NICHE COMMUNITIES

Whether your’re looking to buy your first home, move up to a larger, more luxurious home or escape to a waterfront condominium community, Central Florida has a niche neighborhood to fit your budget and lifestyle.
Here’s a look at several niche-neighborhood options in a variety of styles and price ranges.

SEE THE SEA
Located in South Daytona overlooking the Halifax River is the 15-story Halifax Landing Condominiums, a boutique project offering breathtaking waterfront views. The Y-shaped building gives all 186 units sprawling views from a private balconies.
“When you walk into one of these homes, it feels like a single-family home in the sky,” says Kristie Reinart, director of sales for the Marketing Directors, the exclusive marketing agent for Halifax Landing.
Each unit is well appointed with luxury finishes and the project is loaded with amenities, such as a pool and hot tub, a boat dock, a fitness room, a dry sauna, a game and media room and a social room for private events.
The building is gated and security access is required for entry. Each unit has a private storage area with its own trash bin. And there are two full-time maintenance workers and an association manager.
Halifax Landing is also Fannie Mae-approved and offers financing through Wells Fargo, with a preferred lender on site.
From riverfront to beachfront luxury, the 11-story Opus Condominiums offers 53 brand-new units just feet from the ocean in Daytona Beach Shores.
“You’re not going to feel like you’re in a large condominium complex,” says Randy Weisz, principal at Bayshore Capital, which purchased and upgraded the project after the original developer fell into bankruptcy. “We appeal to people from Orlando who want a summer getaway spot or people from the North who want a warmer climate.”
Opus Condominiums offers five spacious floorplans in two- and three-bedroom models that are designed to be family friendly. Each unit features granite countertops in the bathrooms and kitchen, stainless steel Whirlpool appliances, recessed lighting and wood cabinetry.
As for amenities, residents enjoy a fitness and clubroom and a pool and spa. Decorator referrals are available. Opus Condominiums also offers one-stop-shopping for buyers with on-site financing and closing procedures.

HILLS AND HORSES
Golden Ocala Golf & Equestrian Club in Ocala was originally opened in 1986 by a group of investors from England. In 2000, it was purchased by the Roberts family, who embarked on a two-year renovation project.
Today, the golf-course community’s equestrian component draws many thoroughbred and quarterhorse lovers from around the country. “There are not a lot of golf/equestrian communities out there,” says Dan Hirschy, director of real estate sales at Golden Ocala.
The community encompasses six distinct neighborhoods offering everything from smaller golfview homes to sprawling estates. All homes, regardless of size, feature fine architectural detailing, brick paver driveways, flat concrete tile roofs and lush landscaping.
Amenities include a country club membership customized for golf, spa or sports. Residents also enjoy three restaurants on the property: Knickers, which serves traditional lunch and light dinner options; Café on the Green, which offers healthier items such as smoothies and salads; and Raspberries, which offers an elegant, formal dining experience.
For a limited time, Golden Ocala is offering prospective buyers a Discovery Stay option. Stay in a two-bedroom, two-and-a-half bath golf villa, enjoy unlimited golf, and try out the spa, restaurants and other amenities for just $249 per night.

ALL ABOUT EXCLUSIVITY
Around the City Beautiful, several communities are offering luxurious homes that break away from cookie-cutter construction.
Leading the effort to offer a one-of-a-kind, custom homebuilding experience is Condev Homes, which is building in three different communities: Casa Del Lago, Woods of Windermere and Lake Drawdy Reserve. All of these communities appeal to move-up homebuyers who are looking for security, intimacy and proximity to dining, shopping and attractions.
Both Casa Del Lago and Woods of Windermere are located in the quaint Town of Windermere, close to West Orlando’s parks and exclusive private schools.
Casa Del Lago, with 61 homesites, is off County Road 535, across from the Keene’s Point subdivision. All the homes are built in Spanish Colonial or Mission styles. The airiness of the designs invites plenty of natural light and allows for high ceilings in every room.
Ownership at Casa Del Lago comes with a membership to the Keene’s Pointe Country Club. The membership includes a monthly stipend for food and drink as well as use of the clubhouse.
About a mile north of downtown Windermere sits Condev’s second niche community, called Woods of Windermere. This ultra-private enclave contains just 12 homesites on half-acre and acre homesites.
For homebuyers who need even more seclusion and prefer a lakefront homesite, Condev’s third development, Lake Drawdy Reserve in East Orange County, may fit the bill.
Located off Chuluota and Lake Pickett roads and hugging the shores of a beautiful ski lake, the gated community encompasses 28 oversized homesites, 14 of which are lakefront. All of the lakefront homes have dock access; others have use of the common area for kayaking and canoeing.
Last month, Condev became the first builder in Central Florida to offer Egg Systems Geothermal units, which control the air conditioning, heating and pool units and reduce energy consumption by 50-70 percent.

SMALL-TOWN FEEL
Miles away from the bustling I-4 traffic and the infuriating tourist corridor is a quiet, tranquil community with a small-town feel that embraces an eco-friendly philosophy and mandates sustainable construction practices.
Harmony sits on several thousand acres of pristine Florida pastureland in southern Osceola County. The award-winning community is a mixed-use development with apartments, townhomes, condominiums, single-family homes and large estate homes. 
It’s a traditional neighborhood development in which most of the homes feature front porches and allyway garages. “Our design encourages residents to get out and use the parks and natural amenities and allows them to get to know their neighbors.” says Tim Hultgren, director of sales and marketing for the Harmony Development Company.
From friendly porches to dog parks to natural lakes, Harmony boasts ample outdoor amenities. There are daily activities offered, including “Mommy and Me” gatherings, teen dances and craft groups. There are also four major festivals to which the public is invited as well as signature events for residents only, such as a Mardi Gras party and a summer luau.
Within Harmony, there are two top-rated schools, including a high school, within walking distance of the homes. There’s an Audubon-Certified golf preserve designed by Johnny Miller, the only Miller signature course in Central Florida. Since 2006, it’s been ranked as one of the region’s top daily-fee public courses by Golf Digest magazine.
Since its debut, Harmony has been a leader in eco-friendly practices and requires that every home be built to Energy Star standards. Consequently, the Florida Green Building Coalition has certified the project as a “green” community.
Currently, Harmony is gathering permits to open the first phase of the community’s town center, a 24,000-square- foot block of 19 shops and small storefronts.
Another community with a small-town feel is aimed at buyers age 55-plus. Solivita, a master-planned project in Osceola County, was recently recognized as the country’s only “Younger Next Year” community.
The designation was based on criteria set by best-selling authors Chris Crowley and Dr. Henry Lodge, who selected SoliVita because of its facilities and activities designed to encourage residents to stay active and healthy.
“This YNY community incorporates healthy lifestyle choices into residents’ lives based on the four pillars of community, exercise, nutrition and finance,” says Francesca Vereb, director of marketing for Solivita.
Spread out over 4,000 acres, Solivita appeals to second-time homebuyers who enjoy an active-adult ambience. Residents enjoy access to the Stonegate Golf Club and the Palms Activity Center, which features a spa, a pool, a fireplace piazza and social gathering deck, a fitness center, an aerobics studio, tennis courts and other outdoor amenities.
To learn more about each community’s pricing, floorplans and amenities log on to florida-homebuyer.com.