Another New Yorker making a move but where to? (Orlando: for sale, HOA)

[Bklyngirl4ever]

I’ve been following the Orlando Forum since January and have learned so much. Unfortunately, the more I learn the more confused I get. We are on the cusp of retirement and have conducted some area searches. So far, we keep coming back to DP for proximity to parks, dining, etc. I am intrigued by Winter Garden and Ocoee adjacent but have yet to visit. We have always had a veggie garden and don’t want to give it up. Many HOA’s/new construction don’t allow it. Our price range is up to 500k and would like to have at least 1900 sq ft. We may work PT once settled so we can meet people and keep busy. Not sold on 55+ communities but haven’t discounted them totally. We are working with a realtor but there are many questions he cannot answer so any insight/ suggestions are sincerely appreciated.

[kyle19125]

An older remodeled home is the route to go as anything newer is going to be most likely be either within an HOA, much larger than your needs or in close proximity to neighbors making gardening a challenge if even permissible. The Winter Garden, Clermont and Montverde area would be a good option for you I think if you can stand a longer trip to the parks, though still less than 30 minutes generally speaking.

https://www.zillow.com/homes/for_sal...t/11_zm/0_mmm/

[Bklyngirl4ever]

Thank you kyle. Your assessment is accurate. Is gardening “not permissible” in areas not governed by HOA? We were underwhelmed by Clermont and don’t know much about Montverde. Can you tell me a bit about the area.

[Bklyngirl4ever]

Any thoughts on Crown Point Woods (Log Landing) in Ocoee?

[Arcenal813]

Plenty of HOAs allow vegetable gardens in the yard.

That being said, I can't really think of any reason why you WOULDN'T want to be in Dr. Philips at that price range, especially if you want to be near the parks and good dining options.

There are other areas that I'd recommend were they not a bit far from the parks. The Markham Woods corridor is one, and then there's also Winter Park.

As for the HOA/gardening issue, the only way I can see this being a problem would be if you end up at a house with VERY little yardspace, and/or if you wind up someplace with a more urban setting, such as Baldwin Park.

I have several friends who live in strict HOA communities and they have gardens.

One just set up a backyard baseball cage complete with astroturf lol.

You should be fine.

[Arcenal813]

Originally Posted by Bklyngirl4ever

Any thoughts on Crown Point Woods (Log Landing) in Ocoee?

It's a fine place. Nice homes, large yards, right off of the 429, far enough removed from high crime areas. Easy access to pretty much everything. 429 to Disney, Turnpike to Universal/Millenia, 408 to Downtown.

[brinkofsunshine]

You might want to look at Gotha, there’s a few streets that don’t have subdivisions (and a few homes for sale), and downtown Windermere might fall into your price range.

[Bklyngirl4ever]

Originally Posted by Arcenal352

Plenty of HOAs allow vegetable gardens in the yard.

That being said, I can't really think of any reason why you WOULDN'T want to be in Dr. Philips at that price range, especially if you want to be near the parks and good dining options.

There are other areas that I'd recommend were they not a bit far from the parks. The Markham Woods corridor is one, and then there's also Winter Park.

As for the HOA/gardening issue, the only way I can see this being a problem would be if you end up at a house with VERY little yardspace, and/or if you wind up someplace with a more urban setting, such as Baldwin Park.

I have several friends who live in strict HOA communities and they have gardens.

One just set up a backyard baseball cage complete with astroturf lol.

You should be fine.

The only thing that stops us from fully committing to DP is that the homes need updating, for the most part, which we are not adversed to but are concerned that we might not find good trades people to do the work with all the demand from the developments.

[bmw335xi]

I have 3 houses in Dr. Phillips. I’ve done complete remodels in two of them, from flooring, bathrooms, demolision, cabinets, sinks, paint, countertops, lighting, landscaping, pool screens, ac units, septic tanks, sump pumps, literally anything you can think of... I’m happy to recommend service providers for your projects.

My primary home is in Phillips Landing, a very nice gated community. Here you can do anything you want in your backyard or courtyard. The only thing you need approval landscaping wise is the front lawn facing the street, so many people here have gardens, sundecks, fruit trees, etc. I know Phillips Landing isnt the only HOA in Dr. Phillips with these kinds of policies.

What kind of questions does your realtor not know? That’s pretty pathetic if he doesn’t know about HOAs or doesn’t know or is too lazy to comtact the HOAs for this information. You might want to use a new person.

If you have any questions for me, let me know. I love DP btw, people here know that lol. I moved at the start of 2016 from San Francisco. Really liked DP because everything is landscaped and looks beautiful, trader joes, whole foods, publix, restaurants, bars, theme parks, disney springs, millenia mall, florida mall, both outlets, i-drive, everything is right here. It’s a really nice community here. If you like the parks and malls, etc you’ll be happy here. I also really like Winter Park / Baldwin Park, Thornton Park areas, but the houses there I hate unless you go to $750k plus... but then what $750k in Dr. Phillips get you in comparison is light years nicer, so it’s not nice enough to take a hit in housing for me.

[Bklyngirl4ever]

How difficult is it get quality trades people to take on major renovations?