[Trini2685]

Hi All

Looking for some feedback from anyone who lives in/close to or is familiar with this area.

Hubby & I have been house hunting and came upon this new community (not that new; new builder just took over) in Tavares and would like to get some opinions on the area, since we both really like the Built to Order homes they have.

I am accustomed to living close to major shopping, hospitals and what not, and if anyone is familiar with this area, you will know it is not that close to stuff. However, there are a lot less registered offenders in the area (Compared to certain cities in Orange County), which for us is a plus...
We are not a couple who loves to go out partying; we are more a nice dinner and a movie type, so this area not being close to lounges, clubs, etc is not a deciding factor for us...

I checked this link (Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed) & got an idea of how diverse the area is... I don't care too much about how many whites vs blacks, etc there are, as long as the people are not, for lack of a better word, racist. I know some towns can unfortunately be like that...
The reason I say this is because parents tend to pass on those same bad traits to their kids, so I would want to be sure that our future children wouldn't have a hard time in school...

I have put together my list of Pros & Cons; please feel free to add to/take away from it...

Pros of the area

Beautiful home with lots of space at a very affordable price
Pretty low real estate taxes compared to other more developed parts of Florida (Seminole and Orange Countys)
Crime rate appears to be low
Possible lower Homeowner's Insurance
Low HOA fee (50/month)
Less registered offenders within 5 miles of the home compared to some homes in Seminole & Orange County
Police Dept within a few miles of community (we drove by and saw several police vehicles parked, which hopefully means they must not be that busy lol)
Beautiful view of one of the lakes
There is a Florida Hospital location about 10mins away (not sure how good it is in there)
Elementary, Middle and High Schools appear to have pretty good grades- A's and B's the last couple years.

Cons

Somewhat isolated from shopping, restaurants, major hospitals ( I don't like to feel as if I am living in the middle of nowhere)
Further away from my doctors in Orlando
Further away from DH's job (about 20mins extra commute each way, which is not bad, I know...)
Unfamiliar with the true feel of the neighborhood- how friendly and welcoming are neighbors, etc
Unfamiliar with the true school environment.
Further away from jobs for my father


Thanks in advance for your input...

PS: I hope no one gets offended by my post; I am not trying to offend anyone, I am just being honest so I can get honest responses...

[crazynip]

It's pretty far from a lot of stuff, but its a nice area. Lots of older people and mobile home communities spread out in there.

[Crane's Rooster]

Have you considered Clermont, Eustis or Mt. Dora a little closer to Orlando?

[ferret111]

There's not much in Tavares, but that isn't necessarily bad. It's the Lake County seat and local government seems to be one of the only "businesses" in town. Lake County has a bunch of scenic little towns.

[MovedfromFL]

You need to be aware that Lake County schools has been talking about moving to a 4-day school week to cut costs. What that means is the district literally "can't afford to keep the lights on." I'm concerned about this as a taxpayer with one child in school. The district had a chance to put a small tax levy on the ballot to fund school operations (ie new A/C system at South Lake High b/c it keeps breaking down), but district leadership declined. NOW they decided to borrow the money (via bonds) and pay interest on the bonds! Talk about poor leadership.

Seminole is also talking about closing smaller elementary schools and laying off teachers again. Orange seems to be in the best shape as far as funding goes (voters passed a tax for the schools).

Schools in Lake are something you need to keep your eye on.

I also don't like a lot of the roads around this area. High speed, two lane roads with tractor trailers and dump trucks riding your bumper. Drivers are super agressive - I had a woman so close to my bumper the other day I couldn't even see her front bumper. She was tailgating me on a winding road with hills, and gesturing like mad. This has happened to my husband and I many times, ALL while we are going at or above the speed limit.

You also need to be careful with an HOA. Get the financial documents and see how many owners are behind in their payments. Keep in mind that the fees could be increased at any time if more folks fall behind. The grass still has to be mowed and the lights still have to be paid for. Many HOAs are on shaky ground.

[Trini2685]

Thanks for the input everyone
We actually don't think we will be purchasing in Tavares anymore

We did find this nice community in Apopka though, and it is pretty close to major things & DH's job, so we are contemplating going this route

We are being told by the builders and our realtor that if we ever want to sell our house after a few years, there should be certain things in it that will appeal to buyers, for example, the covered lanai, the 42inch cabinets, and the ceramic tile. I personally don't care for the 42inch cabinets (I am barely 5ft2), but I feel like I am being pressured to upgrade.
I have also seen a lot of model homes with the separate soaking tub and the stand in shower with glass doors, which I really like. However, one builder told me that the tub is going "out of style" and that the showers with NO DOORS is in now...is this true?

So, for long time Floridians, what cosmetic things would motivate you to purchase a home? Is the granite in the master a MUST? What about the cabinets? And the tub and shower door in the master bath?

Thanks all! Have a great day!