Choosing a HOUSE in The Villages, Part 2 The Must Haves!

[@prettygirlus9008]

Really had to turn the volume up on this one.

[@thevillagesnatives3491]

Thanks for watching and apologies for the audio. We hope it was helpful.

[@svhub]

We have a pet…..so one of our must haves is a fence. We spend our winter in Florida now in a 5th wheel…….no fun leashing our dog constantly.

[@thevillagesnatives3491]

We understand and I think TV is getting the message on fences with the growing offering of Verandas. We really like the Ottawa model with the fence; all the room of a designer size home with a great fenced yard. Happy house hunting!

[@bowhunter1687]

Hi guys, great video. My wife and I are still a few years away from being able to move to the Villages, but we have been renting houses there for a week at a time the last few years. We already have a "must have" list and the Iris is currently leading the way : ) We just recently booked another week for next summer and can't wait! Look forward to your next video!

[@thevillagesnatives3491]

Thanks so much for watching and your encouraging comments! As you know, narrowing down the options to a "must have" list is so important and glad to hear that the Iris sounds great for you all. Congrats on booking your next visit. We are hoping to be in our future Villages home by then, and we will keep you all updated on the progress. Have a great week.

[@beingkitschroeder2507]

Same. We have 5 years before my husband can retire from his job at The Cleveland Clinic. I could come down now, because I'm a realtor, and I could do that in TV.

[@debradurso524]

Wish you the best. Take good care. 😊

[@thevillagesnatives3491]

Thanks so much and you as well!

[@beingkitschroeder2507]

I want an "older" Lantana because I can turn the little nook in the laundry room into a built in office. Plus the layout just works out well for us. We're not interested in the newer neighborhoods down south. We also want a 3/2. Zinnia (I forget what they're calling the new rendition) is a great one with 3 baths. It has two suites, the main suite in the back, and a smaller one (but still large) up front. We also want the same garage space. We'll probably have one car and two golf carts when we get there. Jerry and Linda had a great video on golf carts, I'll have to rewatch that when the time comes, to remind me of all the features we'll want. We want at least 2000 sq ft. Our problem is finding a place for my husband's film theater. We'll probably have to buy something with room for an addition to the side. A pool is big on our list. I'm with you on the non west facing lanai.

[@thevillagesnatives3491]

Great observations and it sounds like you all are doing plenty of research which is so essential. We like the Lantana as well and several of the older versions have that nook in the laundry room; we have seen a few Iris models that have it. The older neighborhoods definitely have more room on the lots if you plan to construct an addition; we rented "between the sixes" for a few months after I retired from the Army and saw several homes that we having rooms added. The new Zinnia model is the Songbird which we also like for the same reason you mentioned. Jerry and Linda, in their video this week, discuss the pros/cons of having a pool. One thing that I have heard or read lately was that the waiting list for adding a pool to an existing home can be quite long, but good news is that plenty of homes already have them. Thanks so much for you sharing your insights and all the best to you all as you plan your transition to TV!

[@buzzerbaby]

We approached purchasing the same way you two did and our list was similar. We are renting for 6 months and found one that checked off all of our must haves and most of our would like to haves and just went under contract. Good luck on your search.

[@thevillagesnatives3491]

Congratulations and thanks for the positive feedback! Renting as you did is a great strategy. In what Village is the home you selected?

[@buzzerbaby]

@@thevillagesnatives3491 we found one in Bradford. It will be real close to Eastport once it’s finished in 2-5 years, in the meantime it’s close to sawgrass and about 25 minute cart ride to both Sumter and Brownwood.

[@thevillagesnatives3491]

We really like Bradford and it does have access to amenities now and into the future. Enjoy your new home as well as the great lifestyle!

[@kjisnot]

Visit open houses both new and used. Keep notes on which model names you like. If you tend to settle on a couple of models explore the names of that model in stucco and vinyl versions. That same model may be available in new homes or 10 year old homes or older but they can vary a bit in design in the same area/period and typically the features will have morphed over time with newer versions. You can search the TV listings by typing in the name in the search box to bring up only those models. MLS is hit and miss if the listing has the original model name. You guys are on the right track to not being one of those couples that move a couple of times since you did the legwork.

[@thevillagesnatives3491]

Excellent advice and thanks so much for sharing. We have also noticed how some of the models morph over the years. You are so right about the MLS missing on the model name; there was one that we noticed as well and sometimes they will not even list a name. Thanks so much and we ppreciate the encouragement!

[@kjisnot]

I see comments on how easy it is to move around TV if you don't like where you are at. To me it makes a lot more sense to spend an extra month or two shopping and save the costs (tens of thousands) and aggravation of moving again. Also once you have settled on what you want if the right home comes up at the right price in your budget you should be in a comfortable position to jump on it. This can helpful if it is one of the models in higher demand. @@thevillagesnatives3491

[@shilohwoods4516]

Totally understand the "final" move. The moving stories each of us can tell!!! We are struggling with many of the same issues:local family visits. We have family from the north to the south of Florida, and we would be the central point; aka "the stopping ground" so we need en suites to give family privacy. My parents made sure their Florida home had a en suite guest room and it made for some peaceful and relaxing visits. No struggles with bathroom sharing, much unlike the family visits had when we were in military quarters. I KNOW you fully understand. Excited to see the new home and what changes if any you will make as you transition into The Villages. Shout out to Linda and Jerry, we watch them as well!

[@thevillagesnatives3491]

Thanks for your comment and you all "get it" on the final move, and those stories!!! Really appreciate you sharing about en suite guest room and the positive experience of your parents. Those military quarters; there are some "stories" there too! We hope to release our next video in a week or so to go over those features and upgrades that we want. We will be heading back down there in November for a final recon before the House Hunting goes live and we plan to make sure we document it to share along with the changes. Linda and Jerry are great ambassadors for TV as well as being honest and positive; TV owes them big time IMHO. Have a great weekend and hope to see you all in the not so distant future.

[@nightengale2123]

Last year my husband and I purchased in the Levi & Boaz villa neighborhood of St. Johns a 3 br 2 bath with golf cart garage Avondale model courtyard villa. Our daughter, her husband, and their two sons ages 21, 17, and two daughters ages 9 & 13 recently made their 1st visit to stay with us from R.I. Our two guest bedrooms and guest bath in our model can be separated off from the rest of our home with a pocket door which is where our daughter, her husband, and the two girls stayed. We moved our dining room table to a space in our villa that separates the kitchen from the living area. In our dining area we put up two camping cots with comfy mattresses for the boys which they were very happy staying in that space which was right near the guest bath. Since we have nice comfy furniture along with a TV in our lanai, the kids loved that space which is where they hung out most of the time to watch TV, play board games, and connect with their friends on their cell phones. And the way my kitchen is set up which has a huge amount of counter space it was perfect for buffet meals. And Nonni always had out on those counters bowls of assorted grab and go snacks and our electric Yeti cooler was placed on the floor at the end of the counter filled with assorted self serve drinks. We managed just fine with all eight of us living under one roof, and when they all left for home we were very happy we did not go bigger and chose our smaller one story less upkeep needed retirement home than our previous big two story colonial style more upkeep needed home leaving us more time to enjoy all the activities living in The Villages has to offer us.

[@thevillagesnatives3491]

Thanks so much for your comment and sharing how you made your new villa work for your visit! Sounds like you all are right where you want and need to be and that your visit with your family was very memorable. We do like the Avondale models and I am sure they are less work to maintain than some of the designer homes. We are looking forward to the activities as well and we realize that the home is only part of The Villages lifestyle. Thanks again for sharing and have a great week!

[@nightengale2123]

@@thevillagesnatives3491 Sorry, forgot to thank you for your service in my comment. I was a Navy brat and my late father served in WWIi, Korea, and the Vietnam wars retiring after 25 years of service with the rank of BMC. I did not follow in his military service foot steps, but the last 22 of my 44 year nursing career I served those who served working for the VA. Those were the best years of my career and a high honor to have had the opportunity to provide nursing care to our Veterans.

[@thevillagesnatives3491]

Thank you so much and we were honored to have been able to serve. And thank you for continuing your father's legacy of service by providing great care to our veterans. You and so many others who have dedicated your lives to serving those who serve are truly unsung heroes. Maybe when we get there we can meet up. Thanks again and have a great week.

[@victoriachanel2493]

New subscriber ❤can you fit a large Lexus SUV in the garages? Great video😊

[@thevillagesnatives3491]

Thanks so much for subscribing and your wonderful feedback is greatly appreciated. I don't think you will have any problem. On our lifestyle visit we parked our Ford Bronco in the garage with plenty of room to spare and I have read of folks who have full size trucks and park them in the garages. The garages are normal dimensions. Thanks again and I hope this helps.

[@ccgaskell]

does the website list MLS and VLS, or just VLS. Appreciate you sharing your information. We are in the process of "considering" a lifestyle visit, and your videos are giving us good info to think about if we take that next step. Retired and looking to get out of the snow !

[@thevillagesnatives3491]

Thanks for your comment and we know what you mean about fleeing the snow. The Villages website only lists homes on the VLS. For the MLS listings I watch the Remax website, Zillow, and Redfin. As I mentioned in one of our videos, we use Daniel Collins on the Villages side and Dave Monty on the MLS side (Dave has a KZbin channel with great info) and we highly recommend them both. If you book a Lifestyle visit you can ask for Daniel as your associate; he will treat you right with no pressure. As we have said before, we highly recommend a lifestyle visit. The in-season (winter) are a little pricier for a Lifestyle visit but out of season is as low as $99 per night. Hope this helps; have a great day and thanks so much for watching.

[@ccgaskell]

@@thevillagesnatives3491 Thanks. We will be in Fort Myers in March 2024 for a 19th century base ball conference, and hoped to swing by the villages on the way back home, for a life-style stay then, but as bad luck would have it, that is the $199 per night time frame, and if I read it right, the $199 per night is per person, so $400 a night for the wife and I. Gotta think harder on that one.. but it still may be cheaper than coming back another time, although I think we need to experience it in the summer, to see if the heat is really more bearable than the cold ! Will keep watching and keep learning.

[@thevillagesnatives3491]

Sounds like a great trip. The price is per night, not per person. Our rate was $99 per night (after May 1st.) and that was the nightly rate we paid for our stay for my wife and I.

[@ccgaskell]

@@thevillagesnatives3491 happy to hear that. I sent note to Villages website but hadnt heard back. That will make it much easier to handle cost wise.. and I guess I better get crackin' on planning that stay before they are all filled up !! Thank you again for your prompt and kind replies.

[@kjisnot]

Rates are seasonal per night. I think it's a great deal since you get a real nice house, golf carts, 2 bikes, and a free show. At least that's what we had. Day after we arrived we spent 90 minutes with a VLS rep and they turned us loose. One call during the week to see if we had questions. Maybe 5-6 months later an email and call. We really experienced no sales pressure from them. @@ccgaskell

[@Cheese_Piedogi]

The sound is terrible

[@thevillagesnatives3491]

Yes, apologies. I posted another version with some adjustments to the sound. Hopefully that will be better for you.