“The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them.”
― Ernest Hemingway
The Villages promise from the beginning: “Live like a millionaire on a retirement budget.” Mr. Schwartz knew that if you loved your customer – knew your customer – helped your customer win, as a result, he and his family would financially thrive. Why? Because brilliant business builders know – trust is your biggest asset.
With a strategy fundamentally earned on a foundation of trust, The Villages thrived. Existing residents were The Villages greatest marketing asset, because this has been a referral based community. Residents loved the Developer – knew the Developer respected them – had no jealousy that the Developer was making gazillions. Residents knew, that in exchange for great entertainment – great amenities – and a country club living for the first time in their lives – residents would continue to deliver an abundance of new home buyers by encouraging friends an family to come too. A brilliant business model. Based on trust. Providing respect. Caring for the customer.
In less than a year, Mr. Morse has demonstrated that he was born on home plate – and thinks he hit a home run. The talk of many fellow residents of this bubble, has changed drastically. The discussion is about the Developer. Lost trust. Replace his commissioners. Shame, Mr. Morse doesn’t care about us – only how much money he can squeeze out of the current residents. He is demonstrating he is a simple man. He has no soul – just a hunger for more money, regardless if it breaks the essential trust earned in the past. I’ve never seen an organization lose their most important asset so quickly. TRUST. He doesn’t understand what made The Villages great in the past – and the legacy he is destroying.
Were you shocked at the sneaky closing of Katie Belle’s? An icon. Filled with memories of dreams achieved for so many. If you heard Johnson & Johnson closed Band-Aid brand because they could make more money with a different product, your instincts would immediately scream, “Are you serious?” Residents were promised a country club lifestyle. As quick as he could, Mr. Morse taught us a lesson – and demolished Hacienda Hills Country Club – a lost promise to an entire community. And because he is an angry man who only understands numbers, he is now building a 250-plus apartment complex in its place. How many of you expected a gigantic apartment complex built in your neighborhood? If he can do it there – he will do it anywhere. He has lost the trust of so many. We have become his enemy. We don’t count. We already purchased our homes. Why care? Only selling new homes is important. Promise them anything – and when its the time – it’s easy to break those promises.
Will I stay in The Villages? Likely yes. Will I recommend it to friends and family? I’m not sure anymore, and I’ve heard so many share that in the last few months. Why? Because at the end of the day, TRUST is what I look for most with people and organizations I put my integrity and endorsement behind. I do not trust Mr. Morse anymore. Up to now, I did. He is a harvester – with absolutely no insight about what created the business model he inherited, but clearly doesn’t understand. It’s easy to harvest – that does not take business brilliance. He’s a simple numbers guy; his predecessors were special people – they were builders. It may take years for the damage to be obvious. He will be richer financially – but he’s pivoted towards destroying a legacy. And years from now, The Villages will be just another retirement community – nothing really a very special place in our hearts. Just a place we live – and very big.
Honestly, it is a shame!
David Harrison is a resident of the Village of Rio Grande.