My fiance and I currently live in Casselberry. We really like it here because it is just far enough away from the hustle and bustle of downtown and it is far away from the tourist attractions. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE living in Orlando for that, but the last thing you're going to want to do is deal with tourist traffic that has absolutely NO idea where they are going EVERY SINGLE DAY on your commute to work.
The other thing we like is that Casselberry is an established neighborhood/city. Trees, housing, the area has been around for awhile so it makes us feel more at home. And the shopping up here is great. If you name a store (TArget,
Walmart, Steinmart, BB & B, Linens n things, malls with big anchor stores, Office Max, Staples, Burlington, you name it) it is no more than maybe 10 minutes from here.
That being said, if you're looking for a new house, you won't find that here. There are very few new housing developments here. The older more established areas of town won't have the newer houses, places like... CAsselberry, Maitland, Winter Park, College Park, Downtown, Thornton Park. Average 2 bedroom house in Casselberry will run you about $300K.
I can comment on Maitland, which is a beautiful area for the most part. Expensive but nice. We live on the Casselberry/Maitland line and I often take my bike and go riding around to look at the houses. Expect $350-400K minimum for an average sized 3 bedroom house in this area.
I drive through Winter Park everyday on my way home from work from downtown Orlando. It is also VERY nice...most parts of it anyway. (You know there's always a bad section of every town.) Winter Park is going to cost you about the same if not more than Maitland and property taxes are pretty bad in Winter Park. That being said, I would move there in a heartbeat if I could afford it. Expect $400K for a decent house.
I can't comment on all of the locations you have listed but I can tell you that Pine Hills is nicknamed "Crime Hills" here. There are more bad parts than good parts of this section of town. I would stray away from here. My boss lives in Ocoee and really likes it there. Ocoee is the marriage of new Florida and old Florida. Seems like for every older neighborhood there is an equal newer neighborhood. Prices are about the same as the Maitland area however you get more home for your buck here. A 1300 sq foot house in Maitland is probably $300K, in Ocoee for $300K, you are probably looking at 1700-1800 sq feet. It's a little more off the beaten path being in West Orlando, but my boss rarely complains of her commute to downtown.
The East side of Orlando (Waterford Lakes area) is really in a HUGE development stage as is south Orlando (Kissimmee/St. Cloud area). YOu'll find new housing dev. popping up everywhere. And there are businesses popping up everywhere as well to go along with the influx of people. I'm always apprehensive to live in areas like this though, constantly cranes, construction, road blockage, changes in traffic patterns etc. HOwever, if that stuff doesn't bother you...then look into it.
One additional area I wanted to comment on is Altamonte Springs. Casselberry is located pretty close to Altamonte and they are both in the same county. There is a TON of new stuff popping up here (right off of I-4). However Altamonte is an old established neighborhood as well so you get the best of both worlds. But be careful of your commute as most likely you'll have to drive south into Orlando to work. ONce you learn the roads in this area, you'll realize that it's not completely necessary to get on I-4, but it's certainly the most direct route.
Wherever you decide to move, you should try to make sure that it's close or in good proximity to where you work. Traffic in Orlando is a bear depending on where you live. If you need to get on I-4, it pretty much sucks during morning and afternoon commutes. The toll roads like the 408 and the 417 have traffic, but not as bad. However, it will likely add a significant amount $$ onto your already high gas prices for the ungodly high tolls.
I knew exactly where my office was going to be before we moved to Orlando so it was easier for us to know which areas would be easier to commute from. I hope that happens for you too! Working in downtown Orlando is actually welcome for me, there is hardly any traffic in the area where I work, and no congestion. The highways is where all the congestion is...I just stay completely away from them!
Don't hesitate to call on me if you need more help. I'm only an email away.
Maybe we will bump into each other down there one day!
