Community Chat

[gmkb]

80 is a bit late to be coming here.  Traffic is horrendous & costs are very high,  At 80 your health can change overnight.  The Villages is enormous and complicated to get around.  It all looks wonderful in the brochure, but is really designed for the much younger retiree.

Those who arrive at 60 or 65 are more successful at a good life here.

The other thing to know is the roads are public, so even though there is a gate, anyone can enter at anytime.  This is not as secure as the over 55 communities that do not have public roads.

[gmkb]

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@homedecor1 wrote:

@september

The Villages is a huge over-55 adult community located in Ocala, Florida. You can google it and it will give you full description.

Its such a large community there are several sub-divisions within. 

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It is actually close to Leesburg and about 40 minutes from Ocala

[tansy]

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@sandraskates wrote:

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@homedecor1 wrote:

@september

The Villages is a huge over-55 adult community located in Ocala, Florida. You can google it and it will give you full description.

Its such a large community there are several sub-divisions within. 

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And when I was watching the news while visiting Orlando, the weather map actually showed a forecast specifically for The Villages.

I know of it because with 80+ Pickleball courts, it's currently the Pickleball capital of the world.

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sssshhhhh...no one tell my husband that there's a community with 80+ pickleball courts😜

[debcakes]

You go girl!  If I were an 80 year old widow, I would do it. 

[SahmIam]

24 years ago (maybe even more) my parents were about to purchase a home in a new development in Ocala called The Villages. I remember looking at the photographs, the floorplans, etc. The house they were going to buy would cost $185,00 and was NICE. Had the ceramic/marble floors, the high ceilings, the sunroom, 2 car garage, etc. Near the pond and lots of trees. It was hard to figure out from the pictures because it was just.....land.

They didn't buy it because my grandmother lived with them and none of my moms' SEVEN siblings would help with the care of their own mother. Of course, THEY traveled and bought retirement places but my parents? Nope. They stayed till they died. Oh, to add insult to injury: on my aunts bought the house my parents had put a contract on because, well, YOU'RE not going to buy it so I might as well since I can move.

B*tch.

Interesting to hear how wonderful the community turned out.

[CLEM]

Why not?  Once she gets there she won't be alone anyway.

[gmkb]

Just want to correct a mistaken impression.  The Villages is not in Ocala.  It is a 40 minute trip from Ocala to The Villages.  The similar community that is in Ocala is called Top of the World.  The large city near The Villages is Leesburg, Fl.

For those interested,  Top of the World in Ocala has many of the same amenities as The Villages,  

[Laura14]

My mother has a second home there and loves it. I visited for the one and only time a few months ago and, if she throws herself into the activities and can drive a golf cart around, she'll never be bored or alone.  

[susan kay]

As long as that 80 year old widow is well informed about the area----both the pros and the cons and has seen the location, talked with different residents.....then that person is making a decision that is best for them.

[Imadickens]

I play cards every week and many of the players are in their late 80's and early 90's! What scares me, they drive themselves as far as 40 miles each way to get there! I'm guessing (hoping😉) that 80 is the new 50!