Orange Blossom
 

Greetings,
Will be down in May 2020 to buy our retirement home. Doing lots of research although I cannot find much on Orange Blossom. Prices seem reasonable, houses look fine. Would anyone with knowledge of the area please list pros and cons?

Thank you in advance,
Bob and Deb:

:bigbow:

Look on The Villages map to see where they are located and first see if that is an area that you would prefer before you put too much effort into your search. Not saying that it's not a good village in which to live.

Inexpensive homes, very quiet even with the snowbirds, less traffic than other villages. mature landscaping, more of a neighborhood. Very close to Spanish Springs, shopping, restaurants, short golf cart drive to Lake Sumter, loads of golf within short drives. It's the best kept secret in the Villages. Haven't found any cons yet.
Steve

Very impressive neighborhoods. Pride of ownership is very evident in no matter what size home....manufactured or stick built.
Off TV "beaten path".....but convenient.
Cons?
If looking for large home, large lot.....this is not the place.

Some of the lots are much bigger than"the other side". Depends on what you mean by a large home I guess.
Steve

Orange Blossom is gorgeous. It's not the "cookiecutter" type area you'll find everywhere else in the Villages. However, if you LIKE very very narrow strict restrictions on what can and cannot be done on, or to, your lawn, driveway, door, shingles, shrubbery, etc - if you LIKE knowing that your neighbors *cannot* place a statuette of a boy fishing off a ceramic bridge in their own front flowerbed, you definitely should consider elsewhere. If you LIKE a touch of whimsy, knowing that you can add your own personal touch (within reason) of creativity and color, with mature plantings and a beautiful backdrop, Orange Blossom is perfect.

The area has clusters of roads with mostly manufactured homes on them, while other areas are site-built. And of course as the oldest of the old manufactured ones are ultimately left to family estates to unload on the market, the Villages buys them up, razes them to the ground, and builds something new in their place. So we have a mix of home types to choose from, which can appeal to a wide variety of budgets.

In addition, if you think you'd like to build a new home in Orange Blossom, get in touch with The Villages Real Estate. They might know of a property that's being razed, or that is marked for demolition after purchase by the Villages. If they do, and you like the spot, you can order from a selection of newer models built to your specification.

Paradise Family Rec Center is lovely, and their walking paths and dog park and the old lake over the bridge from Spanish Springs are all incredibly beautiful.

Orange Blossom Country Club is atop a hill, and the homes are downhill from there. So it could be a challenge for a bicyclist to ride around. But the fact that it IS on a hill adds more of a "natural surroundings" feel to it. It's pretty awesome to be able to look out your back lanai, turn your gaze upward, and see trees rising in the distance.

There are a few ways in and out of OB, even if you're going by Golf Cart. One way is over the golf cart bridge to Spanish Springs (and thus, to the rest of the Villages), and the other through a golf cart gate on the north side of Paradise Park, that gets you through a small medical plaza and over to Walmart.

Some of the lots are smallish, but that means less maintenance to deal with. Other lots are fairly spacious with plenty of room for additions to the dwelling or gardens.

Hello there and Welcome. When searching on Realtor.com put Orange Blossom Gardens Lady Lake Fl 32159 and Bingo you will be in. On the Villages website, which is Homefinder The Villages try deactivating the New Homes first which will cut your choices down a bit then go to Filter, then Series and pick Manufactured. You have now reached Paradise. If you need more help just send a PM later today and I'll give you a hand.

We are here almost 3 years and wouldn't trade it for the world. Only one thing we have to get better at handling is the Big Big Weather Situations. We're getting there. This Joint has Given us a real life not just existing, enjoying. Heres to hoping its the same for you. :welcome:

When you search Realtor.com and put in exactly Orange Blossom Gardens Lady Lake Fl 32159 it does give you the entire Historical side, not just Orange Blossom. It also includes Country Club Hills & Silver Lake. It's all Beautiful.

D&BSmith - May I suggest that looking only at Orange Blossom restricts your consideration of the other Historic District Villages of Silver Lake and Country Club Hills. Don't deny yourself the opportunity to view the sales there - the properties are much the same as O.B. and the positive descriptions of others here.

And do not look only at Villages listings - look at the MLS properties offered by local Realtors. You cannot buy a new Villages build from an MLS rep; nor can you buy an MLS property from a Villages rep. And you can find a large new build on the Historic side but it takes some doing. One was even built with a garage for their RV! There could be a vacant lot available for purchase should you choose to have a new home built to your custom likes.

In addition to all of the good things posted by anothersteve, billiethekid, Jazuela and Nucky...traveling between the Historic Villages and one's needs for shopping, medical, dining and a real brick/mortar post office can be done without the inconvenience of TRAFFIC! Even the traffic on 441/27, as busy as it is, it is nothing compared to what a driver faces needing to frequently use the interior roads of the community. The occasional ride to another town square or a friend's home south of 466 makes one appreciate the convenience of travel on the North Side!

As much as I prefer the Historic side of the Villages, I also like the Villages of Mira Mesa, La Zamora, La Reynalda and Valle Verde...they offer all the convenience and good things of the Historic side except the oppty to buy a manufactured home or a building lot. You might want to take a cruise through those Villages, too.

I cannot thank you all enough for your thoughtful comments and suggestions. Seems we have a lot to look at!

I think OP might be referring to the entire Historical side of The Villages (Country Club Hills, Silver Lake and Orange Blossom Estates). In the three villages on the Historical side, there must be 3,500 - 4,000 properties. I’ve never heard anybody give a number. OP, good luck with your search. There is something for everyone in The Villages.

I bought a house in Orange Blossom last year and I totally love the neighborhood, my house and my neighbors. However, I am located on Boone Ct, in the section between 466 and the country club. It is extremely busy during the day with semi's delivering to the country club and people totally disregarding the 25 mph speed limit, especially during rush hour. If I had known that this street was so busy, I probably would have bought in another part of the historic side, but that's on me for not researching the area more. Good luck with your home search.

:ohdear: That would be 441/27 NOT 466 :icon_wink:

I like that you accept that it was your decision to buy on a busy street. Most people blame their less than ideal situations on someone else.

I'll have to disagree with your opinion of..."MOST."

While there are certainly those that whine about noise & traffic, after buying next to an airport/railroad/industrial area/Etc. I believe most of them...accept that it was their choice.

Unless of course, in those very rare occasions, where the seller knew of upcoming adverse changes and didn't tell the buyer...which I doubt happens very often. :shrug:

And in those rare cases...shame on the seller. :mad:

I think I have a different take on the original Village. Yes there are some nicer areas but I find it old and a little run down complained to the rest of The Villages. People say they are very strict here but when I drive through I see many dead lawns, lots of weeds and many items sitting around in yards. I always joke with my wife that the area needs some snitches like other areas have. Yes the Villages are putting in new homes on many lots but we did not want to spend $250,000 on a house but be surrounded by older single wide mobile homes, just our take.

Now there are some very nice homes and lots as well, very easy to get to Spanish Springs and to shopping like Lowe’s, Walmart, Aldi, Sonic etc. Many people live over there and I am betting that most are very nice like the rest of The Villages.

Might be a great spot if looking for a home under $200,000. Good luck on your search.

:agree:


Then again, one just needs to learn to use that which has been pushed for eons to describe something that's, well, not quite new...but may increase its chance of selling.


That word, being of course...'Rustic.'


:D

I have to give you a whole lot of credit. IMHO your post was very kind and if you were running for Mayor I bet you would win. You have some very good observations about the operation on this side of the tracks.

I'd like to share with you a short incident that happened about two years ago. We were entertaining a Good Friend who is filthy rich and lives in a "Prestigious Area" of The Villages on the northern side of Route 44. My wife cooked him a knock out meal and in a bit we took him to one of the pools on The Hysterical Side and to his amazement people talked to him, many of them.

He told me that was so different from where he lived. That people generally kept to themselves. His words, You could be standing next to our adult pool on fire and nobody would push you in to put you out. I was in amazement. He told me it was true and I asked him if he was standoffish or odd or caused that reaction from the people who live around him. He denied it was him, that he was his usual happy self at his pool.

A little dead grass and an occasional house that's hurting seem like a fine trade-off to me.

People over here are priceless! That the most important part to me. There is a sense of Community.

As nice as most are. Shhhh...we have snitches to! :1rotfl:

I live in Pine Hills just north of 44 and people are very friendly at our neighborhood pool. I really don''t think that people are friendlier in one part of TV as opposed to another.

If you want to live in new vs. pre-owed and don't want to live in the Southern Oaks area, Orange Blossoms is about the only other place in The Villages where you can have your home built.

Neither do I. I agree with you I just related what a resident of a Village near Brownwood related to us. Who knows it could be him, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde???

I haven't really met anyone really miserable in person in three years. I've met people who love rules and find it hard to relate their thoughts about rules in a gentle matter of fact way. Those crummy rules keep this operation nice. :duck:

I think you should come here and drive around and talk to people. The area that you ask about is the oldest area in The Villages but it is only about forty years old. Some of the original modular homes are being purchased when they come up for sale at a reasonable price by the developers and taken away and replaced by site built homes.

The homes there are just like all areas of The Villages, mostly occupied by people who have great pride in taking care of their homes.

No one can conceptualize The Villages until their boots hit the ground here.

I think it is all amazing and wonderful. But I have been accused of working for The developer and drinking the Kool-Aid.

I love this amazing, well run place, from tip to toe and the people who live here, most of them.

New homes in Historic District
 

I don't believe The Villages are removing old mobiles anymore. The last one they purchased was Aug of 2018. Someone on this forum said that they needed all hands on deck in the southern construction area. They are just about done building the new homes on the lots they had purchased before Aug. I am bummed about this because we liked to take our cart and drive around and watch the changes after we picked up our mail. If you want a brand new house that is not in the Southern Oaks area there are about 4 Villas near Lake Sumter Landing and 2 or 3 way north near 42.

We recently bought here right next to Orange Blossom at Country Club Hills and just absolutely love it. We are on the golf course at Orange Blossom . Here is my take...If you can find one, buy a stick built newer home even though they cost more than we paid for our manufactured home 168,500. The reason I am saying that is because of the very high insurance on manufactured homes here, we pay over 2400 dollars a year to insure our home. Here are all the pluses Very little traffic, the best country club in the villages with the water falls, hot tub, etc. plus a nice restaurant that is not over crowded, with a pool bar to boot. Our perception is that the people are more friendly in our neighborhood than we have heard about in the more upscale neighborhoods, where people complain and call the office about their neighbors, mostly due to their entitlement. I would strongly recommend buying a golf cart first after purchasing your home. You can go over the bridge to the nearest town square in your golf cart to Spanish Springs where they have entertainment and music 365 days a year. Also within the next 2 years you will be able to drive your golf cart over 20 miles on the golf cart paths to go anywhere you please in the whole village network. We also take our golf cart to the grocery stores and shopping centers for quite a ways now. In fact our neighbors go out to eat 2 maybe 3 times a week, and he said they have only took their car out twice in 15 years when doing so, the rest of the time they go in their golf cart.( If you are planning on having company after you move here, I would buy a 4 seater golf cart. The gas you will save will pay for it in no time or at least justify your purchase. If you buy here in The Villages i would suggest to see if there is some mature trees around to help shade the area from the sun to help with energy costs. And oh yes bring lots of suntan lotion with you. Good Luck to you in your decision. Private message me if you want to talk by phone sometime.

We don't need no stinkin' "snitches"! ;) Lawn and garden art are permitted on our side! Also have pools that stay open past sunset [until 11pm I believe] and one even has the hot tub! Here's a property for sale on the historic side in case you or a friend are looking to buy there above $200,000 . https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/9...31683368_zpid/ You won't even hafta face the congested roadways and roundabouts within the Villages if living there! Traveling there is optional!