The Villages in Central Florida vs active adult communities in South Florida

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LulyR

New Member
Hi, I'm new to the forum, I was excited to learn there is a place where I can converse with others in my age group.

I'm 62 years old. My husband and I have been living full time in our RV traveling the country for the past 4 years with our two Bichons (this is important). I have gotten tired of the lifestyle and we are looking for active adult communities in Florida. We are originally from Miami but lived in Miramar (Broward County) for the last 20 years. Our family is still in Miami except for our son and grandson who live in Pembroke Pines, our daughter lives in S. Korea and my father, who is 84, lives in Century Village in Pembroke Pines.

It would probably be wise to stay in the S. Florida area (although my son is planning on moving his family to South Carolina), but I have fallen in love with The Villages near Orlando FL.

What I'm hoping for is input from anyone who lives in either location. Are The Villages as much fun as they seem? Are any places in S. Florida active or are they just a place to wait for death (if you get what I mean). I'm very interested in the community, clubs and amenities.

Thanks for any help

Luly
 

Welcome to the forum Luly... glad you are here! Got a good friend that lives in Pembroke Pines. We spent extended time in the Ft. Myers Beach/Naples area for years. Don't live in the Villages, but have heard a lot from those who have lived there in the past. Good luck on your "destination" plans. This forum has direct response from residents of the Villages if you'd like to check it out: https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/welcome-to-the-forum/the-villages-in-florida/
 
Welcome LulyR, from Nebraska! I can't really help you with your question since I have never traveled extensively in FL, but you have come to the right place. I'm sure someone on here will be able to.
 

Liberty said:
Welcome to the forum Luly... glad you are here! Got a good friend that lives in Pembroke Pines. We spent extended time in the Ft. Myers Beach/Naples area for years. Don't live in the Villages, but have heard a lot from those who have lived there in the past. Good luck on your "destination" plans. This forum has direct response from residents of the Villages if you'd like to check it out: https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/welcome-to-the-forum/the-villages-in-florida/
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Thanks for the link, it gave me a lot to think about.
 
I don't know. I drove through there just last year and although I was impressed with a lot of things, the closeness of the neighbors and the number of people in that area kind of turned me off. One of the best things that I really liked was the fact that everything is right there for you. I mean everything that I would need to sustain my life without going and driving anywhere to the store, post office or bank. Very convenient.

But, the crowds. I'm not sold on that. And, they were still building.
 
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My son-in-law has an aunt and uncle living in The Villages. They love it, and my daughter and SIL visit them every chance they get. They say there are tons of activities, and the people are very friendly.

To me, the only down side I know of is that if I were to live in Florida, I'd want to be near the ocean.
 
It will be more chilly in the winter in the Villages than you are used to in Broward of Dade counties. We lived in Boca Raton for 5 years and returned to Pinellas county at the first opportunity.
 
Manatee said:
It will be more chilly in the winter in the Villages than you are used to in Broward of Dade counties. We lived in Boca Raton for 5 years and returned to Pinellas county at the first opportunity.
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That's one of the things I've worried about. I'm a S. Florida girl, love the heat!
 
Sunny said:
My son-in-law has an aunt and uncle living in The Villages. They love it, and my daughter and SIL visit them every chance they get. They say there are tons of activities, and the people are very friendly.

To me, the only down side I know of is that if I were to live in Florida, I'd want to be near the ocean.
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We looked into that....very expensive! On the east coast of the state we could only find Condos near the water and most of them don't allow dogs. Also the HOA fee is crazy high in all of them. The HO insurance and real estate taxes are also ridiculous.
 
LulyR said:
We looked into that....very expensive! On the east coast of the state we could only find Condos near the water and most of them don't allow dogs. Also the HOA fee is crazy high in all of them. The HO insurance and real estate taxes are also ridiculous.
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You got that ritht LulyR...in the years we had the beachfront condo, we learned a lot. Its not just the basic HOA fees but the yearly "assessments" and the condo board "good old boys". Each time a hurricane hits, it can be a major obstacle. Way too much money vs what you get. Now don't get me wrong...we don't live in a "northern state". We live on lotsa land in the Gulf Coast area of Texas, and our winters are not too cold. We came to get a break from our business in the month of January (which is our coldest month, but nothing like up north). It was quite an education. Tiny condos on the beach with great views but unbelievable prices and "HOA/assessments". Got deep pockets, go there. Hey, you can go to South Padre Island and get way more for the money than there, but hey, its "location, location and location", right? Especially for a northerner that lives east of the Mississippi. It is what it is.
 
Way way to crowded ....waits for everything in season.... they have a 200 bed hospital and 130,000 seniors . You do the math .... if you can’t drive public transportation sucks.... we could not get a cab to pick us up at the savannah center after a show so we couldn’t go ...the cabs and Uber stop by 9pm
 
mathjak...have heard that from others, and you'd better get a golf kart, many of which are really "tricked out" by the owners...lol.
Also heard those "parades" and festivals they keep having get real old after a while. Know one couple that sold out, because of too many people moving in too close to them and, well, it just got overall too "too", and moved into a mixed age community in Tampa area - they like where they live now. Guess you have to look ahead 10 years and say "what could this place be like and will I be tired of living this lifestyle or not".
 
mathjak...would think that kind of lifestyle would get "old" after a while, like living in a Disneyland make believe "village" world. Also heard there's a lot of infidelity...lol!

The most famous of these type of "concept" towns for oldsters is Leisure World in California. Now they are all over I think.
 
Yeah, we would drive right by it for years on our way around the "swamp" to get to Ft. Myer's Beach...heard a lot of talk. Think its just grown so much that the "value received" probably isn't what it used to be for those that like that kind of "lifestyle". Personally, we've preferred a "life"...lol. To each his or her own. It would be tough to move into a place you really enjoy at the time, only to see it get so crowded in the next few years. Think its way harder to move as you get older. For most of us. My husband says "way too many people in the world".
 
They are still trying to cover up the VD epidemic going around about The Villages.
Going as far as calling a certain doctor a liar to hide the what some say is the truth.
News article,

"
That urban legend dates to 2006, when a gynecologist in The Villages told a reporter she treats more cases of herpes and human papillomavirus than she did while practicing in Miami. Her remarks went national. Ever since, The Villages has had two reputations — a Disney World for adults … and an after-hours, no-rules playpen.
That second, scintillating reputation picked up steam recently when a resident of The Villages and an almost senior were arrested for allegedly having sex in the most public of places, the gazebo in the middle of Lake Sumter Landing Market Square. That story went international."


One of the grannys there got 6 months in jail for having sex in the open.


Do your homework is my advice.
 

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