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I typed out a big long thing last night about MHO of the area and it got lost in cyberspace!
Marion Oaks is very suburbia. 1/4 acre lots with nice houses, from $190 to prolly $400 thou +
But it is huge with different names in the whole development - my thought was that if anyone ever came to visit me, either they'd never find me, or get lost trying to get back out to the highway. Also so much building, taxes for roads, sewers, etc have to go up in Ocala. That's what happened in Port St Lucie.. Taxes on a $200,000 house are$5000 which I think is a lot, but they had to do sewers, water, roads and schools for so much overbuilding.
Hoep that doesn't happen in the Ocala area, but it looks like it to me....too much building in that Marion Oaks area.
I didn;t think food was expensive at restaurants at all...lunch at Olive Garden - all you can eat of soup or sandwich and salad for $5.99 and I ate twice at Cracker Barrell next to Best Western Hotel (good reasonable place to stay on Rt 200) for dinner - both times the place was packed..full dinner with vegetables and a drink $10.00
although I didnt go into any grocery stores but I hear Publix is there... people were very friendly - but maybe cause I am - spoke to the people at the next table and they owned a place with 3 horses, told me NW and SE area was good...and I spoke to the farmers sitting on rocking chairs outside Crackerbarrel about what vegetables they're growing...they said they were going to sell out their land - it's a shame....that's what happened to the small town I came from up North....built on all the apple orchards and peach orchards till it wasn't country anymore.
Silver Springs..same nice houses as in Marion Oaks but I really didn't have a good feeling about it...I dont even know if it would be considered lower middle class.....not kept well ....something not right there....and also a r.e. agent told me to be careful of not buying near what looked
like a big hill - it was the garbage dump that they covered over and grew grass on - you need to think about what could be leaching into the water table...and they also told me when the wind was right in Silver Springs you could still smell the garbage from the "hill"....
I went over to Citrus County - very very countryish...nice houses - very reasonable prices especially since the "flippers" have boogied out of their deals - many of those houses the builders are stuck with are for rent or lowered prices from 200 - but that was my first visit and I dont know what kind of people live there....also I was concerened that it seems quite a drive to Ocala 200 where the shopping is. Yet I liked the area.....
but apparently Citrus County is much closer to the Gulf (they tell me 15 miles which surprised me cause Ocala is supposed to be 60 miles from each shore) and my point in moving is to be away from the oceans (I;m only 5 miles from the Atlantic now - and if you have been through 138 mph wind in a hurricane - you aren't about to forget it)
Next with FPL I pay about $108 during the summer months for air cond. and without air in "winter months about $50 - I was surpised to hear ac is about $200 p/mo and water is $34, twice what I pay now.
I grew up in the country and used to walk home at 9 or 10 at night on roads with no street lights and no sidewalks, with no worries. You all should be aware that both in Marion Oaks, Citrus County and Siler Springs there are no street lights or sidewalks (except in the shopping area of Rt 200) so if you;re not used to that - be aware. I myself don't know if in this day and age, I'm really comfortable with no street lights. lots of people have chain link fences around their property or fences which is a good thing....although when a big doberman came running at me , I wondered fi the chain link fences were to keep the puppies in or crime out, since Silver Springs and Citrus County dont seem real populated.
I like the area - I'm just weighing and balancing and would like to know more - if my surmises are correct or wrong...guess I'm looking for some re-assurance- it's between Marion Oaks developments and Citrus County - the one I think is too populated with too many houses and the other I'm a bit afraid is not populated enough.
Glad to hear anyone else's opinion
Last edited by Stargazing Lisa; 10-11-2006 at 08:06 PM..
yes most of the places seem to have septic tanks and city water.... although it still is possible to find some places that have both septic tanks and well water..prolly re-sales.
I think the new developments prolly didn't dig wells is that in such massive developments , sucking so much of the water out of the ground could cause "sinkholes".
there is a benefit to having a place that still has the old well or new well water. You use th old well to water your lawn and not have to pay a $65 or more water bill.
I'm not crazy about the septic tank thing cause sooner or later they have to be cleaned out....you'll know when whenever you walk out of your front door and the smell is unmistakable. They seem to have the septic tank in the front yard, I suspect cause eventually they might put in city sewer which means you would have to pay about $6000 to connect up - although I think it's a choice. One does not have to connect up thoug I think, though must people would. but I'm sure in the Ocala area that's probably 15 years or more down the road.
Oh Lisa...thanks for writing about your "Ocala experience", maybe we can all come out to some sort of conclusion if we share our experiences.
I wish I would have had more time to see more. From what I hear all of Marion County is not the same. We got off by mistake one exit further up and there is a couple of hotels there where one can stay, too - that area is not so developed and quite ruralish. Seemed like much was not happening there...it falls in the NW section and I was dying to go into a street that went Northward and check it out but it was getting late & dark - and I didn't want to get lost in an unknown area, so we went back to look for the Best Western where you stayed and we went and strolled thru the Paddock Mall. It was really a nice mall with Macys, Sears, etc. & the employees were really friendly, saying "hello, may we help you? & have a nice evening" which was quite refreshing & nostalgic to me".
Back in May, at that very same hotel you stayed we walked over to Cracker Barrel for dinner one night. It's right off the ramp exit & on the other side there's a Marriot.The Best Western there was very nice, we paid like $60 something a night. Our room was really pretty - all updated/modern, nice furniture, and it had a microwave, electric coffee machine, an ironing board w/iron in the closet, an electric hairdryer in the bathroom, nice new tv w/cable, clock & ac. The best was the all you eat free continental breakfast (great to get up worry free & just get up & go) in a downstairs room with chairs (next to the pool area) - toasters with choices of breads, danish pastries, bagels, waffles, all types of cereals, milks, fruits, juices, jams, jellies, butter, cream cheese, syrup, coffee. I remember there's like a lady their just sitting there/ready to help & fill up the goodie baskets & wipe tables, etc. - it was very clean & overall a nice experience. Even the young blonde guy at the reception area was extremely nice & quite helpful. He was funny, too. Liked him very much...
The Publix in that area is a bit further West on route #200 on the left hand side. I remember I had a "Fried chicken" craving & needed a fix, so I went & bought ourselves a box w/a side of potato salad one afternoon - well, does nothing for a waistline but I need my fried chicken/potatos to survive .
Ok, I won't bore you anymore but we'll be driving up again soon. So, I might just write and share my experiences around there.
Ok people...when you see a blond short haired middle aged woman w/a chubby white haired husband up there..that's us!
Lisa,
Thank you for the info. Ocala was my husbands choice. He felt it was better than the coastal areas and touristy Orlando. We went there in August and stayed at the Best Western as well. It didn't seem rural. It was a short visit and I wish I had time to see more. I heard Citrus is rural, and that all the homes there have septic. We wanted sewer not septic. But the homes are less expensive than in Ocala. Do you have know what size of lots they have in Citrus? The one thing that bothers me the most about the neighborhood my husband is looking into is that the Middle school that my son would have to go to is 14 miles away in Lake Weir. I don't understand how they determine this. We have to pay so much for a home and still have to travel so far into what I heard was a very rural area. The city should make a deal with these developers. In order for these companies to build so many homes they should be required to build quality schools near their developements to accomadate all of the children in the area. I feel if so many people are moving into Florida the schools are going to be so overcrowded.
Last edited by BKLYNMOM; 10-13-2006 at 12:12 PM..
Reason: spelling, add question
Oh Lisa...thanks for writing about your "Ocala experience", maybe we can all come out to some sort of conclusion if we share our experiences.
I wish I would have had more time to see more. From what I hear all of Marion County is not the same. We got off by mistake one exit further up and there is a couple of hotels there where one can stay, too - that area is not so developed and quite ruralish. Seemed like much was not happening there...it falls in the NW section and I was dying to go into a street that went Northward and check it out but it was getting late & dark - and I didn't want to get lost in an unknown area, so we went back to look for the Best Western where you stayed and we went and strolled thru the Paddock Mall. It was really a nice mall with Macys, Sears, etc. & the employees were really friendly, saying "hello, may we help you? & have a nice evening" which was quite refreshing & nostalgic to me".
Back in May, at that very same hotel you stayed we walked over to Cracker Barrel for dinner one night. It's right off the ramp exit & on the other side there's a Marriot.The Best Western there was very nice, we paid like $60 something a night. Our room was really pretty - all updated/modern, nice furniture, and it had a microwave, electric coffee machine, an ironing board w/iron in the closet, an electric hairdryer in the bathroom, nice new tv w/cable, clock & ac. The best was the all you eat free continental breakfast (great to get up worry free & just get up & go) in a downstairs room with chairs (next to the pool area) - toasters with choices of breads, danish pastries, bagels, waffles, all types of cereals, milks, fruits, juices, jams, jellies, butter, cream cheese, syrup, coffee. I remember there's like a lady their just sitting there/ready to help & fill up the goodie baskets & wipe tables, etc. - it was very clean & overall a nice experience. Even the young blonde guy at the reception area was extremely nice & quite helpful. He was funny, too. Liked him very much...
The Publix in that area is a bit further West on route #200 on the left hand side. I remember I had a "Fried chicken" craving & needed a fix, so I went & bought ourselves a box w/a side of potato salad one afternoon - well, does nothing for a waistline but I need my fried chicken/potatos to survive .
Ok, I won't bore you anymore but we'll be driving up again soon. So, I might just write and share my experiences around there.
Ok people...when you see a blond short haired middle aged woman w/a chubby white haired husband up there..that's us!
I'm actually a boring housewife, but never bored as I'm always up to something - make any sense?? Guess I watched too many 'I Love Lucy' shows as a kid....
Back to Ocala...I can't believe you stayed at the Best Western, too. Now this is way funny...maybe, we at citydata should get a discount there?? Don't tell me you ate at the Cracker Barrel too or I'll crack up...
Are you going to be in Ocala too? I noticed you said you are a housewife. I am going to be a stay at home mom for the first time in Ocala. Whats there to do for us?? I have worked all my life! I have a 4 year old. Just wondering what there is to do?? Shopping? Are there place to play bingo?
I'm actually a boring housewife, but never bored as I'm always up to something - make any sense?? Guess I watched too many 'I Love Lucy' shows as a kid....
Back to Ocala...I can't believe you stayed at the Best Western, too. Now this is way funny...maybe, we at citydata should get a discount there?? Don't tell me you ate at the Cracker Barrel too or I'll crack up...
Are you kidding me? I guess that is why I never got to meet the nice lady filling the goody baskets. I was to busy dragging my husband to Cracker Barrel. That is where we ate every day. Breakfast, or lunch, or dinner. We ate in other places as well. Too much eating on this trip.
I also bought a bunch of stuff in there. Stuffed animals, games, peanut brittle, checkers, a kit to create a rubberband ball, oh and don't let me forget the talking parrot. Then I wonder why I have so much clutter.
Last edited by BKLYNMOM; 10-13-2006 at 06:31 PM..
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Hi BK MOM
. 
Lulu
