Mount Dora (Orlando, Kissimmee, Altamonte Springs: estate, gated, work)

[cantleaveherequickenough]

Hi

Been looking around for a nice place to move to and come up with Mount Dora, Lake County.

Has anyone got any info, good or bad, about the place, housing, schools, crime etc.

Thanks

Pete

[soapboxsallysmom]

Pete,
Howled when I read your screen name.

Mount Dora is very nice. Still rural, but a hangout for antique hunters...hmmm, maybe I should move THERE!

Lot's of Red Hat ladies go there for tea, and to Caladega (the fortune tellers' mecca). So if you are in any business that might cater to that market, you'll find work.

Not sure about prices for homes there but it's bound to be better than in the large cities.

Good luck with your move.

[JR82]

Mount Dora is a nice area, cant say much for the surrounding area however....Apopka to the east and Leesburg to the west. 2 decent sized cities with their own lil problems. Mount Dora has got quite a rural vibe and is great for the retired/semi-retired folks who like to do things like antiquing and all that other stuff.

If you like water sports or activities, then Mount Dora might be the spot for you. Alot of big lakes encompass the area, hence the name Lake County.

The location is kind of centralized to many other locations, so depending on Industry I doubt you would have a trouble finding work.....Not sure about the fortune teller comment above (CASADEGA, I believe is an Ol' wives tale) A short drive down SR 46 will take you to Sanford and I-4 ....25-30 mins drive east down 441 will take you to Orlando.. And to the west on 441 you will hit Leesburg with many various towns in between (Eustis, Tavares, Sorrento).

Houses - a typical 3/2 home will probably run anywhere from 160k - 200 and beyond. Mount Dora enjoyed the same appreciation rise just as much as anywhere in Central FL, but the houses were cheaper to begin with.

I have got a bunch of aerial pictures of the area which i could send to you.

Good Luck

[soapboxsallysmom]

JR82 - Thank's for the correction...need more coffee if I am to spell correctly

[Prichard]

Mount Dora is one of my favorite towns in Central Florida! And, I am far from retirement age. Many young families are moving out to Mount Dora for its authentic "town" atmosphere. It sponsors one of the best art festivals in Florida. Some will argue that the Winter Park festival is the best in Central Florida, but many people I talk to like the one in Mount Dora better and most of the same artists will go to both. The Dora chain of lakes are clean and beautiful. Mount Dora has controled the look and feel of its down town area and surrounding residential areas. This is more than I can say for most other towns in Florida.

On the negative side, Mount Dora is not an easy commute to downtown Orlando. If it was, I'd live there in a heartbeat!!! The "missing link" of the Orlando Beltway will be intersecting 441 southeast of Mount Dora and continuing along parts of hw46 going toward I4 in Lake Mary. This will make Mount Dora a little more accessible - which would be a plus for me; but a negative to some who want this town to keep its charm distinct and seperate from Orlando.

If you have children, you want to move into the Lake County part of Mount Dora, as the border of Orange County is only about two miles southeast of town. Don't get me wrong, you will find some beautiful estate properties along Clayton heading into Orange County, but the Orange County schools in that district are not very good. The lake county schools are good.

The cost of buying a house in Mount Dora is going to go way up once the Beltway begins. If you think you want a place there, buy now, and buy near the downtown / lake areas.

[JR82]

I thought the whole idea of Mount Dora was its "small town" feel.....This beltway you speak of isnt going to happen for a while considering they have got a decent amount of resistance from State Park Advocates (which is good). The Counties have been talking about this for a while......Meanwhile, taking SR 46 through the "country" to Sanford, in my opinion, is what the area is about....You drive through various little cities and its just a nice ride.

The commute to Orlando is not bad at all....441 to 436 to I-4 .....Or you could just take 441 to 50.

[Prichard]

The beltway will eventually link North West Central Florida to I4. When it will be complete is anybody's guess. I'm not an advocate for the "missing link", and it will negatively impact many of the rural areas out that way. The only good thing is that I believe the final plans will take it several miles east of the Mt. Dora area.

FWIW, I've lived in Orlando all of my life - since 1964. Orlando was the capital of citrus and cattle, until the mid-70's sometime after Disney arived. SR436 was a dirt road. Sanford wasn't anywhere near Orlando. Nor was Kissimmee. Central Florida meant Orlando and Winter Park. Maitland was one big orange grove. Altamonte Springs, and anything to the north didn't exist. Apopka and Winter Garden were far away farm towns. No one ever heard of Isleworth or Windermere. International Drive was cattle country. "Rocket City" (now Wedgefield) was a new development half-way inbetween Cape Canaveral and Orlando.

The big attraction was Gatorland (its still there!), and it seemed like a day's drive to get all the way out there. Downtown Orlando had a Sears, a JC Penny and some five-and-dime stores that were old and run down.

Everyone had a septic tank, and many people drank well water. Most people were Southern Baptist. There were only black people and white people, and they were highly segregated, but for the most part everyone got along just fine. People from middle Georgia talk about the same as the Florida Crackers that lived around these parts. And, most native Orlandoians have moved to Northeast Georgia and Southwest North Carolina.

[pslOldTimer]

Originally Posted by Prichard

...as the border of Orange County is only about two miles southeast of town. .

And, just south of that border but within easy distance of Mount Dora is Trimble Park, an Orange County park with boating on one lake and a small but beautiful campground on another lake. There are only 15 RV spaces, but we were lucky enough to get one on the lakefront. It's a great way to visit Mount Dora.

[Blondie621]

If you are from Jersey or any other populated state with culture you will definately not like Mt. Dora....it is tooo way out there and too many rednecks and hillbillies...wierd people outside that little downtown and very depressed area.
Check it out before you buy there....
I would never go out there at night.

[SouthernBelle3]

So like what culture does Jersey have that Mt.Dora does not? I find Mt.Dora to be a nice place to live and a good place to raise a family. Crime isn't too bad either. I live in Eustis and very close to Mt.Dora and it is a very diverse culture - kind of a mix of a lot of different folks. I don't know what your problem is with this area but you paint an very incorrect picture of the Mt.Dora area.
By the way, my neighbors from New Jersey love it here, as well as my neighbors from the Bahamas, Michigan, New York and Rhode Island.