We are a good 7 years out from retirement but wanted to see if we would like it here at all. So far we love it. The town centers are awesome. The newer houses are nice. I’d like more land but I realize as I get older I won’t want the work. We are now contemplating moving sooner before retirement.

My wife is a realtor and a good one so she will be fine. I may need to find a remote quality assurance job in biotech if there’s nothing close. The idea of leaving my communist state is awesome. Shooters World was incredible. No gun shops like that near me.

I’m losing a local friend to The Villages. He’s in the process of moving there as we speak. He sent me links and pics. It looks pretty incredible.

A buddy’s mother in law and husband live there. They have everything you need inside a gigantic gated community including stores, police substations, about every kind of medical office you can think of, post offices, etc. Very safe secure community.

My parents relocated from Cols, OH to a 55 an over community right on Lake Griffith which is a few miles down the road from The Villages.

They love it there and I really like it there due to the people, and being close by to everything. Plus it is half the cost of The Villages.

I can second/third Shooters World. It is freaking incredible.

Be sure to get LoJack®!


https://www.cbsnews.com/news/f...golf-cart-chop-shop/

Cops: Drug raid in Fla. retirement community uncovers possible golf cart chop-shop
JUNE 26, 2017 / 4:50 PM / CBS/AP


"THE VILLAGES, Fla. -- Five people have been arrested after a police raid of a home in a central Florida retirement community uncovered drugs and golf cart parts, according to the Sumter County Sheriff's Office.

Deputies raided the home early Wednesday after receiving reports of suspicious activity, including possible drug use and golf cart thefts, at the home located in The Villages, a sprawling senior community with a population of more than 150,000. A SWAT team executed a search warrant obtained after a confidential informant helped orchestrate three drug buys there, reports the Village News.

Nearby residents had reportedly long complained the property was unkempt."

I like the concept of the villages, their lifestyle, and all the rest. We even follow a vlogger on youtube for cheap entertainment. I would love driving a golf cart around.

Having said that I wouldn’t move there. Way too crowded and homes are through the roof, not to mention all the “rules” that will apply.

I’ve heard mentioned the villagers “wonder where all the orange trees are?” that they’ve heard about. Well, there freakin’ living where they used to be. Villages bought out one of the largest ranches in Florida some years ago to establish their mini-city. A real shame as that was one spectacular drive on FL 27/301 from the northern state line to damn near all the way south of Tampa. Nothing but orange groves, both sides of the road.

Meh, life goes on…

That’s probably why one of the villages is called citrus grove. Lol

I used to be totally against hoa rules and such. But as I get older I’m not opposed to it as much. One thing I like is the political mindset here is the same as mine. Even the 2 comedians we saw the other night were bashing Biden.

It is a rather unusual locale. I went there to see a respiratory patient whose equipment was having issues along with a local rep. The guy had a candy jar full of Viagra on his nightstand! A person in one of the coffee shops within explained that the women out-numbered the men 8-1 and it was like a whorehouse in quite a few homes with one going out the back door and the next coming through the front door. STD's were rampant as pregnancy was not a concern. I guess the peace and Love generation is alive and going strong! But other than that unusual scene it was full of activity and plenty of things to do within the community.

quote:

Originally posted by frayedends:

Shooters World was incredible. No gun shops like that near me.

I have not been to Shooters World, but it's an easy trip from The Villages to the Florida location of our beloved Top Gun Supply in St. Augustine. Florida Gun Exchange, in the Daytona area, is pretty good, too, as is AAA Pawn (a huge pawn shop / gun store, almost like a firearms museum) on the south side of Deland.

We looked around, gently, on our last trip through, a couple years back. You're right, you'd be hard pressed to find somewhere with more "self-contained" convenience.

Because most good things are "double-edged," I'd recommend looking over the various community covenants/restrictions and Association rules before falling in love. Very possibly there's nothing in their that'd be "game-enders" for you, but it's a glimpse into exactly how tightly the community is controlled.

Unless you buy property on a farm or in an older area you'll have an HOA in FL, you want one and contrary to the common SF think tank on them, not all are horribly run organizations with tendencies for overbearing members on the board.

The villages really have grown over the years, should have bought a few homes up there and leased them out. With all the COVID issues, taxes, high costs of heating and fuel up north, you'll feel right at home between southern drawl and Boston accents...

You'll want to get a golf cart, electric, 48 volt and if you go new, Lithium batteries, lights, turn signals, you can load these suckers out... they are not just for golf but getting around.

Vtail, Shooters World makes FGE look pale in comparison. You really ought to check it out..

I thought you just built a new house. Must of been another member.

I would think long and hard about doing what you are considering. Especially at the stage of life you are at. Not something I would even consider, ever.

But I guess many do. I dunno.

Actually we would do a snowbird thing and rent if we do anything earlier. We did just build about 3 years ago. We love our home. But we are realizing the cold and the maintenance of a big property won’t be a long term plan.

Villages has rules but not an HOA. So the rules are t changing at the whim of some old cranky board.

My friends just built a house in Ohio, lived there for a year, and said to hell with it and moved to the Villages.

They just turned 55! A bit young in my mind, but they absolutely love it. They play pickleball all the time and don't seem to have a care in the world.

I heard the STD rate there is astronomical!

The STD thing is a fake rumor. It there are pickups happening at the bars though.

OP, it’s hot as fuck in Fla….and humid…nothing an AC doesn’t help but visiting in November is different than in July….and mosquitoes.

Healthcare COULD be an issue. In the past it was an HMO model. Since the resident was not part of the HMO he was SOL as he had regular Medicare. He had an aggressive cancer and had to drive several hours for treatment. The onsite medical would not accept Medicare.
Whether you like it or not healthcare is an important part of your decision.

Not a lot of younger people. There was a funny movie where Carmen Diaz went to visit her Grandmother in a similar retirment village. The old men were gawking when she took a dip in the pool. All the other ladies were pissed! In her Shoes is the name of the film. Good comedy.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: ZSMICHAEL,

I don’t mind the heat. We will have a pool when we move here and I enjoy blazing heat and a dip in the pool. Probably have a chiller on it if needed to keep it from feeling like a hot tub.

quote:

Originally posted by downtownv:
It is a rather unusual locale. I went there to see a respiratory patient whose equipment was having issues along with a local rep. The guy had a candy jar full of Viagra on his nightstand! A person in one of the coffee shops within explained that the women out-numbered the men 8-1 and it was like a whorehouse in quite a few homes with one going out the back door and the next coming through the front door. STD's were rampant as pregnancy was not a concern. I guess the peace and Love generation is alive and going strong!

When you typed '"lifestyle" visit',
did you mean "lifestyle" or "lifestyle"?