Moving to Orlando (probably) - help me decide

Why do many people say to rent first?
is it to give more time to learn about the area? Or because your desires change once you get settled there? We really don’t want to rent
 
Watch out for homeowners association fees. I just looked at a $360,000 home in Kissimmee and they wanted close to $500/month for the HOA.

For people who live in Florida, how do you find out how much property taxes will be on a newly purchased home if the rate has been lowered due to Save Our Homes? It may explain why property taxes have doubled in one year on some houses. That would be quite a surprise.

You can look at any property on the property appraiser's website, and it'll tell you what the taxes would be without SOH.
 
Why do many people say to rent first?
is it to give more time to learn about the area? Or because your desires change once you get settled there? We really don’t want to rent
Because there are a lot of bad areas in Orlando. Some next to very nice areas. Almost every apartment complex is bad, most condos that allow rentals are bad, some areas allow vacation rentals. It’s best to know the area before purchasing a house in the Orlando area. We are gone many months at a time and prefer a gated area with a high monthly fee.
 
We rented for 5 years in 4 different houses because we didn't know which area would be best for us. We started in East Orlando and moved closer and closer to Disney each time, till we found a house that is 10 minutes southwest from Disney. It is considered in the "Four Corners" area where the 4 counties meet...west of Celebration. I would recommend renting for awhile first and you should be close to your work. Traffic is really crazy here.
 


Why do many people say to rent first?
is it to give more time to learn about the area? Or because your desires change once you get settled there? We really don’t want to rent
Moving to a city you know little about and locking yourself in by buying a home can lead to stress and dissatisfaction if you choose unwisely. Selling a home quickly after buying it can be an expensive mistake.

This really comes down to how risk-averse you are and how picky you are about where you live. Renting for a while is a way to get to know the city better, but, of course, there are costs with that as well, as it isn't cheap to move, especially if you have a lot of stuff.

There are so many factors that come into play when looking for a home that it can take a while to figure out exactly what you want, such as the neighborhood schools, CDD fees, association fees, do you want to live in a neighborhood that has an HOA fee and all the rules that come with living in a community like that.

In the end, the choice is yours, of course.
 
Buy near where you work. Preferably someplace with multiple ways to get there.
For school districts I prefer Seminole County. But others will pick a place where they like that areas zoned school. You are one zoning change away from a poor school.
Seminole County is top notch and has both zoned and school choice for it's students. It was the only central Florida school district able to offer 4 choices for students following covid this fall. Each choice can be changed at the beginning of each of the 4 quarters.
Don't be fooled by the availability of sunrail. It won't get you to work on time. Adventhealth recently went to a point system for missing work. Including if you test positive for covid and are asymptomatic you must report for your shift or get points.
 


Because there are a lot of bad areas in Orlando. Some next to very nice areas. Almost every apartment complex is bad, most condos that allow rentals are bad, some areas allow vacation rentals. It’s best to know the area before purchasing a house in the Orlando area. We are gone many months at a time and prefer a gated area with a high monthly fee.
My personal favorite condominiums that are very very attractively priced. You can bet your bottom dollar it's got a sinkhole and sellers aren't required to tell you.
 
My personal favorite condominiums that are very very attractively priced. You can bet your bottom dollar it's got a sinkhole and sellers aren't required to tell you.
We are looking for a 4 bedroom house, in a gated community with a moderate HOA so hoping with this criteria, we will have some better quality homes to choose from. No kids so school zones do not matter
Will be working at Orlando Adventhealth campus right in the city - large hospital.

Any good areas that will give us the house we want with an acceptable commute? (within about 30 mins drive)
 
We are looking for a 4 bedroom house, in a gated community with a moderate HOA so hoping with this criteria, we will have some better quality homes to choose from. No kids so school zones do not matter
Will be working at Orlando Adventhealth campus right in the city - large hospital.

Any good areas that will give us the house we want with an acceptable commute? (within about 30 mins drive)
I'm there today. So look for Winter Park ish area. Baldwin Park. It's gonna cost you though. I live in Lake Mary. It takes me about 19-25 minutes to drive in for a 7 am shift. Then you have to park and hoof it in. So plan on an extra 15 from your car to your floor. You'd be 45 minutes from Disney. Live on the other side of AH and you'll be in craptastic traffic no matter what.
There are 4 different routes you can use when there is a wreck on IT.
I4- stupid autocorrect
 
Hi i am in the process of buying a home 4 BD ... about 25 miles east of Orlando and south of Alafaya. My DH ended up getting a 100 percent remote job so we only had to worry about college commute. We are from CT so new climate for us. That’s funny my DH was waiting from a response from Advent but got another offer instead.

We really like the area we are going to it is far enough from the tourist and higher crime areas. We are still within a half hour to all parks.

We have always visited between June and September and don’t mind the heat. We liked areas in Seminole county but ultimately wanted where we are. We made sure we got a pool and good A/C.

Renting was not an option for us but I agree it could be a good way to see what you like.

if you have any questions you can PM me.

good luck and congratulations
 
We rented because we decided to have a home built rather than buy from existing inventory. We rented a furnished condo and put everything in storage until the house was completed.

I am from Ohio. The best way I know to explain the weather is that it will be the opposite of what you are used to. You will spend a lot of time indoors in the summer and outdoors in the winter. I remember in the winter up north we would basically go from the house to the car to whatever indoor space we would be in for the day, and that is how summer is here. I have been in Florida now for 39 years and you couldn’t pay me to spend time outside in the summer. But the mild winters make up for it for sure. We moved in June, so right into the summer humidity and heat. I actually think that was easier than if we had moved when there was a bigger difference in temperatures.

We had a pool at our first Florida house, but after a few years, we just found we weren’t using it much anymore. So the current house does not have a pool, although there is room for one. Pools can be a lot of work, some more than others. I don’t think we were prepared for how much upkeep there would be since we did not have a pool up north.
 
I'm there today. So look for Winter Park ish area. Baldwin Park. It's gonna cost you though. I live in Lake Mary. It takes me about 19-25 minutes to drive in for a 7 am shift. Then you have to park and hoof it in. So plan on an extra 15 from your car to your floor. You'd be 45 minutes from Disney. Live on the other side of AH and you'll be in craptastic traffic no matter what.
There are 4 different routes you can use when there is a wreck on IT.
I4- stupid autocorrect
We don't specifically care about our proximity to Disney but I def do not want a 45 minute daily commute to AH downtown
 
We don't specifically care about our proximity to Disney but I def do not want a 45 minute daily commute to AH downtown
Then live towards Seminole County. You can get some quickish commute places in the ocoee area if you don't care about schools.
If you have the cash look at The Springs. That's my ideal eventually live place. Not a sfd but a townhome. They have both. Not a long commute and super nice amenities.
 
I totally agree. I moved here in 2004 and have never gotten used to the heat in the summer.
I have made friends at both my jobs, but since I work 7 days a week, my "full times" are limited, especially now. But you will want to live close/near where you work as to cut your commuting time. My last F/T job was 11 miles from my house, but I used to spend about 1 hr 15 minutes a day in the car going between Oviedo and Maitland...
The housing situation here is tight. It is a sellers market. You might want to consider renting a house or apt first and taking your time to look around for a more permanent place to live.
We are thinking of Oviedo. Hearing it’s quite a commute to Orlando area
 
Hi i am in the process of buying a home 4 BD ... about 25 miles east of Orlando and south of Alafaya. My DH ended up getting a 100 percent remote job so we only had to worry about college commute. We are from CT so new climate for us. That’s funny my DH was waiting from a response from Advent but got another offer instead.

We really like the area we are going to it is far enough from the tourist and higher crime areas. We are still within a half hour to all parks.

We have always visited between June and September and don’t mind the heat. We liked areas in Seminole county but ultimately wanted where we are. We made sure we got a pool and good A/C.

Renting was not an option for us but I agree it could be a good way to see what you like.

if you have any questions you can PM me.

good luck and congratulations
We are likely moving there from ct too. Which town did you end up purchasing in?
 
I'm there today. So look for Winter Park ish area. Baldwin Park. It's gonna cost you though. I live in Lake Mary. It takes me about 19-25 minutes to drive in for a 7 am shift. Then you have to park and hoof it in. So plan on an extra 15 from your car to your floor. You'd be 45 minutes from Disney. Live on the other side of AH and you'll be in craptastic traffic no matter what.
There are 4 different routes you can use when there is a wreck on IT.
I4- stupid autocorrect
Buy near where you work. Preferably someplace with multiple ways to get there.
For school districts I prefer Seminole County. But others will pick a place where they like that areas zoned school. You are one zoning change away from a poor school.
Seminole County is top notch and has both zoned and school choice for it's students. It was the only central Florida school district able to offer 4 choices for students following covid this fall. Each choice can be changed at the beginning of each of the 4 quarters.
Don't be fooled by the availability of sunrail. It won't get you to work on time. Adventhealth recently went to a point system for missing work. Including if you test positive for covid and are asymptomatic you must report for your shift or get points.
Do you work at advent health?
 

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