avalon park opinions welcome (Orlando, University: short sales, real estate, apartments)

[1972colin]

HI
having vacationed in Orlando last month we did some very useful reserch into the lake mary area in preparation for our impending emigration from the UK to Florida. We visited the area at different times and different days to give us a better feel for the area and traffic issues etc. But although the area still probably sits at the top of our list after speaking to an agent/realtor and letting them know our requirements they suggested both Baldwin Park and Avalon Park areas were worth a look. After previously rejecting Baldwin Park due to price (we have a mortgage free budget of around 250k and don't want a mortgage again) and rejecting avalon due to location we decided to give avalon another look. We are glad we did it offers that small town feel with amenities a plenty and what seem like good schools. So any information/experience of Avalon would be appreciated. Crime,schools, best estates to live are among the most important things info would be welcomed on, but anything will help. I appreciate the commute to Orlando and surrounding areas are quite long depending which hospital my wife gets a job at but she already commutes around 45mins each way currently so is used to sitting in traffic jams!! so this rearly isn't an issue any more.
We are hopefully aiming to come over to Florida again after christmas if work allows and we aim to visit both areas again to hopefully finally make a decision where we would like to live and tick off this part of our move to the sunny state.
Thanks
Colin

[kyle19125]

Welcome to Central Florida! In my opinion I would keep Lake Mary at the top of the list. It's much more established and doesn't have the traffic issues of Orlando, particularly considering commuting to/from work. Lake Mary is also quieter and less congested if that matters to you. The two major hospitals in the area (Florida Hospital - Main Campus and Orlando Regional Medical Center) are 30 minutes (or less) from Lake Mary and less than 45 minutes at the worst time of day. There are several smaller hospitals that sit even closer. The road infrastructure in Lake Mary is excellent with easy access to the three major arteries (I-4, 417 Expressway and US 17-92) which offers choice in terms of getting around the area. There's a tendency in Central Florida by many real estate agents to steer people toward "brand new" as if it were the only possible upscale choice, which I find odd considering not everyone is into barren, newly developed look-a-like housing. I would perform due diligence regarding neighborhood choices before committing, as there are actually quite a number of very desirable neighborhoods that won't require driving from one corner of the city to another. Good luck!

[totsuka]

I like BP better than AP or LM. You can look at short sales/foreclosures in BP, plus they are building new Townhomes. There are some townhomes here that were finished but never moved into that might go for 250k. 3 story/2 car garage/2 bath. I noticed some smaller 3/2/2 homes/ 1600 sq feet in short sale status/foreclosure status....some banks are now offering people 20 k to move out so they can get the
property sold again. You would have to be patient...and it's difficult to find a good real estate agent. I would recommend using 5 or 6 at the same time and see which one actually works....

We looked at AP several times and felt the construction quality was better at BP.

The big selling point for BP is location. I can do everything I need to do withing 5 miles/10 minutes or so. Traffic can be a bear at times...so I paid extra for BP.

Given your relocation from overseas to here...rent for a while so you can look around..get a better feel for the city.

[theoldnorthstate]

Hello

It sounds like you are looking for a permanent full time home? Do you have children? Are they to go to school? Does your wife have a job yet and do you want to live near her work? Do you want to live in a single family neighborhood with a sense of community (as little as Florida has) or a vacation/part time type community? I may have missed that, if so apologize.

Avalon Park is pretty, near shopping, and can be self contained, but there is a lot of traffic associated with getting in and out of the area and there are a lot of college kids, rentals, and apartments, etc. People from my work who live there are happy with the schools but not so much the traffic during work rush hours. So that you will give that the same thorough check as you did the Lake Mary area will answer your questions.

Lake Mary is a premier area over the long term. I would keep it on my list. I don't like the way some realtors like to follow the trends. "Everybody is moving to ..." type thing.

Ask your realtor to take you to a location near the Lake Nona area, called Medical Center/City since your wife is a nurse. It is a health care concentrated area with a medical school, dental school, bioresearch facilities, and a Veteran's Administration hospital. That does not mean there are not hospitals and clinics everywhere. Just thinking job possibilities and being near work.

I chose a development near my work alongside the University of Central Florida in Seminole County and am happy with my choice. Good schools, good lines of communication for transportation to about anywhere. Good resale, when the market improves and some good bargains now.

As to the crime questions, suggest you ask your realtor to send you to websites where you can pull crime statistics. Also suggest you think about how much you envision doing lawn care and upkeep over time.

As much as I love my home, it I were to do it again today at my near retirement age; I would buy something less labor intensive such as a duplex, condo, town home. My yard is working me to death

[1972colin]

Hi
Thanks for your reply's, sorry if I didn't explain the situation fully. We are still around 18 months or so away from making the swap as we are only just enrolling with the nursing relocation agency. At least this is the length of time they state it will take to pass the relevant exams and to secure the green cards/ visas to live & work in the U.S. We have 2 boys who will be 7 on this timescale so schools and safety are at the top of our list!!. We haven't a realtor as such we actually called into a coldwell banker office whilst we were over in Orlando who we told our requirements just to check we weren't missing out anywhere in our search and he advised regarding Avalon park. We agree the lake Mary area looks nicer housing without being disrespectful to avalon but in the uk we are lucky that we are on walking distance if we want to of shops pubs restaurant open park areas etc and we feel that Avalon could possibly offer this option depending on house location in the area. It is something we didn't feel was on offer in our preferred areas/ estates in lake Mary these facilities were all a good drive away. As suggested we plan to rent when we first arrive for as yet a job in a specific hospital hasn't been arranged yet so we think it a good idea to test drive an area to understand if the area meets our requirements.
Hope this goes someway to outlining our situation and again any info good bad or anything will be most appreciated.
Kind regards
Colin

[keithwand]

Smart way to go. Rent first then see what you like the best.
Baldwin Park is close to everything so you won't put on much mileage.
Avalon Park is out there and traffic can be horrendous.
Once you come here and go to work; ask around and get opinions. Maybe ask the employer before you get here.
Good luck either way.

[StreetSmarts]

Lake Mary, BP than AP.

[flguy123]

Avalon Park has a new connection to 528 that opened up this year, and it makes getting around a lot easier now. Trip to the airport is exactly 15 mins door to door instead of 25+. Also makes getting to the West side a lot easier. They are also 1/2 way done with widening Alafaya Trail, the main road down to Avalon Park from 408 and other points north. This will help A LOT with traffic, and by the time you move should be completed. Schools in AP are all A rated. Lots of young people and families. The town center IS nice, we also go to the dentist, doctor and pediatrician ALL inside Avalon Park. There is also no need to leave unless you work outside of the area. Construction is a little on the cheap side, I agree, but there are no "major" issues with the neighborhood. There are pockets of custom homes, so something for everyone. HOA fees are very reasonable at only $250/quarter, and each village has its own pool. The HOA is very well run. The developer is still tightly associated with the community and owns most of the town center real estate. They do everything to keep businesses and promote new ones, just FYI. Also, crime is low, Avalon as its own Neighborhood Watch program. I am on the email list and I have not received an alert in like over a year. Previous alerts were for things like suspicious person or attempted break-in but nothing actually happened, mostly just teenagers with too much time on their hands.

By the way, make sure you are looking inside of Avalon Park "proper", not Timber Springs or Avalon Lakes, those are NOT a part of the real Avalon Park. Avalon Park proper is from the big traffic circle south to Alafaya Trail. Nothing north of the traffic circle is Avalon Park although people often call it the "Avalon area" and like to be associated with Avalon Park but are not.

Baldwin Park in my opinion is too congested feeling. The streets are very narrow, and everything is jammed in. I don't think it's a terribly great location being so close to rt. 50, which is one of the major eyesores in Orlando. Yes, there is a mall nearby, but it has a low end feel. Baldwin itself has a high end feel, but not much surrounding it does.

As others have suggested, you're better off renting first before you decide to buy.

[1972colin]

hi flguy123 thanks for your and everyone's reply,i assume you live in the avalon park area (flguy123)? what subdivisions of avalon park would you recommend that provide good access to the town centre (in an ideal world we would be able to walk to the shops bars restaurants etc), good access to the main road networks as my wife could end up working anywhere around the orlando vicinity and that are reasonably priced and low crime rate.
We reluctantly can't make it over to orlando over the christmas period as hoped, my work commitments unfortunatley have proved too much at this time. We have though booked a month during june and july 2012 so if we can arrive armed with all the information we require we can concentrate our research on that particular area.
look forward to your reply
kind regards

[flguy123]

There are several villages inside Avalon Park proper numbered 1,2,3, etc., including South Village and Northwest Village. There are no signs indicating which is which, and it's doesn't really matter honestly (except for South Village which has a large, luxury clubhouse and higher dues to go with it), so just Google the area and you will see which houses are closest/walkable to the town center. For most people, getting in the car to drive a few blocks there is no big deal. Plenty of parking. Or you can ride a bike there. If I were you, I would focus on getting the right house, not necessarily the one closest to the town center, although maybe you'll wind up with both!

PM me if you want info on the best realtor in Avalon, I don't want to say here because others will think I'm "advertising" or spamming, and sometimes the moderator cuts those out anyway. I have other valuable info.