I would hate living here. I don’t like golf, but I love cold winters and cool low humidity summers. I also love hiking in mountains. After our son graduates from college, we plan on moving out west and live in or around the Rocky Mountains. I lived in Montana for about 5 years when I was much younger and western Montana is the only place where I have lived that I still miss very much. The people out there are so friendly and I still love snow, as long as I live on a street that is plowed by the city/county when it happens.

January 18th, 2012 | #

Whether it be the Villages or any other retirement site that is oh so attractive, ther is one major issue that your presentations lack up front if at all.. Of course, that would be cost. It is disturbing to read all about and fall in love with a community only to later realize that your blue collar carreer doesn’t even qualify you to be the pool boy, let alone a resident.
I love your work but remember, not all of retiring Americans are wealthy.
Thanks

January 18th, 2012 | #

This type of community is a money pit because of the golf course and extensive amenities–the homeowners are on the financial hook for everything whether they use it or not. And the annual dues are subject to increase according the to CC&Rs at the discretion of the HOA board. Also, any community that has private streets is locked into a never ending maintenance battle in keeping them in good repair, and the cost can be astronomical as personally experienced in a former community that had designated private streets.
Read the fine print and ask lots of questions about every potential financial pitfall, and understand what your share of it will be if you choose to live there.
Rules were mentioned, and this size HOA is comparable to a city, and the bureaucracy is comparable as well. Your freedom to choose what, when, where and how to make changes to your property is surrendered at the entry point, and from there you’re at the mercy of a group of homeowners who rule via the HOA board. If you want to spend your retirement being told virtually every move to make with your property, then these types of communities are worth considering. If you feel that you’re capable of handling the affairs of your property, then opt for a less intrusive kind of community.

January 18th, 2012 | #

We checked this place out last spring & were not impressed at all. Facilities are very nice, but an overall feeling of not being welcoming to those who are a bit “different”.
We asked about having a vegetable garden, and the realtor acted as if we were going to raise goats & chickens! He treated us as if we were Ma & Pa Kettle & got rid of us as soon as he could. He had a very condescending manner & suggested that we might not fit in.
The political climate is also VERY conservative, so be forewarned not to mention this subject.
If you would be comfortable in a huge but plastic “DisneyWorld”, go for it.

January 18th, 2012 | #

I keep reading about this place the Villages. Although it sounds like a great place to retire, I am very leery of that bond you have to pay off. Just read about the CDD bonds on a florida for boomers newsletter and I am very leary of a place that has those. I am going to be limited in funds and won’t lock myself into such a place with extra costs

January 18th, 2012 | #

Google “The Villages + IRS” and read about the three-year plus squabble between the Villages’ original Community Development District municipal bonds and the IRS’ “suggestion that The Villages retirement community redeem more than $344 million in bonds the IRS says were improperly issued as tax-free. The agency wanted $16 million in back taxes and a promise by community development districts never again to masquerade as a legitimate government.The Villages thumbed its proverbial nose at such a notion, and then it was on.” (http://andrewblechman.blogspot.com/2010/09/update-on-villages-big-irs-problems-pt.html)

January 18th, 2012 | #

We looked several times..NO INDOOR POOL.. Used to be you could use the one at the Wellness center and that is why many folks purchased there. They cut that out and left all who needed it for therapy out in the cold…..VERY NICE! Be careful about getting married to an HOA…the fees go only one way. Do your homework before you buy

January 18th, 2012 | #

Doesn’t seem like the previous posters would find The Villages their cup of tea. I have lots of friends, however, who are extremely happy living there. They just love all of the choices and nice people and activities. Sure, there are costs to be paid and rules to be followed. But they and 75,000 others are crazy about the place!

January 18th, 2012 | #

We have made many visits of 3 month periods to The Villages and were it not that we come from the UK and would have a problem with the cost of medical treatment in the US we would move to The Villages tomorrow. The place is a wonderful place to live with facilities unrivaled anywhere in the world. The people are so friendly and you can do as much or as little as you want to.

January 18th, 2012 | #

No mention of rentals. . . does anyone know if they are available?

Editor’s note: Yes, there are plenty of rentals. You can get them from the developer (although obviously they would rather have you buy), or try googling them, or places like vrbo.com.

January 18th, 2012 | #

Wow! Some of you have no clue as to what you are talking about.
I have lived in The Villages for 5+ years; it is conservative; it is autocratic; Mr. Midnight is older now; Viagra shouldn’t be paid for by Medicare. The bond you speak of covers the infrastructure e.g.roads, pools, rec centers, libraries, common grounds maintenance. My wife and I chose living near Soanish Springs which is the older of two town centers and I am a baby boomer, born in 1946. The HOA is a figurehead not a political action committee because the developer pretty much controls everything, so The Villages won’t get run down anytime soon.We have charter schools from pre-K through high school and anyone who works for the community or the hundreds of retail stores, doctors offices, etc. their child can go to them. All roads are public, the major ones are gate controlled, monitored and patrolled by Citizen Watch. If you don’t like living in a small city this isn’t the place for you. Now as to growing vegetables, my neighbor across the street grows herbs in pots and I grow blueberry bushes in my backyard as a decorative bush. You want an acre of vegetables, buy property in a small town. I disagree with a lot that The Villages has to offer, but I like the 3 seasons, cool, sunny, hot, but I escape to the mountains of Virginia during the middle of the summer. The one thing I do like the most is Florida is one of seven states with NO Personal Income tax and yes cassandra there are rentals, incl. my own home. I always say “make no promises before there time” and the same can be said for The Villages, “Try it out for a week, month at different times of the year, then make your own decision.” People who have never lived here or rented here have no business offering their opinions of The Villages.

January 19th, 2012 | #

I offered my opinion based on MY impression of what we saw and the manner in which we were treated by the realtor who showed us around. He represented The Villages and was quite succinct in his attitude that we were not “suitable” candidates to live there.
We are financially middle-class, Northern Midwesterners from a country setting. We grow our own fruits and vegetables (not herbs in pots), eat meats & eggs from a family farm down the road from us, we heat our house with wood, and try to be as self-sustaining as possible considering our ages. We were looking for a possible winter home in a warmer climate.
We thought the physical layout, the facilities and the amenities were great, but certainly do not want to live in a place that does not welcome a variety of lifestyles.

January 19th, 2012 | #

The villages is close to Ocala. Any feed back on the city of Ocala and other towns near the villages, good or bad, experiences with other gated housing 55 communities.

January 19th, 2012 | #

Marge,
My apologies for the way you were treated here in the Villages. I wouldn’t have felt welcome either and that’s a shame because you sound like nice folks to know.

January 19th, 2012 | #

@Marge, Have you thought about Lake Weir Living? We’re only 8 miles from The Villages. Many of the amenities available are sometimes available to the public (believe it or not). For example, if you like golf — 9 of their championship 30 courses — are open to the public. Also, their enormous MVP 4-story health club is available to the public for a few dollars more than the residents. Those are just a few examples. If you have a chance, and haven’t settled somewhere else, please visit Lake Weir Living. You won’t be disappointed to see the size of yard you can have to grow your own fruits and vegetables! Also, Marion County has organic meat farms!

and @ Mark Crosbie, Do you know that Lake Weir Living near The Villages is made of up hard-working middle Americans who want a retirement dream Florida home that fits their budget, and we have pools too..See Newsweek’s Jan. 23rd issue..Voted Best US Retirement Showcase!

January 20th, 2012 | #

Thanks for the apology, that realtor needs to find another career! I wonder how many other visitors he has turned off to The Villages?

And also will check out Lake Weir on our next visit to FL. I hope it’s soon, as our thermometer registered a -0 last night!!!!

January 20th, 2012 | #

To cooperkat10, In Delaware, I have found a number of 55+ age restricted communities and non-restricted communities. Some that come to mind are Independence, Heritage Shores, Nobles Pond, and Roesville. They are clustered most closely to Newark, Dover and Lewes areas but there are others dotting the countryside. I started my web search using ’55+ communities in Delaware’. DE is growing in popularity for retirement so many communities are not age restricted but tend to have a number of older residents.

January 20th, 2012 | #

The Villages is great and at the top of my short list for the near future … however after talking with some new residents, I find that the health club options are not great … by this I mean that the present facilities are over crowded, No indoor pools, no decent locker rooms, no wet areas(to include hot tub, sauna, steam) …. I am hoping that in the near future … a modern health club … as good as a YMCA or LA Fitness, LifeTime Fitness …. ???? I would hate to retire at the largest, healthiest, retirement community in the country without a decent health club??

January 21st, 2012 | #

We live in Los Gatos, CA, near the Villages in San Jose. Are all of these communities related i.e.owned by the same organization? Or is this a coincidence.
Lynn.o

Editor’s Note: To our knowledge these communities are not related. We have well over 50 communities at Topretirements with the word Village or Villages in the name. We have 9 “Leisure Villages” or “Leisure Worlds”. Apart from that Village sounds like a pleasant place to live, in other English-speaking countries the term “Retirement Village” usually applies to what we in the USA might call an active adult community or retirement community.

January 22nd, 2012 | #

Neil,
All the championship courses are open to the public; the executive courses are closed to the public. We don’t pay for them as they are part of our amenities, FREE Golf for Life. We even pay for the championship courses be it by subscription or singley. I have heard that Lake Weir Living is nice. We have friends who have places in both The Villages and on Lake Weir. I guess they wanted the best of both had to offer.

January 23rd, 2012 | #

I thought that Lake Weir appeared from what I saw in the websites that is mostly for people with RV’s, motorcyclists, etc. I would think it in general it is a different crowd than what is in the Villages today. I was going to visit Lake Weir until I found out about the above and decided that it was not for me but I am sure it is for many others.

January 24th, 2012 | #

We received some comments back from Len to try to fill in some of the questions raised by other responders:

Private streets: No the streets are all county owned and maintained with our tax dollars.

Rules: Yes, there are many. Read them and if you cannot live with them don’t try and live with them.

Veggy Garden: Not really as the lots are too small, but if you have a Villa which is fenced in there are no garden police to stop you. Many people use pots to grow veggys in on their property or lanai.

Bond: I looked at that as part of the price of the house that I did not have to get a mortgage on…if it is an issue, may resales are sold with paid off bonds.

Indoor pool: no but the outdor pools are heated and used year round. Ann goes to water aerobics a few times each week, year round.

The bottom line is that The Villages is not for everyone…so be it…it s sthe place for over 70,000 people so far.

(Thanks Len!)

January 24th, 2012 | #

My husband is turning 60 and hopefully we will be able to retire in a few years. We would absolutely love to move to the Hobe Sound area in Florida but are concerned about being able to afford this. Mainly we hear that the homeowners insurance and property taxes are high in the area. We have everything paid for and money saved so right now we’re in good financial condition and good health. We don’t need a mansion and we don’t have to live on the water, gated community, or country club so does anyone think this is possible for retired folks? I look forward to any comments.

January 26th, 2012 | #

I’m a Californian that just got back from checking out retirement places in Florida. I stayed at Del Webb’s Stone Creek in Ocala, and also checked out Summer Glen and The Villages. I loved the homes and the community of Stone Creek, but worry a little bit if someone like me: single and used to living in an urban area might eventually find an area like this too uneventful. I did venture down the road from Stone Creek to find mostly strip malls. Summer Glen was not for me; however, surprisingly, I did kind of like the Villages. It seemed like there were ample activities. I liked the idea of shopping being so convenient, places to eat, music that wasn’t rap, friendly people. I didn’t get a chance to check out the health clubs, but I had a feeling they might not be as modern as what I’m used to. I like the idea that there is entertainment every night, and I know people have complained about the parking, but it’s not as bad as parking in San Francisco. One of the things I don’t understand is that most of the places I looked at don’t have fenced in yards, which makes it difficult for dog owners. I would advise not to discount places without checking them out for yourselves. Think about what’s really important to you and look at different places.

January 29th, 2012 | #

September 22, 2009

A visit to “The Villages”

Here is my “take” on the central Florida community know collectively as “The Villages,” located near Ocala in central Florida.

The only problem that I had personally with “The Villages” is that everyone down there looked to be a MINIMUM of 5-7 years older than me and there were quite a few that were considerably older than that. I suppose since I am (was) 58 years old (at the time of this writing), I felt a little bit ahead of the curve when it comes to considering living in over 55 communities like “The Villages.” I had to keep reminding myself that many of the so-called “snow birds” who generally tend to be a little younger and who may still be working up north haven’t come down yet for the winter season. Therefore, most of the full-time residents are indeed going to be on the “older” side. The other problem is that “The Villages,” being virtually self-contained, your not really going to see too many “young” people or young families except when they are visiting. This can be a little depressing and a downer for some people who at least like to see a mix of young and old even if it’s right outside their community. The Villages being the only game in town is virtually all seniors “all the time.”

Other than this “age issue” which was personally a bit of a put-off. “The Villages” community itself was lovely. The V’s, from what I understand, is approximately a 45 square mile community with its own zip code and post office.. At the time of this writing there are about 76,000 residents and about 40,000 homes. This is continually growing as it appeared sales were moving along at a nice clip despite the present down turn in the economy and housing market. This is a major golf community with approximately 20 golf courses and growing. The big attraction is that golf is virtually “free” at least on all the 9 hole “executive courses,” of which there are many, with the payment of your home owners association dues which are very reasonable (presently about $145/month..at time of writing). They also have two championship 18-hole courses. However, while reasonable in price to play aren’t exactly free. There are pay as you go fees and special memberships and deals that can be paid for separately.

It seems like everyone drives around The V’s in golf carts even if they don’t play golf. The community is interlaced with dedicated golf cart paths (they also double as bike, walking and jogging trails) as well as diamond marked roadways on some of the shared main streets through the community. Everything is pretty much accessible in The V’s by golf cart, It is very conceivable that you could give up a second car in the household and just have one car and a golf cart. Many of the homes in The V’s have golf cart garages as well as a two car garage.

There are lots of community pools and fitness facilities throughout the development including a new 35,000 square foot facility that is scheduled for completion before the end of this year (2009). As a resident of The V’s, you are entitled to use any one of them. There are about 60 community pools as well which are available to all residents. Some pools are for “adults only” which is nice if you don’t want to deal with everyone elses grand children and teenage guests. Of course, other pools are set up just the opposite and are specifically for young guests or the grand children.

There are presently two town centers and a third one on the drawing board, from what I understand. The two existing ones are Lake Sumter Landing and the other one (also the older of the two) is Spanish Springs. Between the two of them, there are plenty of shops and restaurants. I believe the restaurant count right now is about 60 (Sept 2009). A new “Fridays” was being built at the time of my visit. Some of the restaurants including one’s like the “Light House” (btw, one of my personal favorites) are not chains, which is nice. There are supermarkets, and medical offices, financial offices, and pretty much everything you’d need including a Spa. There are also multiplex movie theaters, bowling alleys, and a very lively saloon type place that features live music and entertainment virtually every night of the week along with reasonably priced dining. This particular place is only open to residents of The V’s.

Also, impressive was the fact that The V’s have their own modern hospital, an separate assisted living facility along with a separate Alzheimer’s “wing” or building. Also, The V’s has its own dialysis center. The only thing along these lines that was missing was a cemetery. I am just pointing this stuff out, since they seem to have covered a lot of the bases, especially in the medical department.. Having all this available is very convenient especially as you get older or you weren’t in such good shape to begin with.

January 30th, 2012 | #

Hi Artie-
Does your post mean you are selecting TV as your retirment community? Or our choosing a different place?

January 30th, 2012 | #

Artie, Thanks for the detailed info on TV. However, you mention using the golf cart trails also for biking, walking/hiking, jogging, etc. Did you (or has anyone else) actually seen them being used for such … to what extent? We love to bike and walk trails, but I have seen no TV litertaure that shows anyone doing such. Also, from what I have heard, all too many of these “retirees” in their modified golf carts like to drive fast enough to get speeding tickets in the area. If any # of these “older adults” also drink and drive their carts, I would be VERY leery of walking/biking the paths. Just wondering. A large community such as this (or OTOTW, Peach Tree, etc.) seem ideal for us at first, but these supposedly multi-use trails become less enticing when one considers the other uses (which at least at Peach Tree includes students taking the family cart to school!!!!)

February 6th, 2012 | #

[...] this large, there are many more who are attracted to the idea. See our recent article, “Why the Villages is the Best Place for Len and Ann” for more about living [...]

March 20th, 2012 | #