The Villages

The Villages

The Villages is its own world. Spread across three counties northwest of Orlando, it runs on golf carts, dozens of golf courses, three town squares with live music every night, and a social calendar with a club for nearly everything. For active adults, nothing else in Florida operates at this scale.

It also has its own way of selling homes. The developer’s in-house sales arm handles most new construction, which means many buyers tour, negotiate, and sign without anyone whose job is protecting their side. As an investor and homeowner here herself, Lainey is the independent alternative: one agent whose only client is you.

The lifestyle, honestly

Golf carts are real transportation here, with trails connecting neighborhoods, shopping, and the squares. Softball leagues, pickleball, hundreds of clubs, and nightly music on the squares are why most people come. The honest trade-offs: it’s busy in season, the beach is a day trip rather than a drive, and the lifestyle is immersive enough that it either thrills you or it doesn’t. Lainey tells clients which before they buy.

The money: amenity fees, bonds, and CDDs

The Villages runs on a fee structure most buyers haven’t seen elsewhere: a monthly amenity fee, plus Community Development District assessments that include bond repayments on many homes, plus county property taxes. None of it is hidden, but the combined number surprises people who only budgeted for the mortgage. Lainey lays out the full monthly picture, home by home, before you write an offer.

New, resale, and why independent representation matters

New homes are sold through the developer’s own sales organization. Resales move through the open market. In both cases, the friendly person across the table may work for the seller. Lainey represents buyers and sellers independently, which matters most on resales: pricing against the developer’s new inventory, inspection realities in a 55+ housing stock, and negotiating without the in-house machine on the other side.

The Villages FAQ

What is the 80/20 rule in The Villages?

As a 55+ community, The Villages requires that the large majority of homes include at least one resident aged 55 or older, with only a limited share of households permitted otherwise. The deed restrictions also govern younger guests and how long they can stay. Lainey walks buyers through the exact rules for any specific village.

What is the downside of living in The Villages?

The honest list: monthly amenity fees and CDD assessments that stack on top of the mortgage, strict deed restrictions, seasonal crowds, and a beach that’s a day trip away. The lifestyle is immersive, which is the dream for some and too much for others.

How much money do you need to live at The Villages?

Villas start in the high $200s and premier homes run past $1 million, but the purchase price is only part of it. Budget for the monthly amenity fee, CDD assessments, county taxes, insurance, and the golf cart most residents end up owning. Lainey builds the full monthly number with you before you shop.

Why are so many homes for sale in The Villages?

Scale and stage of life. A community this large always has hundreds of listings, and in a 55+ market, sales often follow retirement moves, health changes, or estate transitions rather than distress. For buyers, that steady turnover means real choice and real negotiating room, especially with an agent who isn’t the developer’s.

Thinking about The Villages?

Tell Lainey what you're looking for and she'll follow up personally with current availability and honest guidance on The Villages and the surrounding communities.