More info on Avalon Park and Waterford Lakes (Miami, Tampa: foreclosures, low crime)

[MrKnight]

Originally Posted by Consigliere

I may have missed them due to the height of the camera, but I didn't see a single human being walking the streets, sidewalks, or anywhere else in Oviedo during this entire video (aside from the two children in the first couple seconds). Did I not see them, or does the video accurately depict downtown Oviedo as an eerie, rundown ghost town with only the cars driving through trying to get somewhere else?

Take a drive through anywhere in Oviedo during rush hour and tell me if you still believe it's a "ghost town"

[MrKnight]

Originally Posted by sergiodurante

Mr. Knight made some excellent points with his insightful post. While I agree with most of what he said, as a former resident of the whole Alafaya corridor from Waterford to Avalon, I'd like to make a few additions. Although some of my information may be dated due to the fact that I moved out of East Orlando over 3 years ago. Please feel free to rectify any misinformation.

-Waterford Lakes-
IMO the best selling point of this area is its thriving retail center. But beyond the conveniences of being close to Waterford Lakes Towne Center, I think Mr. Knight summed it up well with Waterford Lakes being the epitome of urban sprawl. Although it sits most conveniently to the 408, if you happen to live deep in Lake Underhill, good luck with your commute during rush hour traffic. I would imagine the congestion has only worsened in the last few years as more and more communities have been built in the area. Property crime in the area was rising all throughout the Alafaya Corridor when I lived there and I imagine it has only been exacerbated by its rising population.

-Avalon Park-
Although some would describe AP's ambiance as cookie cutter, it is about as nice as cookie cutter gets. I'm still a fan of it's neo-traditional design and town center concept. Some might call AP a low rent version of Celebration or Baldwin Park. When I lived there, it was still relatively well maintained. However, don't be fooled by its polished facade. A lot of residents may brush off its proximity to the Stanton Energy Plant, not many people are aware that the Stanton Energy Plant was once rated as the dirtiest coal plant in the entire nation. Coal ash production/storage and its effects on the environment most certainly have a correlation with adverse health effects which was one of the reasons why we moved. Another reason was the rising property crime, my family and I were victimized multiple times and so were our neighbors. Violent crime was rare, however, car break ins and residential burglaries were a regular occurrence. The congestion coming and going from AP was quite bad when I lived there. I would hope that the widening of Alafaya has relieved this complaint. Other ways to exit the community were not any better, going through Waterford Lakes or East Colonial near Bithlo was just as bad.

I moved to Avalon Park right before the real estate boom and absolutely loved it there. But when the market crashed, AP was the microcosm of everything that went wrong in real estate at the time. And along with the crash came a change in demographics. Investors snapped up cheap homes/townhomes that made the area much more transient among other problems.

Another issue that contributed to Avalon Park's decline that I still find confusing is the decision to extend the street name "Avalon Park Blvd" all the way to the intersection of Colonial/Hwy 50. This is an issue that non AP residents will find difficult to grasp. Maybe it was beyond the developer's control, but what occurred was that AP became synonymous with every single community from where AP ends near Timber Creek High School all the way down to Colonial/Hwy 50. AP was once positioned as a slightly upscale community in the mid 2000s, but the little bit of affluence that was built up was quickly erased by the real estate crash and the accelerated decline that was even more evident in the communities closer to Hwy 50/Colonial. I think if you truly want to get a sense of what Avalon Park is evolving into, then you must take a close look at the adjacent communities and subdivisions.

Thank you Sergio for the props, you bring up valid points as well!

[StreetSmarts]

Originally Posted by MrKnight

Take a drive through anywhere in Oviedo during rush hour and tell me if you still believe it's a "ghost town"

most of us wish it were a ghost town! other folks are more than welcome to look into Avalon Park or Waterford Lakes. in fact, please do. you want a CVS on every corner, congestion and road rage, and houses on top of eachother, go for it.

[StreetSmarts]

Originally Posted by Consigliere

I may have missed them due to the height of the camera, but I didn't see a single human being walking the streets, sidewalks, or anywhere else in Oviedo during this entire video (aside from the two children in the first couple seconds). Did I not see them, or does the video accurately depict downtown Oviedo as an eerie, rundown ghost town with only the cars driving through trying to get somewhere else?

the yellow building is the best place to get breakfast in the entire town. its packed every am, esp on weekends. if ur idea of greatness is congestion, go there on a Saturday am.

if Oviedo weren't great, it wouldnt have the best schools and safety stats that it does. walkable doesnt = great place to live. look beyond that.

[StreetSmarts]

PS- i lived in Avalon and would never live there. i can get a nicer house for cheaper though than i can in Oviedo. Hmm, wonder why?

[Stress-Relief]

Thanks all for the replies, you are pretty much reaffirming what I am hearing from different sources.

[pisces731]

Thanks so much for the replies as well. What can you tell me about the communities and neighborhoods in Seminole county excluding Sanford. We will look into Oviedo as well.

[StreetSmarts]

whats ur price range?

[pisces731]

Rent max budget $1400. If we decide to buy max would be $240ish. 4 bed/2 bath home.

[StreetSmarts]

that'll get you into a nice area, but nothing brand new. I'd look into Alafaya Woods, Aloma Woods, and areas around the downtown area. one thing about Oviedo is that it is kinda expensive. we pay $1400 in rent. i'd look on realtor.com or trulia or one of those real estate websites to see what you can get and for what price. good luck.