I can’t believe that you two selflessly put together a budget for people you never met. Jerry & Linda, you are the epitome of what people look for in friendship. Anyone living in “ The Villages “ would be blessed to have you as friends. Enjoy yourselves as my wife and I will continue to enjoy your videos.
I’m a single, 45 yr old Mom so long way from retirement but I came across your video. Just wanted to say, I love that you are both so calm and balance each other. I can feel the love 💕 between you both. I love the way Linda looks at Jerry with admiration and Jerry joking around with her 😁I hope someday I’ll be able to retire in a nice neighborhood too like The Village. Love from NC
@@wesleymullins2371 St Petersburg is lovely but they had a study that said you needed $60,000 a year to live here. I believe it! I'm moving somewhere but where?
I agree with you I've been in Broward County since I was a young girl and my husband wanted to retire in The Villages I said oh hell no much too expensive
Excellent point to say it’s easy when your house is paid for! We are 18 months away from paying off our home. We’ve made sacrifices to double down on the payments and what keeps us going is knowing how liberating it’s going to be to no longer have that monthly housing expense! Thank you great video guys! :o)
Jerry and Linda, one of these day you two just might have your own show on TLC. Thank you once again for providing a useful, cogent insight to budgeting and living in The Villages. Semper Fi, Hank
Jerry and Linda, thanks to your diligence in putting the numbers together, you have illustrated most likely the most important point of retirement - no mortgage!
Very good job. I’m 74, very active but I don’t want to be around people my age. Too many political views, clicks, etc. older people can be worse than younger people with jealousy etc. this is just me. But again you guys did a very good job explaining the Villages.
Yeah, I’m 66 and decided long ago that I wanted to live in a diverse neighborhood with the whole range of ages, ethnicities, political views, religions, etc. I’ve heard an awful lot about TV and know people love it there - but it depends on the type of environment you prefer.
Thanks for sharing! Your budget makes a lot of sense, and answers questions particular to the Villages too. We have noticed since COVID, how much extra we seem to have each month, and have to attribute it to not eating out, as that and gasoline is the only thing that has changed. Quite amazing! I’m really getting sick of cooking, but it has changed some of our habits, and that’s probably a good thing! Take care.
Since March my dining indoors in restaurants has declined dramatically. I haven't dined in a restaurant since early October. I am still doing takeout once a week to support my local restaurants. I worked from home for 2 1/2 months from March to May, and I have been working from home again the past 7 weeks since mid September. . Since my commute to and from work is 50 miles, I have spent siignificantly less on gas this year as I have worked from home for a total of 4 months since mid March. I am very fortunate that my employer has been very proactive about employee safety since COVID-19 started and has mandated that employees work from home for the month of November.
Linda and Jerry thank you very much for opening a piece of your personal life. What I like is you are both very honest and real. Linda love your hair. I hope you keep the channel going, you give a great perspective of living in The Villages.
i have friends who live in the Villages. They moved from Kentucky. When I found out, it bowled me over because I could always count on them living in Kentucky, which is where we met in college. I introduced them. I am wanting to come visit.
This is a fantastic video. You gave a very thorough explanation of your budget. Although I live on the West Coast of Florida, I find this information very valuable, especially since you included everything you spend each month. I love your sense of humor, your positive attitude, and honest presentation in your videos. I especially enjoy Gizmo! Thank you for sharing.
I watched the whole thing. I was waiting for you to add the HOA fee. The info was interesting. Way over my humble budget! LOL. I have spent some time there staying at my brother's and really enjoyed riding around in the golf cart! Thanks again for the video. I was amazed at all the "extra" charges. Nice place to visit!
You guys are wonderful!! We just got back from spending a week there at a family friend's house. We have been there 4 times over the last few years. We love the atmosphere at the villages. Far and above people are very, very friendly, the areas very safe, well maintained and beautiful! We are not retired yet but man it makes you want to live that life. Take care of yourselves. Really enjoyed the video.
HOLY CRAP! Thanks for this info, we are so glad we didn't go this route. Hubby and I bought our home in cash and have very little in terms of taxes going out, phew! We only pay $500.00 a year for our home taxes. and all those fees, no thanks. WE're in a 1600+ sq ft home with almost an acre of land, our rooms are large and we love that, we owe very little out a month. No thanks to neighbors being right next door. I need breathing room but again thanks for sharing this info.
Love watching you guys. Always wanted to know why my grandparents were so committed to being Floridians. Loved my spring vacations and hope your family gets to appreciate your investment.
Jerry, Linda and Gizmo, thank you for this comprehensive and informative video about the estimated living expenses in TV's. Well done! Best to all three of you. Ron
It used to be very affordable to live there. It seems now, I could be wrong, but a solidly middle class retired couple, middle, middle-class, probably couldn't afford it now. Too bad! If you take that list of expenses shown and add a 2K monthly mortgage payment, this exceeds some budgets.
I watched a video of yours right before Covid and it helped me decide that my husband and I need to live in a 55+ community after our son is out of high school. Thank you so much for being so open and honest about your experiences.
We have two adult sons and have been debating the move. My Sister-in-law has a place in The Villages. My only worry is like Covid, many young people have lost their jobs. If they had a child, where would they go? They couldn't come move in with Mom & Dad. My Sister-in-law doesn't have kids so it's not a consideration for her. It's just gotten me into a more worried head space.
Both of you are so charming and informative. I turn 59 in March and it’s never to early to plan for retirement. Thank you for sharing your experience and knowledge.
I am so glad to know that there's still people around who does not drink alcohol. I do not drink any alcoholic beverages and like only clean fun. Im so glad to see others who do not drink and party. Who likes clean fun like myself. GOD BLESS🙏
Good vlog. Our HOA (Solivita) does our lawn maintenance and irrigation is included. Also Polk County does the trash/recycle pickup and it's included in our property tax. Keep em coming.
Very detailed. Thank you for doing this. Many of the expense categories are applicable wherever anyone lives. This is helpful to compare costs in The Villages to where one may live now and a good list of things not to forget like groceries and dining out. What is really helpful is the prompting to think how your lifestyle might change in TV and the cost impact of that such as more eating out, less time watching tv, more time spent in sports and or crafts & hobbies and the related expenses (clothes, equipment, fees). Keep the videos coming!
I live on the west coast of Florida in the Sarasota area. Even though I’m not in the Villages, I think your videos are great. The information you provided is so valuable on so many levels. You included all aspects of your living expenses which is so important in making a budget. You both have a great sense of humor too and Gizmo is a great addition to your videos. Thank you for sharing.
Ahh what a sweet couple :) I’m single 69 & you lost me half way down the list :) However well worth the watch enjoying your cute pup!! You two have FUN ... enjoy life ! Cheers
I don't think I would ever live in The Villages bc I have other places in mind to retire to, but I watch your videos regularly. Both of you are very pleasant and give a lot if good information which could be applied to other similar living set ups or help educate us on what questions to ask ( like is garbage pick ups included or not-things you take for granted). Keep up the good work. And I love watching your pup in the videos. He's so cute!.....That brings a question--->What is the pet policy at the Villages? Can you do a segment on that? Thank you!
I wish you all the best, but there is no way, I would never be happy living around so many people, and with so many restrictions. But it seems to suit some folks. Best of luck.
I'm two months in the rear on this video. I would like to share this with our 22 year old grandson. This is reality, it is called adulting. Your calm, educational, and factual approach was very enlightening. I know you both are teachers, this should be shown in schools. I would like to add,,, imagine adding two or three children to this budget? Thank you Jerry and Linda.👍❤️# real life.
Jerry & Linda.Thank you for your informative costs for living in THE VILLAGES,I have a friend who has lived there more than 20 years and is very happy there.We are from Grand Rapids,Michigan and moved to Chattanooga area in the 90`s and we sold our home near Chattanooga just before the housing sales crash and lived for 5 years as full timers in our motor home so we enjoyed so much seeing the 48 states.We now live in a small home in Cleveland Tennessee and we are planning on staying here as the climate is more moderate than in Michigan.Thanks again for your informative video for others to consider.My friends name is Chris Haan and is from Grand Rapids as well.
Try a couple more things to say after watching the entire video I absolutely 100% love this video I absolutely want 100% love Linda your smiles during the video is such a refreshing thing to see with so much crap that you see on the air lately It really does make the videos and you guys really do compliment each other very well when you're making videos!
I just wanted to say thank you for your videos on living in The Villages. My wife and I visited about 3 months ago and stayed in Spanish Springs. Before that visit, we had never heard of The Villages. Our stay intrigued me on the lifestyle that Villagers have. I'm too young to move or retire there yet (I'm only 47) but someday I hope to be able to live in a place like that and videos like this help me to understand what I can anticipate for my own retirement. Thank you so much for your videos and for keeping me updated on all that is happening down there. I hope to visit again soon. I'm now a subscriber and I have to say your videos always give me a great feeling about my future and where I want to be in 10-15 years. Keep up the great work and enjoy the day! ~Future snowbird from Illinois
Looked into them, but the very high cost of their HOA fees reminded us of years of paying very high New York State property taxes so we decided that it was much cheaper to build in Palm coast.
This IS WHY I moved to North Carolina! My property tax is $1,050. Water bill is $13- $17 a month. Electric bill is $65- $120 depending on how much AC or heat I use. Homeowner’s Ins. is $850. I do not have an HOA. I loved South Florida & miss living there so much but I can’t afford to live there on my social security & I’m not using my savings when I can live in North Carolina so much cheaper!
@@maureennorth7961 I live in a small town just outside the city limits in NW North Carolina in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. South Carolina is also a nice area to live! I loved it when I lived there! The meadows & grassland are semi flat. I love the small towns that are near the interstate is where I lived so it was very easy to be in a large town in no time at all! The weather was great! A few chilly days in the winter, but usually mild.
Your contribution on Florida living is so invaluable, thank you both. I like your dog too, as I have a dog myself. We live in Hampshire United Kingdom, and have considered Sarasota when my other half nearly bought a property there but at the last minute changed his mind due to the property tax - that was 10 years ago though. We will continue to follow your videos. God bless you both and your gorgeous dog :)
Love this! I have no intention of moving to Florida, however watched this just now because my to do this week is to calculate my income/expenditures. This will definitely help to guide me in everything I need to remember to include.
Why not move to the Indian River Colony Club where your yard, appliances, roof, plumbing, pest control, fertilizing, irrigation, air conditioning and much more are maintained by our maintenance staff? IRCC has a golf course, pool, tennis courts, shuffleboard, bocce ball, gym, croquet court and pickle ball courts coming next year. IRCC is located in Viera on the space coast.
@@joeskwara5823 IRCC accepts up to 20% of non-military but you don’t have to be a military retiree to be considered military. Any military service regardless of rank or length of service qualifies. For instance, one of my friends spent just 6 months in the Marine Corps. He managed to get shot his first week in Vietnam, was sent home and eventually retired from Kodak.
Once my father in law passed away my mother in law visited a friend who lived in the Villages, she loved it so much she bought a house on that trip. She has absolutely thrived!! We love it there but have 2 businesses in Oklahoma so maybe some day we’ll move there. 😊
Thanks for your cost summary. We have about 5 or 6 yrs to go before my wife and I retire; maybe a lot sooner if my company offers a good buy out, I'll buy the plane tickets tomorrow. Anyway I thought it would be much more expensive than it may be, but after seeing your cost summary I realize I could probably swing it for the both of us on just my pension alone, so thanks again for giving me a new perspective and a new hope.
Just remember, that the numbers will all depend upon your particular situation. You may end up with higher cable bill higher phone bill etc. The taxes and insurance will depend upon the size and location of your new home, and whether you have one vehicle or 2, 1 golf cart or 2. Medical expenses, etc. There are many different factors that will affect how much money you need.
Many thanks, Jerry & Linda for provided excellence information and a budge to live in THE VILLAGES. We are wonder the cost to live in The Villages? This video is so helpful. Thank you so much. Have a blessed day!🥰😇❤❤💅💅.
Always great information and I watch all your videos. I’m in southern Indiana also and plan on moving to The Villages within the next 5 yrs, I’m 50 and the wife is 52. You’ve definitely had a positive influence on us.
Wow. Thanks for sharing your budget ... we live on $1600 a month total ... no golf but deep sea fishing recreation We also live in Mexico. So totally different adventures to budget for ... and different lifestyles. But I really do appreciate the budget you shared as I always wondered ... included food and eating out. We don’t drink either.
Your information is very useful and I appreciate it. My husband and I visited The Villages last December and fell in love! We are still a few years out from retirement, but we are planners so this is realistic and helpful, thank you!
Linda and Jerry, great information. .Thank you for doing this. In suburban Chicago, the property taxes on a house like yours would be at least $5,000, probably more. This gives prospective buyers an idea of how much costs are in The Villages. A new resident posted in a Villages FB group a few days ago that she didn't know the home she recently purchased in The Villages had a bond payment...bad "surprise" for her. It's best to do your due diligence and homework before buying than to have a "surprise" expense a few months after moving in.
Laura, the bond is no surprise. When you buy you get the bond details before closing. People can get very giddy when they get here and throw caution to the wind. The bonds in the new areas can add $1000+ to your tax bill.
Good morning, I enjoyed this RU-vid regarding costs to live in the villages. I am a single person, considering a move to The Villages from NH. I'm signed up for a LifeStyle visit in May. This information was extremely helpful. Thank you! Darlene
Very interesting video. Thank you for sharing. Well, I will say that to live in the Villages the total amount that you quoted is very reasonable. Here in Connecticut, with high taxes, etc. you can count on about double the amount you quoted. Let me leave you with this funny little quote, "Living on Earth is expensive, but it does include a free trip around the sun!" Hi to Giz! Keep those videos coming!
Just found your site. Simply loved the humbleness. A few months ago we boondocked in our class B close to the villages. It looked like a very lovely area. We are from Ohio and just purchased a new home two weeks ago. Traveling in our class B is still one of our favorite activities. Concerning criticism, Just ignore, it is part of life. Focus on the good and have fun. Once again, love your site. Would love to meet you someday.
Jerry and Linda thanks for the informative video. When considering where to live and / or just life in general So many don't take these cost into a final consideration!
Your budget came out the same as ours. We eat in. We seldom go on vacations because we had no kids and been all over the world and are enjoying staying home and hitting the casino once or twice a year. We get about $50K in Social Security and can draw down about $18K a year from investments. Plus I work full time for $75K a year. We are making more than we did before we moved here. We were living off of SS for two years and doing fine. The extra money from working is paying for home improvements, a new kitchen, new floors and lots of toys to enjoy. We are living better than we did living in NYC.
Im in my early 50s and u guys are great !!! Love your honesty. I think u guys should have guest on your show and ask questions to get another insight on villagers retirement living : keep it up u guys are great
a great alternative to dish/cable is Hulu live! it’s about 86.00 month and you get all channels. premium channels are extra. you will need a smart t.v. we do not miss dish!
You guys did a great job. I live in Jacksonville and wouldn’t go anywhere else. We have lived at the beach and a couple of other places here, but I grew up only a few miles from here. There is no state income tax and it is very easy to get around this city, even with the traffic getting a little heaver. The people from here are friendly and there is a lot to do from the beaches to golfing and a hundred other things. 😅
I'm near retirement age, 64, and I live in a small town in TN.(debt free) My bills are cheaper here. Not as fancy as living near the ocean. This video shows me that my taxes and utilities(no fees) are not as high as I thought they were. Glad I saw this video...and I really like Florida. My 10 acres and 3 houses are taxed at $1700yr. My light bill in my 2000sq ft brick house is usually $80-$100 a month. And no state tax in TN. The Hall tax is going away next year.
The best part of being able to live cheaply in Tennessee is that it probably gives you money to go to Florida in the winter and rent a furnished place for a month or two. And, you get to stay in your home with your friends and your family and enjoy your beautiful spring, fall and summer.
I’ve considered moving to Tennessee, my daughters family all live in Scottsboro Al, so figured Tennessee would be just the right distance. I would love to be close to Nashville. I own my home up here in Washington state so could pay cash for a home. I also think Tennessee has less risk of the storms that hit Florida or further south. Will see, it is a few years away since I’m only 62, and don’t want to retire until I’m 67.
@@joytoyouandme4593 I had one of my employees take a early buy out and move to Murfreesboro. He's originally from Alabama. Has a daughter in that area. A son in AR and their parents in AL. He said Nashville was way out of his price range for what he could get for his $$. From what I've seen on Zillow, eastern TN (Johnson City, Kingsport, Bristol is the least expensive for homes and land. They call it the tri cities. I have a cousin that lives in Kingsport. Understand that the area is beautiful. I'm also looking at Knoxville. Kind of in between cost wise between the Nashville area and the Tri Cities area. Does have the big university there. Supposed to have a good music scene similar to Austin's TX. TN did get a fair amount of rain from this years storms. I'm 61 and I'm chomping at the bit to retire. Tried of the corp grind.
@@BobLobsiger - Murfreesboro could be an option it’s not to far from Nashville. I figure once I’m about a year away from retirement I’ll head down for a month or so and see how I like it. My home here is Seattle keeps going up in value, which really helps with projections. I’ve never been outside the Nashville airport, but it looks real nice down there. I also have a cousin that lives there. If I could I would move to Europe but that’s not really an option. 😂
I just discovered your videos today. So well done! Thank you!! I'm a former Hoosier myself (Logansport), now in Virginia. I'm approaching retirement and I find your videos really helpful.
In response to "everyone has to pay property taxes", Veterans are entitled to property tax exemptions in Florida if they have service connected disabilities. Veterans rated at 100 percent permanent and total disabled are exempt from paying any property taxes in Florida. There are a lot of veterans in Florida.
You guys did a great job of putting together your monthly budget, I would have liked to have a seen a column listing just fees in the Villages. Thanks!
I've been to the Villages, it's a wonderful place, you just feel out of the world here. People are well dressed all the time. I like their musical events every evening, come sunshine or rain, the live music is there. You can even go on stage and sing. Living in the Villages is a special privilege. Lucky people there.
Such a wonderful video! Thank you!! I live in the Midwest (boring) and I pay so much more in taxes and so many of the other categories. Once Covid is over I am going to try to come down for a visit! Thanks again!!
I will not be moving to Florida however, thanks for all your videos about living in The Villages I used to work with a lady who lives there. She loves to golf so that place is up her ally.
Two thumbs up for such a fantastic video. 👍🏼👍🏼 Detailed, organized, and perfectly presented! Thank you for your transparency. I always say an educated buyer is a happy buyer. 😀 I’m definitely onboard with that trail fee/pass. 🛺⛳️❤️ The local course where my sons play here in Arkansas is a possible “throw your back out” experience with cart paths full of pot holes and missing concrete. A smooth ride is easily worth that $4.00 to me! Adore you guys and sweet Gizmo! Stay well. Best! 💕
I agree about being educated. I read a post a ew days ago in a Villages Facebook group where a new resident who bought a new home in The Villages had no idea her new home had a bond payment. That surprise had to be at least $12K depending on what style of home she bought. Due diligence and homework are important.
Thanks so much for taking the time to post this video. You guys did a tremendous job detailing cost for the Villages and it's a guide for how to build a budget no matter where you are. The Villages sounds like a great place to retire but unfortunately the political climate/animus down there has turned lots of folks off. Hopefully this will pass before I and a lot of others retire.
Thanks Kontiki. Those perceptions are totally bogus. We stay out of politics, but we can truly say, don't believe what you see on the national news regarding The Villages. That is sensationalism at its worst.
That was a good subject to review. To make it more meaningjul, I think it would help to know how many square feet youir home is and what its value is and how much of an acre your yard is. We're thinking of moving to Florida and would find that info helpful. Thanks!
Wow... if you move fifty miles north it will only cost you 150.00 a month total..lol. Town has a blinking yellow light and Akins isn't open on Sunday. And I just want to say thank you for scaring my up north relatives from moving here! Villages are beautiful. A great place to live you are very blessed.
If you have a good retirement it would be,, I live in Lutz North of Tampa my monthly bills are less then $1,000 My S.S. is $1300 my state retirement is $1500 I have more money to spend buy living here
