The Villages of Citrus Hills - Hernando, FL

I’ve been living here since 2021 and I haven’t had any issues with the restaurants as some meals are better than others, sure but that’s pretty normal anywhere. The golf scene is what really stands out for me though as me and my husband both are into it since the beginning. The courses are beautiful and it’s never felt overcrowded like it does in the Villages. That’s actually one of the best parts as it still feels relaxed and not packed with people. We did have a concern early on about golf cart access, and when we brought it up, the management was actually very open and worked with us to make it easier. The area itself is quiet, safe, and has a laid back feel that we really enjoy. It’s worked out well for us, and I’m glad we made the move 🙂

The Villages of Citrus Hills is a large area within the central ridge of Citrus County. It can be confusing when talking about it, because it consists of dozens of different communities and neighborhoods within the towns of Inverness, Hernando and Lecanto. The common element is that all the areas were developed or built by the Tamposi/Nash family of developers and any of the homes built by Citrus Hills have access to the community’s lifestyle and amenities, like the Tiki Bar, Bella Vita Spa and Fitness Center, golf courses, tennis facilities, pools, and events.

The Great: We built a home in the Terra Vista community. It is absolutely gorgeous. Driving into the main gate and taking in the tree canopy makes me feel like I am at home as soon as I enter. The landscaping and grounds are meticulously maintained with flowers and manicured trees. Citrus County is also a really interesting and quaint place to live.

The Good: Overall, we enjoyed the construction process. The three days that we spent designing are home were very stressful and I would have liked more time to look at other options for appliances and outdoor kitchens. That being said, everyone was very, very helpful and we were able to get almost everything that we wanted.

The Not-So-Good: We were not in Florida for most of our build. Although we did receive some emails and phone calls during construction, we would have liked to have a video walk-through or at least more pictures at every stage of construction. Even with that, we were happy with the end result, just would have liked a little more involvement. Some neighbors think the community fees are also a little higher than other places, but for us it is worth it (see my first point about how beautiful the landscaping and maintenance is). I end up paying about $2000 a year to live in Terra Vista, plus the amenity fee, cable and internet and my neighborhood association.

Overall, I love living in Terra Vista and Citrus Hills. The amenities are top notch, the community is active, and everyone is very friendly. Building a house was stressful, but at the end of the day, we might even do it again.

The area that comprises The Villages of Citrus Hills is a quiet, peaceful area with about 19 different villages. The country club has many nice facilities for use by its members including a state of the art spa, three golf courses, three restaurants and an activity center. The things that potential buyers should know are.

FACTS:
1) The country club itself is a privately owned, for profit, club.
2) Memberships are lifetime commitments with no option to get out and no reduction in dues as you age and use the facilities less.
3) The owners can raise the annual dues as much as they want without input from the members. Although they claim to base raises on the CPI, there have been cases where they have raised the dues by double digits, and at other times raise it more than the CPI. And you must live with it.
4) The owners can build addition facilities anywhere they own property within the community regardless of membership desires or objects.
5) Your membership can be suspended at anytime if the management deems you have infringed their rules, and you have no recourse to dispute it as they are kings of the domain. And even with your membership suspended, you will still be required to pay your quarterly dues.
6) The community is separate villages, each village has its own HOA and rules and regulations. Not all villages require club membership. And there are many homes where memberships are not tied to your deed, allowing you to drop your membership. However, those in the gated communities and new home buyers are required to accept a non-cancellable membership that will also be passed on to anyone else who owns that house.

OPINION:
1) The developer/owner of the club has little to no interest in the desires of club members. His entire focus is on luring more people in to buy new homes.
2) Many of the club’s improvements are not for the existing members but are being built to lure in new home buyers. The cost of which will eventually be reflected in your dues.
3) The restaurants are poorly managed, and the food is hit or miss on quality.
4) Bar beverages are about the cheapest liquors that can be served and at ridiculously high prices for the area. Their charge for a single drink is about equivalent to what they pay for a bottle of liquor.
5) The person in charge of food and beverages and restaurant management is the same person who oversaw the kitchen when it was closed by the health department. Instead of being fired, he got promoted.
6) Out of the three golf courses that are part of the club, only one is maintained properly. The other two are second-class locations. Gues which one they highlight when trying to woo in new members.
7) The membership is comprised of mostly retired people. Yet the club thinks it’s appropriate to limit golf cart use on the courses. Making it difficult for many of the seniors and adding time to the round.
8) Several of the club facilities are within the gated community of Terra Vista. If you are a member living within one of the other communities your access to these facilities is limited to the main gate where you must show your membership card. If you would like to use one of the other access points, you will be required to purchase an RFID tag and pay an annual fee to that HOA for the privilege pf using your facilities.
9) The club does not have a competent general manager. And yet he needs to be a part of every decision involving any facility in the club as he is a micro-manager.
10) You can never win a dispute with the management of the club, regardless of how sensible or fair it might be, because this is a despot club.
The community is a safe, enjoyable area with a lot to offer, but the reality of how members are tied into an irrevocable commitment is a major consideration when contemplating buying into the club.

The area that comprises The Villages of Citrus Hills is a quiet, peaceful area with about 19 different villages. The country club has many nice facilities for use by its members. Having lived here for 2 decades, the biggest drawbacks in my opinion are:
1) It is a For Profit country club where members have no say in what their dues are used for.
2)The owners have told control of what the rates should be. In 2022 they raised their dues by about 17% while closing facilities for members because of Covid. In 2023 they again raised their rates by another 8%.
3)The club is mismanaged. The owner, who is the developer, is focused building houses for new clients and does not care about the needs or wants of the members. Requests/complaints/concerns fall on deaf ears when presented to the club management.
4)Of the three golf courses, only one is properly maintained. The one that they show to potential buyers.
5)The restaurants are overpriced with questionable food quality. It’s usually hit or miss as to how your meal will arrive.
6)Depending on which area you live in will determine your HOA fees. If you live within Terra Vista you can be subject to an HOA fee from Terra Vista, plus an HOA from the individual community you live in. These fees are on top of your country club dues.
As they say. “BUYER BEWARE!”

I want to say right up front that we do not regret moving to Citrus County, Florida in particular and Citrus Hills in general. Nor do we regret dealing with Citrus Hills Construction in hindsight. It beats anything to the south or east where hoards of people, copious traffic and significantly higher costs of living prevail.
So why did I only give Citrus Hills Construction only three stars!? It’s because you should be prepared to ask them the right questions when it comes time to make decisions on building within their community. We were not totally prepared and ended up in an adversarial relationship after putting down a non-refundable deposit.
Here are the questions you need to ask them before signing on the bottom line. If you get the answers that are acceptable to you, then by all means join us!
1. Can you go through a preliminary planning session so the approximate total construction cost of your home is agreed upon before you put down a non-refundable deposit? The base costs seem totally reasonable after looking at the models because they are loaded with upgrades. That base cost is only a bare bones construction price. Beware of the costs of associated upgrades. Ask for specifics, not generalities!
2. Are the social amenities that you are showing me available on a year round basis, including the summer months when snow birds return North? There have been occasions in the past where restaurant hours have been curtailed on a rotational basis in order to cut back costs when demand is lower in the summer. This has created problems with year round residents.
3. For Golfers: May I play on at least two of the golf courses so I can make an assessment of whether I will decide on a charter golf membership? The SkyView golf course is a premier layout that is maintained in pristine condition, but if that is what is luring the golfer in your family here, you need to ask about the total up front and annual costs of a charter membership to that course. If it is beyond what you wish to pay, you need to see what the conditions are on the other two courses they offer for play.
Good luck with your choices and we hope to see you here!