Questions and Answers about The Villages Florida

Jerry and Linda answer questions from viewers on various topics from finances to activities in the Villages, Florida. After living here for over a month, they share insights from a newcomer's point of view.

[@kylereed980]

I love this Q&A, it was fun to see .we love our Linda's!!

[@johntamulonis4626]

Great video Jerry and Linda!

[@beckyhowes]

Gizmo's introduction! He is so sweet!

[@RoxieintheCity]

It makes me happy to watch you two. You guys certainly have charisma and the little dog just takes it to the next level sitting back there presiding over the whole video.

[@marilynnschroeder4436]

❤

[@leyongbao3567]

I LOVE your video, especially your happiness and lovely smiles with all the positive

[@meowsthree]

After watching your videos I can imagine you two were wonderful teachers🙂

[@JERRYANDLINDA]

Awww... thanks!

[@ReneeB5]

meowsthree I thought the same thing

[@tominator3]

Thanks for your video. Researching The Villages for my mother who is a single retired teacher. She is always active so I know she would make friends and get involved quick

[@martinkern8122]

I love that many of your videos are 15 minutes or longer, thanks for that.

[@cynthiaamitrano8915]

My husband was a Jerry as well. Cynthia and Jerry. If I can go outside work in my yard, enjoy my flowers and take a walk or walk my dogs, I’m a happy camper.

[@frankdabney8782]

That is where I am from, the sunny side,,,southern Indiana. Glad I found you all. Graduated from New Washington High school.

[@JERRYANDLINDA]

Used to go up there to Boyer's Meat Locker. Go Mustangs!

[@kevinjacques5837]

Hi Jerry and Linda. My name is Kevin. I have been following skip smith for over a year. I am so glad I found your channel. My wife and I are from Rhode Island. We purchased a home In Desoto last July, we bought it as an investment because we still have to work five more years, sound like you guys are really happy, we are so happy for you, we love the villages, do you guys play pickleball. we are coming down May 22nd just for four days. Best of luck, have you seen rocky and the rollers and scooter the DJ at the town squares. Again best of luck. Kevin and Karen

[@JERRYANDLINDA]

Yes! The bands are great. We want to learn to play it, but haven't yet. Holler at us when you get here!

[@kevinjacques5837]

@@JERRYANDLINDA I will my cell number is 401 862 8923, we would love to meet you. Kevin

[@danielmarso7242]

Gosh, I guess we are spoiled in Rhode Island, our mail is delivered right to our front door, but not every town, newer neighborhoods have mail at the top of the street in group boxes, we had a visitor, and he was amazed . He said you get your mail at the door,I laughed,because I knew no other way, LOL.

[@carolapostolos8929]

Enjoyed listening to your information / perspective. Hope you keep up the vlogs for a long time

[@jennifermiller9130]

Hi Linda and Jerry. It’s extremely windy and raining in Floyd’s Knobs and we’re supposed to get snow with maybe single digits overnight. Brrrrr. Staying in tomorrow. So glad you’re having a good time. I love listening to the descriptions of what the Village’s have to offer. Have a wonderful week. 👍🏻😃🥶

[@margannaful9008]

Love the Manitou Cliff Dwellings t-shirt!!! Fantastic place to visit ♥

[@peteypickles3262]

What a coincidence - I live in Dunedin, FL. Just north of Clearwater, just west of Tampa. It's a great community!

[@lulu2050]

Great videos...it’s soooo helpful to hear newcomers from the Midwest explain The Villages. Thanks!

[@ReneeB5]

You two are so cute together. And Gizmo is adorable! So kind of you both to share your experiences with others as well as “taking feedback” 😉. My oldest daughter is a school teacher in Lexington.. it would be great if she followed me to Florida too one day 😊. Like I’ve mentioned before.. we close on our home in April but will live there full time I’m 15 months and counting ❤️🌴☀️

[@JERRYANDLINDA]

See you when you get here!

[@5150skb]

Great insight and information. Thank you.

[@ricklongbrake]

Jerry and Linda, thanks once again for a great video. This type of information is priceless for those of us trying to decide if The Villages is the right place for us to consider for a move. Please continue doing them.

[@JERRYANDLINDA]

Thanks Rick! We appreciate it. Good luck with your decision.

[@dustyd48]

Gizmo is so cute. Thank you for all the information you were able to give us. Congrats on moving into The Villages.

[@marysmith7093]

Hi Gizzy, you sure a handsome boy. Jerry, I'm sure you held your students' attention with that voice, it's a soothing voice.

[@JERRYANDLINDA]

Thanks, Mary!

[@lindaprior3118]

My parents claimed they knew no other Linda's when they named me in 1955. I was born in Seattle. Guess it wasn't the largest city at the time, but it wasn't a small town either! In high school we had homerooms designated by last name initals. There were 8 Linda's with the last name's starting with R's & S's!

[@jimnordgren8133]

Hi Guys, As we said before we will be moving to the villages this summer. We will be looking for a Designer home.we are already working with a realtor.we have been there 3 times so far and have toured both new & per owned. So we our keeping our options open.we are going to rent first and make sure this wonderful place is for us.Our percentage of ownership is well over 90%. We are so excited to get there and can’t wait.As you guys have experience getting ready to move is stressful .with your home I noticed my left your right behind you looks like a mini split hvac system.Do you guys have a second a/c system. It’s nice to watch & here how your experience is going,thanks Jim.

[@m.t.mclaughlin4117]

The mailboxes shouldnt have stickers. They are not owned, our mail lady was out with a scrapper and she took half the day trying to get those sticks off. Get a carabiner, and attched your sticker with the 4 digit code off the carabiner. Besides, that...... Spot on.

[@jazzis4u1]

Question: property tax pays for sanitation services (water, sewer infrastructure) etc...CDD pays for sanitation services (water, sewer infrastructure) etc...please explain. Property tax pays for public space upkeep, road repairs, safety etc....CDD pays for public space upkeep, road repairs, safety etc..please explain.

[@jazzis4u1]

Well thanks for hearting my post. But it was in the form of a question. I really want to know why it appears that residents are paying for the same thing twice, and if you consider the bond, even 3 times.

[@JERRYANDLINDA]

We couldn't tell you. Property Taxes pay for a lot of other things too. Schools, police, libraries, etc. Sounds like you know more about it than we do. If you have been here and seen the infrastructure, you would be pretty amazed at the tunnels, golf cart trails, roundabouts, swimming bulls, rec centers, etc.

[@sgp1489]

My sister and brother in law live in Dunedin. Wonderful neighborhood. We hope to be villagers someday too and your videos give me a little feel for the bubble from home. Thanks for sharing your adventures!

[@josea5949]

So guys, I have a question for you. What happens if you get a large package typically delivered by like FEDEX or UPS that doesnt fit in the regular USPS box?

[@55Mrcry]

Hi Guy's, my father lives in the Villages...his name isn't Jerry it's Barry...close though... he's a retired computer sciences professor and has lived there about 9 years...I've been there, it's a very nice place...he lives on Mayflower...hope you enjoy it there.

[@Robert-re5vk]

I want a small home with lots land

[@ronniedelaplain6722]

The hospital is just out said of Spanish springs, if your A veteran the VA is just past Nancy Lopez golf course Doctor offices are just off 46 by the high school. Love the Villages.

[@kittyconner1653]

Y'all are doing a great job. Thanks for sharing from a newbee's eye. We want to move there so badly got to sell here first.

[@JERRYANDLINDA]

Good luck selling!

[@andreadaines1284]

I saw Linda's golf cart in a previous video and I think it's absolutely adorable!! What a cheery yellow! It's perfect for you, Linda!!

[@christinehurd]

Aspen is my favorite layout. Love it.

[@adriennemuti7650]

We're going down there in 10 days for the month of February. I expect to really like it there and will be looking at houses while we vacation. Outside here is the beginning of a 12-30 inch snow storm. I can't wait to get there!

[@retire66]

HI ,those the villages have bus service or taxi service to and from shopping in towns or to go to disney world etc thank you

[@Robert-re5vk]

Looking 4 small house

[@oceandreamer1958]

Linda, I do stamping, scrapbooking and genealogy too! We have a lot in common! I hope I get to meet you when we either visit in April or when we move there! How did you narrow down crafting supplies? I have a whole room right now!

[@philbeard3370]

Where did you purchase your gardenia plants, please?

[@kckuc310]

The way we look at, is, snow birds should be looked “good “upon. They pay everything the full time residents pay and are only there half the time, so the full timers should be grateful for 6 months they shouldn’t be getting if the snow birds didn’t leave every year.

[@JERRYANDLINDA]

Preach it Kevin!

[@flohutchison3747]

Just started watching and enjoying your videos. The part about the cost of utilities seems somewhat premature since you’ve only been there a little over a month. I’d like to hear what they’ve cost once you’ve been there a full year, to get a better idea. From say March to October, I know air runs non-stop. My daughter lives in Sarasota.

[@JERRYANDLINDA]

Flow that video was from a long time ago. Check out the video we posted yesterday it has current costs.

[@songbirdsinging1878]

my husband and i don't golf so the villages prob won't work for us. we stayed in a courtyard villa on Reidville Rd for all of December 2018. it was beautiful and such a relief to have a break from the cold and snow. it was wonderful to sit on the gorgeous patio. the landscape was full of beautiful tropical foliage.unfortunately, we didn't leave the house much because our cat became ill suddenly just before we left for fl. we spent part of the month in florida going to veterinarians for help. eventually we took her to the ER at ocala. she died a few days later. then we were very sad. it was better to be where it was warm and sunny. you just feel better and younger when you have sun and warmth. thank you for the info.

[@JERRYANDLINDA]

Great post!

[@Miguel195211]

New to your chat. Very informative and down to earth. Thinking about moving to TV. I am from Columbus, Ohio and now retired in Miami.

[@johnmccorkle1694]

Thanks for all the great information. My wife and I visited in October for a lifestyle visit. We hoping to sell our house soon and move to The Villages. You mentioned you purchased your house remotely. Can you describe that process? Was it a VLS or MLS home? With houses being sold so quickly, how did you arrange for the deposit? Did you close on the house via mail or in person? How difficult (or easy) was your experience? Thanks in advance.

[@chetarrant8680]

Are FedEX and UPS packages allowed to be delivered to the home?

[@JERRYANDLINDA]

Yes! That is where they come. Even oversized USPS mail comes to the house.

[@dr.stevegriffin6845]

you guys look great! Glad to see you're doing well!

[@redpop41]

I am from corydon Indiana

[@JERRYANDLINDA]

Music on the square... Emerys ice cream... The Jamboree, we have been there countless times!

[@dennishanson5254]

Highest VD rate in Florida?

[@JERRYANDLINDA]

False rumor.

[@scottprice4813]

I don’t have a dog but I do know that the cheap dog foods can produce dreadful “Doodies.” I hear Science diet and other premium brands make the pooper scooper job easier☺️

[@bonnieflanagan9297]

Would love a tour of your home, yard and neighborhood. Thanks!

[@vanmamawannabe6360]

What do you mean by “lifestyle experience” at 14.08?

[@giannabella9183]

I think it's a visit to the villages to see what life is like if you actually buy there or move there

[@vanmamawannabe6360]

Gianna Bella Thank you!

[@chriss631]

In your ukulele group, do you have an accordion player, Marilyn, and her Husband, Bill, who plays the uke and bass (made from a 5 gal Home Depot bucket).

[@JERRYANDLINDA]

Chris, we have not gone for such a long time. It does not sound familiar.

[@jbrown5104]

Well Duh. Decorating you mailbox is like decorating your locker when we were kids. Gotta do it!

[@hollyhudspeth3980]

Linda, you need to find Melody Lane who also lives in the Villages. She is a card making guru and holds classes at one of the clubhouses. I am not sure which village she is in but she is one of the Crafting stars and is a dear person and a lot of fun. Her golf cart is decorated with a face and I think Mustache recently. She has blue and burgandy hair. Can't miss her if you see her. I watch her videos three times a week. If you are on facebook, look her up. She has several channels on You Tube as well. As a side note....Your story is an odd coincidence. Did I serve the two of you at the Raffaldini winery in North Carolina recently? Are you the people who were from Indiana, but travelling from Louisville to Charlotte people I waited on? Your channel popped up on the right of a video I was watching. If so, ...what a kick! If not, you may want to find them too. There is a couple down there living a parallel life to yours. Enjoy the Villages and remember Jerry, ...straight and long.

[@georgeshotrodbarn2113]

My sister is seventy and her name is Linda there was a famous singer or actor back then and my dad liked her so that's the name he gave to her.

[@MBFLA45]

I think half the women here are named Judy or Linda. I understand that Judy Garland was probably the inspiration... but I never could figure out why so many Lindas.

[@matthewfithian891]

My Brother Just Bought a Place there, used with a pool corner Lot, retiring from his Job, his Name is Mark!

[@quiltme10]

Your KZbin videos are fabulous!!! Where in Indiana are you originally from or was it just KY only? Hi to sweet Gizmo, sweet dog! Try this recently updated website, the app has GPS that tells you where everything is in TV including all the golf cart trails. Plus there is TONS of info for TV about everything under the sun!! www.talkofthevillages.com. You definitely need to find a hospital or doctors offices quick like a bunny, you never know when something might happen to either of you - unplanned! Have a great day to you both!!

[@tomyee]

Regarding mailboxes' distance...you can get everything via email. My mail nowadays is just advertisements solicitations. nothing important. just go to the mailbox a couple of times a week. US post office will be archaic in 10 years.

[@kevincarpenter4789]

Thanks! Oh and we got about 5 inches of snow overnight in TheVille. Is the bank you mentioned Citizens Union bank......or is it different. Thanks again

[@JERRYANDLINDA]

That's it!

[@bonnieflanagan9297]

Just found your videos and love them! You guys do a great job!

[@nathangrandmasterk9760]

Is there UBER and Lift there?

[@JERRYANDLINDA]

Don't think so... but there are plenty of car services.

[@mrsarmie3808]

Jerry, you are so subtly funny! "Remember this is a retirement community."

[@EM-qz8wj]

I enjoyed this video! I just found out about this place today and wanted to learn more about it. I'm glad I found your channel. Do you know if there are many jobs at The Villages? I'd love to move there and get a job working with kids or some type of admin job. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[@JERRYANDLINDA]

With a population of over 100,000 and several surrounding towns, I'm sure there are lots of jobs out there.

[@steveweaver69]

Good Day, I have been following and researching TV. Do you think the loss of freedom is worth what you gain? And is it difficult to get used to the "cookie cutter" housing? Is it bothersome if you are not a conservative republican type?

[@JERRYANDLINDA]

Hi Steve, good questions. We love our house. There are lots of similar homes, but variations of plans. Homes built of the same time period will be of a group of different home plans. Maybe you'll select an Iris or a Begonia, or a Gardenia, or an Aspen. You get it. As for a loss of freedom... I love it. Neither I nor my neighbors can select a wild color for the exterior of the home. No trash stored outside. Everything planned to keep the neighborhood looking good and the home values up. If anyone comes into a development expecting to be miserable or to have confrontations, they probably will. There are people here from all walks of life and all ethnicities. We can only speak for ourselves, and we love it here.

[@JERRYANDLINDA]

Colleen, it would be a matter of opinion. You said "there", so you obviously don't live in the Villages.

[@JERRYANDLINDA]

@@sniferlip you have your opinion, and it's obvious. I didnt comment. because I dont know. In a year here, no one we know has expressed strong political opinions. I dont know what party (if any) my neighbors belong to. Comments like yours make me smile, because they are assumptions based on nothing.

[@Richg468]

I cant wait to move there

[@giannabella9183]

We appreciate this information but think that that you're giving away too much information about where you live. The neighborhood and the home style We would be a little bit more secretive about our location. Best wishes♡♡♡♡

[@JERRYANDLINDA]

You may be right. It's tough sharing without sharing too much. We do have strangers knock on our door from time to time.

[@tiffanygonsalves1763]

Geez, enough about golf!!

[@JERRYANDLINDA]

FORE!

[@mckain0513]

Love Gizmo...bring him in more! Did you use a realtor that was with the Villages sales team or an external realtor (not a Villages sales person) or both to find your house?

[@JERRYANDLINDA]

We came on a lifestyle visit and The Villages assigned us a realtor. There was no pressure at all. He showed us a bunch of new homes, and we asked to see some preowned too. He pushed the Fenney area (that's where the new construction was) but we decided even though the new homes were cheaper, that we wanted to be closer to the town centers. We went back home and found a house on-line in the Brownwood area. The same agent helped us buy it.

[@mckain0513]

@@JERRYANDLINDA Thanks for the info...we have been to TV 4 times and have our house up for sale hoping to get there soon! Glad to see you are enjoying it so much!! Great videos we enjoy them a lot!

[@mrsarmie3808]

You guys have great hair! :)

[@mikecaldwell8417]

Is it worth while to live in the Villages if you don't play golf?

[@JERRYANDLINDA]

Lots of folks here don't play golf and they LOVE TMthe lifestyle. Many others take up the game and are now hooked!

[@bsrk3170]

Is everyone living at the Villages white?

[@JERRYANDLINDA]

Not sure if youre trolling, but I'd suggest looking at the webcams in the town centers and other candids from The Villages. Everyone is welcome to own homes here.

[@bsrk3170]

Answered my own question. From the Villages website as of 2017 the population is 96.6% white.