***Curious about retirement and buying a home in Ocala or outskirts (Orlando: renting, HOA fees)

[luvmyhoss]

Just read in my newspaper The Villages has grown to 114,ooo.oo people

[folkguitarist555]

I am still considering, I actually been looking at where to retire to for the last 2 years or so.....and want to finally decide this month, so I m struggling still, but hopefully I will know real soon.....I guess, what is hard is leaving the PNW, cause you get used to the west coast, libertarian, kind of mindset, and the cleanliness of the area, as their really are not a lot of really bad, run down areas here in the PNW...you all also appreciate the wide open spaces out here as well....where as the southeast seems rather crowded...and FL is not slowing down it seems with growth, I am wondering where they are going to fit them all?? I like Boise a lot, and a few other places, so I am still searching

[KathyA11]

Originally Posted by folkguitarist555

I want some land with the house.....how about Dunnellon? anyone familiar with this area? How is homeowners insurance around those areas?

We're in the unincorporated area of Dunnellon, on a piece of property a little over an acre and zoned residential in what is a primarily agricultural area. Despite living on what's referred to as a 'highway' (CR 484), there's less traffic on that two-lane road than there is on the main street in our hometown of Bayonne, NJ.

We're paying around $1000 yearly for homeowners' insurance, with Tower Hill/Omega. It's gone up about 50% since we moved here in 2009. Car insurance is lower -- about half what we paid back home (surprising, considering the abysmal drivers here). Property taxes? No contest - a year's worth is less than one quarter was back in NJ on a piece of property that was about a tenth the size of what we have now, and a house that was less than half the size of this one (a good part of that is how the NJ state constitution requires schools to be funded, and a lot more is due to mismanagement at the state level by several recent governors -- namely Whitman and Christie). We're on a well and septic, which eliminates those expenses, and we have Duke Energy, which raised the rates when they took over Progress.

[KathyA11]

Originally Posted by AnonChick

You seem concerned with costs, which is why I didn't mention the Villages. But depending on your expectations and your budget, it might have what you're looking for. It's a planned golf-cart community, with some pretty strict HOA rules and regs. Most of them exist to keep the place consistent - but that's definitely not for everyone. It's definitely not for the guy who wants purple siding on his house and a fake wooden well with plastic flamingos on his front lawn.

Or for someone who wants to landscape their property to their tastes, or leave their second car on the driveway apron instead of squeezing it into a '2-car' garage that really only fits two subcompacts, or who wants to leave the garage door open while they work in the yard, or who owns dogs over a certain size and weight -- or any number of other things I've read in deed restrictions, and read about in different threads here Consistency is one thing -- but some of the horror stories I've heard that have occurred in developments with HOAs will make your hair curl. The boards tend to attract control freaks who like to tell other people how to live.

They're also not for people who don't want to spend money on amenities they won't use. A development might have the greatest pool, or tennis courts, or a world-class golf course -- but if you don't use them, they're money wasted (my B-I-L had to spend $2000 to buy a new mailbox/light post a while back, just because the HOA in his development decided to replace them all. And now they're going to redo the golf course -- that's going to increase fees significantly).

[rjm1cc]

I live about 10 miles from Ocala. Marion County unincorporated area. You should be able to find what you want.

[AnonChick]

Originally Posted by KathyA11

Or for someone who wants to landscape their property to their tastes, or leave their second car on the driveway apron instead of squeezing it into a '2-car' garage that really only fits two subcompacts, or who wants to leave the garage door open while they work in the yard, or who owns dogs over a certain size and weight -- or any number of other things I've read in deed restrictions, and read about in different threads here Consistency is one thing -- but some of the horror stories I've heard that have occurred in developments with HOAs will make your hair curl. The boards tend to attract control freaks who like to tell other people how to live.

They're also not for people who don't want to spend money on amenities they won't use. A development might have the greatest pool, or tennis courts, or a world-class golf course -- but if you don't use them, they're money wasted (my B-I-L had to spend $2000 to buy a new mailbox/light post a while back, just because the HOA in his development decided to replace them all. And now they're going to redo the golf course -- that's going to increase fees significantly).

It really all depends. The older section of the Villages has no such restrictions. In fact, many of the homes there don't have garages at all - only open car ports, and residents are welcome to park in their driveways if they prefer. Most of those homes are pre-manufactured homes (the Villages started out as a trailer park), with a smattering of site-built homes that also have no garages.

Again - people are welcome to landscape their own property with room for creativity. We rented in one of the newer areas two years ago and the homeowner across the street from our rental had completely removed the grass and turned the entire lawn into a gorgeous cobblestone-paved rock garden. This eliminated the need for watering, which cut down tremendously on their water bill. A friend of ours who lives in a villa there turned their walled-in backyard patio into a two-level salt-water pool with whirlpool spa on the upper level.

The newer areas have deed restrictions that I personally find silly - and in some cases, offensive. You're not allowed to put up signs or hang anything on your front door; some folks like having a "Welcome to Our Home" sign but they're not allowed. I wouldn't hang one, but I resent that I'm not allowed to if I should ever change my mind.

On the other hand, the newer sections lack mature landscaping. I want shade trees that don't need another 10 years of growing before they actually offer any shade. So I'd be more inclined to live in the older sections, where the deed restrictions are less restricted, AND where the CDD is paid off in full.

[=^..^=]

Originally Posted by KathyA11

-- but some of the horror stories I've heard that have occurred in developments with HOAs will make your hair curl. The boards tend to attract control freaks who like to tell other people how to live.

I agree. I've also heard the horror stories and would never consider living where there's an HOA. Most keep raising the fees also. It's not like owning your own home and property when you need permission to plant a new palm tree or put in a flowerbed. Veggie gardens are forbidden as are privacy fences. Yuo cannot hang your quilts out to air. Those Gated HOA communities are for indoor people with no outdoor interests other than maybe golf. People don't always realize what they're getting into until it's too late.

They're also not for people who don't want to spend money on amenities they won't use. A development might have the greatest pool, or tennis courts, or a world-class golf course -- but if you don't use them, they're money wasted (my B-I-L had to spend $2000 to buy a new mailbox/light post a while back, just because the HOA in his development decided to replace them all. And now they're going to redo the golf course -- that's going to increase fees significantly).

This was another gripe I heard. Not everyone cares about a pool, tennis or golf. Some don't even care about Bingo and crafts at the clubhouse yet have to pay for those things with their HOA dues.

There are plenty of nice homes in nice areas all around Ocala. We looked at some but aren't sure yet about selling our home here in TN and moving. That's a really drastic step....

[folkguitarist555]

I would look to get a home on at least an acre, no gated sub divisions for me, no HOA's, and special assessments have to be taken into account anytime one looks to buy a home. They could be found out by the realtor prior to buying. I always ask about such things when looking to buy. I am leery though, regardless, of anywhere in FL, I only considered the Marion and Citrus counties in the whole state as possibilities. So Duke energy has increased their rates? I have a website that shows electricity rates per kilowatt per hour, and the rates per state, have gone up in every state in the USA according to it, as it updates automatically to show changes.

[rjm1cc]

Be sure to check out the septic system. On an acre you will probably be able to keep it. Smaller lots will probably move to a utility system when one is built. The when could be years away.
If you have a well test the water and see if the well is likely to get polluted. This applies to any home not just the Ocala area.

[=^..^=]

Originally Posted by folkguitarist555

Id...and FL is not slowing down it seems with growth, I am wondering where they are going to fit them all?? I like Boise a lot, and a few other places, so I am still searching

There is plenty of nice country in FL that is not congested or overbuilt. You can drive a few miles without seeing a house. It would be many years before this type of countryside is built up. Stay away from the coasts. That's where the heavy traffic and mobs and sprawl are.