Lakefront Properties - Orlando and Clermont Real Estate

4 Must-Dos When Looking for a Lake Home

Many of us dream of owning a home on the lake someday. Right now, mortgage interest rates are allowing that dream to become a reality for some of us. If you are ready and able to make that leap to lake homeownership there are some helpful things you will want to know about before beginning your search for that perfect lake home.

Find an Agent with Waterfront Home Experience

Not every real estate agent has knowledge about buying and selling lake properties. It is important to hire an agent with experience in waterfront and water view properties. There is more to purchasing a home than finding one that is pretty, making an offer, and signing papers. Having an agent that knows how to find a quality lake home in your price range, on a good lake, and in a neighborhood that fits your lifestyle because they know the ins and outs of local waterfront properties is important.

Careful Attention Needs to be Focused Beyond the Home

Yes the home is a huge part of the purchase, but the land around the home is equally important in a lake home purchase. The land around your home is going to play a big role in the function and quality of your everyday life. Take plenty of time to walk around the property as well as the home. What is the water like? If the home is not right on the lake, how far away is the access and what does the journey to lake access look like? How are the views? If you are checking out views in the winter be mindful that trees and plants fill in in the spring and summer and alter the view.

Don’t Plan to Build Your Lifestyle to Fit Your Home

Think about what you envision when you see yourself living in a lake home. What are the things that you are looking forward to doing every day? What are things you enjoy in everyday life right now? If you are not the type of person that enjoys constant atmosphere noise and high activity, you might want to check out a lake that does not allow motor craft or activity during certain hours. Or you might choose to live a few streets up from the lake with a lake view that gives you a buffer from the noise, but still allows unlimited lake access.

You don’t want to invest in a dream home only to discover it is not your dream lifestyle.

Get to Know the Neighborhood from Another Perspective

Do all the homework you can on a neighborhood you are considering. Look up every article you can on the internet. Check out some discussion forums about living on certain lakes and even certain housing communities on the lake. Ask anyone you may know that lives in the area if they have any perspective on living there or if they know someone who does. Ask your realtor if they have former clients that live there they might be willing to contact so you can ask questions about what it is like to live there. The best perspective you will get about a neighborhood is asking questions to someone who lives there.

For more information on lake homes in Clermont and surrounding areas please contact me at any time.

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Challenges When Landscaping a Lake Front Home

Homes with land right on the water have some unique things to consider when it comes to landscaping. The yard has an added dimension as a gateway to water activities and plays a big role in a part of your beautiful view.

It is pretty important to make sure you do your research before beginning any lakefront landscaping project. Any landscaping project you perform on a lakefront property will not be your typical landscaping project.

It is not uncommon for lake homeowners to get stuck on how to have a nice looking yard without making a negative impact on the lake environment around it. A great idea to help you out with your landscaping endeavors on a lakefront yard is to check out local area workshops or advice threads online. Some towns will offer workshops to introduce skills and resources specific to local waterfront landscaping success.

You also want to make sure what the specific neighborhood, lake, and town restrictions are for making improvements to your specific property. Adding the wrong improvements is taking a risk that someone official will discover them and ask you to remove all your hard work.

Some Things that are Good to Know

Lakeside Properties are Usually in a Floodplain

Nearly every lakefront property is in a floodplain. The first duty to landscaping by lakefront homeowners is to make sure the land is strong and protected against flooding and erosion. Lakes are formed by many different processes from basins naturally filling with water to man-made holes being dug.

More: 10 Fall Curb Appeal Tips for Selling

The land that serves as the lake perimeter is considered a floodplain as defined by several different state’s regulations. A floodplain is a natural filtration system, it is an area where stormwater runoff seeps into the ground. Natural vegetation works as a filter to keep contaminants out of the lake water and retaining needed nutrition for itself. So planting items that work well as filtration is a good idea.

Wildlife and Environmental Impact are Big Concerns

When formulating a landscape plan for lake property, you will need to take into account the bigger impact it will have on the land around you as well as the animals that make the lake and surrounding land their home.

Be careful and responsible for the chemicals you use to care for your lawn and garden. Pollutants like phosphorus and nitrogen can get into the lake water and increase algae and aquatic weed growth. Pesticides can also get into the water and harm fish and other water creatures.

Removing parts of the shoreline or vegetation along the shoreline can greatly impact a lake’s ecosystem, so it is best to know what impact you will cause if you plan to remove any plants in your yard.

If you are needing more knowledge and want to take the safest approach to keep your property and the lake around you safe, it is a great idea to call a professional landscaper that has experience with local waterfront landscaping to give you a consultation or to do the work for you.

For more information on lake homes in Clermont and surrounding areas please contact me anytime.

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5 Tips for Finding That First Perfect Lake Property

It is a dream of many to own a home right on the lake especially for people here in Clermont and Lake County. Right now many buyers are turning that dream into a reality as the need to stay distant while enjoying outdoor activities is prevalent. If you are thinking about taking the leap into lakefront property here are some things to consider.

Choose the Right Lake for Your Wants and Needs

Begin your home buying process by asking yourself the exact reasons why you want to live on the lake. What do you want to do there? Are you just looking for a quiet and serene view to enjoy from your yard? Are you hoping to fish for some of your meals? Are you wanting to get a paddleboard work out in on a calm lake every day? Or are you up for the most lively adventure and high energy activity with motor craft water sports at you fingertips?

The activities you see yourself doing while living on the lake will help you to determine exactly what lake, or lakes, you would like to live on. Each lake has its own set of usage rules.

Choose a Desired Neighborhood

Now that you have an idea of what type of lake you would like to live on and have picked a few specific lakes to focus on, start looking at specific neighborhoods on those lakes. Maybe you prefer a specific shoreline on a lake or a master-planned community with a central hub of amenities and an HOA to guide things. What type of lake neighborhood do you want to live in? Do you want to have a community of close neighbors to meet new friends or would you prefer more land and a more private and quiet feel?

Know ALL the Rules

Beyond knowing what type of water activity is permitted on the lake you wish to live on you will want to know rules about:

Is there an HOA?

Are there rules about building docks and improving the home?

Is the property on an easement or is a portion of it protected by environmental laws?

What rules are rock solid and will not change and what laws are amenable that could make the area feel totally different in the future?

What are future development rules of surrounding properties and land?

What is the history of the rules and how they have changed?

Be Prepared for More Maintenance

Owning any type of home comes with its own set of upkeep and maintenance you will be responsible for, but living on the water requires a little more work than a landlocked property. Make sure you are aware of and prepared for important maintenance tasks. Be sure to ask a lot of questions about anything that may come to mind when you walk through the property. If your realtor doesn’t know the answer they may be able to find it for you. It is important to hire a realtor that specializes in selling lake properties to help you find a home in good condition.

Financing and Insurance May be Different

When purchasing a waterfront home, it is riskier. Because of the higher risk of things like flooding, you may have special requirements from your lender or insurance companies. It is good to be prepared that these processes may take some extra requirements for approval.

Are you looking for your first lake home in Clermont or Lake County? Please contact me anytime. I am very knowledgeable in the local area and have much experience selling Florida lake homes.

If you are looking to buy a lake home in Clermont I would love to help you find just the right one for you. Please contact me at any time.

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Many Buyers are Searching for Lake Homes Right Now

Just before the pandemic, the big city living right in the center of all of the action was gaining popularity with home buyers. A large number of people wanted to live close or even within walking distance if possible of the office and all of the places they loved to visit on a regular basis.

When the pandemic shut things down for a brief period of time the majority of home buyers shifted their mindset. The big city no longer held the allure it used to. There wasn’t much to do, and what could be done took much more effort and thoughtfulness to stay safely distanced from the higher number of neighbors.

As a result of feeling too cooped up with very little room to distance from everyone around, many homebuyers have begun to flock to less populated areas. Of those less populated areas, the most sought after homes are those that offer a chance to get out of the home more. Recently, reports have shown at the top of the trend of moving away from the city is moving to a lake home.

Here are the Key Reasons Why Buyers are Hoping to Move to the Lake Right Now

A City Home Is No Longer More Convenient

The reasons for moving to the city before the pandemic, like being super close to work and more opportunities to play in the neighborhood you live, are no longer needed perks of everyday living since the pandemic hit. Now that more people are working from their home office and may continue to do so for several months or maybe for forever, people don’t have to worry about how long it takes to get to work. Zillow recently reported results from a survey they conducted showed that of those people currently working from home, 66% would consider moving if their employer told them their job was going to continue remotely after things go back to “normal.” With business slowly opening up and being at limited capacity it is no longer as alluring to be just minutes from your favorite hang-out.

More Space Is Now Desirable

When there were no limitations on where you could go and how often you could go there, people flocked to thriving social scenes in the city. They did not care about having huge spacious homes, because they spent very little time there. A home to a bustling social city dweller was just a comfortable place to lay your head for a few hours, shower, and then leave for work and living amongst the crowds in a rush of activity. Distancing has kept people in their homes for several hours at a time and this is leading people to want a home with more space to spread out, and an outdoor space with things to do.

You Get More For Your Money

While waterfront homes come with a bigger price tag than land locked homes in the same areas, they are still cheaper than high rise condos in the center of the city. The pandemic has shifted many people’s mindsets about the way they choose to spend their money. They are becoming more mindful of truly living within their means or a little below a comfortable budget to ensure they are better prepared for economic emergencies.

More People are Living in Their Lake Houses Instead of Renting Them

People who own lake homes as second properties and rent them out when they are not using them are now staying longer in their lake homes instead of renting them out. This has led those that would like to flee the city and rent a lake home to consider purchasing one. Especially those that have been considering maybe purchasing a lake home for a while so they can enjoy it anytime they please.

There were many reasons to love living on or near the lake before the pandemic and there are many more reasons to love it now. If you are looking for a lake home in Clermont or surrounding areas please contact me any time.

Clermont has several great opportunities to own a Florida lakefront home. Some of Clermont’s most sought after lake neighborhoods include Clermont Heights, Osprey Pointe, Susan’s Landing and any home on Lake Louisa, the largest lake in the Clermont Chain of Lakes. From new construction to estate homes with private lake access there is a lake home in Clermont to suit every water lover’s wants and needs.

If you are looking to buy a lake home in Clermont I would love to help you find just the right one for you. Please contact me at any time.

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The Clermont Chain of Lakes is Florida’s Most Loved to Live On

The Clermont Chain of Lakes is one of Florida’s Most Loved to Live On – Florida is known for many things, from them parks and palm trees to oranges and spectacular ocean beaches. While Florida is a peninsula surrounded by large beautiful bodies of water giving it white sandy world-famous beaches, there is a more livable waterfront than just around the perimeter of the state.

Florida is home to many, many different chains of lakes. Living on a Florida lake offers the beauty of Florida waterfront living with more tranquility and a ton of recreational possibilities. One of the most loved areas for a lakefront living is in the Central Florida town of Clermont nestled amongst the Clermont Chain of Lakes.

The Clermont Chain of Lakes is comprised of 11 different lakes all connected by the Palatlakaha River. Well-known lakes on the Clermont Chain include lake Palatlakaha, Lake Winona, and Lake Louisa. This is one of the most recreational lake chains in all of Florida.

Homes without private dock space can make use of the public boat ramps on Lake Minneola and Lake Louisa. Lake Minneola is home to Clermont’s waterfront park, South Lake Trail, and Champions Splash Park. This is one of the most popular places for residents of Clermont to enjoy and it is within walking distance of the downtown Clermont area.

What is Unique About Living in Clermont?

Clermont is recognized around the world by Olympic level athletes, aspiring athletes, and those who are familiar with summer Olympic level sports for being the home of the National Training Center that hosts Olympic athletic training.

If you are an avid cyclist you may know that Clermont has one of the best cycling terrains in the country.

Wakeboarders refer to Clermont as one of the World’s Wakeboarding capitals.

If you love to fish in Florida no doubt you know about the Clermont Chain of lakes as some of the best fishing spots in all of the Southern United States.

Popular triathlons, world-famous fishing tournaments, boating, wakeboarding, paddleboarding,, etc. If you love an outdoor lifestyle, especially one on and around the water, you will love living in Clermont.

Popular Clermont Lakefront Neighborhoods

Clermont has several great opportunities to own a Florida lakefront home. Some of Clermont’s most sought after lake neighborhoods include Clermont Heights, Osprey Pointe, Susan’s Landing and any home on Lake Louisa, the largest lake in the Clermont Chain of Lakes. From new construction, to estate homes with private lake access there is a lake home in Clermont to suit every water lover’s wants and needs.

If you are looking to buy a lake home in Clermont I would love to help you find just the right one for you. Please contact me at any time.

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Image by Marcus Quigmire & US Dept of the Interior