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Old 05-31-2014, 06:21 AM
 
29 posts, read 50,162 times
Reputation: 37

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Hi all, just an early mid-term update.

We like the home and neighborhood. We live in Legacy Park Estates. The house next door is a vacation rental that's rarely occupied, so quiet "neighbors". There isn't much comradery between neighbors here, as few have introduced themselves (but this is not atypical from other areas we've lived). We don't have any complaints about the quality of the real estate or landscaping. As renters, we don't deal directly with the HOA so no experience there.

Despite this, we plan to move when the lease is up. Primarily because:

---

* Certified Real Estate Investments Inc / Century 21 World Properties / Michael Levine is a bad property management group. Our home was filthy when we moved in. Wife and kids' feet black from walking barefoot on the floor. The carpets were as disgusting as the tile. CRI claimed carpets had been cleaned, but all agree, including their cleaning guy, that they'd not been cleaned for a very long time. It took them 3 days to address this and they only did something after we threatened to file a complaint with the Florida Real Estate Commission. Besides general cleanliness, the home was in bad condition, with many broken fixtures. It was clear that a thorough investigation had not been performed.

CRI has refused to rectify almost all problems. Most of them are nuisances, but they're not the kind of things that people should have to put up with, and they're not the kind of things that you can reasonably say should've been noticed by the tenant prior to leasing.

CRI fixed three doorknobs that were broken when we moved in. They were broken such that they often prohibited access to the room. They also fixed a couple of thresholds that were carpeted incorrectly, leaving staples exposed. This, and the floor cleanings and a pressure wash of the front of the house, which had a massive green water stain with visible algae clusters, are the only things that CRI has fixed heretofore.

There are still doorknobs and locks for which no key had been provided. There are blinds that are missing. Almost all blind fixtures are broken such that they do not turn or slide as expected. There are sinks that don't have stoppers. The kitchen sink is improperly installed: the sprayer doesn't extract beyond quarter-length, the faucet cover pops off when the water is turned on. There's a group of four power outlets along the wall that don't work. Two burners on the stove don't work. There are many other issues. Nothing is being done to see that the house is in decent condition.

CRI / Century 21 World Properties / Michael Levine passes all blame off on the homeowner. They say he refuses to pay to fix anything, so tough luck. While I sympathize that property management companies don't make a ton of money, they need to screen their landowners and require a bond (standard practice elsewhere) as much as they screen their renters and they won't have this issue, which reflects terribly on their brand and company, and I'm not certain that they can avoid liability.

There's not enough of an issue to waste our time with a legal complaint of untenable condition now that would force CRI and/or the homeowner to fix the issues, but we will probably file a comprehensive complaint with the FREC after our lease is up.

* the nearby services are of disagreeable quality. The neighborhood we live in is good, but the nearby restaurants, retail locations, and grocery stores all offer very dubious service quality. It's consistently terrible at every restaurant and retailer, and often terrible at the grocery stores. It's pretty common to wait 25 minutes at any fast food location. The Burger King in Clermont by Wal-Mart is a definite joke, and we've been turned away because they were "out of meat" and also waited 20 minutes for an incorrect order while we were the only people in the store and 3 staff members were at their car chatting with each other. The Wal-Mart has lines that stretch all the way back into the aisles at almost any hour (work a lot of graveyards doing sysadmin stuff). The facilities of most of these places are not kept clean and the staff is not professional. I've noticed unprofessional work all over the place out here, actually, including nurses at the hospital that mutter profanities under their breaths, and generally impatient and pushy people everywhere. I'm usually pretty lax about this but the extent to which people do it here is offputting. Many of the locals we know travel out to Celebration or Disney World itself to receive services due to the impression that there is better service quality out there. On top of all of this poor workmanship, prices are usually higher out here than they were in Utah, despite assurances and statistics that indicate a nearly identical cost-of-living.

* our power bill is ridiculous, and as you might be able to glean from the above, the landlord/property management people do not care to make any adjustments that would assist. It was $400 for April, which isn't even a real summer month (the house is around 2300 sq ft). Almost certainly the A/C needs maintenance, but we haven't had an inspection yet.

* it's difficult to find anyone competent. Everyone charges more for things, and everyone sucks at whatever they're charging for. We've gone through 3 lawn and pool guys and none of them have been competent, with some showing gross incompetence, including a lawn guy who refuses to use the installed irrigation panel (trying to sell install on his own) and a pool guy whose work allowed ear infections in adults that swam in the pool. All these guys have charged large amounts of money for service (almost $200 a month, pretty consistently). This is one example that feeds off of the similar inability displayed in the retail and fast food industries.

* the location in this part of Davenport (Citrus Ridge) is sloppy and awkward. We drove out to Lakeland and felt much more comfortable there; things are planned and somewhat compact. Out here, there's just a highway with various subdivisions hanging off of it at random intervals, and the rest is dirt and construction machines. As I said earlier, I don't mind a rural vibe (as in the communities we used to live in in Kansas), but this isn't a rural vibe -- it's just sloppy, further displaying the incompetence of local everything.

* the neighborhood associations we've joined are more of the same. A lot of disinterested people who are high-demand and low-contribution.

---

Unfortunately almost all of the housing that works for us is out here. Homes in WG/Windermere are still much pricier per sq ft and just don't fit our family well, with the smallest 5 bedrooms being 3000 sq ft+ and generally costing around 450k and up (rents are even pricier in these areas). Celebration is a nice area but it has the same issues as WG/Windermere x 10: the cheapest 5 bedroom home for sale in Celebration right now is 900k and 5000 sq ft. The homes there are clearly just showpieces and not meant for actual habitation by persons who value realism more than egotism, just absolutely ridiculous.

Considering moving farther away from Disney World and getting a more normalized feel, something like Longwood or Lakeland. I lived in Longwood as a child and didn't have these issues. I've spent some time in Lakeland and feel pretty comfortable there. There are still some alcoves near the Mouse that I haven't investigated thoroughly (parts of Clermont primarily), so I haven't completely given up, but I can say that it is much harder if you live right on the edges of WDW to find reasonable family housing.

Last edited by doxnal; 05-31-2014 at 06:34 AM..
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Old 05-31-2014, 06:49 AM
 
26,585 posts, read 61,832,528 times
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Look up into the 34711 zip code in Clermont. Plenty of inventory in your price range, in nice communities with friendly neighbors and no short term rentals. Great schools, and local shopping and services are generally freignly and helpful. A number of good restaurants, including a few locally owned places as opposed to chains.
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Old 05-31-2014, 06:56 AM
 
29 posts, read 50,162 times
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Thanks annerk, I'll look into it. I do like being convenient to WDW as I often have to go there.

To clarify, it's less about price range and more just about style. It's hard enough to keep up with our 2300-2700 square feet. We need reasonably-proportioned rooms and common areas, not ceilings and halls that are meant to rival cathedrals, as many WG/Windermere/Celebration homes seem designed to do. I guess there aren't many big families out here, so most people looking to buy property with that many beds are more interested in wow factor than practicality.
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Old 05-31-2014, 08:10 AM
 
Location: Native of Any Beach/FL
35,357 posts, read 20,722,137 times
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1- Polk county schools the pit- I agree with that,,, but some the sound and length of your posts maybe FL is not for you. Most of these vaca homes are for folks from O/S with lost of money. 2- I live in Clermont in a huge 4 bed for $1200 a mo w family-- as I landed a job by the airport I will be looking near Conway, in the future. My g-kids have made honor roll in Lake cty schools- great improvement from their previous schools in FL. I say live where it is affordable and see what is your cup of tea before bashing. NOT all like your style of living, To each their own. I personally hate Clermont, as I am a city person, but my daughter loves it.
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Old 05-31-2014, 08:35 AM
 
29 posts, read 50,162 times
Reputation: 37
Not doing any bashing of Florida in general, just stating my take on the things around where I live. There's no need to be defensive. I do find it amusing that you state the length of my posts is a reason I might not be a good fit for Florida, since I don't see how it's related unless you're inferring something you clearly don't intend to infer.
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Old 05-31-2014, 08:37 AM
 
26,585 posts, read 61,832,528 times
Reputation: 13161
Quote:
Originally Posted by doxnal View Post
Not doing any bashing of Florida in general, just stating my take on the things around where I live. There's no need to be defensive. I do find it amusing that you state the length of my posts is a reason I might not be a good fit for Florida, since I don't see how it's related unless you're inferring something you clearly don't intend to infer.
I agree that you ended up in a crappy place, which is not indicative of the state in general. Some people just don't like the fact that northerners have moved in, improved the schools, and brought in businesses that have created jobs.

I think you just need to find a different neighborhood and town to live in. There are a ton of great ones out there.

I didn't take your post as a bash against Florida, more against the neighborhood/home you are in and the rental agent you worked with.
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Old 05-31-2014, 04:16 PM
 
Location: Native of Any Beach/FL
35,357 posts, read 20,722,137 times
Reputation: 14124
The length of the post just indicated all the reasons you are not happy here, and finding folks "incompetent" and everyone " sucks" well ?? I am not defensive, but although there is a whole heap of things I do not like where I live, in S Clermont, I try to make the best of it until I find my niche. I said -find something affordable until you find the right place for you. If you like Lakeland then find a safe area. Specially for your kids. But the expectations for rental places at a lower budget or the way you describe the lower wage earners... hmmm
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Old 05-31-2014, 07:23 PM
 
Location: Lakeland, FL
147 posts, read 210,740 times
Reputation: 108
I live in Lakeland and focus mostly here but I also work the Davenport / Four Corners area and finding long-term rentals there can sometimes be a challenge as many of the investors choose to rent their homes to vacationers. However, there are some great options all over the place there. That area is BOOMING. With it's proximity to I-4 it is a great option for those who work at Disney or anywhere along the I-4 corridor. There is great shopping and tons of restaurants all up and down Highway 27 and 192. I have a friend who bought a home there recently in a neighborhood that has tons of short-term rentals and she absolutely loves the fact that she has new neighbors from all over the world almost every week. It's a great area to meet people, that's for sure.

IF you are willing to venture farther west, I would definitely invite you to at least check Lakeland out. It really is a great town with some great parks, lakes, arts, museum, architecture, colleges, friendly people, and more. They are also getting ready to open a new Amazon warehouse here to already add to some other employers such as Publix and GEICO. Check out this website. http://www.downtownlakelandfl.com/ if you get a moment, it's all about our downtown area.

As far as Realtors go, not all real estate agents shy away from the internet. I respond to web inquiries almost instantly with at least an acknowledgement and then call back just as soon as I'm available. My former job was in technology which included a strong focus on web design so I LOVE helping folks on the internet. There are some great Realtors out there who will help you. It's just a matter of finding them.

Last edited by LakelandFLNative; 05-31-2014 at 07:32 PM..
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Old 06-05-2014, 03:27 PM
 
98 posts, read 233,718 times
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Just wanted to thank you for the update!
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Old 08-10-2015, 03:05 AM
 
29 posts, read 50,162 times
Reputation: 37
Updating again. We extended our lease into month-to-month as we haven't secured a better housing situation yet. We aren't happy here, but moving is hard.

The house still has most of the problems reported. Our relationship with CRI has cooled down a bit, but still unsatisfied with their responses. They ignored our complaints about the noise of the pool filter until the neighbor noted that some of their vacationers complained and called them up. Electrical issues continued until lights started flickering at random; an electrician came out and identified some major problems with the electrical work and explained that some of our mysteriously-breaking electronics were probably being damaged by the home's electrical issues (these were resolved as far as we know). Just paid out-of-pocket for a pressure cleaning because our house was getting the previously-mentioned gross algae stains on it again and didn't want to deal with CRI.

Most little things were never resolved, including issues with some doorknobs and locks. The homeowner stopped using CRI's handyman and sends out a family friend with very little maintenance experience from Lake Mary to investigate every issue.

Still continuously astonished by the absolutely massive gross incompetence of the service workers out here. It's hard to make up some of the situations we've encountered. Totally inexcusable. Our theory is that everyone who lives here wants to work at Disney/Universal for the perks instead of the fast food and grocery stores, which leaves only the worst of the worst available to staff these locations. The Walmart at Cagan Crossings is so terrible due to both staff and patrons that we often drive past it to the Walmart in Clermont, 15 miles up 27, to shop.

Hate to say it, but I promised I would: the corridor along WG/Windermere/DP is probably the best part of town south of Seminole County, with the possible exception of some areas in Clermont. It's hard to live in Davenport. We want out. It's not end-of-the-world bad, but it's not good, primarily due to the atrocious state of local services. Secondarily, Davenport is a substantial driving distance from everything *except* Disney and the inexcusably-bad, you'll-want-to-drive-far-away-every-time-anyway local service outposts.

Almost every decent family we've met out here has been anxious to move away. Many are able to last 2-3 years but they get desperate toward the end. Tons of people going back to where they came from, a few people move to different areas of Orlando. Can think of 3 good families we know that have been here longer and don't seem interested in moving, and 2 have never lived anywhere else, so could argue they just don't know better.

If all you care about is proximity to Disney, get a home around Formosa Gardens Blvd. You'll be 5 minutes from Animal Kingdom Lodge. I can't vouch for the neighborhoods out there, but it would've been a better "as close to Disney as possible" solution, and the services are at least not worse than they are out here near Cagan Crossings. Even though the Four Corners area of Davenport is advertised as super close to Disney, and in fact is relatively close, it still takes 25-30 minutes to get to most actual destinations on Disney's property. A home in that area of Kissimmee would cut the real-world drive time by 15 minutes.

We are probably going to move in to Clermont by end of year. We often have to drive up there anyway, housing is at least somewhat reasonably priced, and the services are at least somewhat better in most cases. It feels more like a "real suburb". Winter Garden near Winter Garden Village is also a candidate; trying to decide whether it's worth the 30-35% increase in price per sq ft over Clermont.

Dr. Phillips is ideal for us geographically, as it's 10-15 minutes from Downtown Disney, 10-15 from Universal (where some work has taken me recently), and very near to some really nice schools and services, but decent homes there are around 500k! Hard to swallow an extra 150k outlay just to live in the more geographically convenient area.

Really Seminole County has the best combination of nice community and good bang-for-buck in housing, but I'm not sure I'm ready to become entirely dependent on I-4 or inflict a 60+ minute commute on myself.

Last edited by doxnal; 08-10-2015 at 03:29 AM..
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