Celebration or The Villages for a vacation home

[PollyannaMom]

...So which one would you choose?

I've always wanted to live in Celebration.

 

[Tiffany]

yes

Thanks.

 

[lemondog]

What a timely thread. My parents have just informed the world (via FB which is how I found out ) that they are going to buy a winter home in Florida and live there 6 months of the year...basically winters.

They are particularly interested in the Villages. They know someone who lives there and raves about it. I of course had to give them a hard time...you retire to Florida and you pick Ocala of all places? LOL!! But seriously, I know it is their choice although of course I would like it to be a wee bit closer to Disney or the beach. Will be following this thread to give them some more ideas. Keep the recommendations coming!

 

[GeorgeG]

What a timely thread. My parents have just informed the world (via FB which is how I found out ) that they are going to buy a winter home in Florida and live there 6 months of the year...basically winters.

They are particularly interested in the Villages. They know someone who lives there and raves about it. I of course had to give them a hard time...you retire to Florida and you pick Ocala of all places? LOL!! But seriously, I know it is their choice although of course I would like it to be a wee bit closer to Disney or the beach. Will be following this thread to give them some more ideas. Keep the recommendations coming!

The Villages is not Ocala. We're 15 miles south of Ocala.

We originally looked along the west coast and are glad we stayed away from the coastal areas. While the beaches in Florida are some of the best in the country, there is a downside to living nearby. During the tourist season the traffic becomes gridlock in many areas and the homeowner's insurance, specifically the wind damage clause (hurricane) is very expensive. The inland counties are a less risk from hurricanes and the insurance is normal. We are still an easy day trip to either coast, though.

 

[grammynelliebelle]

Interested in this thread. We live in NJ and have been renting in Kissimmee for the winter (poolhome)for the last two years. Thinking about downsizing in NJ and spending more time in Fla. Solivita looks interesting. We do like to have our grandkids come over the winter and they stay 1-2 weeks. Any problems with that ? We are in our mid 60's and I am wondering if that would be typical of residents there? Hope to visit the community when we are there this winter. TIAGrammy

 

[Cheshire Figment]

The federal rules for any over-55 community, to be exempt from age discrimination laws, are threefold.

1. At least one purchaser/resident in each unit must be at least 55.
2. At least 80% of the residents in the development must be at least 55.
3. There may be no resident under age 18.

This last is interpreted by most locations (including Solivita) that no one person under age 18 may reside in a particular unit for more than 30 days in any calendar year. You can have an assortment of people under age 18 for a total of more than 30 days, but no one person 30 days or more. Such as eight grandchildren for a week each, and each a separate week.

 

[Dax]

Currently there are about 3,500 occupied houses and plans to build about another 2,600 (but the area is eight square miles.

And there is a new hospital with construction starting across the street from the main entrance.

We are getting a hospital? Where is this going in? I must be out of it to not know its going in..LOL..

 

[Cheshire Figment]

It has received all approvals and is supposed be be constructed at the NE corner of Marigold and Cypress Parkway.

 

[Muffy]

We are part time residents of Celebration. We bought an Artisan Park condo in Celebration in 2006 and have loved it. We recently bought an estate house (foreclosure) in Celebration at an incredible price. Now is defiantly the time to buy in FL. Check everything out well and get a good realtor.

 

[grammynelliebelle]

Sounds great! Good luck with your new place Muffy. Thanks for the info re the kids Cheshire. The laws may just save a grandparents sanity!LOL Grammy

 

[Tiffany]

We are part time residents of Celebration. We bought an Artisan Park condo in Celebration in 2006 and have loved it. We recently bought an estate house (foreclosure) in Celebration at an incredible price. Now is defiantly the time to buy in FL. Check everything out well and get a good realtor.

We like the condos in Artisan Park and at Mirasol. We want something that we can just lock the door on when we head back up north and not worry about anything.

 

[tinkerfan1]

Oh, I am so envious. You will so be living my (our) dream. We always talk about how we would love to be able to retire some day, live near WDW a few months of the year, and in NE the remainder. I have never been to MA or VT or anywhere up that way but I subscribe to Yankee Trader and do my best at imagining what it would be like...

 

[PatriciaH]

I don't know, the condos in Celebration make me nervous. We own one we are trying to sell. Do your research. When we left in April Mirasol was for sale. Mona Lisa was bankrupt. Georgetown lost its management company and was being sued by them and the landscaping company. Not sure where that stands now (that was going on for a while.) Lots of empty units there and they have a problem with teens breaking in and having wild parties. Same with the townhomes downtown Very $$$ (more than a nice home) so several are empty or rented to whoever they can get to rent them. Siena is probably the worst of the lot. Nice complex but right near the high school and out of the way of most of town so crime issues there. Lots of problems with the pool and cars being vandalized. Many call Siena "the ghetto of Celebration." Nice. People also say that about North Village though too (where Georgetown is) and some of the nicest homes are there on the golf course. Artisan park has many empty homes still. The condos look like the projects to me but inside they are beautiful. I heard they have issues with trash pickup and vandalism in the stair ways now. This all comes from the town message board and friends that live in these units.

We still like Celebration a lot-my parents have a house there. I hope Florida bounces back and Celebration can come back to what it used to be. Right now you can get a bargain but I would always look at a small house over a condo. The electric and taxes are way too much for a large home. It is also becoming a vacation/second home type of place and I do not think that is good for the community. It is not a great area right outside the gates and with so many poor and desperate now they come to Celebration thinking people there have a lot. You never heard about crime before and now there are cars and homes being broken into all the time.

 

[Tiffany]

I don't know, the condos in Celebration make me nervous. We own one we are trying to sell. Do your research. When we left in April Mirasol was for sale. Mona Lisa was bankrupt. Georgetown lost its management company and was being sued by them and the landscaping company. Not sure where that stands now (that was going on for a while.) Lots of empty units there and they have a problem with teens breaking in and having wild parties. Same with the townhomes downtown Very $$$ (more than a nice home) so several are empty or rented to whoever they can get to rent them. Siena is probably the worst of the lot. Nice complex but right near the high school and out of the way of most of town so crime issues there. Lots of problems with the pool and cars being vandalized. Many call Siena "the ghetto of Celebration." Nice. People also say that about North Village though too (where Georgetown is) and some of the nicest homes are there on the golf course. Artisan park has many empty homes still. The condos look like the projects to me but inside they are beautiful. I heard they have issues with trash pickup and vandalism in the stair ways now. This all comes from the town message board and friends that live in these units.

We still like Celebration a lot-my parents have a house there. I hope Florida bounces back and Celebration can come back to what it used to be. Right now you can get a bargain but I would always look at a small house over a condo. The electric and taxes are way too much for a large home. It is also becoming a vacation/second home type of place and I do not think that is good for the community. It is not a great area right outside the gates and with so many poor and desperate now they come to Celebration thinking people there have a lot. You never heard about crime before and now there are cars and homes being broken into all the time.

Interesting. Thanks for an honest post. There is crime everywhere and I have a feeling that Celebrations crime rate is lowers than Boston's also I have a geeling that there is no place in Celebration that will compare to the true "ghetto" areas of Boston. We go down to FL for a week in Jan for vacation so we are going to checkout some different areas during our trip.

 

[C.Ann]

Having been to The Villages many, many times, that would be my choice if I wanted to live in Florida.. I think they're just gorgeous - so unique - and the drive to WDW is not bad at all.. (I've done it several times..)

Good luck with your decision..

 

[Feralpeg]

Interesting. Thanks for an honest post. There is crime everywhere and I have a feeling that Celebrations crime rate is lowers than Boston's also I have a geeling that there is no place in Celebration that will compare to the true "ghetto" areas of Boston. We go down to FL for a week in Jan for vacation so we are going to checkout some different areas during our trip.

Do keep in mind that there are other areas in greater Orlando that are great places to live. My area is very close to WDW. I am only 5 minutes from Magic Kingdom and 10 minutes from Downtown Disney. I have seen no evidence of rampant crime in my area. I walk alone at night in my neighborhood and am never concerned. I've not had any vandalism nor have I seen any in the neighborhood. I think my area is quieter than Celebration. Of course, we don't have a quaint downtown area like Celebration, but I am so closed to Downtown Disney that it doesn't bother me. A good feature is that we don't get tourists. People treat Celebration like another tourist attraction. I wouldn't like that.

Give a look to other neighborhoods in Orlando. You might find that you like them better.

 

[grammynelliebelle]

What do you Disers who are WDW locals think of the area out on 27 like Davenport or Clermont. I realize these are a little drive but thinking of it as a permanent residence not a vacation rental. TIA Grammy

 

[grammynelliebelle]

Bumping up! What do you all think of the Rt 27 area? Doesn't necessarily have to be a retirement community, but over 55 area is of interest. TIA Grammy

 

[ilovefh]

Bumping up! What do you all think of the Rt 27 area? Doesn't necessarily have to be a retirement community, but over 55 area is of interest. TIA Grammy

I like the area. In June when my mom was here we looked at Windmill Village which is a 55+ community. She liked it and is going back to look at it again when they come in two weeks. The people we met were very nice and helpful and they seemed to have a lot of activities. They are looking to rent for the winter because they don't know where they would want to buy. They rented in two different places the last two winters on the west coast of FL. They determined they were too bored and they need part time jobs to fill some of their time. They are hoping to try the Central FL area this winter and maybe work in Disney part time.

I'll let you know what they think of it after their visit.

 

[Tiffany]

Having been to The Villages many, many times, that would be my choice if I wanted to live in Florida.. I think they're just gorgeous - so unique - and the drive to WDW is not bad at all.. (I've done it several times..)

Good luck with your decision..

Thanks for the feedback. The Villages do look great but our only concern is that they are all single family homes so the grounds would need to be taken care of when we are back north as well as checking for damage after any bad storms etc. We were thinking that a condo complex might be the better way to go so that when we head back north all we have to do is lock the door behind us. Any places in the Villages were you can do that?