The True Cost

What The Villages really costs — beyond the sticker price

Two homes at the same price can carry very different monthly costs here. The purchase price is only the first number; the amenity fee and the CDD bond ride along with every home, and they vary enough to change which house is actually the better buy. Here's each one, in plain English — and exactly what to verify on a specific home before you offer.

Run My Numbers With Jennifer How Buying Works

Number One

The amenity fee — ≈ $204 a month

What it is

A mandatory monthly fee per household — about $204/month in 2026 — charged whether you use the facilities or not
It's the fee behind the lifestyle: 100+ recreation centers, pools, and the programming that fills them from dawn to dark
It is the same conversation for every home — unlike the bond, it doesn't vary by village or street

What to know before you buy

Budget it like a utility: it belongs in your monthly number alongside the mortgage, taxes and insurance
The figure adjusts over time — the 2026 amount (per Villages Community Development Districts reporting) is ≈ $204/mo; confirm the current fee before you close
On a fixed retirement budget, $204/mo is real money — it's also what buys the "social life on rails" residents rave about. Weigh both

Number Two

The CDD bond — $0 to $35,000+

This is the number that surprises out-of-state buyers — and the one that most changes the true cost of a specific home.

What it is

Most Villages homes carry a Community Development District (CDD) bond — the debt that built the community's infrastructure
The balance belongs to the home, not the seller: when a home sells, the remaining bond goes with it, which is why every smart buyer asks for the exact remaining balance
It's paid in annual installments on the property tax bill, separate from your mortgage payment — easy to miss if nobody adds it to your monthly math

How big is it?

Community-wide, remaining balances run from $0 to $35,000+
Older northern homes (Spanish Springs area) often have fully paid-off bonds — one reason the north end is the value play; always confirm on the specific home
Newer southern homes carry the largest bonds — commonly $20,000–$35,000+, or roughly $1,500–$2,500 a year on the tax bill
Balances vary by village, street and build year — even two homes side by side can differ

The practical takeaway: a resale with a paid-off or paid-down bond can beat a brand-new build on true monthly cost — sometimes by a wide margin. That's why the bond question comes before the offer, not after. See how this plays into buying on the Buying page.

Number Three

Golf — the executive courses are free

What's included

40+ executive courses — nine-hole and short-format golf that is free for residents, the backbone of everyday golf here
15 championship courses (700+ holes in total across the community) — these are pay-per-round at resident rates
Country-club dining at the championship courses doubles as neighborhood gathering spots

How to budget it

Play executive golf daily and your golf line item can honestly be zero
If championship golf is your plan, budget greens fees as a regular hobby cost — still at resident rates, and still with no initiation-fee country club required
Serious about a specific course? Live in its orbit — the central villages sit closest to the Arnold Palmer and Nancy Lopez legacy courses

Before You Offer

Verify per home — the checklist

For any specific home, get these in writing:

☐ The exact remaining CDD bond balance — not an estimate, not the original amount
☐ The bond's current annual installment on the tax bill (budget $1,500–$2,500/yr on newer southern homes; could be $0 on paid-off older homes)
☐ Whether the bond can be paid off early, and the payoff figure — some buyers negotiate this at the table
☐ The current amenity fee (2026: ≈ $204/mo) and when it next adjusts
☐ The home's county — The Villages spans Sumter, Lake and Marion counties, and the tax bill (where the bond installment rides) comes from the county
☐ For older homes: roof, HVAC and update history — the north end's lower prices come with older-home budgets

The Financing Angle

Run the whole monthly number — that's my lending edge

Why I price the payment, not just the house

I'm a loan originator as well as a broker, so we do the math the way you'll actually live it: mortgage payment plus the amenity fee plus the bond installment, taxes and insurance. Two homes at the same price routinely separate by $150–$200+ a month once the bond is counted — and the "cheaper" house is often the resale nobody ran the numbers on.

Pre-approval first: know your real budget before you fall for a village
Loan options explained in plain English — conventional, FHA, VA and more, for Florida purchases
One call covers both sides: the home, the area and the loan, with the same person accountable for all three

Start a Loan Application Call (352) 207-3600

Financing note: loan options depend on your full financial picture, and you may qualify for different terms than any general example discussed here. This page is educational only — not a rate quote, pre-approval or commitment to lend. Jennifer Hay, NMLS #2612003, is licensed to originate mortgage loans in Florida only, through NEXA Mortgage, LLC dba NEXA Lending (Co. NMLS #1660690).

Want the true monthly number on a home you're eyeing?

Send me the address. I'll pull the bond picture and run the full payment — price, fee, bond, taxes, insurance — before you spend a dollar on travel or inspections.

Call or Text (352) 207-3600 Schedule a Meeting