Association

• The Villages Association Board of Directors Monthly Board hybrid meeting is Tuesday, December 10 at 9:30 a.m. in Foothill Center and on Zoom.

Meeting ID: 917 8108 3392; Passcode: 223468; Dial: 1-669-900-6833

Club

• The Villages Golf & Country Club Board of Directors Regular Meeting is Tuesday, December 10 at 1:30 p.m. in Foothill Center and on Zoom.

Meeting ID: 961 5036 4740; Passcode: 260616; Dial: 1-669-900-6833

Homeowners‘

• The Villages Homeowners’ Corporation Board of Directors FY 24/25 Quarterly Business Meeting Schedule is as follows: 

Thursday, December 19 at 9 a.m. in Montgomery Center.

Thursday, March 20, 2025 at 9 a.m.

Thursday, June 12, 2025 at 9 a.m.

Dear Condo and Single-Family Homeowners,

As part of The Villages Golf and Country Club’s efforts to become a Firewise Community, exterior home inspections will be conducted in the coming weeks for all 2,309 condos to identify potential fire safety concerns. These inspections will be scheduled automatically. Single-family homeowners, however, must request an inspection for their property using the contact information below. Inspections for single-family homes will follow a separate schedule.

What to Expect:

• Weather permitting, a volunteer from the community will be inspecting the exterior of your home (condo or single-family) for fire safety issues, such as vegetation within 5 feet of structures, hazardous materials, and other related concerns. The volunteers will be wearing a red lanyard with their name for identification.
• The inspection will consist of a walk-around of your property and the taking of pictures. You do not need to be present during the inspection.
• Inspections will take up to 30-45 minutes.
• While we do not have specific dates for when each home will be inspected, we will do our best to notify the DACs and leave a notice on your door handle once your property has been inspected.
• A Defensible Space & Home Hardening Evaluation report will be made available to homeowners only upon request, provided you have submitted your email address to the Firewise Team. This report will be issued after all condominium inspections have been completed, which we anticipate will be by the end of March 2025. Homeowners may choose to share their own report with anyone they wish.

This initiative is aimed at making our community safer and more resilient to wildfires. The inspections are for evaluation purposes only and will help identify areas that could improve your property’s fire resilience. It is not for compliance or enforcement.

Thank you for your cooperation and support as we work toward becoming a Firewise Community.

If you have any questions, or if you are a single-family homeowner and would like to schedule an inspection, please contact us at:

• Email: Firewise@the-villages.com
• Phone: (408) 754-1334

Sincerely,

The Villages Firewise Committee

Welcome everyone to the October Association Board of Directors meeting.

This month I want to talk about how great it is to be a Villager. I just spent 16 days on a cruise from San Francisco to Fort Lauderdale, Florida going through the Panama Canal. It was not a Villages organized trip but we had seven couples from The Villages on the trip. Some of the couples I knew and some I did not. But, after going on shore excursions with some couples and eating dinner most nights with these couples and just hanging around on the ship, I was able to get to know all of them much better than I did before we left. We had a fabulous trip, and you can see pictures of our group on The Villager Online. As it turns out, most Villagers are wonderful people. We just need to take the time to get to know them. We had numerous discussions about life in The Villages and the consensus is this is a great place to live. I was happy to hear that since I am always concerned about the state of our community.

As you all can see, turf reduction work has begun from the intersection of San Felipe Road down to the Public Safety Plaza gate. It’s been a lot of hard work and planning over the last few years, but the projects are finally under way. If our planning is accurate, we can continue to see this type of work throughout The Villages over the next 20 years. Yes, you heard that right—four acres a year for 20 years.  I hope to live long enough to see the completed project.

I would like to thank everyone from Theresa and the staff, the Villager volunteers on the Landscape and Water Committees and all the DAC landscape and water committees for the extensive time and effort given over the last few years.  It’s a learning experience for all of us and it’s nice to see everyone’s efforts are finally starting to pay off.

I would also like to thank the Insurance Committee for its hard work. The Villager articles on the importance of understanding our HO6 policies are extremely helpful. If you haven’t read them, they are posted on The Villager Online and I suggest everyone go back and read all three. Understanding your HO6 policy is important to ensure you have the proper coverage in the event of a catastrophe.

Thank you all for being Villagers, and, as usual, my phone, email and my door are always open and available for questions or comments.

—Association Board President Michael Schwerin

(Third in a series of three articles)

Condo Home Insurance at The Villages

In the previous two articles on Your HO6 Policy, we talked about some of the interconnections between your HO6 policy and the Association’s Master Property insurance policy.  Here are some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).

There isn’t room in a short article to answer all your questions, so we’ve put more information on the Villages Member Portal, in the Association’s Governance Area: https://member.thevillagesgcc.com/static/the-villages-association/

You can also call The Villages’ Director of Board Services or Senior Assistant General Manager (General Manager’s Office Liaison) or use the “Ask the ABOD” feature in The Villager.

My HO6 insurance company just told me they are not renewing my policy next year.  Where can I find another company that sells policies to Villages residents?

• Unfortunately, this is not uncommon anymore, both outside and inside the Villages.  It doesn’t even depend on whether you have made any claims or not.  

• To find a new insurance company you can ask a friend for some recommendations, but even if they have a current policy, their insurance company may not be accepting new customers.

• The only central directory of companies currently offering insurance is a list on the California State Insurance Commissioner’s website:  Property Insurance Companies  

https://interactive.web.insurance.ca.gov/apex_extprd/f?p=144:11:12932100931491::NO:RP,11:P11_LINES_OF_INS,P11_SORT_TYPE:Homeowners,A&cs=1mWeRo8dRpMeNc5DG5G1B56NErek

Why does The Villages have two different Master Property Insurance Policies?

• Because the Villages Management team and our insurance brokers at Brown & Brown are on their toes at finding lower cost solutions for our insurance. 

• Some history – 

• In the past, over five years ago, The Villages was able to buy property insurance from a single company.  But as inflation caused replacement cost to dramatically increase, the danger of wildfires around The Villages increased, and insurance companies were suffering losses due to unusually large and frequent major fires, floods, and hurricanes, individual companies no longer wanted to insure the whole Villages community or even parts of it.
• The Villages was forced to use multiple non-admitted “excess and surplus carriers” in a “stack” of small policies to cover all its insurance needs.  Since these carriers are not regulated by the State of California, they can charge whatever the market will bear.  As a result, Insurance Costs soared.
• But the Insurance marketplace keeps evolving – risk models are improved, risk mitigation efforts are rewarded, higher premiums are being allowed to admitted carriers, some insurance companies have developed a new appetite for selling The Villages property insurance again.

• One admitted carrier, Philadelphia Insurance, was willing to insure what it considered the lowest risk Villages – Sonata, Del Lago, and Fairways at a substantially lower cost of insurance and with no Betterments and Improvements sublimit.  While ultimately the goal for The Villages will be for all Villages to be able to purchase this type of lower cost insurance, the marketplace is not there yet.  If, and when, more opportunities arise, the ABOD and Management will act so that more Villages will be able to take advantage of lower rates and better coverage.

What about Earthquake Insurance?

• The Association Master Policy no longer covers Floods or Earthquakes.  If you want earthquake insurance, you must purchase your own policy.

What if I, or my insurance agent/broker has more questions about the Association’s Master Policy and my HO6 Policy?

You can call The Villages insurance broker, Brown and Brown for more information:

To obtain proof of coverage Certificates. please send your request to:
Email: coi@bbrown.com

General Requests
Molly Morris. (503) 219-3229   
Molly.morris@bbrown.com

In future articles we will discuss how the Association is addressing the current Insurance Crisis.

A group of dedicated volunteers from The Villages participated in a two-day training program on October 16 and 18 to help the community work toward becoming designated as a Firewise community. Organized by The Villages’ Ad Hoc Fire Safety Committee, the training was conducted by the Santa Clara County FireSafe Council. Ten volunteers learned about wildfire science, fire behavior, and methods for enhancing wildfire resiliency in The Villages.

In addition to classroom learning, the training included fieldwork where volunteers were introduced to Fire Aside software, used on an iPad for data collection. They practiced using the software at both a single-family home and a condominium building. In the coming weeks, these volunteers will collect data on various homes and facilities in The Villages as part of the process for earning the Firewise designation. This effort will involve reviewing data from the 2,536 homes in the community, as well as Club Facilities, over the next few months.

Stay tuned for more updates as the initiative progresses.

Earlier this year, Villages volunteers began to put the framework together to begin work towards becoming a designated Firewise community. 

The Firewise USA® program, led by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), helps California communities improve their wildfire resilience. It encourages collaboration among residents, local fire departments, and stakeholders to make homes and areas more fire-resistant. Supported by CAL FIRE’s Community Wildfire Preparedness & Mitigation Division, this initiative is key to California’s wildfire preparedness strategy and assists communities in achieving Firewise designation.

The Ad Hoc Fire Safety/Firewise Committee is a working on behalf of the three Villages corporations to increase wildfire resiliency for the entire community.

Soon, Villages volunteers will be out walking through the districts looking at  building structures and landscaping. They will be recording the data on iPads. You may see them looking at fences, siding, windows, shrubs, trees, etc.  The Villages will use this collection of data to determine the work to be done over several years to enhance wildfire resilience. 

In July 2022,  both The Villages Association (ABOD) and The Villages Homeowners’ boards (HBOD) introduced an earthquake insurance program offered by Motus Insurance Services.  The Motus earthquake insurance program is an optional insurance policy that The Villages owners may purchase to protect themselves in case of an earthquake that causes damage to their property. Motus offers temporary living off-site and potential special assessments cost assistance. It’s an alternative, with some unique features compared to other individual earthquake insurance programs such as those offered by the State of California’s CEA program, or some private insurance companies.

A Motus policy is not earthquake insurance purchased by, or for, any of The Villages corporations – it is available only to individual homeowners (condominiums and single-family homes).

With the Motus program, each owner of a condo/villa or single-family home must decide for themselves whether they want to buy earthquake insurance and the type and amount of coverage. Motus offers two policy versions – one version for condo/villa owners, and another version tailored for single-family homeowners.

To learn more about Motus, view the Motus Enrollment Materials below, or visit www.MOTUSINS.com.

Disclaimer: Purchasing a Motus insurance policy is strictly an individual resident’s choice.  Neither the Villages Association, nor the Golf and Country Club, nor the Homeowners’ corporations make any recommendations for or against purchasing a Motus policy.

(Second in a series of three articles from the Ad Hoc Insurance Committee)

Disclaimer: These articles are provided to assist you in understanding some of the complexities in condo insurance policies. You have the ultimate responsibility in understanding your personal insurance needs and the Association’s requirements as spelled out in the CC&Rs. The Association’s Master Property Insurance policies are listed in the annual Association Disclosure statement and online on the Members Portal. Please use these materials in consultation with your professional insurance agent/broker.

Home insurance at The Villages for Condos comes in two pieces—the Association’s Master Policy, and your personal HO6 Policy. To get your best coverage, your HO6 should fit properly with the requirements of the Association Master Policy and meet your personal needs.

Your HO6 Policy

Every condo owner is required to have an HO6 policy and provides proof of coverage each year. Please consult with your insurance professional on the best policy and coverage for your needs.

What the Villages Association currently requires to be in your policy:

• Loss Assessment in the amount of $50,000

To help you pay any “Special Assessment” from The Villages in the case of the Master Policy being inadequate to cover the Association’s losses in a major disaster.

• Personal Liability—a minimum of $300,000

To protect you from any personal liability claims.

• Personal Property coverage (the amount to be determined solely by you, the owner)

Only you can determine the value of your personal property and how much you want to insure for it. The Master Policy does not cover your personal property.

Other items you should carefully consider and get professional advice on:

Dwelling insurance coverage to cover the Betterments and Improvements you and/or previous owners have made to your condo since it was originally built, indoors or outdoors.

• The current Master Policies have limits on how much will be paid out for repair or replacement of your betterments and improvements (examples—upgraded floors, upgraded cabinets, upgraded counter tops, major bathroom improvements.)

-For most Villages, the limit is $50,000 of coverage and additional HO6 Dwelling Insurance may be advisable.

-For Del Lago, Sonata, and Fairways residents your betterments and improvements do not have a $50,000 limit on coverage.

•In all cases, a careful discussion with your insurance professional is advised.

If you are responsible for the loss event, you will be responsible for the Association’s insurance deductible (up to $50,000). Consider increasing your HO6 policy to cover this expense (typically “Dwelling” coverage, some insurance companies place this under Loss Assessment. Your insurance agent can advise you.)

• Loss of Use Coverage (When you can’t live in your condo until it has been repaired.)

• It takes months, sometimes years to finalize your claim, get new building permits, and rebuild. You should be prepared to live somewhere else, and insurance can help pay for a rental or lease of another place during that period.

• Personal Liability—Increasing the amount of Personal Liability beyond the minimum required by the Association.

-This is a good topic to get the advice of a professional.

-In addition to typical personal liability events, if you cause property damage to your neighbor’s condos, you are likely to be responsible for their damages.

• Other add-on coverages like for the high-value items (examples—jewelry, artwork, antiques, etc.)

-Basic HO6 policies have relatively low coverage limits on these items unless you provide an inventory and pay for additional coverage.

• Additional insurance policies for things like golf carts, which are not included in your HO6 policy.

There are many discounts offered by different insurance companies so look out for those to help reduce your policy costs. Some examples—Gated Community/On-site Security, Firewise Certification. Protective Devices (e.g. smoke/carbon monoxide alarms), Mature Policy owner, and Multi-Policy (with the same insurance company).

In the next article in this series, we will answer some key questions about your HO6 policy.

The Villages Association Board of Directors is seeking volunteers to serve on the Association Rules Committee.   The purpose of the Rules Committee (Association Policy APo and Apr 204) is to provide advice to the Board on Association rules-related matters. Responsibilities include:

• Review existing rules and regulations as necessary, to determine relevance and need for update and/or modification.
• Implement the procedures outlined in Section I. “INTRODUCTION, THE RULES IN GENERAL,” Item 3, of The Association Rules Document to recommend to the Board new rules or modifications to existing rules.
• Meet, as needed, with the Club and Homeowners’ Rules Committees to review matters of common interest and to foster communication amongst the groups. Incorporate applicable changes from these groups, DACs and the Association Board of Directors into rules proposed to be changed.
• Assist the Board, as requested, to interpret rule language and intent.

If you are interested, please contact BoardServices@the-villages.com 

With the Association Board announcing that Homeowners Association (HOA) rules will soon be scrutinized and more closely enforced throughout The Villages, Public Safety Director Matt Hidalgo reminds Villagers of the rules that are frequently violated—such as the parking rules. 

Rule 2.17.1

Residents must have all vehicles registered with Public Safety—make, model, license plate, and your vehicle’s color. Once registered, Public Safety will place a bar code on your car for convenient entry into The Villages.

Rule 2.17.2 

All registered vehicles must remain on the owner’s property, whether this is your garage, carport or driveway. Cribari and Del Lago Villages and Montgomery Circle are limited to a single parking space.

Rule 2.17.2 (A,B, & C) 

Due to the limited parking in Cribari and Del Lago Villages and Montgomery Circle, common-area parking is permitted, but limited to 48 hours. If you choose to park in these designated areas, please make sure you move your car within the 48-hour period. 

If a carport is part of your home, please make certain that only permitted items can be found there. As part of Rule 2.08.5, only vehicles, bicycles, mopeds, golf carts, ladders, and small collapsible handcarts are allowed.

If you have questions regarding The Villages parking rules, please stop by Building C, call or send an email to publicsafety@the-villages.com.