Jo Ann,

We will keep it simple.....The greatest factor regarding the best place is "personal Preference." The best process should be finding you becoming personally familiar with our location.

Plan a vacation and set a goal of just becoming familiar with our beautiful opportunities. Nothing else....You will then be able to make sense and process your options more meaningfilly.

Good luck,
The "Eckler Team"
Century 21 Alamr and Associates
eckler team@comcast.net

Sun May 18 2008, 07:18

Jo Ann ~ I regret that you have to pore through such a myriad of messages to get a fair answer, but your short question leaves us wondering which requirements are most important to you. I've lived in Orlando for 35 years, in different parts of town, and have many friends & family in surrounding areas. Your lifestyle choices might change incrementally over time. You may be an empty-nester for a few years, then may feel a tug to be near your grandchildren or take up another choice. Your best bet is to visit us at some point in the 2-year window & spend time getting to know the area.

In addition to new & existing home marketing & buyers' representation, our company offers both rental and auction divisions. We also offer a Relocation Specialist designation, which i have earned in addtional to my National Association of Realtors International Property Specialist certification. Retired from 30 years in the hospitality industry, i can tell you that Orlando is much more than our theme parks & attractions & that most of us enjoy numerous other amenities & recreational opportunities that do not involve the tourist outlets. Matthew is right, i love my home in Mount Dora & only moved back downtown due to personal needs in my family. Please feel free to let me know if you want to visit ~ i need to get back to making arrangements for another client to come from Tennessee next week! All my best, Vivian

Fri May 16 2008, 14:52

I have been in the Orlando area for 10 years originally from N.J.. This will be a big adjustment for you. It took 10 years to find an area that I was happy with. I did the Clermont thing and the Williamsburg area, but I was never truly happy with my home until I moved to Mount Dora last year. Look it up. It has a lot to offer. Mostly it reminds me of the North, and is a very eclectic town to live in. A true community, not a spreadout flat suburb that you don't even know your neighbors. check it out. It is 30 minutes to downtown and the attractions and 40 minutes to the Orlando I'ntl Airport. Kings ridge is full of old fogies and Summit Greens is a cookie cutter golf community, but nice if you like that. The town must have a heart and they are few and far between. Google Mt. Dora and see. best of luck to you Jo Ann.

Fri May 16 2008, 13:55

CELEBRATION ( the town that Disney built)

Fri May 16 2008, 08:21

Hi Marian,

I'm afraid that such an advertisement for your services is not permitted on Trulia Voices. Please review our Community Guidelines located at http://www.trulia.com/guidelines/ and check out our Agent Best Practices blog post at the link below for more helpful information.

Best Wishes,

Leslie Taylor
Trulia Voices Moderator

Thu May 1 2008, 11:32

Jo Ann - are you following this conversation? Give us your input....

Wed Apr 23 2008, 12:37

Hi Jo Ann,

It all depends on what ammenities you are looking for, location, and price range. There are many communities I could refer to you but it would be best for you to contact me to discuss further. I have lived in the Orlando area since 1979 and very familiar with all surrounding areas as well. I look forward to hearing from you.

Wed Apr 23 2008, 12:12

Jo Ann,

Kings Ridge is definitely a very beautiful community. If you have ever heard of Lennar Homes, they are the builder in there. Summit Greens is also a stunning community. I don't know if they have been able to build up reserves in there, however. That means that part of your homeowner's association fees go into a separate account that is held for unforseen expenses on commonly owned areas. I would caution you to make sure that any community you consider has sufficient reserves in their account. The Summit residents got hit a few years back with an assessment for a new roof on the clubhouse. It is my understanding it was a considerable and unexpected expense.

Wed Apr 23 2008, 10:02

Come check out Lakeland! Quiet, peaceful, beautiful town just 45 minutes to the Orlando attractions and homes priced lower than the immediate Orlando area.

Winnie Whitmore, Realtor
Brooks Chandler Realty
863-670-5007
winniewhitmore@yahoo.com

Wed Apr 23 2008, 09:49

I would check out Lennar's Heritage Hills in Clermont and Stoneybrook South in Davenport if you're looking for new construction. For resales, I'd check out Kings Ridge and Summit Greens. You should be able to get a really good deal on resales right now because of the crummy market we're in. To find out more info on Clermont and Orlando, take a look at my blog.

Wed Apr 23 2008, 08:04

Hi Jo Ann. Have you ever heard of Smith Mountain Lake VA? Smith Mountain Lake is a genuine secret hidden in the Blue Ridge Mountain area of Southwest Virginia. The lake is a popular destination spot for vacationers, retirees and anyone looking for great fishing, water sports, golfing, world class dining, antiques and art galleries, world class historical sites, fashion and theatre.

The community continues to grow as visitors choose to become permanent residents. The excellent climate, peaceful scenery, low cost of living, low crime rates, friendly locals, easy access to amenities and, of course, the 500 miles of shore line on Smith Mountain Lake are making this one of the best places to live in the United States!

For a free brochure on Smith Mountain Lake information,
contact Edna Jamieson
at 540-520-0168 or email me at
edna@smithmtnlakeproperties.com

Tue Apr 15 2008, 12:01

Jo Ann,
Great question. However I am not sure how to answer that. What are your needs for the here and now. My guess is that your kids are either highschool or college age. So I would ask you to start there. What do they need for the near term as well as you and your husband. Also what are your working needs. Are you retired or about to retire or still have a career. These are the questions that I have as a Realtor. Next once we can establish this, we can start to find the home,neighborhoods and lifestyle needs that work best for both the near and long term needs of your family. Hope this helps.
Rick.

Mon Apr 14 2008, 11:03

Hi Jo Ann,

I live and work in Lake County, which is a bedroom community for Orlando. We have historically been an area that caters to and is very attractive to retirees. Some of the highest rated and most desirable retirement communities in the country are found here. I am very familiar with the features and amenities in most of the best communities around, so I would be happy to provide you with information on those. Knowing what your interests are will help to guide me in selecting some areas that would appeal to you. If you are not interested in a more formal or restricted community, there are also others that provide social opportunities that are not so rigid. The diversity of the communities, the laid back lifestyle, and the absolute stunning beauty of the lakes and hills of our area create the perfect combination for enjoying this new time of your life. It is possible enjoy the close proximity of the "City life" of Orlando, while living in the uncongested more pastoral "country" atmosphere of Lake County.

If you are looking at buying now for the future, multiple choices and really good prices are everywhere. If you are looking to buy in two years, more than likely there will be resales in any of the areas you determine would fit your needs. Certainly there will be new communities to choose from then, also. Either way, it is definitely a good idea to identify the area which will provide best for your needs and desires now. I have many customers that I stay in contact with to keep them up to date on area trends, so they will know the right time to make a move.

Mon Apr 14 2008, 10:41

Dearest Marian,

There was no offense meant, and I don't think I was unprofessional. Thank you also for your
direct flaming email, but just to let you know, I DID go to your site and check it out, as I have clients
that seek what Jo Ann is looking for in area's I don't service, and I was hoping to find someone to refer these clients to.

Jo Ann asked specifically about Orlando, and although I searched your site all over, I never found any reference to that being an area you service.

I apologize profusely if you misunderstood my comment.

Sun Apr 13 2008, 15:49

Dear Jo Ann,
I apologize for the total lack of professionalism by Ms. Bean. Larry Story referred The Schaffer Realty Group because we are an excellent option among many possible choices home and property buyers have to choose from. We are a "referral company" with a decade of experience and hundreds of very happy clients who use our services to make very important life decisions. We continuously research retirement, second home and vacation markets. We learn everything there is to know about the entire area and we then research and locate the very best real estate professions in the area to refer our client to. By this time, our clients are confident about their decision to move or purchase. Our process has worked very successfully with clients from Canada, California and Belgium. Larry is in Greensboro and is referring The Schaffer Realty Group. This in it self is all we need to be very humbled and proud of the services we provide. If you are looking for a firm to help you with a very important decision, give me a call. Our Trulia Profile which is available to all to read clearly states our "mission".

Regards,
Marian Schaffer
The Schaffer Realty Group
877-886-8388
www.marianschafferrealty.com
terry@marianschaffer.com

Sun Apr 13 2008, 14:02

Great web site Larry gave, but they don't work in Orlando, which is where Jo Ann wants to be.
Antonio asked some great questions. YOU have to know what you want before someone can help you.

I have a few more questions you should ponder to make the right choice for you, but first - I'm a little confused as your profile says you are a home buyer in PA... is that one of the area's you are also considering moving to?

Are you SURE you'll be an empty nester in 2 years?
( I've run across a lot of parents who thought the same, and it didn't happen. . . or it happened, but they came back )

If you will be retired, have you figured out the most comfortable payment for you, bearing in mind that the cost of everything will always go up. When helping Seniors and first time buyers, I always advise caution in this area.

Do you have to sell a house first to move? If so, do you know what your net proceeds will be, and
how much of that you want to use to buy another place and how much to keep back for a nest egg?

Have you talked to a mtg lender to get approved? Orlando is a HUGE place, and depending on what you feel comfortable spending, you can narrow down a bazillion communities to choose from to a mere million ;-)

Did you know that unless you move to a rural area, that you will also have HOA or Condo fees in addition to your mtg payment?

I'm a real estate consultant, and would be happy to run you through some thought provoking idea's to help you out if you'd like. FL is a BIG place, and depending on what you like to do, Golf, Swim, fish, etc, you have to think of re-sale as well (in case you move to a place you decide you don't like).

Let me know if you'd like some help sorting through this, and I'll be happy to sort you through it just like I've done since 1979 for many others. I was born here, there isn't a lot I don't know about where you should move, but YOU need to know the answers to the above to get the right fit.

Best Regards,
Paula Bean


What do you want to do when you retire?

When do you want to move?
You say you are 'thinking' of Orlando... what other area's are you considering, and why? Weather? Prices?

Sun Apr 13 2008, 11:37

Jo Ann:

What are the best communities for us?
What are "us" like? Do we want an active adult community in Central Florida....Solivita, the best by far.
Do we want close to atractionns.... with nice income...Celebration or Reunion, mid-income...there is Hunters Creek, Remington, The Oaks, Legacy.
Close to art festivals, theaters, sports arenas, beaches? So many choices.
Will this be the Trophy home, or the Simplify and Relax home?
Since you have two years to make the move, why don't we start showing you whats available in every area, one zone at the time.
If interested in taking your time, im willing to come along for the search.

Tony.Vega@coldwellbanker.com

Sun Apr 13 2008, 10:28