We started off with 35 possibilities, then narrowed it down to ten, and this weekend we arrived at our selection. What you'll see now is our top ten selections with #1 being what we will probably do.
10. Sand key by Taylor Morrison at Canyons at Highland Reserve in Clermont
This is an amazing house but it is too expensive for our budget.
9. Avalon 2 with Bonus by Dream Finders at Adamore Reserve in Minneola
Adamore Reserve is a beautiful area at the south east portion of Grassy Lake. The community has Dream Finders and Hanover builders. Unfortunately, the Avalon 2 with Bonus has a price that is very misleading. For the bonus, they add a second floor. The basic bonus is just a small room at the top of the stairs, and that is what the base is. Anything more than that is terribly expensive.
8. Bonair by Taylor Morrison at Lakeside in Apopka
Lakeside is located in Apopka with easy access to two expressways. The neighborhood though is industrial. The Bonair had a small master bedroom, the bedrooms were small, and there was an open area over the living room that went all the way up to the roof. That was wasted space. And there is no option to turn that open area into a room. The house is 2600 sqft feet and felt crammed for what we need.
7. Carlisle by Maronda Homes at SolTerra Springs in Davenport
The Carlisle had a bedroom where we anted the lanai to be. We didn't like the dinning room and felt the owner's bedroom was too small. When I made the video and thought about this house, I liked it. However, when I saw the house I made a note that said "House wasn't spectacular". I don't remember why I wrote that, but, I need to trust my initial gut feeling. Also SolTerra's location would require us to drive I4 to get almost anywhere, and I4 is a highway to avoid.
6. Elle by Dr Horton at Sereno in Loughman/Davenport
Loughman is way out there. It is east of Davenport and south of Kissimmee. It is serviced by Rt. 17, a busy 2 lane road that badly needs to be expanded. Dr Horton has other locations, and their house bases usually have more features than other builder's bases which causes DR Horton prices to have a higher base price. The issue with the Elle is that DR Horton has decided not to make it anymore. And they don't have another design within our price range that could serve as a replacement.
5. Wayfair by Highland Homes at Highland Meadows in Haines City
We both love the Wayfair. However, we don't like Highland Meadows being way out in Haines City. Getting anywhere would require a trek up Rt. 27 to the busy and dangerous I4. Highland Meadows looks like it was once a large sprawling orange grove that is now getting cut up and built out as fast as possible. We were concerned about the CDD fee, and the requirement of a non-refundable 20% down payment up front. Never the less, if the Wayfair was being built anywhere closer to Orlando, it might have been our #1 choice.
4. Caladesi by Taylor Morrison at Canyons at Highland Reserve in Clermont
This house comes with a 3 car garage and a master bedroom whose size was... just OK.
3. Amelia by Taylor Morrison at Canyons at Highland Reserve in Clermont
Both the Caladesi and Amelia appeared to be great contenders, in fact, the Amelia made it to our top three. The Amelia is a 1 story house with a tandem garage (the tandem could be a workshop or finished to be a room of the house). We were disappointed to find that Canyons is full, and the next phase for large houses won't open until August 2021.
2. Lynn Haven by Ryan Homes at Grassy Lake in Minneola
The Lynn Haven was a final contender. We love Grassy Lake and this community was on the east side of the lake with a nice overlook. The Lynn Haven had less square feet than KB Home's Plan 3202, but that was mostly due to the Lynn Haven having a tandem garage. That garage could be used as a workshop or finished off to be another room of the house. Many of the Lynn Haven rooms were larger, and it has more kitchen cabinet space. Unfortunately, they are only building 4 houses at Grassy Lake per month, and there is a long waiting list of people to get in. We were very disappointed when we heard this because we would be at the bottom of the list waiting for months for our turn.
1. Plan 3203 by KB Homes at Reserve at Lake Ridge in Minneola
The Reserve at Lake Ridge is a valley just off Rt 27 to the south west of Grassy Lake. Most of Florida is flat, but Minneola has rolling hills. The lots at Lake Ridge are large (70'x135') that would easily hold our house with a 3-car garage and a pool out back. The house has a spacious first floor and a dinning area that pushes out into the pool deck. The house includes a mudroom and a laundry room that is larger than the Lynn Haven. The bedrooms are smaller than the Lynn Haven, but just by a little. And the master bedroom is larger than the Lynn Haven.
The decision comes down to the Lynn Haven versus Plan 3202. Do we wait on the waiting list to get into Grassy Lake? Or do we move forward with Lake Ridge now? We will be talking with the buyer agents of each place in the coming week, but as it stands right now? Plan 3202 is in the lead.
No comments:
Post a Comment