Calling All Orlando area residents...Plz help.

[*Fantasia*]

[color=dark red]I learned that most of you who has PMed me and/responed to my other thread that Hunter's Creek is one of the best place to live in and the schools there are great. I also learned that they are pretty expensive.

How about Kissimmee? Metrowest? Millenia? Winter Garden? Or what part or Orlando is better? North or east, south or west Orlando better? Close to MCO good? Or living near Disney or Universal better? OR is it best to be far away from the parks?

In the PI they have house lizards, do they have that too in Florida? I am sure the maintenance takes care of anything that doesn't belong on the property such as snakes and alligators.

The lightning here in Michigan is very intense. There's been a few times reported that houses gets burned or the trees get stricken and even people too. Is the lightning bad there? I don't mind the storm, but I am however scared of a lightning. And when it rains realy hard, do the frogs come up in the surface? In the PI frogs pops up everywhere!! Gross!

Though creepy crawlers can still creep up, I still think that I will do better living in the 2nd floor or 3rd floor. Maybe less bugs will try to sneak in the apartment.

OK...maybe I may have sounded silly or crazy , but I am serious about these things. I am mentally preparing myself to these things.

I love Orlando! It's where I want to be. I love the atmosphere. I love the people there. I love the diversity. I love the weather. I love the palm trees and other tropical plants and flowers that grows there. I love the simple fact that Disney/Universal are there. I love the fact that I am near the ocean and lots of beach! I love Orlando! It is where I want to be and I want to make it happen. I want my dream to be real.

Any comments, suggestions, infos or anything about Orlando and it's surroundings? Thanks so much in advance! Any infos or opinions are very much apreciated!


Telly [/color]

 

[tinaluis]

Telly,
We are going to be moving to Orlando soon and have checked out many neighborhoods there. As you said in your post, Hunter's Creek is very nice but also very pricey. There is a sub-division near Hunter's Creek called Meadow Woods and home prices are a little more reasonable (so apartment rent should be as well). The schools there are pretty good too. We looked in and around Kissimmee and didn't really find an area we liked. We liked Winter Park but that is getting really pricey too. The Dr. Phillips area near Universal is also nice but pricey. We are currently looking into the area in and around Clermont, FL. Homes are still reasonably priced and the schools seem to be decent too.
Good luck in your search and let me know if you have any specific questions because we're going to be visiting Orlando again at the end of the February and I'd be happy to help if I can.
Tina

 

[DocRafiki]

Central FL (Lakeland specifically, which is between Tampa and Disney) is the lightning capital of the country. But... I'm sure the icy winter roads up there are a much higher risk than our lightning storms are.

 

[*Fantasia*]

Hi Tina.

How soon are you guys moving there? I am planning to move this summer before the kids go back to school in Sept. My target month is early-July. I am not sure if I should go down there in April or May to start putting in my applications for apartments. I just want to make sure I have some place to stay before the school starts again. Am I preparing too early too soon? Or do you think maybe I should just wait until June when the school is done and start looking for an apartment? Thanks Tina!

Thanks DocRafiki. If the lightning is better there (well...not like the lightning is good) then this is good! Yeah..it's bad here. One time I was trying to get home from work and I can't even leave the place cause of the lightning. Then finally I got to the driveway and I can't even get out of the car to even open the house door! Bad huh?! You can see in the sky the zig-zag lines of the ligtning! Very bright!

Telly
Ay yay yay!

 

[IloveDMB]

Originally posted by tinaluis
There is a sub-division near Hunter's Creek called Meadow Woods and home prices are a little more reasonable (so apartment rent should be as well). The schools there are pretty good too.

I don't know how much help I will be but we have a second home in Meadow Woods. We haven't been there in awhile because we rent it out. What my parents rent out the 3 bedroom house for is ridiculously low compared to NJ prices. It's a really nice house in a nice neighborhood about 5 minuted from an elementary school. I think they rent it out for under $900. I can't even imagine what the rent would be like in NJ for that kind of house.

Anyways, back to my point, we always enjoyed our extended stays in Meadow Woods. We always had nice neighbors and the houses are so cute.

 

[4disneyfans]

I pm'd you .Hope it helps.

 

[tinaluis]

Telly,
We're going to be moving down there sometime after December, 2004 (we're trying to decide if we'll RV across the country before moving there). I have a friend who lives in an apartment complex near Hunter's Creek and her opinion is that they always have vacancies there so you shouldn't have too much trouble finding a place. Your can always check with www.apartments.com to find places for rent. The zip code for the area near Hunter's Creek is 32837 (sometimes they let you search by zip).
I'll PM you some more info.
Tina

 

[PandyPaws]

Telly, just an FYI...not sure if you're aware, the schools here get out at the end of May, and first day of school is this year is August 9th.

 

[*Fantasia*]

Thanks Donna. I called one of the apartments in Orlando and the lady mentioned that they get out in May and goes back to school the first week of Aug! I am glad I found this out early. I am thinking of flying to Orlando and checking out some of the schools and maybe talking to the staff there. Of course I want to do this when the school is still open. Can I register my kids during summer or the school office will be closed? Or should I register them in May?

And while I am down there, of course I am going to check out some of the places where we might want to live. I am just trying to narrow down where the nice areas to live without paying too much on the apartments and where it's close to school. I am not so sure when I need to go down there. Or maybe I should go down there in June and do everything then. I don't know.

Telly
Ay yay yay!!

 

[gshoemate]

Since you've visited here before you have probably seen our lizards. I couldn't stand them when we first moved down here but after a while you get used to them. They truely are more afraid of you then you are of them. We have been down here almost 1 1/2 years and have ad 2 of them in the house. The first one just kind of disappeared and the 2nd my DH caught a put it outside. The leasing office just kind of laughed about it, they weren't going to do anything about it. And we believe that we had a snake crawl into our storage shed in the back yard, I found a shedded snake skin hanging from a hole in the wall. They also wouldn't do anything about this. They said that I had to call animal control and they would come take care of it, but only if I told them that I had seen the actual snake. Never did run into it though, I just tell myself that he left out of the same hole he crawled into. You just get used to it. I would so much rather deal with a few lizards and bugs then with the Michigan cold. Oh, and there are Palmetto bugs but they to are afraid of you. We have bi-monthy pest control come in and that seems to take care of them. It's just part of Florida.

I don't think I gave you this link before....it has alot of houses for rent in differant areas so you can get an idea of the cost of living. I think I have even seen a few houses listed in Hunter's Creek....http://www.rentclicks.com/default.asp?ws=53

 

[*Fantasia*]

AAAHHHHHH!!!! (faint!) HOLY COW! Oh..HOLY SNAKE!! Oh my! Oh boy! Oh gosh! Only once I have seen a couple or so roach in the Disney resort which is good. I just hope it won't be so bad at the apartment. I will make sure I close all the windows and seal those doors thight!

Now I am just wondering if those creatures get in the business buildings too. Can you imagine me screaming in the bathroom at my job?

Thanks Ginger for the infos and the link.

 

[suzannews]

I live in South Clermont now and lived in Kissimmee for over 10 yrs. I also have an 8 yr old so let me know if I can be of any help to you. As stated before, school here starts the beginning of August. There is a new subdivison going up a few miles north of me thats starting in the $160's.

Good luck!

 

[TennVolTony]

I'm in Hunters Creek......PM sent

 

[Miss Jasmine]

Just a little advice for when you go looking at schools. Most likely you will be told what "GRADE" the school received overall for the FCAT (a standardized test required in Florida). Please be aware that not all "A" schools are equal. There are different ways for the school to achieve this grade. Improvement in scores over the last year are taken into consideration, so you may see a "C" school leap to an "A" school, but really based on score alone it should really be a "B". It is so important to talk to other parents and even the teachers.

Good luck. Property value is skyrocketing in Central Florida, as you have seen.

 

[FOJMO]

Here's a link you may find helpful for Orange County FL Schools --

http://www.ocps.k12.fl.us/$zr1$33b25466c78fa883795bd623fa436f0b$13adc476abb6/newcomer.rhtml

I lived in Apopka, FL, about 10 miles NW of Orlando. We liked it there very much. It's about 30 minutes away from WDW.

We now live in the Tampa Bay area. Lightning is extreme in FL -- it is the lightning capital of the US. As far as bugs, lizards, etc., we have a pest control company that sprays our house every 2 months for $23 and we NEVER saw a bug in our house in the 15 years we've lived here. The lizards stay outside unless you keep your windows and doors wide open. We keep ours closed all the time and live on A/C.

Good luck in your relocation.

 

[FOJMO]

Sorry about that -- here's the link to click on --

http://www.ocps.k12.fl.us/

Then click on Newcomers Link

 

[JustHolly]

We looked at and liked Hunter's Creek when we were deciding where to move to from NH. What we didn't like about it was all of the traffic to get in and out of the Hunter's Creek area. The John Young Parkway is a nightmare!

Also look west of Orlando, like the Clermont, Davenport, Champion's Gate area. The schools in this area are pretty good and there are some great Charter Schools in this area as well. The traffic is not quite as bad in these areas as well. We're only 10 minutes from WDW, and less than 30 from anywhere in Orlando.

 

[*Fantasia*]

I was talking to my co-worker today and she said that the pest control actually come inside the apartment and spray the pesticide. She has a family in Fl that's why she knows. I thought they just spray around the building. Well this is good to know. I don't have to worry so much about the bugs just moving in with us!

Is it really the lightning capital of the US? Oh no! And I am terrified of lightning!

Hmmm...stay away from John Young Parkway, I'll definitely consider that too. And JustHolly, I will look into those cities you've mentioned. Thanks.

Thanks FOJMO for the link. I might even visit a few schools and talk to the principals or staffs before moving there. And thanks for the infos Miss Jasmine.

Tony, I got your PM. I PMed you back, thanks!

suzannews, did you like Kissimmee? I am also considering this area. How was it?

Thank you thank you...Thank you soo much everyone for giving for giving me some great advice and infos. This sure helps me get to know more about Orlando.


Telly

Anymore infos are greatly appreciated. Anything about Orlando area you'd like to share would be great!