Posts Tagged ‘Ocala Golf Course Communities’
Short Term Ocala Rentals
Every fall people from up north email me about renting a home usually in a retirement community for a month or two during the winter. If rentals like this exist they aren’t handle by real estate agents. First off when you rent a house for less than 6 months and one day in Florida the owner is supposed to collect hotel taxes. Secondly think about it from the owners perspective. The owner has to find a new renter every month or two? In addition there is no rental market in the hot Florida summers so the house sits vacant. Finally even if an owner wanted to do a short term rental they couldn’t pay a commission to an agent they’d have to handle it on their own. Realtors do handle leases, usually 1 year leases.
Yes, you have to be 55 to buy in an Ocala 55+ community
I always get this question even though you’d think it’s self-explanatory. Do you have to be 55+ to live in an Ocala 55+ community? At least one person on the deed has to be 55. HOA’s require proof of age in the form of a driver’s license. Some also make you sign an affidavit to that effect. This is true of every Ocala/Marion County retirement community with the exception of Ocala Palms. Ocala Palms is an Adult Community where everyone has to be 21 and over. For more info on 55+ communities in Florida see this State of Florida web site.
Ocala retirement homes with a view
I always have buyers looking for a retirement home and an item high on their wish list is a nice view. Most retirement communities are laid out with parallel streets and the homes are back to back. This is especially true of newer communities. If you think about it this makes a lot of sense. The builder gets a maximum number of homes on his land.
There are options for what you’ll see in back of a 55+ home.
1. A house right behind you, which is by far the most common.
2. A house right behind you screened by a buffer of trees or shrubs. In this case you’ll still see you neighbor to some extent
3. A view of woods. You find this in a home located on the outside perimeter of a community.
4. A golf course view. This is a premium lot that adds a great deal to the price of a new home but you do find deals on resales.
Some of your best bets for finding a home with out another home directly in back of you are Oak Run and Ocala Palms. Oak Run isn’t laid out with parallel streets. It is divided into neighborhoods and a lot of homes face a buffer between these neighborhoods. Ocala Palms was set out to maximize the number of golf course lots. There are great prices on homes with golf course frontage in Ocala Palms.
If you’re interested in Ocala 55+ retirement homes then either call me, email me or better yet use my Ocala Dream Home Finder.
Candler Hills Ocala FL home for sale
This is a home for sale in the exclusive Candler Hills part of the On Top of the World communities. The Huntley model is a 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 2 car garage home with 2,181 sq ft of living area. It features a gourmet kitchen with maple cabinets, stainless appliances, an electric wall oven, gas cook top and Corian counter tops. There is a formal dining room for entertaining. The Great room is large and bright with high ceilings and crown molding. The master bedroom is very large and leads to a master bath with a double vanity, tile floor, a walk in Roman shower and an enormous closet. There are 2 other bedrooms and a 2nd bath on the opposite side of the house from the master as is the case in a split floor plan. This home is located on a premium corner lot with a nice view from the screened Lanai. The build quality of Candler Hills homes is superior to most other newer 55+ retirement communities. The floors are hardwood and not laminate. The MB shower and around the tub in the 2nd bath are tile and not a fiberglass plug-in. Candler Hills is known for extremely energy-efficient building practices. At only $185,000.00 this is a great price when compared to new construction or other nearby newer retirement homes.
My blog post profiling Candler Hills with info on the amenities, HOA fees, images of the community and a link to the golf course..
This Candler Hills resale on my web site with 20+ images and statistics about the home.
SOLD for 96% of list price in only 80 days
My video tour of this Candler Hills home.
Spruce Creek Golf and Country Club Summerfield, Florida
Spruce Creek Golf and Country Club
Spruce Creek Golf and Country Club is a completely built out Del Webb 55+ community located about 15 miles south of Ocala in Summerfield Florida. Spruce Creek Golf and Country Club is also just 10 miles north of the Villages. and all the activities and shopping but without the traffic and the high cost of housing.
There are 3250 homes in Spruce Creek Golf and Country Club on 1600 acres. The age of homes range from 1996 to 2007. The size of homes varies from just over 800 sq ft to over 2800 sq ft of living area. There are different methods of construction. There are frame homes with vinyl siding, a few with aluminum siding, frame and stucco and concrete block and stucco. Most of the frame homes with vinyl or aluminum siding were built prior to 2003.
Home prices in Spruce Creek Golf and Country Club vary quite a bit do to the size, age and construction of the home. There were 75 sales from January1 to August 25 2011 ranging from $89,900- for a 816 sq ft home to $270,000- for a 2344 sq ft home over looking the golf course.
HOA fees are a very reasonable $121.00 per month. They cover professional management services, guards at the 2 gates 24 hours a day, trash pickup, maintenance of the common areas and facilities and the use of the clubhouses and amenities. Golf is not included in the HOA fee.
UPDATE 2-28-12 There were 109 sales in 2011. Prices ranged from $89,000- for a 816 sq ft 2/1 up to $270,000- for a 2400 sq ft home with a private pool. HOA fees remain the same at $121- month.
Update 2-12-2013 HOA fees remain the same at $121- month. There were 166 sales in 2012 ranging from a 1488 sqft foreclosure built in 05 for $79,000- up to $430,000- for a 04 Lexington model with a private pool and gold course view.
The Spruce Creek Golf and Country Club home owners association has a great web site. Be sure to go to About Us and click on the video tour. The web site has information on all the amenities, activities, clubs and area shopping.
If you’d like to see homes for sale in Spruce Creek Golf and Country Club either call me, send me a detailed email with what you’re looking for or use my Ocala Dream Home Finder.
Below are images of Spruce Creek Golf and Country Club. All the images are original photos and are copy right protected.
New home sales in Ocala Florida
I often get buyers looking for newer homes here in the Ocala Marion County area. Many are interested in a new or newer Ocala 55+ retirement home. I end up telling these buyers that there has been very little building here since the market crashed in 2007. The reason for this lack of new construction is that resales are selling at prices below the cost of new construction and in some non retirement communities much less.
The below survey is based on active listings on the Ocala Marion county MLS as of July 7, 2011
Total residential listings 3915
new homes dated as 2011…..19
homes from 2010-2011………32
homes from 2009-2011………55
homes from 2008-2011……..114
homes from 2007-2011……..311
homes from 2006-2011……..571
homes from 2005-2011……..769
What does this all mean? It means that despite the fact that vacant land is available at fire sale prices and Marion County has suspended impact fees on new homes, builders still think it’s not worth trying to compete with newer resales. This is the time to but a house in Ocala.
The above numbers include both 55+ communities and non retirement communities and all types of construction including mobile and manufactured homes. They do not include homes offered by builders that are not listed on the OMCAR MLS.
Rainbow Springs Country Club Dunnellon Florida
Rainbow Springs Country Club is located about 30 minutes west of Ocala in Dunnellon. This is a golf course community that is not 55 plus. Rainbow Springs Country Club started building homes in 1980 and there are still vacant lots for sale today. Lot sizes vary but most are 1/4 or 1/2 acre in size. There are some wood frame homes but most are concrete block and stucco. Sizes vary from just over 1200 sq ft to well over 3,000 sq ft. In addition to single family homes there are also condominiums.
Rainbow Springs Country Club is a great alternative to the 55+ golf course communities. You get larger lots and more privacy. Unlike 55+ communities you can find pool homes here. Most lots also have mature shade trees. There are also homes with golf course frontage.
Rainbow Springs country Club is a deed restricted community with very low HOA fees of about $110- per year. That’s because this is not a gated community and the fees only cover maintaining the common areas. Joining the country club is optional.
Rainbow Springs Country Club has a clubhouse and golf course. The Clubhouse features a swimming pool, tennis courts, shuffle board, a fitness center, billiards, crafts and a small library. There are also two restaurants, the Grill adjacent to the pro shop and Juliette’s for more formal dining. Joining the country club is optional and is not part of the HOA fees. There are several types of membership, both golf and social and it’s best to contact the office at Rainbow Springs Golf and Country Club for details.
If you are interested in homes in Rainbow Springs Golf and Country Club email me, call me or use my Dream Home Finder. I’ll set you up a Listing Cart to see homes that meet your needs.
The Listing Cart is a Custom Ocala MLS Search
Golf is never included in the HOA fees
Candler Hills Golf Course
HOA fees do not include golf in Ocala area golf course communities. Buyers who don’t play golf often are concerned that they might be paying for a golf course that they wouldn’t use. While buyers who do golf sometimes expect that golf is included in their HOA fee. Here in Ocala golf is not included in the HOA fees of any community that I’m aware of.
Part of The Villages is in southern Marion County and they do have free golf on their 9 hole executive courses. I don’t work down there and don’t consider it part of the Ocala area.
Golf fees vary from community to community. The Ocala Golf Course Communities page of my web site has links to most courses associated with golf course communities.
If you’re interested in Ocala Golf Communities call me, email me or use my Ocala Dream Home Finder and put golf course communities in the special desires box. I’ll set you up a Listing Cart for golf course communities. BTW I can also search on homes with golf course frontage.
Below is my Google map of Ocala Golf course communities. Not all the golf communities on my map are 55+ and several don’t have a blog profile yet.
Summerglen Ocala Florida
Summerglen Ocala Florida
Summerglen is a 55+ retirement community with a very nice golf course just south of Ocala. There are both new homes available from the builder along with quite a few resales. All homes were built within the past 6 years. Homes in Summerglen are all concrete block with stucco and range in size from a little under 1500 sq ft of living area to a little over 2500 sq ft. Prices vary a lot but most are from the mid $100K range up to the mid $200′s. As of the time of this blog there is a very reasonable $125- per month HOA fee. HOA fees include maintenance of the common areas, clubhouse and amenities, trash pickup, guard at the gate and lawn mowing but not fertilizing. Summerglen is an active 55+ community with a great clubhouse, heated beach entry pool, fitness center, library, crafts, dog park, softball field, basketball court and a lot more. Two things that Summerglen offers that most other communities don’t have are lawn mowing and free RV parking, both are extra costs elsewhere. Golf is an extra fee. There is also a nice restaurant, Moreno’s Grill located next to the clubhouse.
Update 1/10/2011 : As of today HOA fees are still $125- per month. There were 14 sales in Summerglen between 6/1/10 and 12/31/10 with just 1 sale over $200K and an average sale of $167,400-.
Update 2-28-12 HOA fees remain at $125- month. This is a great deal considering HOA fees include lawn mowing. There were 24 resales in 2011. Prices ranged from $100,000- for a 1,666 sq ft foreclosure up to $245,000- for a pool home on the golf course.
Update 2-12-2013 HOA fees remain at $125- month. There were 46 sales in 2012 ranging from $105,000- for a 1666 sqft home sold as a short sale up to a 2279 sqft home that sold for $210,000-.
If you would like a list of homes for sale in Summerglen fill out my Ocala Dream Home Finder , call me or send an email. I’ll set you up a Listing Cart which is custom MLS search for Summerglen.
Images below.
