by Kristen Gozdecki

Created on: May 20, 2007   Last Updated: May 21, 2007

The Villages, Florida: Retirement haven

About four years ago, my parents decided they would retire to Florida. The 'sunshine state' had been our yearly vacation destination for decades and over the years, they had fallen in love with all the things people normally fall in love with Florida for: the beautiful year-round weather, the foliage, and the proximity to tourist meccas like Disney and the Gulf. Not to mention that after living in northwestern Indiana for most of their lives, they were more than happy to give up winters with 17 degree days, shoveling, icy sidewalks and the need to warm up the car for twenty minutes every morning.

Initially, they hoped to buy a house on the Gulf side. They'd been to Sanibel and Captiva a number of times and loved the island's laid back atmosphere. But price was a concern and with houses starting around half a million, and home owner's insurance expensive and difficult to obtain on a barrier island (and this was before 2004, the year four hurricanes ravaged the state), a Gulf-side home was going to be a bit out of their reach.

In searching for an affordable, livable alternative, my parents happened upon The Villages. Located in the central part of the state, about sixty miles northwest of Orlando and twenty miles south of Ocala, The Villages is a booming 'active adult' community with a number of shops, restaurants, sports facilities, social groups-all accessible by golf cart. Started as a group of pre-manufactured (read: trailer) homes in the early 1970s by Harold Schwartz, the community really took off in the early 80s when Schwartz's son, Gary Morse, took over the business. In short order, he began building site-built homes and within four years of taking over the business, had taken an unprofitable company and turned it into a profitable one.

Things really took off in 1997, when the community's first town square was completed. Designed by Universal Studios theme park architects, Forrec, Ltd, "Spanish Springs" provided a common gathering place with shops, restaurants, and free nightly entertainment. Fast forward to 2002 and homes were selling at a brisk pace of 4,000 a year. Homes start in the low $100,000s and go up into the low millions. As of 2005, 47,000 called The Villages home and it's projected that number will double by the year 2010. A new Key West-themed town square, "Sumter Landings" opened about xx years ago and a third square is currently in the works.

The Villages is still family owned and operated by the Morses-they

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