Considering a move to The Villages-need information-fast!! (Orlando, Pompano Beach: rent, condo)

[RichardDiekmann]

My wife and I are considering a move to The Villages. Anyone out there have some useful information? General opinions welcomed--RTD

[Honeycrisp]

It's a huge development with many smaller communities (villages) within it - I can send you a link but it will prob. be deleted so DM me privately if you're interested, most of the residents love it. We have friends there who like it very much, they're always busy with various activities etc. There's also quite a few other 55+ communities in the area that are worth considering. All offer no-pressure lifestyle visits for a nominal fee where you'd spend a few days and see firsthand how you like it.

[rokinronda]

I have lived here for 5 years. There is not another place like it!!!! Any particular questions and you may PM me.

[shzzam]

Originally Posted by RichardDiekmann

My wife and I are considering a move to The Villages. Anyone out there have some useful information? General opinions welcomed--RTD

what is it that you would like to know i live near there and work there?

[staywarm2]

Originally Posted by RichardDiekmann

My wife and I are considering a move to The Villages. Anyone out there have some useful information? General opinions welcomed--RTD

You must read the book about The Villages (and other Sun Cities) by Andrew Blechman, called "Leisureville." It's informative and interesting and even funny at times. It'll give you the ins and outs of the Villages from the author's perspective. It sure made me stop and reconsider before I jump in. Lots of ownership and governance issues at work there.

[ricthemic]

Originally Posted by staywarm2

You must read the book about The Villages (and other Sun Cities) by Andrew Blechman, called "Leisureville." It's informative and interesting and even funny at times. It'll give you the ins and outs of the Villages from the author's perspective. It sure made me stop and reconsider before I jump in. Lots of ownership and governance issues at work there.

I recently purchased a home in The Villages. I also read "Leisureville". I could not disagree more with the above poster. By all means read the book and see how narrow minded the author is/was. One word was left out of the above post. Insert the words negative and bias to "author's perspective". Sex sells so he loaded the book with so much crap but I guess it served a purpose... making the author rich.
If you are serious about The Villages take their four to six day Lifestyle Preview Plan. You will have a great cost effective vacation with absolutely no pressure to buy a house. Make up your own mind. From talking to many snow birds that go to southern florida both east and west coast, who have never visited the Villages but spew the same misinformation as the above poster. I visited south florida prior to purchasing could have got incredible deals there because those properties have depreciated fifty percent and more. Not so in The Villages. Go to Delray or Pompano Beach. You can get a two bedroom two bath condo for thirty five grand that sold three years ago for three times as much. Make sure you get a gun permit too.
No Thank you.
One more thing you will hear from jealous or misinformed people regarding The Villages. "The highest sexual STD rates in the country".. Look into this. One doctor released from the local hospital told a reporter in Orlando her opinion negative about the villages. No documentation or research by the press but why not run with a good story. So do yourself a favor talk to people who live there. check out talktothevillages.com

[staywarm2]

Originally Posted by ricthemic

I recently purchased a home in The Villages. I also read "Leisureville". I could not disagree more with the above poster. By all means read the book and see how narrow minded the author is/was. One word was left out of the above post. Insert the words negative and bias to "author's perspective". Sex sells so he loaded the book with so much crap but I guess it served a purpose... making the author rich.
If you are serious about The Villages take their four to six day Lifestyle Preview Plan. You will have a great cost effective vacation with absolutely no pressure to buy a house. Make up your own mind. From talking to many snow birds that go to southern florida both east and west coast, who have never visited the Villages but spew the same misinformation as the above poster. I visited south florida prior to purchasing could have got incredible deals there because those properties have depreciated fifty percent and more. Not so in The Villages. Go to Delray or Pompano Beach. You can get a two bedroom two bath condo for thirty five grand that sold three years ago for three times as much. Make sure you get a gun permit too.
No Thank you.
One more thing you will hear from jealous or misinformed people regarding The Villages. "The highest sexual STD rates in the country".. Look into this. One doctor released from the local hospital told a reporter in Orlando her opinion negative about the villages. No documentation or research by the press but why not run with a good story. So do yourself a favor talk to people who live there. check out talktothevillages.com

So do you know the Morse family and why they own a huge circle of land in the middle of The Villages that is bound totally around by areas with no homes? It's surrounded by the polo fields, etc. There is only white space where it is located on the map. (I looked at the map.) Why? Why are the newspaper and radio controlled by the family? Has the U.S. gov't decided that the CDD bonds are truly tax exempt yet? When will the Morse family allow members who aren't their family or friends to serve as board members? These are questions anyone buying in The Villages should ask? I'm interested in the area, but not until I have answers to these types of questions. No one should go in there with a blindfold on.

And having Mr. Midnight, a single guy in the book, hang out with the ladies is not exactly "loaded with sex." Recently, a friend who lives on the Gulf Coast mentioned to me that The Villages was "Divorce City." Where did he get that idea? Not from Blechman's book. Of course the book is from the author's perspective, which book isn't? He stayed there a month with New England friends in their home. His perspective isn't against The Villages, it's against having retired people segregated and no longer giving back to their communities--a valid point. Agreed that people who work hard all their lives deserve some fun, but they don't necessarily have to leave their communities to have fun. This is his point.

Four or six days is not enough to understand a city. Rent for a month or more. See it all. Then decide. Check into how good the hospital is. How many doctors per capita. Stay in the winter when the snowbirds are in town and see how long the wait is at the restaurants. See the ages of the people. Are they a similar age to yours?

I'm not saying to believe every word "Leisureville" spouts. Don't take anyone else's word. Find out for yourself.

[beachmouse]

It's a public health concern in general in Florida and decidedly not specific to The Villages that the over 60 AIDS and broader STD rates are growing faster in that age group than any other demographic. Condom use in that age group is rare because there is no concern about pregnancy, and you get populations where the women outnumber the men 2-1 or more and the guys end up with 'harems'. All it takes is one infected person, and it's easy for a disease to spread out quickly through Shady Acres.

[ricthemic]

Originally Posted by staywarm2

So do you know the Morse family and why they own a huge circle of land in the middle of The Villages that is bound totally around by areas with no homes? It's surrounded by the polo fields, etc. There is only white space where it is located on the map. (I looked at the map.) Why? Why are the newspaper and radio controlled by the family? Has the U.S. gov't decided that the CDD bonds are truly tax exempt yet? When will the Morse family allow members who aren't their family or friends to serve as board members? These are questions anyone buying in The Villages should ask? I'm interested in the area, but not until I have answers to these types of questions. No one should go in there with a blindfold on.

And having Mr. Midnight, a single guy in the book, hang out with the ladies is not exactly "loaded with sex." Recently, a friend who lives on the Gulf Coast mentioned to me that The Villages was "Divorce City." Where did he get that idea? Not from Blechman's book. Of course the book is from the author's perspective, which book isn't? He stayed there a month with New England friends in their home. His perspective isn't against The Villages, it's against having retired people segregated and no longer giving back to their communities--a valid point. Agreed that people who work hard all their lives deserve some fun, but they don't necessarily have to leave their communities to have fun. This is his point.

Four or six days is not enough to understand a city. Rent for a month or more. See it all. Then decide. Check into how good the hospital is. How many doctors per capita. Stay in the winter when the snowbirds are in town and see how long the wait is at the restaurants. See the ages of the people. Are they a similar age to yours?

I'm not saying to believe every word "Leisureville" spouts. Don't take anyone else's word. Find out for yourself.

Wow, someone living on the coast told you the villages is "divorce city". Well that must be absolutely true then because wow one person told you that. Regarding the owners owning a large track of land for their extended family ahh so what it is their land. Did your friend tell you that the owners also built a new high school, grammer school, charter school hospitals etc.?
Regarding the restaurant waits, I have not been there during the winter but I can tell you I live on Cape Cod and guess what the restaurants are very busy during the summer. You know what that means to us residents? If it were not for the summer tourist we would not have these restaurants at all. Ya so we go early and have a few drinks while we wait for a table. No big deal.
Regarding all your other village issues including leaving the community we grew up in... last I checked this is America and I can live where I want too and not to mention but there are over 600 age 55 plus communities in Florida. You obviously have an agenda seemingly opposite of everyone I met who loves the villages. I don't know yet cause I just bought in August.

[zonababe]

Originally Posted by RichardDiekmann

My wife and I are considering a move to The Villages. Anyone out there have some useful information? General opinions welcomed--RTD

Florida's friendliest home town. Do you folks swing? Just kidding.