!

[Boomer]

Congratulations! And thank you for the tour, Michael. You thought of everything.

Your home is beautiful — and with so many practical touches, too, like the utility cabinets in the garage. Those cabinets make such practical and neat use of garage space. I bet a lot of people will want to track those down for their garages. (Did you say you ordered them from Costco?)

Boomer

[sianagers@att.net]

Originally Posted by Michael 61

So today is a red letter day for me. Exactly one year ago today, I closed on my patio villa in the Village of Richmond, moving from Colorado.

I felt so lucky securing a villa home in the Richmond lottery last year, after seven previous unsuccessful attempts in this extremely competitive and fast-selling village. I remember my sales agent calling me in Colorado the morning of November 7, 2022, saying I was #1 out of 22, and that I had only two hours to decide to buy our not - sight unseen. I remember walking into my house for the first time, only after I had already closed and wrote the largest check in my life.

So question , would I do it all again? — without a hesitation - yes!! This has been the best year of my life, and this community has exceeded my expectations on every level. I have more friends than I can count. Every day is a new adventure, and I’m on a vacation that never ends. This place is beautiful and the people here are the best. My enthusiasm for TV is even greater now than when I moved here - (so much for the naysayers who wrote me off a year ago, saying I was just a “newbie” who drank the cool-aid and that my feet would eventually touch the ground). Would there be a few things I would have done differently in retrospect, sure, but I don’t regret any of the major decisions I have made.

Life just keeps getting better every day here, and I never want to forget how truly blessed I am to be able to enjoy my active retirement years in such a great place.

If anyone is interested, I am the featured guest today on Jerry and Linda’s Newcomers you tube show.

Thank you to the many great people here on TOTV who have been invaluable by answering my “rookie” questions this past year, and being so patient and kind with me - your advice on living the lifestyle here, home improvements, and other questions have been so helpful and encouraging to me.

Looking forward to meeting many more Villagers while out and about.

My husband and I spent 18 months in the villages and sadly had to relocate last January. Every day I read these posts to stay connected. I prayed all the time we could move back! Fortunately by Gods grace we are moving back exactly one year later!! I have never met most of you but have followed your wise wisdom for years! Best community ever and my heart is leaping at the thought we close AGAIN next month! Thank you villagers for being a family without even knowing it !

[Switter]

Originally Posted by Michael 61

So today is a red letter day for me. Exactly one year ago today, I closed on my patio villa in the Village of Richmond, moving from Colorado.

I felt so lucky securing a villa home in the Richmond lottery last year, after seven previous unsuccessful attempts in this extremely competitive and fast-selling village. I remember my sales agent calling me in Colorado the morning of November 7, 2022, saying I was #1 out of 22, and that I had only two hours to decide to buy our not - sight unseen. I remember walking into my house for the first time, only after I had already closed and wrote the largest check in my life.

So question , would I do it all again? — without a hesitation - yes!! This has been the best year of my life, and this community has exceeded my expectations on every level. I have more friends than I can count. Every day is a new adventure, and I’m on a vacation that never ends. This place is beautiful and the people here are the best. My enthusiasm for TV is even greater now than when I moved here - (so much for the naysayers who wrote me off a year ago, saying I was just a “newbie” who drank the cool-aid and that my feet would eventually touch the ground). Would there be a few things I would have done differently in retrospect, sure, but I don’t regret any of the major decisions I have made.

Life just keeps getting better every day here, and I never want to forget how truly blessed I am to be able to enjoy my active retirement years in such a great place.

If anyone is interested, I am the featured guest today on Jerry and Linda’s Newcomers you tube show.

Thank you to the many great people here on TOTV who have been invaluable by answering my “rookie” questions this past year, and being so patient and kind with me - your advice on living the lifestyle here, home improvements, and other questions have been so helpful and encouraging to me.

Looking forward to meeting many more Villagers while out and about.

I am 58 and not retired. I came here July 9th of this year. I wasn't planning on buying in here, just staying in an Airbnb while I looked for a place in the Ocala area. I liked it so much I ended up buying a house in Woodbury, the north part of the villages. One of the main selling points for me were the amount of swimming pools, I love to swim. I also love how well-maintained everything is.

Within the first week or two here I met eight neighbors. I got invited to do coffee in the morning with people from my neighborhood. And to top it all off, I got invited to Thanksgiving at one of the neighbors. We had a great time.

In the 11 years I lived in my development in Minnesota I met exactly four people, only one of whom I hung out with once in a while. He was my next-door neighbor.

I love it here. It's not perfect and it's not for everyone but I have no regrets.

[HoosierPa]

Originally Posted by Gpsma

Give it a couple more years and the kool aid aftertaste isnt so sweet

Maybe time for you to move on and find a better place ?

[Ecuadog]

Originally Posted by margaretmattson

You may have looked at one definition.

...

Oh Boy...

Michael, I apologize for being a part of hijacking your thread. I quit.

[Michael 61]

Originally Posted by Boomer

Congratulations! And thank you for the tour, Michael. You thought of everything.

Your home is beautiful — and with so many practical touches, too, like the utility cabinets in the garage. Those cabinets make such practical and neat use of garage space. I bet a lot of people will want to track those down for their garages. (Did you say you ordered them from Costco?)

Boomer

Thank you Boomer, yes, Costco. Ordered on-line and they came and delivered and set them up and took away the boxes/packaging.

[ThirdOfFive]

Originally Posted by Michael 61

So today is a red letter day for me. Exactly one year ago today, I closed on my patio villa in the Village of Richmond, moving from Colorado.

I felt so lucky securing a villa home in the Richmond lottery last year, after seven previous unsuccessful attempts in this extremely competitive and fast-selling village. I remember my sales agent calling me in Colorado the morning of November 7, 2022, saying I was #1 out of 22, and that I had only two hours to decide to buy our not - sight unseen. I remember walking into my house for the first time, only after I had already closed and wrote the largest check in my life.

So question , would I do it all again? — without a hesitation - yes!! This has been the best year of my life, and this community has exceeded my expectations on every level. I have more friends than I can count. Every day is a new adventure, and I’m on a vacation that never ends. This place is beautiful and the people here are the best. My enthusiasm for TV is even greater now than when I moved here - (so much for the naysayers who wrote me off a year ago, saying I was just a “newbie” who drank the cool-aid and that my feet would eventually touch the ground). Would there be a few things I would have done differently in retrospect, sure, but I don’t regret any of the major decisions I have made.

Life just keeps getting better every day here, and I never want to forget how truly blessed I am to be able to enjoy my active retirement years in such a great place.

If anyone is interested, I am the featured guest today on Jerry and Linda’s Newcomers you tube show.

Thank you to the many great people here on TOTV who have been invaluable by answering my “rookie” questions this past year, and being so patient and kind with me - your advice on living the lifestyle here, home improvements, and other questions have been so helpful and encouraging to me.

Looking forward to meeting many more Villagers while out and about.

Far more people than not have the same opinion of TV as does the author of the OP.

[ThirdOfFive]

Originally Posted by Villagesgal

Been here 21+ years and still loving it as you will too I hope.
There are disgruntled people everywhere, just ignore them and keep on living and loving your life here.

True

Unfortunately so also is the old saying “misery loves company”. Too many people on that particular side of things just aren’t happy until everyone is as miserable as they are.