People often ask me where we got our information/did our research on The Villages (TV) before we moved down here.
Unfortunately, there’s not one single source (or even a few) that will contain anything close to everything someone will want to know about such a broad topic.
However, we’re fairly good at research and are interested in the topic, so we tried many options (several of which we still use even though we live here – to keep us informed of what’s going on). Today I’m going to share with you what we consider the best of the best sources for learning about The Villages.
Please note that this is our list. Your list may be different. You may have some other (and even better) sources. I’m just sharing what we used/use (which served us well, BTW.) And just to note, this isn’t meant to be an exhaustive list of “all the places to find out information on The Villages.”
I make these caveats because I’ve seen others share their favorite sources and they usually get responses like, “Hey, you forgot [fill in the blank]. How could you do that?”
If you have a source you feel is a good one and I don’t include it, please share it in the comments below. Tell why you like it, how it’s been helpful to you, and so on. This way others can get a sense whether or not it’s for them.
I have divided our list into three sections – Websites, YouTube channels, and Other (which is a catch all for a large number of miscellaneous sources that don’t fit under a single umbrella term.)
It’s also helpful to know that our research happened in three distinct phases as follows:
- Phase 1 – This was in the summer and fall of 2021. It started with an email we received from friends asking if we wanted to rent their place in The Villages. Since we had never heard of TV, that kicked off our research big-time! We continued our education (which was rudimentary at that point) up until the time we visited in person.
- Phase 2 – This consisted of time we spent in the Villages from January 15 through March 31, 2022. We stayed in a home in The Village of Bradford and spent 2.5 months driving around, attending events, talking to people, and living the life here. This included many visits to both model homes and homes in the process of being built as my dad was buying a place near the end of that time.
- Phase 3 – This includes all the time from April 2022 until now (and it keeps going). After visiting TV and my dad buying here, we knew at the very least we were going to be vacationing in TV for some time but that we could also be buying. Since we knew quite a bit about TV from our visit, our research became more focused and effective during this time.
All the resources that survived these three stages and continue to this day are the ones I’m recommending now.
Let’s get started…
Websites
It’s probably no surprise that since we didn’t live in TV when we were doing most of our research that websites were vital sources of information.
After looking at a ton of sites (and rejecting most of them for one reason or another), here are the ones we felt were most useful to us:
If you’re going to research an organization, I have always found it very helpful to see what they have to say about themselves.
This site, owned by The Villages, is their outward-facing information and sales tool, and to ignore it would be a big mistake IMO.
We poured thorough the site, devouring tidbits here and there, often reading things several times before the terminology, names, and geography made sense. Eventually topics fell into place and what seemed like a foreign language at the start began to become clear.
A few highlights you’ll definitely want to check out here are as follows:
- Lifestyle Preview – If you want to know about TV there’s nothing I can think of that’s better than visiting. This page gives details on what TV calls a “Lifestyle Visit.” They summarize it as follows: “Stay 4-7 nights as our guest and experience what life could be like living in The Villages. Play golf, pickleball or try something new while staying in a private, fully furnished villa complete with golf car and bikes.” I’ll talk more about visiting later in this post, but for now know that this is the official way TV helps people get to know the place.
- Types of Homes – If you want to see what the homes look like here, this is the page. Don’t worry about terminology at this point (they have different names for the same layouts – the difference being what the outside of the house is made from) so it can get confusing. For now, just look at the options and enjoy yourself.
- Cost of Living – Just an FYI at this point as I have no frame of reference whether this is accurate or not. To me, it looks a bit light at first glance. After I’m here a year I will certainly do a post on our costs. For now, just use this as a guideline. Also see The Villages: Overview and Cost of Living for more thoughts on costs.
- Map – This is somewhat helpful, but to be truthful it would be a million times better if they included names of each Village so you could see where various villages are located.
- Free Tour – Here you can request a DVD and a magazine that tells about The Villages. Why not do it? They send it to you via mail and you can read/watch in the comfort of your own home. We did this early on and it was very helpful.
- Vmail – Their email newsletter that includes articles, updates, videos, and more. It’s a free, easy to digest, and enjoyable way to keep track of what’s going on here, track new construction, and much more!
- Calendar – If you’re interested in what’s available to do and when, this is the place to go. Put in your keywords, dates, etc. and what’s available will pop up for your consideration.
The Villages Community Development Districts/District Gov
Without giving a seminar on Community Development Districts (CDDs) and how they work in Florida (you can find that info here if you want) I’ll just say that The Villages has CDDs as its local forms of government. These are grouped by area and as I write this, there are 14 residential CDDs within The Villages plus 5 special districts that govern non-residential areas (like the town squares). Many of the residential CDDs contract with the non-residential CDDs for various services to keep costs low and services uniform.
I could spend several posts explaining what CDDs do and don’t do, but for now, just see this site as a source of all sorts of information, from the local government, about what’s going on in The Villages (FYI, Florida’s Sunshine Law means that all government meetings, communication, etc. are open and available to the public. So if you want to know something about the government, what it’s doing, what it’s done, etc., it’s pretty easy to find.)
If you want more information on CDDs, you can take a CDD class (once you live here), go even deeper by attending Resident Academy, and read over the CDD FAQs. Or if you’re interested in the workings of one particular district, you can find that here.
All that said, here are some highlights from this site that you’ll want to check out for sure:
- What’s Happening – I have this page as one that appears when I open my browser every morning and I read it to see the latest activity. If there’s any information you need to know about what’s happening right now (from the government), it will be here.
- Weekly Bulletin – As a supplement to the above, you can either go to this page and read the weekly bulletin of what else is happening (or about to happen) or you can (as I do) sign up to get this emailed to you each week.
- Commonly Used Acronyms – Brace yourself – there are a lot. But this page will serve as a good start to getting a handle on them.
- Clubs – People come to The Villages for activities, right? Well, here is a 218-page PDF of the 3k+ clubs in TV. If you can’t find something here that you like, you probably have zero interests.
The main draws of TV are (IMO, but I think many would agree with me) the activities (covered above), the food/eating out (covered below), and the various kinds of entertainment. This site covers the latter.
Whether you want to see live music, plays, opera, movies, events, or whatever floats your boat, this is the site to stay in touch with. I signed up to their email list (I’ve purchased movie and show tickets through them) so I get regular updates as to what’s coming and when.
Later this month my wife and I will see Terry Fator here (we’re big AGT fans).
This site has a wide range of information about TV and is one of the single-largest websites dedicated to sharing information about TV that is not controlled by The Villages (it’s owned by an outside individual).
A couple things worth checking out here include:
- Blog – A host of great articles about the Villages, full of facts as well as dispelling some myths (like those about STDs and loofahs).
- Newsletter – You can sign up for these and he’ll send you regular emails with articles, videos, etc. on what’s going on in TV. These are very handy and informative (plus they are free).
TV has it’s own media sources (like the website above and the newspaper discussed below). These are owned and run by TV and mostly present a “things are always great here” point of view you’d expect from a company-owned publication. These are basically marketing vehicles, though still useful to get information.
On the other hand, you have Villages News which is not owned by TV and covers mostly the unseemly side of life here. Things like arrests, crashes, conflicts, etc. I consider it the National Enquirer of The Villages in a way, though Villages News does report truthfully (from what I can tell) while the Enquirer tends to fudge things IMO.
Anyway, I read Villages News every day to see who’s been arrested and for what. LOL! It’s kind of a pain to get info from this site as they have an ad set-up that rivals the best all-the-ads-you-can-serve system from the late 1990’s, but the info is worth it so I fight through those.
Here’s another HUGE website about TV not owned by TV.
I don’t read the site often (though you can scroll down the homepage and see TONS of info) as the gem here (IMO) is their forums.
People who live in TV and those interested in TV use the forums to share ideas, posts, thoughts, opinions, reviews, etc. in the forums. Of course you have the usual trolls that often come with free forums, but there’s so much great information, insight, and advice here that I visit them every day (I actually have an email sent to me each morning of new topics and then I look those over to see what I’m interested in.)
We all know that Facebook is the social media platform for old people, right? Hahaha.
That’s why it’s the preferred spot for those who live in TV and those wanting to know about TV to join.
I can’t list all the Facebook groups that are run by people living in TV and to be honest, you don’t really need them for much information before you get here unless you want to dig deep in your research.
That said, AFTER you get here, there are many pages you’ll want to join (like one for your Village, activities you’re interested in, and so on) to keep you abreast of what’s happening and when (there are often events put on spontaneously by residents that only appear on Facebook and are not covered by other outlets.)
YouTube
Probably more than even websites, YouTube eventually became our go-to for getting information on The Villages.
For MONTHS before we came down here we’d eat several dinners a week in front of the television watching video after video on TV.
Yes, there was a lot of fluff in there, as you might imagine. But there was so much good information that it was worth watching videos all the way through as the best nuggets are often buried between the not-so-great parts.
We had probably 20 YouTube channels we followed at one point. Here are the ones we like best and got the most value from:
Jerry and Linda are hardly newcomers any longer, having been here for four years. But they are the largest (to my knowledge) channel covering the Villages and their insights are very valuable.
We’ve learned so much from them, mostly by watching their Q&A posts where viewers send them questions which they answer.
In addition, they do special episodes like getting shades for their back lanai, getting steps for their garage attic, and so on – topics that those here and those moving here are interested in.
Plus they both seem like truly wonderful people so watching them is like visiting with family members. Yes, they can be a bit hokey at times, but they are from Indiana so give them a break. Hahahaha. (I’m from Iowa, so I am just as hokey as they are – so what they say works for me! LOL.)
Rusty is a single guy (so he has his own, unique perspective) who has taken his viewers all the way from thinking about moving to TV, to visiting, to renting a place, to buying, and so on.
He covers a wide range of topics including what it’s like to get your home inspected here (which many people do the month before their year-long warranty runs out) to various activities (singles in the Villages, special events) to retirement thoughts and suggestions (though he’s not the best source for this stuff IMO.)
He’s also very likable and someone you’d want to have as a friend which makes watching very easy and fun.
This is THE BEST YouTube channel we’ve found for ariel views of TV (especially new construction) and to get information on what’s coming, the stages of building in various areas, etc.
In fact, we used this website to track the construction of our village and even to identify what lots/homes we might be interested in.
The videos feature drone footage along with maps and covers what’s happening and when. The host has a good knowledge of TV as well and his commentary offers a lot of great additional perspective.
The one drawback here is that the sponsors included in each video are a bit distracting, but I can’t fault a guy for making a buck by providing great info, so more power to him.
Not about TV per se, but this couple eats at a TON of restaurants in and around TV and covers everything from where the place is to when it’s open to what the menu is like to what the food tastes like.
We have gotten several good recommendations from their videos though we don’t always agree with their findings (we disagree on the top BBQ places in TV). But if you’re interested in eating in/near TV, it’s worth checking this channel out.
This is The Villages official YouTube channel. It’s full of nicely produced and very pleasing to watch videos about new things going on in The Villages – new rec centers, construction updates, events, activities, and on and on.
I always enjoy these even if they are a bit of marketing hype in some ways (hey, I was a marketing guy for almost 30 years so I get it! LOL!)
Want a 5-minute weekly update on what’s going on with real estate in The Villages? Then this is your channel!
He posts the latest real estate stats including what’s on the market, what the sales prices are, and so on.
FYI, there are two caveats here that don’t make this a complete picture of real estate in TV.
First, these are existing home numbers, and do NOT include new homes.
Second, the data he shares is from the MLS. It doesn’t include the 50% of existing homes offered for sale on the Villages’ VLS service (yes, there are two listing services here for sale of pre-owned homes and each home for sale is on one or the other).
That said, at least these numbers are directionally correct and give a decent sense of what’s going on in the market – in a quick and easy to digest format.
Other
Now let’s move on to a hodge podge of various resources that don’t fit nicely in a category with a bunch of others.
This is the Villages’ local newspaper. Yes, a real newspaper – just like grandpa used to read in the old-timey days.
Unfortunately you can’t get one of these sent to your house outside The Villages (I asked when we lived in Colorado.) And there’s no digital subscription available.
So this makes for a great resource, but is only one you can use once you move here.
Within a week of us landing I subscribed for a year for $93 (here are all the subscription options if you’re interested). For that I get a paper dropped off early each morning every day of the week for 52 weeks.
And yes, it’s a real paper. It has several sections, each around 12-16 pages. It also includes regular inserts (grocery sales fliers, coupons, a monthly magazine, an insert every week with pre-owned homes for sale, a new recreation guide each week, and a bit more) that add additional value to the subscription. It really is an incredible value.
I read it every day as I’m sitting on the lanai eating breakfast after my morning workout. It takes me maybe 15-20 minutes to “read” (I skim, find things I’m interested in, and read those) and another 15 to do the daily sudoku. I almost always discover something new in every issue – a show that’s coming, an event planned, a club I might be interested in, a business I need, and on and on.
And if I decide to travel, I can put my subscription on hold and they don’t deduct the time I’m gone from my subscription. So if I was a snowbird living here three months of the year, that $93 would last me four years!!!!
I know some people aren’t newspaper readers, but even so, I’d suggest you try it out for at least the minimum subscription period. I think you’ll be glad you did.
The Villages Daily Sun Podcast – What’s Happening Around the Villages (Daily Sun link) (Apple podcast link)
I listen to this podcast first thing every Monday morning (usually as my workout begins).
It’s a 5-10 minute listing (with details) of what’s happening in The Villages over the next week. It includes events, clubs, entertainment, sports, and much more…depending on the top activities for that given week.
I have listened to it for months and it really helped me get a sense for what big things were happening even while I was far away in Colorado.
If you want a small encyclopedia of all things The Villages on your phone, this app is it.
The two best features IMO are 1) the ability to search for activities by type/day/etc. and 2) golf cart driving directions (you can put in an address and then select whether you want directions using a car or a golf cart).
It’s very handy and a MUST for any active Villager (or someone who wants to research a bit more about the place.)
Events
Once you move to TV, your education is just beginning.
To help you progress quickly are two events I highly recommend:
- The Villages Lifestyle Expo – These are held at a major recreation center and feature rooms full of tables set up to educate you on all aspects of TV. There will be golf cart companies, representatives of the local government, rec staff, entertainment staff, healthcare companies, and on and on. They will provide info as well as answer any questions you may have.
- The VHA New Resident Night – This is put on by one of the (voluntary) HOA groups in TV as a free resource for new residents (they recruit members at it as well – we joined as it’s only $25 for two years and their offerings are well worth that). As you can see from the link, there are some really great presenters you get to hear from. You first snake your way around the tables to chat with them and get info (if you get there early – otherwise you do it after the presentation) and then each of them gets up and summarizes what their organization does in five minutes. It was a short but very informative time I would highly recommend.
Ask 100 people what their top 3 restaurants in TV are and you’ll get a list of 300 restaurants. Hahahaha.
Well, this club is a bit more objective than that. Their members have reviewed more than 950 restaurants in and around TV over the past 15+ years.
You can search their results, read what they say, and then decide for yourself about whether or not to try a restaurant.
Visit/People
I saved the best for last.
If you really, really, really want to know what The Villages is like, then you must visit.
You can come on one of the Lifestyle Visits noted above, but IMO, that’s just a start. You’ll learn a lot from it for sure, but there’s no way you can get a really great picture of TV in a week (IMO). That said, people often come for a Lifestyle Visit and buy soon afterwards, so what do I know? LOL.
Seriously, if I was coming to TV cold, I would start with a Lifestyle Visit just to see if buying here was in the realm of reason. If I decided it was, I’d then come back for a longer say (a month or more).
When you visit, in addition to seeing all the sights, you will want to connect with as many people as possible as people are a HUGE resource you MUST tap into as part of your research.
What people you might ask…who am I supposed to connect with? Those you meet when you’re here in the course of your daily activities – at restaurants, on the courts, at the squares, in the shops, at the pools, etc. We got so much valuable information in so many random ways (standing in line at the grocery store, soaking in the pool with others, walking the neighborhoods, etc.) that buying here without tapping into the people source would be a big mistake IMO.
In addition to those you meet out and about, your realtor can/should be a huge resource. And if you happen to have friends or family who live nearby or in TV, that’s even better.
Whew! That’s quite a list, huh?
But believe me, it’s a fraction of all the places we looked – these are just the keepers.
If you follow the sites, channels, and other resources above over a decent period of time, you will be more informed about TV than 95% of the people that live here.
If you have any other resources you’ve found, please share those in the comments below. You can also leave questions and I’ll do my best to answer them.
Paulz says
As a fellow resident (and neighbor of yours in Deluna), I have to say your list is complete! Great job!