Where to Live? (Orlando, Gainesville, Plantation: real estate, rentals, townhouses)

[dtripli]

Where would you recommend living when working for University of Florida in Gainesville? We'd like to keep the commute 30-45 minutes. We have three grown children who either don't live at home anymore or are away at school and a 9 year old son. We are looking for a maintenance free community with amenities such as a pool, running trails, clubhouse/fitness center...maybe gated. Safe area is important...close to shopping restaurants etc...maybe even a "walkable community"....Our son would be attending a parochial school. Looking forward to some ideas.

[wizrap]

Budget?

We bought in Haile Plantation back in November--checks off everything on your list. The northern half has HOA's that include lawn maintenance. Lots of variety of homes (apts., villas, townhouses, small and large SFH's on small and large lots) with different price points.

Town of Tioga is another choice--newer community that is expanding although right now it is still smaller than Haile. Generally more expensive than Haile.

Real estate prices are inching up; with that being said, I would still try to rent at first--we rented for the first 18 months or so that we were up here -- and although in many ways we were throwing money away, it was worth it as we learned more about the area.

Gated communities? Not too many. The ones that were built have been grandfathered in--the city passed an ordinance prohibiting them, in the spirit of inclusiveness. Haile has a gated section (Fairhaven) and there are some in the NW section of town (Breckinridge). Some off of Millhopper Road too.

The city of Gainesville is not very big at all and because all roads lead to the city center, which is UF, you can pick any area and be about 35/45 minutes away, if that.

Hope this helps!

[dtripli]

Originally Posted by wizrap

Budget?

We bought in Haile Plantation back in November--checks off everything on your list. The northern half has HOA's that include lawn maintenance. Lots of variety of homes (apts., villas, townhouses, small and large SFH's on small and large lots) with different price points.

Town of Tioga is another choice--newer community that is expanding although right now it is still smaller than Haile. Generally more expensive than Haile.

Real estate prices are inching up; with that being said, I would still try to rent at first--we rented for the first 18 months or so that we were up here -- and although in many ways we were throwing money away, it was worth it as we learned more about the area.

Gated communities? Not too many. The ones that were built have been grandfathered in--the city passed an ordinance prohibiting them, in the spirit of inclusiveness. Haile has a gated section (Fairhaven) and there are some in the NW section of town (Breckinridge). Some off of Millhopper Road too.

The city of Gainesville is not very big at all and because all roads lead to the city center, which is UF, you can pick any area and be about 35/45 minutes away, if that.

Hope this helps!

Thanks so much...Other then Orlando, central Florida is all new to us. Our budget is up to 450k....I agree with your rental advice as well.

[Bangolufsen]

Originally Posted by wizrap

Budget?

We bought in Haile Plantation back in November--checks off everything on your list. The northern half has HOA's that include lawn maintenance. Lots of variety of homes (apts., villas, townhouses, small and large SFH's on small and large lots) with different price points.

Town of Tioga is another choice--newer community that is expanding although right now it is still smaller than Haile. Generally more expensive than Haile.

Real estate prices are inching up; with that being said, I would still try to rent at first--we rented for the first 18 months or so that we were up here -- and although in many ways we were throwing money away, it was worth it as we learned more about the area.

Gated communities? Not too many. The ones that were built have been grandfathered in--the city passed an ordinance prohibiting them, in the spirit of inclusiveness. Haile has a gated section (Fairhaven) and there are some in the NW section of town (Breckinridge). Some off of Millhopper Road too.

The city of Gainesville is not very big at all and because all roads lead to the city center, which is UF, you can pick any area and be about 35/45 minutes away, if that.

Hope this helps!

Real estate prices will be coming down once this insane bubble deflates. All we need is a recession or a rate hike.

[wizrap]

OP: Your housing budget will go very far here in G'ville. You should be able to find something nicely updated, even with an older home. New homes are going for your price range too--sometimes even less. We've lived in both the NW section (rented) & SW section of town (bought) and all our neighbors were friendly & welcoming. We moved up from SFLA & enjoy the slower pace.

Bangolufsen: I agree that I think we'll see prices either level off or tick down slightly as rates go up. Right now, the Federal Reserve is slowly raising rates but ever so slowly & so far this hasn't had much of a damper on prices. We'll see. We rented awhile but glad we bought late last year -- our house payments are cut in half. But as much as it hurts, I am all for renting first--you have a chance to scope out the area and research real estate trends.

[dtripli]

Thank you all for chiming in.....I about Citrus Hill communities in another post. Would this area be an option for us as well or is it too far?

[wizrap]

Originally Posted by dtripli

Thank you all for chiming in.....I about Citrus Hill communities in another post. Would this area be an option for us as well or is it too far?

It's at least an hour away -- 60 miles one way. It's up to you to decide. That being said, I have met one UF prof that commutes from Ocala--has lots of property out there--kinda a horse farm. And a former neighbor of mine bought waterfront property in Crystal River where they're building a brand-new home. The plan is to commute from there to their business in Gainesville.

So you don't have to live in Gainesville--but then you have to add to your commute and miles on your car. Like I said, Gainesville is not spread out at all--even though I drive down to SFLA once a month to see clients, I've put less miles on my car than when I was living in SFLA. Everything is close -- but the drive time & mileage is up to you.

[gogl]

You should definitely check out Haile Plantation. It is a very walkable community with a coffee shop, several restaurants, and some shops in the village center. Other amenities like the Publix grocery store are very close. There are houses and rentals to suit most budgets. Very convenient area about 20-30 minutes to UF. There are also walking trails, a country club, equestrian center, etc within the general area.

[rjm1cc]

Originally Posted by dtripli

Thank you all for chiming in.....I about Citrus Hill communities in another post. Would this area be an option for us as well or is it too far?

Use Google earth to look at individual areas and to figure out distances. You want to look around Gainesville. Ocala is too far. I would look for a realtor and also see if your new employer has a relocation service. Your budget should be ok. Might think of renting so you can learn about the area.

[dudenamedric]

Kind of an old thread, but I wanted to add my recommendation to Haile Plantation. It's a beautiful area of Gainesville and if you can afford it, which it sounds like you can, I'd definitely recommend it. That whole area of Gville is really nice for families and older folks.