Best neighborhoods for a vacation/second home (family with 3 kids) (Orlando: spring break, rentals)

[terroirnosaurus]

Hi all,

We're a family (early 30's) with a 2 year old toddler and twins on the way and we just started thinking about vacation home possibilities for when our kids get a little older.

We are currently based out of Northern California (wine country) and are able to work remotely for a part of the year, so we were thinking about a vacation home in the Orlando area due to the entertainment options available to families (especially the proximity to Disney).

We plan (hopefully) on using the home in the summer and for winter/spring breaks when the kids are school age. We do not plan on renting the home out for the rest of the year, so it would sit vacant. We do plan on paying someone to maintain and look after the home while we are away, but a community with a higher concentration of second homes would be preferable as perhaps neighbors can keep an eye out for others' homes while they are away.

Budget wise, we would be comfortable around 1M, but not much higher due to tax reasons. Newer homes would be preferable, as hopefully there is less maintenance. Gated is probably good for peace of mind.

I just started doing research into the Windermere / Winder"near" area, but are open to any suggestions as we are complete newbies at this area and have only visited Orlando a few times (without kids at the time). Would Dr. Phillips be another good area due to the good restaurant options?

Any other areas we're not considering and should be?

Thanks all!

[kissimmeebroker]

Hello,


There are several great locations in Central Florida. In addition to those you mentioned, you may also want to look into
Celebration, Lake Nona and Champions Gate. You may also consider new construction. Many builders are offering great buyer incentives. You can search all the builders, their floor plans and incentive from here www.floridanewhomedirectory.com


Regards,
William

[jamary1]

You do know how hot it gets in Central Florida in the summer? Last place in the world I'd pick for a summer place. I don't mind it the rest of the year, but I head for the mountains in May and don't come back until October.

[brinkofsunshine]

Originally Posted by terroirnosaurus

I just started doing research into the Windermere / Winder"near" area, but are open to any suggestions as we are complete newbies at this area and have only visited Orlando a few times (without kids at the time). Would Dr. Phillips be another good area due to the good restaurant options?

Any other areas we're not considering and should be?

Thanks all!

Anything in Orange County (so Windermere and Dr. Phillips) aren’t going to be zoned for short term rentals.. although that won’t be a problem for you as you don’t plan on renting it, there aren’t going to be the same kind of vacation/second home communities you’d find in Osceola or Polk counties. But I definitely think Windermere and Dr. Phillips are wonderful areas. At 1M for a budget you can get into some pretty beautiful neighborhoods.