[ElDiabloJoe]

This is going to be unpopular, but having just come back from visiting their model homes, the floor plans by Latitude Margaritaville (Daytona, Hilton Head, and Panama City/30A) are better thought out and with smoother flow than the villas (patio or courtyard) The Villages does.

The patio and courtyard villas are all very similar: Open the front door into the dining or living room, kind of a wide hallway / shotgun through the living space to the lanai out back (CYV) or the back wall / bedrooms (PVs).

Compare that to the cottages and villas in Latitude Margaritaville with more variety and a better layout. I wish The Villages would incorporate some of these soaring features and floor plans instead of the very cookie-cutter model we have available to us now.

I find the amenities and d@mn near everything else better at The Villages, but the floorpans? Meh. Boring.

This link is to one of their cottages, the "Dreamsicle" I believe:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsCm_VvKI5Y

[CFrance]

Originally Posted by ElDiabloJoe

This is going to be unpopular, but having just come back from visiting their model homes, the floor plans by Latitude Margaritaville (Daytona, Hilton Head, and Panama City/30A) are better thought out and with smoother flow than the villas (patio or courtyard) The Villages does.

The patio and courtyard villas are all very similar: Open the front door into the dining or living room, kind of a wide hallway / shotgun through the living space to the lanai out back (CYV) or the back wall / bedrooms (PVs).

Compare that to the cottages and villas in Latitude Margaritaville with more variety and a better layout. I wish The Villages would incorporate some of these soaring features and floor plans instead of the very cookie-cutter model we have available to us now.

I find the amenities and d@mn near everything else better at The Villages, but the floorpans? Meh. Boring.

This link is to one of their cottages, the "Dreamsicle" I believe:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsCm_VvKI5Y

That's very nice! And the bathrooms certainly are more upscale than those in our 2011 CYV. I like our kitchen better and the fact that the patio is walled for privacy and the dogs.
But I could be happy either place.

[patfla06]

Originally Posted by ElDiabloJoe

This is going to be unpopular, but having just come back from visiting their model homes, the floor plans by Latitude Margaritaville (Daytona, Hilton Head, and Panama City/30A) are better thought out and with smoother flow than the villas (patio or courtyard) The Villages does.

The patio and courtyard villas are all very similar: Open the front door into the dining or living room, kind of a wide hallway / shotgun through the living space to the lanai out back (CYV) or the back wall / bedrooms (PVs).

Compare that to the cottages and villas in Latitude Margaritaville with more variety and a better layout. I wish The Villages would incorporate some of these soaring features and floor plans instead of the very cookie-cutter model we have available to us now.

I find the amenities and d@mn near everything else better at The Villages, but the floorpans? Meh. Boring.

This link is to one of their cottages, the "Dreamsicle" I believe:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsCm_VvKI5Y

Now compare the crime and see what you think.

[Papa_lecki]

Originally Posted by ElDiabloJoe

This is going to be unpopular, but having just come back from visiting their model homes, the floor plans by Latitude Margaritaville (Daytona, Hilton Head, and Panama City/30A) are better thought out and with smoother flow than the villas (patio or courtyard) The Villages does.

The patio and courtyard villas are all very similar: Open the front door into the dining or living room, kind of a wide hallway / shotgun through the living space to the lanai out back (CYV) or the back wall / bedrooms (PVs).

Compare that to the cottages and villas in Latitude Margaritaville with more variety and a better layout. I wish The Villages would incorporate some of these soaring features and floor plans instead of the very cookie-cutter model we have available to us now.

I find the amenities and d@mn near everything else better at The Villages, but the floorpans? Meh. Boring.

This link is to one of their cottages, the "Dreamsicle" I believe:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsCm_VvKI5Y

Enjoy Margaritaville.

[barbara828]

Ghastly color and I won't have a closet in the bath.

[ElDiabloJoe]

Originally Posted by Papa_lecki

Enjoy Margaritaville.

Wow, talk about all or none. I love living, except being sick. Well, enjoy being dead. Sorry you are so reactionary, I usually enjoy your posts and find them well thought out and articulated. Not this one. You essentially wrote off someone's post because they offered a different perspective.

No, TV is far better in nearly every regard, I'm just saying there is room for them to step up their game, especially in their bread and butter: the housing offeringst=.

[CoachKandSportsguy]

I would think that house design is a personal preference.. . .but i could be only talking my book

[tophcfa]

Originally Posted by ElDiabloJoe

This is going to be unpopular, but having just come back from visiting their model homes, the floor plans by Latitude Margaritaville (Daytona, Hilton Head, and Panama City/30A) are better thought out and with smoother flow than the villas (patio or courtyard) The Villages does.

The patio and courtyard villas are all very similar: Open the front door into the dining or living room, kind of a wide hallway / shotgun through the living space to the lanai out back (CYV) or the back wall / bedrooms (PVs).

Compare that to the cottages and villas in Latitude Margaritaville with more variety and a better layout. I wish The Villages would incorporate some of these soaring features and floor plans instead of the very cookie-cutter model we have available to us now.

I find the amenities and d@mn near everything else better at The Villages, but the floorpans? Meh. Boring.

This link is to one of their cottages, the "Dreamsicle" I believe:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsCm_VvKI5Y

Floor plans, who cares? We bought our Villages home fully aware we could get much more home for the $$ elsewhere. We bought for the amenities and active lifestyle. Our home is the place where we sleep and keep our stuff. The rest of the time we are out and about enjoying all the things to do that makes the Villages the reason we bought a house there. For us, the location of our home was infinitely more important than the floor plan.

[margaretmattson]

Originally Posted by CoachKandSportsguy

I would think that house design is a personal preference.. . .but i could be only talking my book

I lived in a 1700 sq ft CYV for 15 years that felt like the walls were closing in. Every day, I could not wait to get out! I thought the Developer was clever and built homes that forced us to get outdoors.

I recently bought a remodeled home in the northern section of the Villages and I love it! The home has higher ceilings, bigger rooms, and an enlarged lanai with a spectacular view. Best of all, no rental homes on the street. Now, I have the best of both worlds. Cost? Less than newly constructed. Look around! There are nice homes in the Villages.

BTW: My favorite floor plans are On Top of The World, Ocala.

[dewilson58]

Originally Posted by CoachKandSportsguy

I would think that house design is a personal preference.. .

Bingo.

[Dond1959]

We looked at it in Daytona before we bought here. Home designs were nice but the lifestyle was nothing compared to here. And we could say that about every place we looked at compared to here. There is just no comparison. If you want a great house go buy some acreage somewhere and build. It will be much cheaper. But if you want a great lifestyle with an okay house then come here. I would also say Daytona has a lot of homeless and drug addicts. Go downtown and it is not a very pleasant experience. Not sure what the point the OP was trying to make.

[Randall55]

Originally Posted by Dond1959

We looked at it in Daytona before we bought here. Home designs were nice but the lifestyle was nothing compared to here. And we could say that about every place we looked at compared to here. There is just no comparison. If you want a great house go buy some acreage somewhere and build. It will be much cheaper. But if you want a great lifestyle with an okay house then come here. I would also say Daytona has a lot of homeless and drug addicts. Go downtown and it is not a very pleasant experience. Not sure what the point the OP was trying to make.

There are plenty of drug addicts in the Villages. Alcoholics, too! Just read the daily news.

[Velvet]

Well, floor plans are nice but I have never bought a house based on them. For one thing, you can change them quite a bit. However, location and neighborhood that is a different thing. I have a set of top 20 criteria with various levels of significance and floor plan isn’t one of them.

[Blueblaze]

If you think Margaritaville houses are nice, you should check out Citrus Hills. Or Pine Ridge.

But then check out how many people you see taking advantage of the amenities. And then count how many golf carts you see tooling around. In fact, do that at any other retirement community, and you will quickly realize there is no place like this place.

If your goal is to buy another McMansion, just like your empty nest up North, only in Florida, you'll do better just about anywhere else. But if you your goal is to downsize to really active retirement community, I searched all over the country and never found anything that even comes close to The Villages. I will say this, though -- if Pine Ridge had been half as active as The Villages, it sure would have been nice to have an acre with a barn, like my old place in Texas. I could care less about the house, but I sure miss my hobby barn!

[Retiring]

Originally Posted by ElDiabloJoe

This is going to be unpopular, but having just come back from visiting their model homes, the floor plans by Latitude Margaritaville (Daytona, Hilton Head, and Panama City/30A) are better thought out and with smoother flow than the villas (patio or courtyard) The Villages does.

The patio and courtyard villas are all very similar: Open the front door into the dining or living room, kind of a wide hallway / shotgun through the living space to the lanai out back (CYV) or the back wall / bedrooms (PVs).

Compare that to the cottages and villas in Latitude Margaritaville with more variety and a better layout. I wish The Villages would incorporate some of these soaring features and floor plans instead of the very cookie-cutter model we have available to us now.

I find the amenities and d@mn near everything else better at The Villages, but the floorpans? Meh. Boring.

This link is to one of their cottages, the "Dreamsicle" I believe:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsCm_VvKI5Y

I went to school in Daytona Beach. Lived there five years. I’m not sure you would like it, geared toward the spring breaker. And the crowds during speed weeks are huge.

I don’t think anyone has ever said you get more bang for your buck in a TV house, it’s the lifestyle. That’s become cliché but it’s true.