Considering a move to Kissimmee/Orlando from South Florida (Miami: cul-de-sac, section 8)

[movetoorlando1]

Winter Garden is an up and coming area with many new housing developments being built. Many of them offer amenities such as community pool, fitness center, lake access for boating/fishing, etc. The prices are very reasonable. The city did a great job revitalizing the Plant Street area ("Downtown Winter Garden"), which has restaurants, shops, a microbrewery, and popular farmers market.

The area is a convenient 20-30 minute drive from Universal Studios, Disney, etc., but you are outside the major tourist area. The schools also rank well in the area. You will get more house for your money in Winter Garden, then say Windermere.

Other choices could be Dr. Phillips area, Bay Hill area, or Ocoee.

[Ann474]

Originally Posted by kyle19125

Actually Winter Park and neighboring Maitland does have a few options and would urge you to consider it. While not the palace-like homes seen in some areas at that price bracket, they're older well-built block homes typically that have been completely gutted and modernized. They're what one would consider the Miami equivalent of Coral Gables (Winter Park) and Perrine (Maitland) in terms of desirability. The location is terrific with easy non-highway access into downtown Orlando and an easier commute to the east side and UCF. It's anywhere from a 20-30 minute commute to the tourist areas (WDW/Universal/Sea World).

https://www.zillow.com/homes/for_sal...23_rect/13_zm/

Apopka is well-priced due to it's location which isn't the most convenient in terms of access to jobs centers and for the fact much of the school district isn't top notch. Also the commute to UCF would be a nightmare I would imagine, easily an hour each way.

Thank you! I do not want a hellish location to get around. I will go back and check out Winter Park again and Maitland. I don't really like the homes you linked me to in Maitland though. Are all the homes like that? The old ranch style homes? I prefer volume ceilings, and we need a minimum of 3K square feet. I'm moving now from 6K square feet and anything smaller than 3K and I think all of us would kill each other lol

[Ann474]

So, I've looked around online and I'm really not super happy with the homes in the areas that people have suggested. Can we go back again as to why Kissimmee is not desirable? I love a lot of homes in Kissimmee, but not so much Orlando and surrounding areas. I do not want an old home, no interest whatsoever and if I may ask, what is up with a large percentage of the Orlando homes that have the entrance and then to the left and right the living and dining on opposite sides of the front door entrance? I find this layout over and over and really really do NOT like it.

Is there no areas with land as well? I would prefer at least a half acre of land without the house being on top of one another.

I feel maybe I've been a bit vague with our needs and wants?

Approx 30 to 40 min from UCF, 3k square feet or over, 1/2 acre land, close to night life within 15 min to 20 min, a home where we can park a boat and put a shed for his tons of tools, and 500k range or less.

Is this really that hard to find? Kissimmee has tons to meet our needs other than being far from the college and many of you telling me it's not desirable.

[bmw335xi]

Some areas in Kissimmee/Saint Cloud are not bad, the parts near Lake Nona.

https://www.redfin.com/FL/Saint-Clou.../home/46516908

https://www.redfin.com/FL/Saint-Clou.../home/46531691

If you are looking for a real estate agent let me know (It's not me) lol.

[Ann474]

Originally Posted by bmw335xi

Some areas in Kissimmee/Saint Cloud are not bad, the parts near Lake Nona.

https://www.redfin.com/FL/Saint-Clou.../home/46516908

https://www.redfin.com/FL/Saint-Clou.../home/46531691

If you are looking for a real estate agent let me know (It's not me) lol.

That's more what I am looking for as far as land, love the boat dock on the second home, just don't like the home lol. I have lived in a McMansion for the last 15 years and basically gutted it and did it to my liking, but that is really what I am used to. I want to get a bit away from that and really LOVE that first home!!!!!!

So can we please discuss why Kissimmee is undesirable generally speaking?

[Ann474]

Oh, also I was told by my selling realtor to look only on realtor dot com because all the others are outdated on home availability, is that not the case? I don't see either of those homes on the site I'm using.

NVM I see why....I need 5 bedrooms and punched that in and those are not 5 bedrooms.

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by Ann474

Thank you! I do not want a hellish location to get around. I will go back and check out Winter Park again and Maitland. I don't really like the homes you linked me to in Maitland though. Are all the homes like that? The old ranch style homes? I prefer volume ceilings, and we need a minimum of 3K square feet. I'm moving now from 6K square feet and anything smaller than 3K and I think all of us would kill each other lol

That whole area was largely built in the 50s, 60s and 70s as Orlando's first suburbs so most of the homes are that Florida-style ranch. The only exception would be the few new builds or teardowns of older homes but they are few and far between.

[OTownKnight]

The schools in Osceola County are horrible and the area has a perception of being old, outdated, and rundown. It's very low income for the most part and it shows in a lot of the people that live there.

This is the reputation that it has, but there's still some nice neighborhoods here and there (as with any undesirable city). Lots of people on this forum will defend Kissimmee to the death saying it's beautiful and there's nothing wrong with it, but any reasonable person would disagree.

Now I just sit back and wait for the hate mail to pour in from the Kissimmee fans

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by Ann474

So, I've looked around online and I'm really not super happy with the homes in the areas that people have suggested. Can we go back again as to why Kissimmee is not desirable? I love a lot of homes in Kissimmee, but not so much Orlando and surrounding areas. I do not want an old home, no interest whatsoever and if I may ask, what is up with a large percentage of the Orlando homes that have the entrance and then to the left and right the living and dining on opposite sides of the front door entrance? I find this layout over and over and really really do NOT like it.

Is there no areas with land as well? I would prefer at least a half acre of land without the house being on top of one another.

I feel maybe I've been a bit vague with our needs and wants?

Approx 30 to 40 min from UCF, 3k square feet or over, 1/2 acre land, close to night life within 15 min to 20 min, a home where we can park a boat and put a shed for his tons of tools, and 500k range or less.

Is this really that hard to find? Kissimmee has tons to meet our needs other than being far from the college and many of you telling me it's not desirable.

I just looked on Realtor.com and am not really seeing much at all anywhere that fits your criteria. The 1/2 acre or larger criteria seems to be the struggle and if you can lower to a 1/4 acre would expect to see a good many more options open up. Parts of Kissimmee are fine but in your shoes I wouldn't necessarily look there first if investing half a million dollars on a home, especially if it doesn't meet all or most of your wish list. Perhaps consider Oviedo and Winter Springs? There are some options there...

[bmw335xi]

Originally Posted by Ann474

Oh, also I was told by my selling realtor to look only on realtor dot com because all the others are outdated on home availability, is that not the case? I don't see either of those homes on the site I'm using.

NVM I see why....I need 5 bedrooms and punched that in and those are not 5 bedrooms.

Realtor.com is for dinosaurs.

Redfin.com is the best one, you don't need to use their agents and it shows all listings as it draws everything from the MLS. It's also very easy to use and the filters are great. You can narrow it to only open houses or new listing within the past 24 hours etc.