The Villages or Something Similar in Florida?

[pb4uski]

We have friends who live in a Del Webb community in Palm Desert and love it. Pre-covid, they had plenty of activities to keep them busy.

We visited in 2018 and were impressed with the beautiful landscaping and various clubhouses/pools/work-out options.

There are a few Del Webb communities in Florida which may be worth checking out.

The Sun City Center, Florida community that my mom lived in that I wrote about earlier in this thread was a Del Webb community.

DW and I visited the Del Webb community in Palm Desert when we were out there one time. Very nice. Just a more modern version of Sun City Center where my mom lived.

 

[RAE]

There are many places in Florida other than The Villages where you can become part of a small community and make friends. We live in one of them, and we're about an hour away from The Villages. I would personally never choose to live in a place like that, because apartment-building style living is not for me (been there, done that). We have a nice small house, nice yard, we're on the water, and we're part of a great small community. And there are no HOA fees. I'll take what we have over The Villages any day.

 

[boilerman]

We’ve lived in the Villages for about 3 years, with both me and my wife under 60 when we arrived. It’s not for everyone but we love it. It’s good advice to call and setup the lifestyle visit (4-7 nights). You get a house, golf cart and access to the amenities. Then rent for a couple months.

I think the Villages appeals to people who are social and want to be active. They have so many activities it’ll make you dizzy. The size (~130,000) allows for a range of events that you won’t have in any other retirement community in the country.

To clarify from some previous posts
- they had not offered any apartments or condo style living until last year. 99.9% of the people live in detached homes, some of the original sites have trailers.
- The lifestyle visit program is very popular and most people who move here start there.
- I wouldn’t consider this area to be overly political. This last year has been more political due to the election but I think that was true of most areas. I have many friends from both parties and it’s never been a problem. With the election over, I never hear anyone talk politics.

Come for a visit and you’ll see whether it suites your needs.

 

[Markola]

Boilerman, Thanks for the first-hand summary which answers some of my questions. If one is going to live in a retirement community, my orientation leans toward living in the most comprehensive retirement community there probably is, as you’ve chosen to. Enjoy.

 

[Rocket Man]

DW and I spent February,2019 and March, 2020 at the Villages. Weather was great both years. If anything, a little too warm last March. Nothing bad to say about it. Clean and manicured like Disney World, which we like. Facilities all first class. No problem getting golf reservations for the executive courses as long as you are a little flexible. Entertainment on the squares is fun. Being there for just a month each time, did not get involved in the clubs, but there are clubs for all interests. Did not go this year due to Covid, but still might visit in April or May. Getting cabin fever and ready to get away! If you are still a beach bum in retirement, it may not be your ideal spot, but if you want to avoid the crushing traffic of south Florida in the wintertime, it is a great alternative.

 

[Jerry1]

DW and I spent February,2019 and March, 2020 at the Villages.

How hard is it to get a one month rental in the winter?

 

[Rocket Man]

How hard is it to get a one month rental in the winter?

It is harder when only renting for one month. We went through Down Home Properties which specializes in rentals at The Villages. They have an office in Wildwood just outside The Villages. You can find them on the internet. We first contacted them the year before. They kind of wait to try and get longer term rentals, but then fill in as needed. Selection is more limited, but we had very nice places both years.

 

[boilerman]

Boilerman, Thanks for the first-hand summary which answers some of my questions. If one is going to live in a retirement community, my orientation leans toward living in the most comprehensive retirement community there probably is, as you’ve chosen to. Enjoy.

Comprehensive is a great one word description. 100 swimming pools and rec centers, 693 holes of golf, 214 dedicated pickleball courts, 15 softball fields and over 3000 clubs.

An hour to Disney in Orlando, about 2 hours to beaches on either coast and enough inland that the hurricane threat is less here than on the coasts. But summers are hot here so come down in August to see if you can handle it.

 

[Locotony]

I've been looking at potential 55+ communities for a Florida move in 4 years when I hit 55 and decided that the Villages is just too big and in another 4 years the congestion already there will be worse. On top of the World, which is near the Villages is one I am looking at as an option as from what I have seen it seems to be like a smaller version of the villages without the massive amount of people (still a lot though) I also am heavily looking at non-55+ areas like Cape Coral or Punta Gorda as I do not like the idea of HOA's and being regulated about every little thing I might do to my property or getting permission to change the color of my house plus if I am selling my current house (owned outright) and buying another that will be paid in full I do not want to pay 5-600 a month for the privilege of some Karen complaining about my bird feeder being too close to a fence.

 

[garyt]

Can somebody explain HOA's to me at many of these 55+ communities? They seem to be all over the place in the same community. For instance at On Top of The World I just looked at some houses in the $200K range that had $370 monthly HOA yet a $350K house was $170 month?
Now I know from looking at a lot of places that some seem to include a golf membership in the HOA while some don't in the same community. Wouldn't that be up to the buyer? Anyway I'm confused.

 

[MichaelB]

HOAs in Florida typically cover gated security and landscaping. The monthly rate between different associations would vary most because of the number of homes paying of the amount of security. Some associations may be responsible for maintaining the roads in their community.

 

[Locotony]

Can somebody explain HOA's to me at many of these 55+ communities? They seem to be all over the place in the same community. For instance at On Top of The World I just looked at some houses in the $200K range that had $370 monthly HOA yet a $350K house was $170 month?
Now I know from looking at a lot of places that some seem to include a golf membership in the HOA while some don't in the same community. Wouldn't that be up to the buyer? Anyway I'm confused.

Some of the HOA's in On top of the world are Higher as they are the "maintenance free" home option that pays all the landscaping, and most exterior repairs/maintenance as well as the other amenities included also may vary if the CDD fees are paid for the area as that would add to the fees.

 

[shafer9]

Apparently it does have lots of activities. From people I have spoken to who have friends living there, you pretty much have to be a political right winger . It’s apparently very Trumpian, is my understanding. If you’re down with that, you might pay it a visit and see if you actually like it.

 

[wbrecht333]

Living in the Villages

Absolutely need to experience the Villages. It is fantastic. You can live in any setting you desire and the activities are boundless. The movie is fiction! Not at all our experience. Come visit, on them, see for yourself.

 

[gooddog]

Check out Viera, FL. It has all the stuff the Villages does, but a lot less gossip and congestion. There is a 55+ community there called 'Bridgewater' that is being built out. There are other 55+ communities that are already completed, and there is 'regular' housing too. Places go for about $260k and up in Bridgewater. They got everything a person could want there. I have a poster of the master plan for the community, and if you want it just email me and I will send you pic. One advantage Viera has over the Villages is that it is closer to the Atlantic Ocean - that keeps the temp down a bit in the summer. Just showed my father the community last week and he was blown away. Viera is about 40 minutes from Orlando.

 

[garyt]

HOAs in Florida typically cover gated security and landscaping. The monthly rate between different associations would vary most because of the number of homes paying of the amount of security. Some associations may be responsible for maintaining the roads in their community.

But I'm talking about vastly different HOA's within the SAME community. That's what I don't understand.

 

[garyt]

Some of the HOA's in On top of the world are Higher as they are the "maintenance free" home option that pays all the landscaping, and most exterior repairs/maintenance as well as the other amenities included also may vary if the CDD fees are paid for the area as that would add to the fees.

That makes sense.

 

[meleana]

https://www.55places.com/florida?nh...utm_content=55 communities in Florida [exact]

 

[piccolopat]

If you are interested in the Villages, there is a couple "Jerry and Linda" that have a ton of YouTube videos that answer a lot of questions and show you a lot about the Villages. They are known there as the Villages Florida Newcomers. I stumbled on them recently and while we have no immediate plans to move, it's nice to see what options there are in case we ever change our minds.

 

[CANTW8]

DH and I having been visiting The Villages since ‘97 when my parents moved there after first retiring to Mt Dora Fl. We purchased a small single family ranch home on nice corner lot in ‘13 and became Sunbirds in ‘18, heading to central Wi. for the summers. The winter weather varies year to year, from warmer to cooler like this season. We were still able to participate in most early morning water aerobics classes since the pools are all heated to 84 degrees. We enjoy a wide variety of activities here, my DH is an extrovert and I’m more of an introvert and it somehow suits both our needs.

I completely agree with everything that Boilerman had to say about The Villages!

FYI we just watched that movie Some Kind of Heaven and my first impression was that it was completely distorted view of the Villages Lifestyle until the end, then realized it wasn’t so much a commentary about the typical Villagers life but rather more about how some retirees deal/struggle with some of the harsh realities of life in retirement and could happen anywhere. Plus our wonderful neighbors, Terri n Mike (entertainers) are in the film several times!

Wherever you decide to live in retirement having a positive attitude and an open mind will certainly help us all enjoy the years ahead of us all!

 

[RockLife]

I have wondered about simply picking a large 55+ community that I like for amenities and weather but quietly refuse to engage in political discussions when they come up. Refusing to talk out loud about “money, religion or politics” used to serve polite people well, so what would happen if a person just clammed up about those inherently divisive topics and focused on the commonalities? Radical idea, I realize.

This is how I live my life, everywhere.

 

[razztazz]

I have wondered about simply picking a large 55+ community that I like for amenities and weather but quietly refuse to engage in political discussions when they come up. Refusing to talk out loud about “money, religion or politics” used to serve polite people well, so what would happen if a person just clammed up about those inherently divisive topics and focused on the commonalities? Radical idea, I realize.

A retirement community is not the general public. Sometimes the conversation starter is probing. If you refuse to engage you could be assumed to be and labeled "one of them." Like high school only with old people.

 

[grace_abounds]

Friends Love It

Hello,
Hoping to retire to Florida soon.
Top priority is having some type of social life, the ability to meet others and make friendships.
The Villages is loaded with social activity - I'm wondering if anyone has had experience there?
Are there any communities that are similar to the Villages in Florida? Maybe slightly toned down?
Thanks

I have a work colleague/friend who moved with his wife to the Villages after retirement and they absolutely love it. They had a house built there. There is a great variety of housing type options that run the gamut from my own limited research. I was also considering looking at The Villages for the social aspect, but am torn about wanting to be near the water too. My brother lived in Pompano/Ft. Lauderdale area for many years and loved it. We had good times down there, so also considering it. He is not turned on by The Villages because, in his words, "It's in the middle of nowhere". Nonetheless, the couple I know down there are extremely happy with their decision. Nothing beats a visit to gauge for oneself before taking the plunge, of course.

 

[Amethyst]

I have an elderly neighbor like that. Always trying to get a "rise" out of me.

I try to avoid him, but he prowls the neighborhood, and I am often out working in my yard. Discovered I startle easily when I'm focused, so now he loves to startle me by hollering my name while my head is down, and then laugh. Will also drive by in his elderly car, honk his horn, then point and laugh at my startled face. Loudly praised Trump, then because I wasn't nodding and agreeing, said, "Oooo! We have a Democrat here!" which I am not.

A retirement community is not the general public. Sometimes the conversation starter is probing. If you refuse to engage you could be assumed to be and labeled "one of them." Like high school only with old people.

 

[Amethyst]

But that makes such a mess, and draws attention.

This is what the 2nd amendment is for