Opinions on moving to Clermont (Laurel: crime rate, homes, job market)

[annerk]

Yes, garbage pickup, city water, police protection, etc.

[totsuka]

It's out there...quiet, but a bit of a drive. You might consider renting out there for a while before buying incase you don't like it.

[annerk]

I can get from my house to downtown Orlando in 30 minutes as long as it's not rush hour. Clermont has built up enough that you really don't need to leave except for live music and some specialty medicine. I go to Orlando to get my hair cut every five weeks, and do whatever shopping I can't get done in Clermont during that time. And if I only went every three months, that would be fine as well. There are plenty of salons in Clermont as well, but my hairdresser is fabulous and I don't mind traveling 30 minutes to use her.

I do agree that it's not a bad idea to rent first though.

[jcostello4]

Very affordable housing available $80-$100/SF vs $175+/SF downtown Orlando. 30-35 min to Orlando or Disney, 45 min to airport. Schools are OK and crime is very low. Lakes in FL all have same issues, typically not a factor unless you are a safety nut. Active area for biking, jogging, etc. with hills, lakes and trails. A great alternative to hectic living if that is what you want. Social amenities and fine dining are 30+ minutes away. Commute likely to be 35-50 minutes to IT job. New high school in Minneola is very nice.

[LuvOrlando]

I love Clermont. Couldnt find a house I loved there and ended up buying elsewhere. I regret it.

I'm planning to build in about 5 years and am planning on Clermont.

[MovedfromFL]

Keep in mind that the new high school building is very nice, but we have no data to use in order to compare it with other schools. The state letter grade rating should be out this fall, along with FCAT scores. The high school rating formula is complicated and takes longer to finalize than data for K-8.

Also, we had 40+ new students enroll at Lake Minneola High in January and HALF of those were classified as homeless. The area is somewhat transient (families move in and out all year long) and much of the population is struggling these days. Your typical elementary school here in South Lake has about 50% of the student body on free or reduced lunch. Clermont Elem would be higher than that, and Cypress Ridge (magnet, lottery enrollment, parents must provide transportation) and Imagine Schools South Lake would have the least free/reduced population.

Also, the zoning just changed regarding Grassy Lake Elementary. Make sure you know which district you are in for sure. Certain areas used to have a choice between Minneola Charter Elem and Grassy and most chose Grassy. (the schools are only about 1 mile away from each other) Grassy is overcrowded while Minneola has empty seats, so now some areas have to either go to Minneola or shift up to Astatula Elementary. (Grassy is no longer a 2nd choice option)

If you are driving to Orlando, you need to factor in the cost of tolls as well. There is a park n ride lot on Hwy 27 in Minneola (for carpooling) and some kind of bus service park and ride a little to the south of that on Hwy 27. I think the bus will cost you around $7 round trip per day.

[MovedfromFL]

We're renting in Oak Valley. Last night at 1:30AM, a sheriff deputy woke us up and said two men were lurking in our driveway (up by the house, between the garage door and my SUV). The deputy said a car was driving around the area slowly and there were two sheriff units out here last night.

This is too close for comfort! Our neighbor was outside with her dog and yelled at the guys and they ran. What were they planning to do? Who knows. A few more steps and they would be in the backyard and have access to my childrens' bedroom windows.

We're going to padlock the gate and put in new CFC bulbs and leave the outdoor lights on 24/7 starting tonight.

I guess these guys were looking in our cars or trying the doors. We have a long driveway, so they were well up onto the property hanging out.

I'm not a happy camper right now. Too close.

[annerk]

Originally Posted by MovedfromFL

Keep in mind that the new high school building is very nice, but we have no data to use in order to compare it with other schools. The state letter grade rating should be out this fall, along with FCAT scores. The high school rating formula is complicated and takes longer to finalize than data for K-8.

Also, we had 40+ new students enroll at Lake Minneola High in January and HALF of those were classified as homeless. The area is somewhat transient (families move in and out all year long) and much of the population is struggling these days. Your typical elementary school here in South Lake has about 50% of the student body on free or reduced lunch. Clermont Elem would be higher than that, and Cypress Ridge (magnet, lottery enrollment, parents must provide transportation) and Imagine Schools South Lake would have the least free/reduced population.

Lost Lake is just a twitch lower than Cypress in scores and making faster improvements. Just an FYI.

[BrokerJohnny]

Originally Posted by Sceptre155

Hi folks,

Just stumbled across this forum and it looked like it had a lot of folks with useful info.

I'm considering moving to Clermont from NY and was wondering what folks thought about the area?

The lakes are very appealing, I Like the rolling hills. Seems to have quick access to Orlando if needed. I've seen some reports that crime is a bit higher then the rest of the area. But I'm not sure if that is due to the explosion in population in the area? It seems like the town itself is still struggling some to catch up with the recent growth.

How are the high schools? I've read posts about extreme over crowding?

I would be looking in the IT field for a new job. I have a feeling that most folks are commuting to Orlando for such positions?

Any areas to go 4wheeling etc?

Thanks in advance for any info.

I have lived here pretty much all of my life. I love it. I have no problem raising my kids here as well. As for places to ride your 4 wheeler, there is a new place in Clermont called Revolutions Off Road. Check them out. If you want to get really muddy and have a ton of fun, take your 4 wheeler to the Triple Canopy Ranch in Lake Wales. TCR is South of Clermont (down HWY 27) about 1 hour. It's worth it though.

[MandM22]

My husband and I are thinking about relocating to Florida from Southern NJ and we recently were in Clermont and like the Hammock Pointe development. Any thoughts on that compared to Regency Hills and Hartwood Reserve?