GREAT GETAWAYS

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that vacation getaways are hot sellers in the vacation capitol of the world. Rather than opting for a timeshare and sharing space with several owners, more buyers are looking for maintenance-free homes in resort communities.

Orlando has several such communities, which are chock full of amenities and offer easy access to the area’s attractions as well as an array of shopping and dining destinations.

International buyers are driving the market in Orlando. According to a recent National Association of Realtors (NAR) survey, the Orlando/Kissimmee area ranks among the top three destinations worldwide for purchasing vacation homes.

Buyers from Canada account for 39 percent of sales, with buyers from Brazil and the United Kingdom close behind. Nearly 89 percent of international buyers pay cash versus about 25 percent of U.S. buyers.

“The desirability of Florida as a vacation spot is key,” says Stephen Baker, chairman of the board of the Orlando Regional Realtor Association (ORRA). “Buyers pick locations with access to the tourist areas and beaches, and easy access in and out of the airports.”

Longtime developers say the current market is the best they’ve seen in years. “Florida appeals to multiple cultures and people,” says Garrett “Gary” Kenny, principle with Feltrim Development and broker with Coldwell Banker. “At the moment, it’s known in Europe that Florida is on sale. There’s a perception of value.”

One of the top locations for vacation buyers is close to the major attractions, around Kissimmee in Osceola County and Davenport in Polk County.

Park Square Homes, a leader in the vacation-home market, has three gated communities in Kissimmee and Davenport. BellaVida, Veranda Palms and WaterSong each offer a real resort experience, says Abbie Mirata, director of sales and marketing.

Each community boasts an exclusive clubhouse with a resort pool, fitness center and party area. BellaVida offers townhomes and duplexes while Veranda Palms and WaterSong offer single-family homes.

“Each home is created with a vacation buyer or a renter in mind,” adds Mirata. “We design homes for people who may stay a week or live there full-time. Most of the bedrooms have their own bathrooms, so they’re like suites.”

There are no formal areas, so the kitchens and family rooms have plenty of space for dining and entertaining. The closets have islands in the middle for luggage, facilitating packing and unpacking.

Park Square has been bolstered by international buyers, but Mirata says the company is shifting its marketing to appeal to local buyers who may only be familiar with timeshares.

“I think we can educate buyers who don’t really understand what a resort or short-term property is,” she adds. “Resort ownership allows you to be in the home whenever you want, and to have a property manager take care of rentals if you want to have that extra income.”

One of the newest vacation-home addresses is the Tuscana Condominium Villa Resort, adjacent to the ChampionsGate Golf & Country Club in Polk County. There, luxurious two- and three-bedroom villas offer plenty of space for families, with large seating areas in the kitchen.

The clubhouse features a 30-seat movie theater, pools for adults and children and a restaurant. Residents can relax and enjoy spa services poolside or in their comfort of their homes.

Broker Alan Martin with FrontLine Florida Realty says vacation condos selling for $300,000 at the height of the real-estate boom are now selling for $60,000-$70,000. He adds that buyers are scooping up condos in Legacy Dunes, off U.S. 192 near the Orange Lake Country Club.

“People hear Davenport and they think it’s too far away, but it’s actually a 20-minute drive to Disney,” notes Martin.

Walt Disney World is a huge draw for buyers at Oasis Cove in Windermere, a Ryland Homes community that features three- and four-bedroom townhomes with one- to two-car garages and brick-paver driveways. Residents enjoy front-row seats to Disney’s nightly fireworks display.

“Almost everyone in the community has a connection to Disney – they either work there or like to stay in the Disney area,” says Angie Colston, Ryland’s vice president of sales and marketing.

Buyers looking for vacation homes with lakeside views have gravitated to Ryland’s Waterside Pointe in Groveland. The community encircles 220-acre Crystal Lake, which offers canoeing, kayaking and fishing.

Residents also enjoy a resort-style swimming pool, cabana, clubhouse, exercise room, sports court and the spectacular Waterside Pointe Water Slide Tower. Ryland offers estate, manor and verandah homes ranging in size from 1,481 to 3,587 square feet with prices starting in the mid-$150s.

While living close to the theme parks may be ideal for some, other buyers prefer a more low-key beachside getaway. That’s why the Deltona/Daytona Beach/Ormond Beach area in Volusia County ranks among the in the top ten vacation-home locations, according to the NAR.

In South Daytona Beach, buyers love Halifax Landing, a 186-unit condo complex that’s 63 percent sold. The project appeals to international buyers as well as locals who are looking for a second home and prefer waterfront. “We have some local people who are downsizing, selling their homes and looking for a maintenance-free lifestyle,” says Kristie Reinert, director of sales.

With stunning views of the Halifax River, the gated community is located just two minutes from the ocean. There’s also a fitness center, riverfront pool, spa, dock and clubroom. A grand hall is available for entertaining and social events.

Halifax Landing prices start at $161,000 with financing available through the community’s preferred lender, Wells Fargo. Affordable HOA fees encompass basic cable, amenities and on-site property management and maintenance teams.

Elsewhere in Volusia County, veteran broker Bill Roe, owner of Ocean Properties, says residents moving from the Orange and Seminole counties account for 26 percent of his sales. “New Smyrna Beach is a special place in Central Florida,” he notes. “It’s the closest beach getaway to Orlando.”

In addition to locals, Roe says he’s seen plenty of international buyers, especially Canadians, who can buy a condo with top-of-the-line amenities for the price of an efficiency apartment back home.

“Canadians like New Smyrna because it’s quiet and laid back,” Roe notes. “Some of the areas in Canada are similar in feel, and they like the fishing and the proximity to attractions such as the Daytona Speedway, the Canaveral National Seashore and, of course, Orlando.”

One of the biggest communities in New Smyrna is the Minorca, a 310-unit condo complex that consists of seven buildings extending from the Atlantic Ocean to the Intracoastal Waterway.

The buildings are spread out so home-owners can enjoy more privacy. There’s a pool, clay tennis courts, a fully appointed clubhouse and a gazebo by the beach that’s perfect for weddings or other intimate gatherings. Roe says the penthouse views are especially breathtaking.

The Fountains, which sits on a secluded part of the beach that’s closed to vehicular traffic, is perhaps New Smyrna’s most luxurious condo community. The eight-story building has only 14 units, all of which have floor-to-ceiling glass facing the ocean and private two-car garages.

Amenities include a zero-entry pool, clay tennis courts, an exercise room and sauna. The 4,000-square-foot units are priced between $1 million and $1.6 million. Buyers who prefer a resort community close to the beach but located on the mainland may find a place to call home inside the nearby Sugar Mill Country Club.

The community offers condos, townhomes and single-family homes as well as some of the best golfing in Central Florida. Two-bedroom golf villas are available for $110,000 while spacious three-bedroom, three-bath homes on the fairway are priced in the $300s.

Golf and social memberships are available, and residents have access to a newly remodeled clubhouse with a banquet room, fitness center and pool.

Across town on S.R. 44 is Venetian Bay Town & Country Club, a small community with a town center featuring shops and condos overlooking the lake. Many of the region’s top builders, including D.R. Horton, The Johnson Group and Paytas Homes, are building in the community’s various neighborhoods.

Amenities include a community pool, a children’s pool and concession area as well as plenty of bike paths and open spaces.

Whether living at the beach or on the mainland, New Smyrna remains an ideal destination for many buyers because of it’s small town charm, says Roe. He touts recent growth around the city, including an array of shops and restaurants and a new Hampton Inn, as evidence that another boom is coming.

“I’ve been in the business for 30 years and I’ve never seen such an opportunity, “ adds Roe. “It sounds like a used car salesman, but I’m right. If anybody ever wants to buy now it’s the time to come over.”