Longwood (Tampa, Winter Springs, Apopka: real estate, HOA, condo)

[ArsenalFan77]

Hi.
We are relocating to the area in the end of June from NY and are looking to purchase our first home.
It seems that we narrowed it down to Heathrow, but it looks like it's out of our price range. Lake mary has these school "clusters" and since we'll be registering a month before school starts, I'm sure we won't get our 1st or 2nd choice school.
Our real estate agent suggested Longwood. Can someone please provide any advice what kind of town it is? How are the elementary/middle schools and even day cares (I have a 10 and 3 y.o.)? Good/bad parts of town? Activities for kids? Any other info would be very much appreciated.
Thank you in advance!

[Crane's Rooster]

Longwood is really slit into 2 parts by I-4. I don't know too much about the east side but the west side is referred to as Wekiva/Sweetwater. It's really more a part of Altamonte than Longwood, but it's listed as a Longwood address. The area is similar to Heathrow but there are more affordable option there. All the elementary schools there are good (Sabal Point, Wekiva, and Forrest City). The middle schools are split between Teague and Rock Lake I believe. The majority of high school students go to Lake Brantley and I think a small portion is districted for Lyman. If I were you I would try to stay in the Lake Brantley district. It's much closer and your kids will be going to school with the same kids they grew up with. If you liked Heathrow you would probably be just as happy in Wekiva, it's very green and wooded like Heathrow, very similar in demographics and close to Atlamonte where all the shopping, groceries and eats are. I will defer to someone more knowledgeable about the east side of Longwood but the west side is very nice.

[OrlFlaUsa]

I grew up in the west side of Longwood, on Lake Brantley. Many years and places later I now own a home in east Longwood.

I much prefer east/true Longwood to overly gentrified Wekiva Longwood. I'm close to SunRail and use it weekly. 17-92 is right there and a great north south alternate to I-4.

The food options are way better. Within a mile of my house is authentic Indian, great Chinese, pizza, Italian, wings, polish, Mexican, cuban,and even a local craft brewery with tap room. Very few chains, which is great.

My house was also much less since the west side is higher cost. I'm in a safe area, 4 bedroom, great park, and cross Seminole rec trail right there.

I personally think the Op would love east Longwood. I can give more specific streets to have your relator consider if desired.

[StreetSmarts]

i much prefer west longwood to east longwood. West feels unlike so many other areas, where as to me, East is just like everyother place here.

[ArsenalFan77]

Thank you all. We'll be in the area during memorial day, probably looking at properties in both the east and the west sides.
Can anyone recommend day cares? Activities for kids (swimming, martial arts, soccer, etc)?

[OrlFlaUsa]

There is a daycare in East Longwood at the corner of Wayman and 434 that a friend from nearby Winter Springs drives out of their way to go to due to cost and how pleased she is with how they take care of the kids. I'll ride by this weekend and grab the name for you.

As far as swimming, this is Florida and most likely you could buy a house with a pool without even breaking $175,000 mortgage. Heck I've seen double wides with immaculate resort style infinity pools in Apopka (just kidding but you get my point). However, in east Longwood you are near a great YMCA that offers youth sports, swimming classes, etc. There is also a really nice public park here called Candyland (creepy name but nice place), that offers baseball, basketball, soccer, and even has a really nice little skate park all the kids like to hang out at.

East Longwood also has martial arts covered way more than the west side where you might find a Victory McDojo at best (Jamestown and 434 which is actually Altamonte but basically W. Longwood). Back in good old east Longwood I can name at least 1 TKD/Hapkido dojang within a mile of my house, a Karate dojo also within a mile, 2 really awesome MMA gyms, a Krav Maga school, and even Aikido all within another mile or 2 from my house. Ironically there are many parents I meet who are driving from Sweetwater/Sabal Point area in W. Longwood through not fun traffic, crossing under I-4 (which is about to become even more unpleasant as the re-work that interchange as part of Ultimate I-4), and taking their kids to the great marital arts school that have seemed to cluster in this area for some reason.

Might I ask you a few questions to clarify what you're looking for:

Where do you need to be daily?
Where is work?
Do you have others living in CFL that you want to access on a regular basis?
Is easy access to the beach important?
Do you travel a lot for work and need to have a good route to the airport?
And most importantly, what is your price range and expectation for house for that price range? 150k Will get you a 3 bedroom with a yard in an older but safe part of E. Longwood (where all the good community stuff is) but won't even get you a condo in W. Longwood (where the area is super lovely but a little more exclusive to say the least).

[Lamigra1200]

Does any one know if there is a monthly association/maintenance fee in addition to an HoA fee? If so what does it cover and what are the exact monthly/quarterly fees?

[OrlFlaUsa]

Originally Posted by Lamigra1200

Does any one know if there is a monthly association/maintenance fee in addition to an HoA fee? If so what does it cover and what are the exact monthly/quarterly fees?

This is why you should get a relator. They'll have access to all this information for you, specific down to the exact neighborhood your looking at. Just the fact that you asked about Wekiva Springs which is the name of a road, a spring (singular), and the colloquial term for that overall area tells me you really need better guidance than we on here can give you.

[Lamigra1200]

Thanks ,but unfortunately realtor's working in central Fl really aren't very competent or prefer to remain silent in recommending professional guidance in matters of importance!

[ArsenalFan77]

Thank you!!
Please see my responses below.

Originally Posted by OrlFlaUsa

There is a daycare in East Longwood at the corner of Wayman and 434 that a friend from nearby Winter Springs drives out of their way to go to due to cost and how pleased she is with how they take care of the kids. I'll ride by this weekend and grab the name for you.

As far as swimming, this is Florida and most likely you could buy a house with a pool without even breaking $175,000 mortgage. Heck I've seen double wides with immaculate resort style infinity pools in Apopka (just kidding but you get my point). However, in east Longwood you are near a great YMCA that offers youth sports, swimming classes, etc. There is also a really nice public park here called Candyland (creepy name but nice place), that offers baseball, basketball, soccer, and even has a really nice little skate park all the kids like to hang out at.

East Longwood also has martial arts covered way more than the west side where you might find a Victory McDojo at best (Jamestown and 434 which is actually Altamonte but basically W. Longwood). Back in good old east Longwood I can name at least 1 TKD/Hapkido dojang within a mile of my house, a Karate dojo also within a mile, 2 really awesome MMA gyms, a Krav Maga school, and even Aikido all within another mile or 2 from my house. Ironically there are many parents I meet who are driving from Sweetwater/Sabal Point area in W. Longwood through not fun traffic, crossing under I-4 (which is about to become even more unpleasant as the re-work that interchange as part of Ultimate I-4), and taking their kids to the great marital arts school that have seemed to cluster in this area for some reason.

Might I ask you a few questions to clarify what you're looking for:

Where do you need to be daily?
Dropping off kids to elementary/daycare. Activities after work (after 5,6pm)
Where is work?
Lake Mary for me, Orange City for my wife.
Do you have others living in CFL that you want to access on a regular basis?
A cousin in the Tampa area, definitely not on a regular basis
Is easy access to the beach important?
Yes
Do you travel a lot for work and need to have a good route to the airport?
No
And most importantly, what is your price range and expectation for house for that price range? 150k Will get you a 3 bedroom with a yard in an older but safe part of E. Longwood (where all the good community stuff is) but won't even get you a condo in W. Longwood (where the area is super lovely but a little more exclusive to say the least).
At most, we would like to be in the lower 300s