Question about moving to FL

[boxer]

Not sure if this can be posted here--so Mod's feel free to move if the wrong forum.

After YEARS of trying to find a job in FL, I finally got a call last night to attend a job interview in the next couple days. They are flying me down and paying the bill--so it sounds very promising that I can get this position. The company is out of Maitland, but I don't know much about this town (other than being around 30min from Disney--which was the first thing I checked, lol). Need to know schools, houses, living costs, etc. Prefer to be in a school district that is 'large school' (AAA?) as my sons are very good athletes.

Need advice quick. They want this position filled in the next month, so I have ALOT of research to do, and quick. Hate to post on this forum section--but I know others on here have relocated, so I'm looking for advice from them.

 

[jsrj21]

I wish I had answers for you but I'm following this thread as I have similar questions about moving to the Orlando area [let's be real, what I meant to say was the Disney area!]. I wish you nothing but the best though...and hope you get the job. As with anywhere, I'm sure you'll be able to find the place that's right for you and your family nearby. All the best!

 

[3cmom]

I wish you lots of luck! We're looking at moving to the Orlando area in about 2 years and will be in your shoes then as well.

 

[hiroMYhero]

Not sure if this can be posted here--so Mod's feel free to move if the wrong forum.

After YEARS of trying to find a job in FL, I finally got a call last night to attend a job interview in the next couple days. They are flying me down and paying the bill--so it sounds very promising that I can get this position. The company is out of Maitland, but I don't know much about this town (other than being around 30min from Disney--which was the first thing I checked, lol). Need to know schools, houses, living costs, etc. Prefer to be in a school district that is 'large school' (AAA?) as my sons are very good athletes.

Need advice quick. They want this position filled in the next month, so I have ALOT of research to do, and quick. Hate to post on this forum section--but I know others on here have relocated, so I'm looking for advice from them.

Moving you to the Orlando Board as there are many posters who provide tips on moving to the Orlando area.

 

[boxer]

I wish I had answers for you but I'm following this thread as I have similar questions about moving to the Orlando area [let's be real, what I meant to say was the Disney area!]. I wish you nothing but the best though...and hope you get the job. As with anywhere, I'm sure you'll be able to find the place that's right for you and your family nearby. All the best!

This is YEARS in the making, and I can't believe I'm saying this---but I'm nervous, lol. We actually put an offer on a house about 4-5 years ago while on vacation, but the job position fell through. That was during the recession, so I didn't feel comfortable relocating without a great job. Too bad, because the house we offered on was BEAUTIFUL, and came at a great price (short sale).

I'm not familiar with Maitland, but it looks close to some areas I hear good things about (Winter Park). Need ALOT of info from you guys on here--and need it quick, lol

 

[babyruth]

Maitland itself I don't have a lot of info on - my mom lived there when she was a kid so anything I would say would probably be wrong - but surrounding areas....

So Winter Park is next to it and it's upscale. Think retirees, quaint downtown shopping, private colleges. The high school there looked smallish I used to walk by it and barely notice it was a high school. Though that could have changed in the past 15 years. Supposedly a younger family bought my grandmothers house so maybe the demographic there is changing. Altamonte/Winter Springs is more established for families. Oviedo is a newer area developed over the past 20 years or so. The elementary schools in Oviedo are ranked high. My cousins were big athletes in their day years ago and the Lake Mary/Sanford area had a great football program. Seminole County schools are rumored better than Orange County (which is Maitland.) Though I have no direct experience only hearsay through family. You do not want to live in the middle of touristville as nice as it sounds to be near Disney. I wouldn't move my family to Orlando proper. If I were taking my teens I would be heading to Sanford area. Not sure where you are moving from or your kids ages.

 

[boxer]

Maitland itself I don't have a lot of info on - my mom lived there when she was a kid so anything I would say would probably be wrong - but surrounding areas....

So Winter Park is next to it and it's upscale. Think retirees, quaint downtown shopping, private colleges. The high school there looked smallish I used to walk by it and barely notice it was a high school. Though that could have changed in the past 15 years. Supposedly a younger family bought my grandmothers house so maybe the demographic there is changing. Altamonte/Winter Springs is more established for families. Oviedo is a newer area developed over the past 20 years or so. The elementary schools in Oviedo are ranked high. My cousins were big athletes in their day years ago and the Lake Mary/Sanford area had a great football program. Seminole County schools are rumored better than Orange County (which is Maitland.) Though I have no direct experience only hearsay through family. You do not want to live in the middle of touristville as nice as it sounds to be near Disney. I wouldn't move my family to Orlando proper. If I were taking my teens I would be heading to Sanford area. Not sure where you are moving from or your kids ages.

Kids are 16 and 9 (the picture in my profile is really old, lol). We would be moving from PA if that helps. I get all those 'Winter' towns confused, so maybe I was thinking about Winter Springs? I know this sounds trivial, but we are a wrestling family, so we need a school with an excellent program. Again, one of those 'Winter' schools came recommended on a forum, but I can't remember which one. Also looking to make my commute to Maitland relatively comfortable, so proximity is also a big concern.

 

[hiroMYhero]

@boxer ~ Maitland is adjacent to Winter Park.

My CM friend lives in Davenport which is in Polk County and about 20 minutes south of Disney. That county isn't known for its schools.

The Davenport/Clermont/Champions Gate areas have a lot of new housing developments. The Winter Park area is a much older, more established area.

 

[HopperFan]

DH used to work in Maitland often, flying so driving from airport. Once trip we stayed at WDW, and he commuted back and forth. If the job is in Maitland I would try to stay as close to there as possible to avoid long commutes. Had a friend who lived in Winter Park until this summer (moved closer to downtown Orlando) and it is very nice. Best bet if you are thinking public school, I would read up on all the ranking sites on the districts and schools.

 

[boxer]

So mapquest is showing that most of the 'Winter' towns are relatively close to Maitland. All seems within a 15-20min commute--but not sure if that is accounting for traffic? I guess no one knows about the sports programs at the schools surrounding Maitland?

 

[hiroMYhero]

I'll Google anything!

https://k12.nichebeta.com/rankings/public-high-schools/best-overall/m/orlando-metro-area/

 

[BrinkofSunshine]

Maitland is a really beautiful area. It's adjacent to Winter Park, which is extremely affluent. I'm not sure what high school Maitland is zoned for, but the schools in that general area are usually very good. I don't know how big Winter Park High School is, but it's one of the best (if not THE best) high schools in Orange County.

 

[boxer]

Just looked at houses in Winter Park, and my god....they are expensive! The little bit of research I did today seems to point me to Winter Springs--for schools, athletics, and semi-affordable housing.

 

[jsrj21]

The Winter Park area is a much older, more established area.

On our last trip from Aug 8-21, my family and I spent Aug 8 and 9 outside of Disney and did some looking around. We're from CT and based on research and a few people that we know, we looked around Winter Park, Oviedo, and Celebration. I have to say, Winter Park is very nice....reminds me of up north with big trees and a quaint town-like feel. We did the Scenic Boat Tour http://www.scenicboattours.com/ and the guide was a great resource as far as the area. My sister in law has two houses in Kissimmee and although it's a decent area, I'd be worried about the schools. My son's in college so those days for us are gone. You have to do your due diligence as far as that's concerned. I also have a friend that lives in Winter Springs and they love it. Their children are toddlers but they love that town. Friends in Davenport as well but they don't have school-aged children.....they love it but that's a big point for you - as it should be. All the best! Sounds exciting but stressful....like most good things in life.

 

[writerguyfl]

So mapquest is showing that most of the 'Winter' towns are relatively close to Maitland. All seems within a 15-20min commute--but not sure if that is accounting for traffic?

Google Maps has a feature where you can enter times. For example, you can enter two points and indicate you want to "arrive by 9am". It will give you an estimated time based on traffic, like "typically 26 to 37 minutes".

Just looked at houses in Winter Park, and my god....they are expensive! The little bit of research I did today seems to point me to Winter Springs--for schools, athletics, and semi-affordable housing.

Florida has a system that assigns letter grades to schools. That won't help you with athletics, but it might help you with academics. You can download a spreadsheet with the letter grades and many more measurements at the Florida Department of Education website:

http://schoolgrades.fldoe.org/

 

[kohlby]

We're moving to the Orlando area soon. Hubby got a job at Universal Studios. He'll be starting before we move though - we have too much to get done! We're looking at a little different area than you. One thing I keep reading about is how awful I-4 is and how it can easily turn a short commute into a long one. So, when planning your commute, keep that in mind. We're looking in areas that let my husband avoid I-4 for the most part when going to work.

 

[Grumpy92]

Winter Park is the community that every one wants to live in. Other areas a little north of Maitland that are nice, Lake Mary, Heathrow
Dr Phillips and Lake Nona are popular but it is a commute to Maitland
I-4 can be a parking lot most of the day so if you can get away from using that to commute to work I would strongly recommend that.

Lots of growth/new developments in Winter Garden which is closer to WDW but the commute will drive you nuts.

 

[kg88]

Not sure if this can be posted here--so Mod's feel free to move if the wrong forum.

After YEARS of trying to find a job in FL, I finally got a call last night to attend a job interview in the next couple days. They are flying me down and paying the bill--so it sounds very promising that I can get this position. The company is out of Maitland, but I don't know much about this town (other than being around 30min from Disney--which was the first thing I checked, lol). Need to know schools, houses, living costs, etc. Prefer to be in a school district that is 'large school' (AAA?) as my sons are very good athletes.

Need advice quick. They want this position filled in the next month, so I have ALOT of research to do, and quick. Hate to post on this forum section--but I know others on here have relocated, so I'm looking for advice from them.[/QUOTE

My family moved from Cincinnati to Orlando when I was 15. We lived in the Sabal Point neighborhood in Longwood, which is just a bit north of Maitland, and next to Altamonte Springs. I went to Lake Brantley High School, which was a great school back then, land still very highly rated. Look at the school website and you will be impressed. Sports are great there, beautiful, huge campus, academics very good too. The surrounding very nice neighborhoods are Sweetwater Oaks and Wekiva. Its a very nice family area of Orlando to live in. Lake Mary High School, which is close by, is also highly rated.

 

[boxer]

Interview went really well, and hope to hear back by early next week. Actually looked at Oviedo and Winter Springs--with Winter Springs looking like a better fit for us.

We're moving to the Orlando area soon. Hubby got a job at Universal Studios. He'll be starting before we move though - we have too much to get done! We're looking at a little different area than you. One thing I keep reading about is how awful I-4 is and how it can easily turn a short commute into a long one. So, when planning your commute, keep that in mind. We're looking in areas that let my husband avoid I-4 for the most part when going to work.

CONGRATS!!!! I've applied there for a few years too, but can't seem to get in the door.

 

[mickey2minnie1]

Best of luck! We are looking at 4-5 years.