The Villages - Where to start ? (Country Club, Silver Lake: fit in, modular homes, landscaping)

[NextExit40Miles]

Thanks for the very informative response. I'll have to factor all that in. I suppose every area has it's own idiosyncrasies.

[dave w]

Originally Posted by NextExit40Miles

Considering a move to The Villages, though not quite sure where to start. A few tips and links would be great. We're looking for a new-ish single family home around 1800-2k sf, with gas (does The Villages have gas) and a separate irrigation system whereas you are not billed for sewer when watering the lawn. I understand there are areas there that only have the single billing water system.
Other than that close proximity to Medical facilities, Hospitals and shopping would be nice.

Thank you, any advice would be appreciated.

I bought in Marion county across 441 from the Villages in August. I've traveled through the Villages many times going to estate sales.I'll give my impressions so far of the area.I'm not sure on your specific water and gas questions, but I think there might be gas in some areas because I see used gas stoves for sale. I found that once you start getting away from the 441 corridor I start feeling Isolated and too far from everything. (Main shopping, Medical).Although well manicured it's slow going with too many roundabouts that will drive you nuts.You would have to drive or take a golf cart that is congested in itself when you want to do something. The older sections (North) are most likely to have the paid off bonds. The newer homes are to the (South) toward the toll way. There are small pockets of stores and resturants around and The Sumpter lake area seams popular. But I would have a hard time picking an area in the Villages to buy, there is just too much to choose from. I like where I'm at close to 441 with every medical practice, hospital and shopping close by. Other posters comment on poor health care in the area but folks I've meet in my community are happy with the doctors in the area.FL is not the poster boy for good health care anyways.Yesterdays tv news had a peice on Fl is number 6 in the country for medical malpractice cases.

[Chas863]

Why not have doctors and nurses who are snowbirds too? That way, they could find plenty of work up north during the warmer months and plenty of work in The Villages during colder months. Seems reasonable to me, and it also seems that the docs and nurses would like it too since they wouldn't have to put up with the northern snow in the winter or the Florida heat in the summer, yet they could stay gainfully employed all year round.

[Ghaati]

Originally Posted by Chas863

Why not have doctors and nurses who are snowbirds too? That way, they could find plenty of work up north during the warmer months and plenty of work in The Villages during colder months. Seems reasonable to me, and it also seems that the docs and nurses would like it too since they wouldn't have to put up with the northern snow in the winter or the Florida heat in the summer, yet they could stay gainfully employed all year round.

You'd have to ask all the doctors and nurses who choose not to do that.

The younger doctors and nurses are still paying off their school loans, which can be in the multiple thousands per year in monthly payments. Their lending institutions don't give them a break for 6 months - they have to work all year round to pay those loans. Plus mortgages on a house north and a house south? In addition, doctors don't get 6-month privileges to hospitals. If a doctor isn't going to be around for half the year, every year, then the hospital won't extend privileges to them. There are doctors who travel to impoverished or underserved areas - Doctors Without Borders. But they have their "home base" and maintain it, and only travel a couple of months out of the year. They don't split their residency between two states.

Those issues, I think, would certainly factor in to the many reasons why someone would not want to be a doctor or nurse in two different states.

[wizrap]

Originally Posted by Chas863

Why not have doctors and nurses who are snowbirds too? That way, they could find plenty of work up north during the warmer months and plenty of work in The Villages during colder months. Seems reasonable to me, and it also seems that the docs and nurses would like it too since they wouldn't have to put up with the northern snow in the winter or the Florida heat in the summer, yet they could stay gainfully employed all year round.

Being a traveling healthcare worker isn’t for everyone. Hospitals have different policies and you have to learn fast to be an effective part of the team. Plus, your typical snowbird is older and retired and for health care workers that are younger, with families, uprooting them each tourist season doesn’t make sense.

Single people like the appeal, but only for a while since you want to eventually land somewhere and be a permanent part of a team. (I used to be a recruiter at a few South Florida hospitals in another life).

[Ghaati]

Originally Posted by wizrap

Being a traveling healthcare worker isn’t for everyone. Hospitals have different policies and you have to learn fast to be an effective part of the team. Plus, your typical snowbird is older and retired and for health care workers that are younger, with families, uprooting them each tourist season doesn’t make sense.

Single people like the appeal, but only for a while since you want to eventually land somewhere and be a permanent part of a team. (I used to be a recruiter at a few South Florida hospitals in another life).

Not only that, but I can't think of any Villages full-time resident who would be willing to accept a doctor who is only there for them half of the year. Seniors need consistency and continuum of care.

[NextExit40Miles]

I'll be heading heading over to The Villages soon, how should I logically go about viewing the area? I'd like to break it into sections if possible, are there main roads I could use to break things up ? About how many days would we need to do a decent drive-by and get a good feel for the area ?

Also to narrow things down and better target where I need to go. We're looking for natural gas, dual metered water, 2k +/- SF 3B-2B 2-3 car garage homes on a decent sized lot. ( I know, most areas are shoe horned in) In the 300k- 400k range if possible. Middle to upper middle-class area, near shopping, healthcare/hospital(s), ect.

What are the southern boundaries of TV, as I'm not sure if google maps is up to date ? I understand they are now building at the southern end. Would that be the only area where we would find new builds ?

Lastly, for now, how do the HOA, CDD fees work ? Are there multiple HOA fees ? Any additional fees ?


Thanks...

[Ghaati]

Originally Posted by NextExit40Miles

I'll be heading heading over to The Villages soon, how should I logically go about viewing the area? I'd like to break it into sections if possible, are there main roads I could use to break things up ? About how many days would we need to do a decent drive-by and get a good feel for the area ?

Also to narrow things down and better target where I need to go. We're looking for natural gas, dual metered water, 2k +/- SF 3B-2B 2-3 car garage homes on a decent sized lot. ( I know, most areas are shoe horned in) In the 300k- 400k range if possible. Middle to upper middle-class area, near shopping, healthcare/hospital(s), ect.

What are the southern boundaries of TV, as I'm not sure if google maps is up to date ? I understand they are now building at the southern end. Would that be the only area where we would find new builds ?

Lastly, for now, how do the HOA, CDD fees work ? Are there multiple HOA fees ? Any additional fees ?


Thanks...

So, these are things you should've been looking into for the past few weeks. There's no way to fully instruct you on advice, information, data, bullet points, only a day or two away from your trip.

There is no such thing as a "drive by" in The Villages. It's 70 square miles of homes, retail, medical, amenities, and so on.

If you had spent any time reading threads here about the Villages, you would've known already that there is no HOA, and you would've seen several links to explanations about CDDs.

For information, go to their website (which you also should have spent a few days checking on already by now). It's www.thevillages.com and it has every possible resource available you can find, right there.

[NextExit40Miles]

Originally Posted by Ghaati

So, these are things you should've been looking into for the past few weeks. There's no way to fully instruct you on advice, information, data, bullet points, only a day or two away from your trip.

Never said we would be heading over there in a day or two, but thank you anyway.

[Ghaati]

Originally Posted by NextExit40Miles

I'll be heading heading over to The Villages soon, how should I logically go about viewing the area? I'd like to break it into sections if possible, are there main roads I could use to break things up ? About how many days would we need to do a decent drive-by and get a good feel for the area ?

Also to narrow things down and better target where I need to go. We're looking for natural gas, dual metered water, 2k +/- SF 3B-2B 2-3 car garage homes on a decent sized lot. ( I know, most areas are shoe horned in) In the 300k- 400k range if possible. Middle to upper middle-class area, near shopping, healthcare/hospital(s), ect.

What are the southern boundaries of TV, as I'm not sure if google maps is up to date ? I understand they are now building at the southern end. Would that be the only area where we would find new builds ?

Lastly, for now, how do the HOA, CDD fees work ? Are there multiple HOA fees ? Any additional fees ?


Thanks...

Originally Posted by NextExit40Miles

Never said we would be heading over there in a day or two, but thank you anyway.

Fine. I'll answer the questions then.

The logical way to go about viewing the area is to visit www.thevillages.com and browse the entire website and all its links. If you want a more affluent neighborhood, then you will be paying a minimum of $650k for your home, so no - you already priced yourself out of that. Average pre-owned homes go for around $350k, and that is most of the neighborhoods in the Villages. All parts of the Villages are within a 10 minute drive by car to the nearest supermarket, 15 minutes by golf cart. 2-car garages are possible within your budget - 3-car generally are not. If by "dual metered water" you mean grey water for landscaping and potable water for inside the house, then most areas of The Villages have that. The "historic" area does not, but the Historic area also lacks most of the things you want anyway.

There are only a few very limited neighborhoods that have HOAs - and you're priced out of all of those anyway. So you'll be dealing with neighborhoods that don't have HOAs at all. The amenity fee I believe is currently $183/month. You also own the land your home is on, so you will be paying property tax for the house and lot, and you're responsible for the maintenance of the property including landscaping and lawnmowing and pest control.

How much time do you need? It depends on how much of the Villages you've already ruled out. If you ONLY want a new build in the newest areas, then you'll need maybe 2 days. If you want to check on newer pre-owned homes in excellent condition but in settled neighborhoods, you might want to take a week. If you want to really experience Villages living, you'd probably do best to rent a property in The Villages for a week in the winter while all the snowbirds are here, and another week in the summer when the death-atmosphere fills the void where the snowbirds previously occupied.

CDDs are governments. Those, you can learn about with a google search.