Getting laid-off... Tell me about Winter Garden...

[JDUCKY]

Thank you, this is helpful! She is excited and considering buying a house, but I'm guessing an apartment for a year is probably a smarter idea. Looking for one with a dog park. I had forgotten about the mess at 417!

If she can swing it...buying a house is the way to go. Mortgage rates are literally at record lows. FHA route would mean a small downpayment, too.

Just beware of short sales and foreclosures...prices are very enticing but the process can easily end in frustration if the bank yanks the house off the market (for whatever reason) or doesn't approve the short sale or a higher bidder comes in at the last minute.

Thornton Park area might be ideal...Lake Eola Park is a great place for walking a dog.

 

[DisneyMomma81]

As I said, thank you for all the useless drama

Drama?? I prefer to have all info, you came here acting as though you were considering a move to FL without a job *I'm not the only one who thought that* later on you share that you'd have a job *which is fantastic* I just wonder why you didn't mention that from the start

 

[Traveliz]

You didn't explain that at all, 1st you said laid off, people said "make sure you have a job it's hard to find one here" you came back and said "I'm getting transferred" so yes to me that is fantastic, at least you still have a job. Stay where you are and try and find something else, so you can stay by all you know and love if you'd like *that's what I'd do most likely.

Best of luck whatever your choose.

No actually she said, "My company has given me layoff notice, I can transfer to a couple of places and Im seriously considering Orlando. We visited Winter Garden last September and I could see myself living there. What areas can you recommend? Good schools?"

I understood from the first post that she was laid off from her current location BUT they were offering some transfer options and Orlando was one of them. This same situation happened to my brother --- he was laid off - not being transferred BUT there were some openings allowing for options to transfer...had he not transferred he would have been laid off and eligible for unemployment -- all explained to him in that manner.

That said, we have a condo in Windermere and its right there on the edge of Winter Garden. Love the area. I do pass the schools on my way places and they look nice but that is all I know about them.

Let us know what happens OP.

Liz

 

[lucigo]

If she can swing it...buying a house is the way to go. Mortgage rates are literally at record lows. FHA route would mean a small downpayment, too.

Just beware of short sales and foreclosures...prices are very enticing but the process can easily end in frustration if the bank yanks the house off the market (for whatever reason) or doesn't approve the short sale or a higher bidder comes in at the last minute.

Thornton Park area might be ideal...Lake Eola Park is a great place for walking a dog.

Thornton Park would be VERY close. I will tell her to take a drive around that area, thanks!

 

[E-P-C-O-T]

No actually she said, "My company has given me layoff notice, I can transfer to a couple of places and Im seriously considering Orlando. We visited Winter Garden last September and I could see myself living there. What areas can you recommend? Good schools?"

I understood from the first post that she was laid off from her current location BUT they were offering some transfer options and Orlando was one of them. This same situation happened to my brother --- he was laid off - not being transferred BUT there were some openings allowing for options to transfer...had he not transferred he would have been laid off and eligible for unemployment -- all explained to him in that manner.

That said, we have a condo in Windermere and its right there on the edge of Winter Garden. Love the area. I do pass the schools on my way places and they look nice but that is all I know about them.

Let us know what happens OP.

Liz

I really apprecciate all the helpful suggestions, which is what I really came here for Anyway, we are heading to Orlando next week, as DH has a convention and we will drive around the different areas that were suggested to get a feel of where we would like to move.

Thank you!

 

[JDUCKY]

I really apprecciate all the helpful suggestions, which is what I really came here for Anyway, we are heading to Orlando next week, as DH has a convention and we will drive around the different areas that were suggested to get a feel of where we would like to move.

Thank you!

You can see the area better if you take 535 (not 435 ) all the way up toward the western edge of Windermere. It will sorta "dead end" at Summerport and then turn right and that will take you all the way up to the aforementioned Winter Garden Village shopping center. You might even catch a small glimpse of Ken Griffey Jr.'s house right after Windermere Prep

 

[MMmomto5]

We moved to Windermere a little over a year ago. Our development is right next to the new Publix shopping center. We have grade school age and middle school age kids. Sunset Park elementary is right behind the Walgreen's on 535, and my 7th graders go to Bridgewater Middle school.We are happy with the education and the activities that the schools offer(not sure how things will change with the dropping of No Child Left Behind) As another poster mentioned, they are building a new elementary and middle school due to open later this year. Most of my children's friends live in Winter Garden, and all their families are very happy there. I love our proximity to Disney, but the Winter Garden area has more shopping, dining, and access to major roads.

We looked in Clermont, Winter Garden, Lake Mary, Winter Park, Lake Nona, and here in Windermere. All the above areas had a lot of positives and just a few negatives. Honestly, the only reason we chose where we are now is the proximity to Disney, and the idea that we could see Wishes from our bedrooms. In hindsight, being that I go to school in Lake Mary and my husband works at a hospital downtown, we could have chosen a more central location, but we do love it here.

Good luck with your visit next week and the choices ahead!

 

[robsmom]

I can't speak to the local area too much. I did want to give a suggestion on the forced transfer situation. We had something very similar happen at work a few years back. I was at the receiving location and was not personally impacted but had several friends who were. Many of the people who needed to move or loss their jobs did not want to leave elderly parents, family etc. What happened is that groups of them rented apartments and came without selling their homes or moving their families. They commuted home on weekends and basically did this until they a) found a new job at home or b) decided to stay and really make the move. Just a thought if you have coworkers in the same boat as you.