The Villages Florida - Costs, Upgrades and Nonsense
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 12 ก.ค. 2024
- The Villages Florida, has an unique breakdown on costs, and for most residents, it's one of the more attractive points of living here. Costs are easy to plan for as well as budget around. However, Upgrades to your home can indeed throw any good budgeting into a tail spin. Now factor in the Nonsense extras and costs can add up quickly. #thevillages
Today we touch on a few of the items that we encountered that we did not plan on as well as the Nonsense that occurred during our first couple of weeks in The Villages.
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*****As always the content provided on this channel is for entertainment purposes only. Be sure to do your own research in order to make informed decisions that best fit your lifestyle. Remember I'm just a guy on TH-cam and I'm NOT and expert.
This as of Apr 2023. New to researching The Villages as a retirement home. Very concerned about what we hear on TH-cam vids regarding Insurance, Taxes, and daily costs going up unreasonably in the last two years (or since your analysis here in April 2023 to current). Since you have a nice baseline here. Thank you very helpful! Please update the numbers to current.
I agree it is concerning when you think about retiring and income. How far will your money go in the future, big question! Thanks again!
Excellent information and break down, Thank you, You did a great job👍
Thanks Pauline! Always trying to provide helpful info and I appreciate you watching. Stay Awesome!
Thanks for all your information. It was very helpful.
Thank you Jay and Stay Awesome!
Just found your channel, enjoyed the video. Thanks for sharing your "real costs".
Welcome and thanks Noreen for taking the time to watch and comment! Glad we could help.
Thanks for sharing! I will share I had the same thoughts on water filtration or softening until after we lived here about a year and a half. My wife mentioned that our dishawasher is just not doing a good job anymore. So I looked inside and most of the nozzles were partially plugged and the stainless steel was stained. So there were solids deposited over that time. I bought some dishwasher cleaning tablets and it came out like new.
Next I looked into different water conditioning systems and decided to try an inexpensive first step. We have the Nova Water Filters 3 stage system installed for like $600. It has two large filter cartridges and the third cartridge is activated carbon to take out trace organics. It was well worth it. Our dishwasher now works great and stays clean all the time. The solids deposits on various faucets has been reduced like 90%. My wife says her skin no longer itches after a shower. I have changed the filters out myself for like $90-$100 for the set of filters. At 9-10 months of use, the filters are filthy and I can see what has been removed from the water.
So while I initially told everyone we didn’t need any water conditioning products, I changed my mind after this. Now we only spent $600 initially. Other vendors will try to sell people expensive systems for $3,000 to $5,000 dollars which are not needed here and are overkill. They take advantage of unknowing newcomers.
Fantastic breakdown Joe and thanks for sharing...you now have me rethinking things! I'm sure everyone will also appreciate your insight, Stay Awesome!
We also got the Nova Water Filters. The guy comes around about once a year and replaces the filters. No fuss... no muss. A neighbor a few houses down paid almost $6,000 for her "system" and has to fuss with adding salt and all that. Ripped off good.
Thank you 👍
Thanks Jim & Sherri for watching, much appreciated and Stay Awesome!
Thank you so much! We move to TV this summer!! Cant wait to see your house tour and the landscaping 🙂
Super L Miller and congratulation! Welcome to TV, and yes, indeed those are in the works.
Thank you sharing the info!!!
Any time Steven and thanks for watching!
Very helpful info. I’ve enjoyed your videos. We are hoping to be there soon!
Excellent fhs esl...appreciate you watching and super glad this helped! See you soon!
Thank you so much for the spreadsheet info. I subscribed to your channel. We want to retire in about 3 years. I hope I can wait that long!
Hi Tulle by Design, thanks for watching and subscribing...so glad that you found the cost breakdown helpful! That's the tough part waiting. Best of luck and hopefully the 3 years will go by sooner than you think. Stay Awesome!
Yes TB, those extras do add up!! On top of everything you mentioned we added to our costs $8k with a 10% Veteran discount for one large plus one small POD which included the storage fee x 2 months. We had secured a 2 month patio villa rental in TV for the interim between selling our R.I. home and buying and closing on our TV home which we ended up purchasing the day after we arrived to our rental. This was off season rates and our rental cost for 2 months was $4,40O. We also shipped our car from R.I. to TV which cost $1k. We rented a Budget cargo van with a pass through door as we have 3 cats we had to transport to Florida as we would not fly them and transporting 3 cats in our small SUV would not work. The rental van cost us $1,200. So we were down a little over $15k before we even left R.I. Fortunately for us, our R.I. home sold in a day for $50k over asking which really helped defray our moving expenses and after purchase extras. We have absolutely no regrets because after all was said and done, leaving behind very high utility costs and a nearly $9k annual property tax bill we certainly are saving $$$ living in TV.
Outstanding Nightengale 212, and from the sound of things a wise choice to come to TV...Also, thanks for listing out your expenses, great outline and very helpful for anyone thinking about coming here. Cheers!
RI taxes are ridiculous
Great video Tracy!
Thank you!!
Very helpful. Thanks!
You're welcome Donna and thank you for taking the time to watch the video!
wonderful info. thanks.
Glad it was helpful Liz...Stay Awesome!
Super helpful!
Glad you think so and thanks for watching and feedback Mr. P!
That is good to know about the dryer plug. We've build 3 new homes over the years. They all had gas stoves/cooktop and gas water heater, but they also had the electric plug for an electric dryer. We've always had an electric dryer. Also good to know about the random sales people. Thank you. I've just subscribed.
Hi DisMindy5767...We looked at so many homes that we missed that when we bought ours, ugh! Both options would have been nice but no go. Thanks you very much for watching, commenting and subscribing...that's the TH-cam Trifecta. Much appreciated and Stay Awesome!
Way off on property insurance. $3,000 + is the norm now if you can get insurance. Many won't if your roof is over 10 years old.
Thank for sharing your “real costs” which helps when deciding on which home to buy! The electric dryer plug surprised me I would have thought that would be an automatic install in a new home! 😮 Very good content!
Agreed Land GirlGB, the dryer plug was a bummer. We looked at so many house that had plugs we just assumed that's what we would get but NOT. Glad we could help!
Land Girl, we seem to watch the same channels!😊
Very helpful thank you 😊
You’re welcome 😊 Becky!
I'm just a guy in NYC tuning in to see how other people live. You're very amiable and seem really content in The Villages. Congrats.
Hey davidhunternyc, thanks so much for watching and commenting! We really do enjoy living in TV, it's a unique lifestyle that I know does not work for everyone. However, for us we were attracted to all the activities as we enjoy staying active. Activities, the homes, and neighbors along with the variety of entertainment checked all the boxes. Appreciate your input and as always Stay Awesome!
@@thevillagesdeluna The only downsides I see to living in The Villages, is that's it's still a swamp. I could deal with the gators and snakes. I'm from So Cal and moved to NYC to get away from the relentless heat, though it's a dry heat. I love the four seasons, especially Fall and Spring. I love the snow too. In The Villages it would be too dang hot and humid for way too long. I would die. Also, my skin is thin and I get eaten alive by mosquitoes. I saw other videos where they do spraying to keep the mosquitoes at a minimum but I don't trust that at all. Cancer causing chemicals everywhere and I don't trust the government to tell us that the chemicals are "safe." Other than this, The Villages seems like a great place to retire. Stay awesome!
Anyone considering the Villages full time, rent first. Ideally for one year. Talk to as many residents but focus on those that are long time residents. Those that are a few years or less are still in the "honeymoon stage". The Villages have a lot to offer but on the downside its not for everyone and your paying a premium for the amenities and extras that can be had for much less in other Florida communities. For us personally, SW Floridas winter weather and proximity to the premium beaches were the deciding factors in rejecting the Villages.
Hey TB thanks for the info.We are moving there late summer and the upgrade costs are very helpful. Unfortunately we will be buying all new furniture . Yikes
Hiya SFL great to hear that your coming to TV and hope everything goes smoothly! On the furniture front I would hope that prices have come down some but may only be wishful thinking on my part. If you have time check out Kents Furniture we had a very good experience with those guys, Five Stars for sure.
Great valuable information. My wife and I retired last year and we scheduled our Lifestyle for next week. We are looking at Designer’s Home and your numbers and cost of upgrades are spot on. The cost of the electric golf cart I must add to the plan 😅. We will keep in touch.
Thanks so much Josian...and welcome! So happy the video could help and that you're taking the first steps in possibly moving to TV! You guys are going to love it! Make sure you explore each and every nook and cranny of the Villages so you can make the best decision for you and your family. If you need any guidance don't hesitate to reach out. Have fun and Stay Awesome!
2 of those golf carts would buy a tesla!
Wow!! Your taxes aren't that bad for a designer home!! We live in Ct in a 93 year old colonial and ours will be past that in June. Congratulations on your new home!! Best of luck, happiness and Gods blessings to you both!!🙏😊
Ouch Dana! Maybe a trip to the villages might be in order? Thanks for taking the time and Stay Awesome!
Thank you I’m looking to see how much it will really cost me to live at the villages. Very helpful information.
Understand that Elizabeth...costs are a big concern for most people moving in to TV. As someone asked I did not include cat insurance or the Bond because every situation is diff and Bond is collected yearly. Stay Awesome!
Great video. Since we met you & Shirley in January, we bought a pre-built Designer home in Newell (we close 04/25 and move in 05/26). We will be buying an electric cart and epoxying the garage floor (who did you use?). Also, never heard of Kent furniture (we’ll be buying all new) where are are they? Looking forward to your house tour, Lynda is in charge of furnishing/design, and your golf cart video, I’m in charge of that. See the both of you soon.
Outstanding Frank so happy for you and Lynda...congratulations! On the golf cart front we have the STAR as you know but I believe TV Golf Carts now has several different manufactures available so make sure to do your research. However we remain very happy with our selection. As for Kents here is the link to there site - kentfurnitureinc.com/
Hope this helps and see you soon!
Hi TB. Thank you for a very informative video. It’s amazing how all the extra costs add up but these extra costs beautify your home and make it personally yours. The insurance costs concern me. Does that monthly insurance total on your spread sheet include all your insurances such as auto, home, umbrella ? I’ve been reading comments on TH-cam from residents that are dissatisfied with the customer service for insurance at TV. Have you had the same experience? Have a blessed week ahead. 🙋🏻♀️
Thanks N F for this question! Upgrades certainly do add up quickly that's why Shirley and I plan on doing only a couple per year moving forward. Home insurance is super reasonable I think but the budget I shared does not include car insurance. Car insurance runs $172 per month and Florida has gone through a 30% increase from last year (per TV Insurance) I've not had any issue with them on the customer service side, everything has gone smoothly. Last thing no Umbrella policy for us. Hope this helps and appreciate you watching, Cheers!
@@thevillagesdeluna TB, as a former insurance agency owner, I would recommend you reconsider on the Umbrella Coverage. In most States $1-2M will cost you less than $350 per year. Living in TV, you have a "rich person" target on your back. Better safe than sorry! Great Channel. I subscribed.
Thanks for the info. We are snowbirds in McClure since 2020 and can say your dollar figures are spot on. My wife now wants a water softener so I guess I must remove that item from "nonsense" to the "to do" list. We will finally get around to the golf cart this year but I will go gas. I don't think I could sleep at night with Li batteries in the garage due to the fire potential. 20K seems too high for me for a golf cart. I think I will go used or rebuilt.
You are welcome, floydfarano! I totally understand on all fronts, you have to do what fits best for you guys. Gas, electric, water softener...as long as you guys are happy! Thanks for watching and your input!
Cart are not cheap, and yours is very nice!
100% Eric! Oh yeah as nice as it is they are all running between 15-21K new. Stay Awesome and thanks for watching.
TB, our utility bills are just about spot on to yours - maybe $10-20 higher.
We bought a gas golf cart and saved $2000 - but no worries we spent it on furniture ;)
Hey Roy, Thanks for jumping in and confirming...we splurged on the GC for sure.
Thanks for the info!! We will be there may 1 for a weeklong lifestyle visit, primarily looking at new and either a patio villa or a cottage villa. Are there any specific questions we should be asking when looking at the homes?
Glad it was helpful MrMcxray and make sure you take everything in during your LSV. As for questions, first thing would be ask about the Bond. Most resales owners would have already paid some on it so you'll have some savings there. Enjoy your stay!
Seems like homeowners insurance is on the low end from the stories we see on the news between hurricanes and the roofing issues and multiple insurance companies leaving the state the remaining insurance companies have been raising their rates quite a bit,thank you for the info.
Hi Brian, I agree our home insurance is quite reasonable, possibly because the home is brand new. However, for the reasons you mentioned I will not be surprised to see that change when the next billing cycle starts. Thanks for watching and cheers!
Curious about your driveway and garage floor add-ons? Did you have a design done on the driveway and then coat the garage floor? Thank you, great video!!
Hiya Gummies4Grogu, the guy that does driveways has a book of design to choose from. On the the garage floor you select the colors and go from there, it's called a full broadcast. The garage floor was actually done first and we matched those colors to the driveway. Hope this helps and thanks for watching!
Nice! Can't do that in MA or MD. Our snowblowers would scrape it up!
Coming down 08/14 for my preview and to challenge you to a Go Kart race! Want to?
TB..I don't understand why you would color your garage floor? Driveway, maybe. Just curious. Just decoration?
Great video! Who did your driveway and landscaping? Your driveway looks amazing! Thank you for your thoughts!
Thanks Adam, had a local guy and if you watch my 1min short video on the driveway I believe I added a link to his company. Hope this helps and thanks for your feedback!
The driveway designs are tacky. Just go for a paver stone driveway. Epoxy the garage floor in a neutral color that coordinates with the house.
@@kennixox262 Tacky is in the eye of the beholder. Ha!
I guess a painted driveway is a midwesterners wet dream. Why not paver bricks? SO tacky, low class. @@rightwingprofessor1356
Thanks for sharing those costs. How much do you pay for the Lawn Maintenance guy every month? Did you buy your Designer home as a "Spec" home (already built), or did you buy the lot and go through the designer home process?
Hi Keith and thanks for jumping in...we purchased one (our Indigo) that was being built. As for lawn maint...I believe it was $350 for the year. Even though that seems reasonable I never know when they are coming, so that's kind of strange for me. I will be doing my own lawn care once this expires. Appreciate the questions always!
"Hi!" Neighbor. Good job.
Thanks Peter and Stay Awesome buddy!
Landscaping costs high, but good for re-sale. The golf cart less to get insurance for than a car.
Can be, all good points and thanks Daniel!
Applaud your choice of electric golf cart, not because of the environment but because it is a superior experience over gas. It makes me laugh when some gas car owners talking about range but how many days of the week is anybody going to do more than a 50 mile round trip plus in a golf car? We are all used to charging electrical items overnight more-so than filling items with gasoline.
Thanks John, for us it was an easy choice! Not to mention that when we came into TV the wait time on a Yamaha was 3 months. So with that said the STAR was sitting on the showroom floor so NO Brainer for us. Thanks for watching and your input johnwhogan1610!
Thanks for the great video. How about the costs for the bond, fire and maintenance? I think you left those out?
Hello Trace...thanks for watching and for your input. On the Bond front we budget approx $200-300 per month, Because we have not been here a year we received a reduced bill this time around...the true bill will come next year. More info to follow!
@@thevillagesdeluna thanks!
I like your drive way, is that stamped or painted and who did it for you
Hello Debra and thanks! We had it painted a while back, and I believe the gentlemen's info is in that video description. Let me know if its not and I'll send it over.
What about costs for your bond? Pest control? Lawn mowing, yard spraying for weeks and scrub cutting all more expenses. Drapes? You mentioned you purchased a refrigerator, did you buy other appliances or did they come with the house?
Hiya Terri...because we've been here less than a year we only received a partial tax bill but Bond estimates out to $300 per month. Pest control $350 per year, lawn mowing typically runs $20-25 per month. We received the std appliance package, fridge, and dishwasher. We supplied the washing machine and dryer as these are not included. Thanks for your feedback and for watching Terry, Cheers!
TB, what things was the "Back Patio and Landscaping" comprised of?
Hiya Keith, just some plants and rock mostly...kept it simple! Stay Awesome!
get a whole house water filter from home depot. thank you for the breakdown. how much is the price range for a designer series house? thanks for the breakdown
Wow, I didn't know HD sold water filtration system. Price ranges for Designer homes vary by model so I'd have to suggest that you check TV website for accurate numbers. Thanks so much for watching and for the insight, SA!
Due to the high calcium content of pumped water in Florida, a water softener would be advised. Do the homes there have soft water loops? Usually in the garage like we do here in the west. All faucets EXCEPT the cold water side of the kitchen sink that also services the ice maker use untreated water as well as the outdoor faucets. All the rest inside the house are piped for soft water. Of course our building codes are more strict in the western part of the country and a water softener is a necessity here.
Does your monthly tax bill include the bond?
Hello Get A Grip...The Bond amt is not included in the monthly. You have to break that out yourself.
L
What is the range on your cart. I’m debating electric vs gas carts.
Great question Julia...we get approx 80 miles of range. So with that, we have no problem golfing, driving around town, and whatever else we so choose in our GC. For us it was Electric all the way! Thanks for watching Julia, and hope this helps, Cheers!
Well that pretty much tells me I won’t be retiring soon lol.
Thanks Jp64 for your feedback but don't give up just yet...you can make it happen!
Hello TB....just bought home in DeLuna....would like to ask you some questions regarding the neighborhood....how can i reach out to you?....thanks and take care....RLB
Welcome Randy and Congrats on your new home! Feel free to reach me at thevillagesdeluna@gmail.com
Who do you use for homeowners insurance? Mine is almost 3k a year
Hi Sharon, we use The Villages Insurance as our agents but we have a Progressive policy and it is substantially less than 3K. As you probably know most Homeowners policies in FL have risen dramatically...some up as much as 60%. We have been able to do that and save some $$$.
As of August we'll be your neighbor in DeLuna. $500 per month for taxes = $6,000 per year. Is that monthly figure correct?
Most Excellent Bill and Jeanie...welcome to the neighborhood! That number is exactly what we set aside each month in our budget so looks good!
Living in a rural area with lots of land was a good change from the metro area. I could never justify those costs
Was the $500 for property tax and bond together?
Hiya Lisa and yes, it's a rough estimate (amt $500) for now as we have not had a full years tax bill. I do however believe it's a solid number give or take. Thanks for your input and for watching!
What the heck, those extra charges are way above what you are thinking of! Homestead Exemption does not fit for all retiree's!
Hey David thanks for stopping by and yes, while Homestead is a benefit it is not fit for everyone.
One thing about buying in older neighborhood - no door ringers
Good point Nj...thanks for your input!
Does everyone pay the same for water regardless of how much they use?
and is the insurance listed in there, HOMEOWNERS?
Hiya szuskaziomek, water is calculated on usage so everyone's bill for water would be diff. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment!
Yes, we budget $100.00 month for home owners Insurance.
Who is your landscaping? Not a bad price in my opinion.
I agree Greta very reasonable...we used Son Life, Lawn and Landscaping. Hope this helps and thanks for watching!
Thank you! I really appreciate the information. Very good video.
There are a lot of "Extra" fees but we still get a lot for what we pay.
Thanks Gary and you are correct, value seems to be there...so far so good!
Are the villages diverse?
Good morning larryneiberheim thanks for watching in and for this comment. When it comes to diversity I believe that is a real concern, no sugar coating that. I would hope that everyone know they are all welcome in TV!
This is almost a year later. Perhaps you could update your expenses.
Hi Carol, costs have remained pretty steady here form a monthly standpoint. only things that would change are based on usage, example - irrigation and amenity fee increase. Thanks for checking in and Stay Awesome!
TB Does your Tax estimate include the bond? You are in Lake county correct?
Hey roadrnnr2008 tax estimate does not include the bond, that runs approx 2K per year. Also, we're in Sumter County so I believe it's a bit cheaper on taxes. Hope this helps and thanks for checking in! SA!
$500 a month for taxes?
Hiya Paul and yes this is our starting budget, we'll know more next year when the full year bill comes in...stay tuned!
I've been looking up amazing golf carts. $11-$15k. Not 20k
Hiya Mike, thanks for your feedback and for watching the video. As I mention our STAR cart was the best fit for us. There are certainly other options in the lower price point. So if you prefer a used cart or gas carts, you can hit a lower price point, no problem. Cheers!
If you google "electric golf carts for sale", not many are up near $20K. Sounds like someone's getting rich down there selling golf carts. This may fall under the nonsense category. LOL..
Hey Joe, like anything else you can always search for and will find a variety of prices...especially when it comes to GC. Other things to factor in are service, reputation and loaner carts should a repair be needed. Thanks for watching!
Florida preys upon the elderly. Beware. When it comes time for a nursing home, you will be sleeping in your poo and pee since there is a shortage of workers willing to do that work. Thank your Governor.
Another thing solicitation??? There's no way. I like my gated community.
We have not had random solicitation since we moved in. However coming from a truly gated community it would be nice if TV made that switch.
Well at least you don't have to spend over $50K like me to fix stuff warranty wouldn't fix properly.
Sorry to hear that Susan, strangely enough we have our Home Inspection today...Stay Tuned!
@@thevillagesdeluna How did it go? A friend of mine just had her inspection and has a broken truss!
You people down there must be bored out of your mind. There must be hundreds of use on this program
Sorry Michael but boredom is the last thing people are here in TV. Thanks for watching.
You FAILED to mention....U must have GPS to find any places as there are NO directional signs anywhere and NO gas Stations to get gas or get directions.....I live in Ocala...we call it Senile City.
Phillip, thanks for watching! Not really a part of this list...However, the more you drive around the easier it becomes, and for me I like having the GPS as a back up. As for gas stations, new stations are coming online regularly no matter the area north or south. Since TVGC sells a bunch of gas carts so I don't believe many residents see it as a bid deal. Cheers.