columbo

Hi. I'm visiting Orlando in June and will be looking for a property. From my research on the internet I see that the HOA fees vary dramatically. I understand that a lot are based on the facilities available on the community and are also very high if you purchase a condo or town house. (presumably because you can't maintain the exterior yourself?). The property will be a permanant residence for us for when we retire in a couple of years. (our son is a US citizen). I am aware that some HOA fees include building insurance, cable, internet etc which when all taken into account would not be as expensive as first thought. We aren't too bothered about lots of facilities on the community site as long as it's well kept, safe and perhaps a pool/gym and in a nice area.
My question is; Does anyone have any knowledge of good communities in the Davenport, Clermont, Winter Park areas, or any other areas close by that I haven't discovered that have reasonable HOA fees and perhaps which ones to avoid if you are aware of any.
Many thanks.

Awesome Welles

You do realize that you can avoid Home Owners Associates entirely, right?

I'm not sure why anyone would choose to live in a community policed by a committee of blue-haired, jumped-up old farts, who have the power to fine you for painting your garage door the wrong color.

Davenport and a large chunk of Clermont is zoned for short-term (vacation) rental. You might ask yourself how keen you are to live among a bi-weekly changing swarm of heavily tattooed, sun-burned chavs who feel it's OK to be obnoxious because they're on their holidays, innit.

In your position, I would buy a property in an established residential neighborhood, away from the 'smashin's' - and befriend/pay a neighbor to watch over it when you are not there.

SanDiegogirl

As you are concerned about HOA costs, have you considered what health insurance is going to cost you?

As retirees and up in the 60's probably, IF you get private health insurance this is going to be very expensive. You won't be eligible for Medicare for at least 5 years.

Even when you become eligible for Medicare, because you have not paid into the system during your lifetime you will need to pay for Part A plus all the other parts. Part A alone these days is 450 per person per month.

Just giving a heads up as something else to be considering.

columbo

Thanks Awesome ! A good thought. I thought that communities that you describe are few and far between, but i'm willing to be educated. Any nice areas anyone could recommend then? thanks.P.S I've researched the health insurance aspect.

SanDiegogirl

Since we get a lot of questions regarding health insurance when moving to the US,(especially if one comes without a job without Group insurance) could you tell us what you have decided to do about insurance with regards your research when you move to the US? Understand you are 55 and your wife 59.

What, in your insurance research, has made you comfortable enough to continue with your immigration to the US?

Bob

HOA's in a area that has a lot of foreclosures is not a great thing.

When folks leave, that means everyone else has to pick up the tab, so if the location gets empty, you can be spending a lot on fees.

If the community is meant to be home owners rather than as rental properties, you might find it hard to rent if you needed to because of a limited number allowed for the HOA to get certain insurance.

columbo

I will make a point of speaking with some realtors when I visit to find out some more about living in an established residential neighbourhood like Awesome suggested. As a Brit I suppose we tend to think that everywhere in the US is a gated community!!!!! I agree with the comments made, it would be far nicer to live with established neighbours/friends. One point though. Why is it that whatever question you post on here, someone always wants to introduce the issue of private health insurance? I know health cover is very expensive and that there are major changes ahead with the possible introduction of health exchanges in 2014 which may or may not make cover more affordable. Either way I have budgeted for health cover......but thanks for your concern.

fizzeruk

I have owned a home in the Calabay Parc subdivision in Davenport for around 2 years. We spend 6 months of the year there (actually got 8 months in the 1st year) at varying times i.e. peak and off peak vacation time. It is a very quiet area and the neighbours are very pleasant.
The HOA fees are $425 a quarter for that we get a very good groundskeeping service, CCTV and a not unreasonable set of rules which ensures that living there is never an unpleasent experience. There is a mix of residents and vacation rentals.
I am very happy with our choice of place to buy. We will also be relocating permenantly in the next couple of years

Michael

When you purchase property in a HOA, make sure the reserves are enough to cover future repairs. Although I paid about $400 in monthly HOA fees in 2007 and the association did a good job in budgeting, sometimes unexpected issues occur and the HOA is short of cash to fund all future needs. When I sold my townhouse in 2007, the HOA didn't have enough reserves to pay for replacement of the cedar shingles siding and was considering accessing each homeowner $40,000-$60,000 to replace the siding. When I sold my place, we told the new owner to expect an assessment of about that amount in the near future and fortunately my complex was a hot market at that time so the new owner didn't mind.

You can see from the picture below that there is a lot of siding to replace.

Awesome Welles

Real estate has really cratered in Central FL over that last two years. There are more empty properties in the neighborhood I live in, in the last 12 months, than there have ever been in the entire 11 years I've lived here.
Example: there is a recently foreclosed mid-1980's 3 bed/2 bath 2000ft pool home down the street from me that has now been reduced to $110k. 5 years ago, it sold for $375k. This, in a very pleasant, quiet, well established, heavily wooded neighborhood without HOA, it's own police dept, minutes from OIA and with deeded access to huge chain of very pretty lakes. Property prices vary from this one, all the way up to several million.

You have so much choice, it would be difficult to make suggestions. I think you are smart to come over and do some research. Personally, I think the outlying "Disney-feeder" communities like Haines City, Davenport and South Clermont are barren, soul-less and transient. Purely my own opinion, but I strive to avoid tourists and would never want to live among them - they're not neighbors and have the potential to be real assholes, when the sunstroke and cheap beer starts to kick-in.

scrubbedexpat097

Because until you are living here and realise that even the most minor medical problem is going to cost you a lot more than you think you have budgeted for it is a concern a lot more worrying than HOA fees.


It really cannot be budgeted because life happens, previous healthy people get sick, accidents happen and even with the best insurance coverage medical bills still mount up.


As for future changes.....well that may not ever happen

Giantaxe

Because it's the most significant financial issue facing someone moving over here who won't have group insurance coverage. And something you really can't "budget" for given that a serious illness can easily make you uninsurable or increase the cost of one's insurance drastically.

lansbury

You know I arrived here when I was 58 and have now lived here almost 6 years. In all that time my wife and I have paid for private medical insurance, budgeted for before we moved over.

The minor run of the mill medical problems have not cost more then we budgeted for, nor did the very serious unexpected surgery I needed two years break the bank. What was a big surprise after all the misinformation I've seen posted on BE about this is the insurance company didn't refuse to renew my cover, for the following years, and didn't jack the cost up but continued to charged me at the published monthly rate.

Wibblypig

Are you sure you meant Winter Park? Did you mean Winter Garden? Winter Park is at completely the opposite side to Davenport and Clermont and very different too, especially price wise.

I live in Orlando in a gated community where the HOA fees are $150 a month.

I must admit I agree with Awesome about Davenport and Clermont, those areas wouldn't be my choice to live in. I do however live near Disney but it's not touristy in the slightest

Vicki

Bob

You're in Oregon though, a state which is known to have better state offerings and insurance standards for medical cover than other states such as Florida.