Little more info (Orlando, Winter Springs, Oviedo: houses, neighborhoods, school districts) - Florida (FL) - City-Data Forum

dvg2017 · 05-28-2008, 12:40 PM

Hi! Hubby and I have finally decided on a few homes we like and are trying to get as much information as possible before making a final decision on our first time home.

All of our choices are either in Oveido or Winter Springs, and we've found nothing but good things on both.

I'm curious about wildlife. The home in Winter Springs has a retention pond next to it, and I admittedly don't know much about retention ponds. Do they get "low tide smell"? Do they get a lot of bugs? Snakes? Gators? The one house in Winter Springs has a fence seperating it as well as a screened in backyard (along with a conservation area), but I was curious as to what I could expect.

The other houses are in Oveido, as I said, in subdivisions. Couple have conservation areas behind the backyard, and I wasn't sure if that was a drawback or a plus (I do like the privacy issue). I'm curious to hear from those who live in those areas, and the more they can tell me the better!

And those of you with pools, how easy are they to maintain? What are the biggest issues with having a pool?

One more question, where do you see Winter Springs and Oveido five... ten years from now?

Thanks in advance!

(P.S. The subdivisions we're looking in are: Kingsbridge East, Villages at Summer Lake Cypress, Stoneybrook, Oak Forest, and Live Oak Reserve)

pianogal · 05-28-2008, 02:48 PM

The subdivisions we're looking in are: Kingsbridge East, Villages at Summer Lake Cypress, Stoneybrook, Oak Forest, and Live Oak Reserve)...

Are the Villages at Summer Lake Cypress the ones off Hwy. 50 in Cypress Lakes? If so, these are in Orlando. Also there is a Stoneybrook East in east Orlando off Alafaya and a Stoneybrook West in Winter Garden. I am not aware of a Stoneybrook in Oviedo or Winter Springs. The Stoneybrook Communities East and West are HUGE. Perhaps there is a small community in Oviedo or Winter Springs with the same name.

Kingsbridge and Live Oak Reserve are both in Oviedo and Oak Forest is in Tuscawilla in Winter Springs. Correct?

Just be sure to check out the location, school districts if you have kids, of the communities carefully. In Orlando, everything has grown together, so you can't usually tell when you are going from one town, or even county to another.

For example when we lived in Winter Park, we were in Seminole County and our son attended Seminole schools. His friend who lived a few blocks away in the same community started the year in Seminole County schools, but about a month into the school year, it was discovered that he actually lived in Orange County and he had to change schools. The county line went down the middle of our subdivision.

Do you prefer newer or older homes? I have to run start dinner, I will come back later tonight and respond to your questions regarding conservation, pools, etc. I have both and enjoy them.

Good Luck....

dvg2017 · 05-28-2008, 06:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pianogal

The subdivisions we're looking in are: Kingsbridge East, Villages at Summer Lake Cypress, Stoneybrook, Oak Forest, and Live Oak Reserve)...

Are the Villages at Summer Lake Cypress the ones off Hwy. 50 in Cypress Lakes? If so, these are in Orlando. Also there is a Stoneybrook East in east Orlando off Alafaya and a Stoneybrook West in Winter Garden. I am not aware of a Stoneybrook in Oviedo or Winter Springs. The Stoneybrook Communities East and West are HUGE. Perhaps there is a small community in Oviedo or Winter Springs with the same name.

Kingsbridge and Live Oak Reserve are both in Oviedo and Oak Forest is in Tuscawilla in Winter Springs. Correct?

Just be sure to check out the location, school districts if you have kids, of the communities carefully. In Orlando, everything has grown together, so you can't usually tell when you are going from one town, or even county to another.

For example when we lived in Winter Park, we were in Seminole County and our son attended Seminole schools. His friend who lived a few blocks away in the same community started the year in Seminole County schools, but about a month into the school year, it was discovered that he actually lived in Orange County and he had to change schools. The county line went down the middle of our subdivision.

Do you prefer newer or older homes? I have to run start dinner, I will come back later tonight and respond to your questions regarding conservation, pools, etc. I have both and enjoy them.

Good Luck....

*checks her notes* Okay so the five zipcodes we have here are...
32765, 32825, 32828, 32708, and 32766. I should have clarified. I'm still learning Orlando areas. Our top choices are the one in Kingsbridge East (Oveido), one in Tuskawilla (Winter Springs), and Stoneybrook. I've got specific properties in mind, and we've already viewed them and are doing it a second time this weekend. Checked out the schools and all are excellent from my research (Gotta love trulia.com lol!)

The Winter Springs home is the one with the "retention pond". I know nothing about them, and am curious as to the pros and cons.

I think they all have pools, and having never bought a home before, I'm curious as to the pros and cons of that as well. Same with having a conservation area behind your house. But the more info I have on all of this, the better informed a decision we can make!

ThePolyPrincess · 05-28-2008, 07:00 PM

I, too, would like to hear the pros and cons of having a retention pond behind my house.

I am leaning towards NOT wanting one because of the possible mosquito fest and then there's my whole fear of water snakes and alligators.

I think I would like to have our own pool because of the reasons people gave in my pool thread. //www.city-data.com/forum/orlan...intenance.html
The maintenance doesn't seem that bad, from what people have said. Plus having a screened in back yard area should/could help keep the alligators at bay.

dvg2017 · 05-28-2008, 07:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThePolyPrincess

I think I would like to have our own pool because of the reasons people gave in my pool thread. //www.city-data.com/forum/orlan...intenance.html
The maintenance doesn't seem that bad, from what people have said. Plus having a screened in back yard area should/could help keep the alligators at bay.

That DOES answer my question about having a pool. Thanks! If I remember correctly, out of the five we've whittled it down to, three had pools, and two of those were screened in. The one that wasn't screened it wasn't near a pond/lake nor near a conservation area, so I wasn't worried there (except for the typical Florida summer bugs anyway, which in south Florida anyway can be solved by a few citronella torches in the backyard).

pianogal · 05-28-2008, 09:50 PM

So you already have the pool question answered. Just suffice to say, I wouldn't want to live in Florida without a pool. They're not difficult at all to care for if you have a newer one - and if they have the salt system, maintenance is much cheaper. The salt system is also much easier on your hair and skin.

I really can't answer your question regarding the pond as I haven't lived near one. I live on a large conservation area - with woods on two sides of my home. It is wonderful, but you do have to deal with 'critters'. We sit by the pool and watch the deer feed, we have seen wild turkey, including a mother hen with her chicks. We have also fished a baby possum out of our pool, seen a family of racoons (a mom and 3 babies) lined up on the pool coping getting ready for a drink, had wild hogs tear up our neighbors back yard and bend several pickets in our black iron fence trying to get to our yard and last but not least - had bears visit. Last week - one stole a new very expensive squirrel proof (but not bear proof) bird feeder. We found it in the woods. He or she had a large dinner of bird seed, did his/her business on our lawn and then went for a dip in the pool. We had a perfect paw print on the bottom step...and a big dark, oily spot where his bottom sat on the top step.

DH has also killed a couple of snakes this year, but they both were nonpoisonous. Two were king snakes and we had a black racer sunning himself across the paver path that winds through the side garden yesterday afternoon.

By the way, did I mention the adorable gopher turtles or the birds. We have had a family of cooper hawks living in a tree about 100 yards behind our home for the past 3 years. A pileated woodpecker worked for days to make her nest in a dead tree we can view from our pool deck. She would fly in and out, go into the hole and then her little head would peak out and spit out wood. A few days ago, we saw a couple of baby woodpeckers fly out of the hole.

It's the best entertainment in the world and so relaxing. Now all of this may frighten some folks. I love it! Although this has been my experience over the last 3 years of living in this home, I don't think it is that common for more highly developed areas. I live in a new community and my house backs up to 300 acres of forested land. So each place may be different. However, you should be aware that if you live in the woods....you will have to cohabit with the animals who live there.

Keeper · 05-29-2008, 08:30 AM

Retention ponds can dry up during dry season or just have a little water in them making them a great breeding ground for mosquitoes.
They also will turn a yucky green when it is hot and dry if there isn't some type of fountain to aerate the water.

Any place there is water you have a chance of having gators. Although it is more likely to happen if there is a food source in the pond.

Regarding screens and gators.. well I would have said, it doesn't happen before I saw this..
Alligator In Kitchen, PHOTOS and VIDEO - Living on The Huffington Post

dvg2017 · 06-02-2008, 06:59 PM

Thank you so much everyone!!! We've decided to focus on either Oviedo (alas we've only found one property that meets our criteria...) or Stoneybrook (Dover Glen) as our top two choices. We're putting in an offer on the Oviedo property so HOPEFULLY we'll be residents and be giving out some of the great advice you all have given us as locals.

*hoping for Oviedo, hoping for Oviedo, hoping for Oviedo...*

elocin94 · 06-13-2008, 09:07 AM

How was your move to Oviedo? We are planning on moving in July, we will take a trip the end of June to try and find a house to purchase. Any advice?

dvg2017 · 06-13-2008, 10:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elocin94

How was your move to Oviedo? We are planning on moving in July, we will take a trip the end of June to try and find a house to purchase. Any advice?

We haven't moved yet. We JUST YESTERDAY found a house we liked and are putting in an offer on it. We saw a lot of nice houses, and I DEFINITELY recommend checking out Oviedo and/or Winter Springs. Like most people say, even driving through, you can tell it has that "small town" feel, and the houses don't look "cookie cutter" (like many of the newer subdivisions). The houses have personality to them. The neighborhoods have a very warm feel.