You and everyone else. Hope you've got half a mil cash laying around. Otherwise, you'll get beat by an offer from a corporate property management company and get the privilege of paying $3k a month rent.

Lmao

I was just in Maitland for a medical appointment. Loads of non-HOA homes, lots of block-built houses that are basically indestructible, the downtown area was all decked out for Christmas and there are lots of social things going on across the Orlando metro, with tons of parks etc. HOAs are fairly standard on new builds, but Florida has tons of places you can find. If you want to save more money you could look to Deland which is between Sanford and Daytona and is lots of old Florida with homes on large lots and much of what you are looking into. South of Orlando to Tampa is an I4 traffic nightmare.

You’re not looking for a unicorn, there are pockets in Central FL that fit most of this, you just have to be selective. Winter Garden, especially the older areas, has great family energy, events, and people who really show up for the holidays, and you can still find no-HOA homes if you dig. Winter Park has tons of character and community events, though it’s pricier and big yards without an HOA are usually on the outskirts. Clermont and Lakeland are solid if you want more space and fewer restrictions, with a more laid-back, family-oriented feel and lots of kids’ activities. Oviedo, Winter Springs, and Lake Mary are also very family-friendly and safe, but yard size and HOA rules vary a lot by neighborhood.

Zillow search anywhere south of Lake Hollingsworth in Lakeland and you may find a few that meet your criteria. This is all generally a nice and safe area. Biggest thing that’s eliminating a lot of homes in your situation is the no HOA stipulation. Avoid Winter Haven.

Come to Lake County.

I live in Mount Dora, we always have something going on, every weekend. Mt Dora, Eustis, Tavares and Leesburg, there's always something. There's a lot of u-pick farms that always have good activities, especially for kids. I've lived in a lot of places in Florida and Lake County definitely has the most "community" vibe to it.

You're still close to Orlando for sports. We go to NHL games in Jacksonville, 2.2 hour drive. St Augustine isn't far and they have some great Christmas lights, so we usually take a trip out there around the holidays. Mount Dora/Tavares had a lighted boat parade, our downtowns are great for lights. NBC's TODAY show even did a segment there this year for Merriest Main Streets.

Out of all of those things, it's a little crowded, but it's spread out fairly well. Way better than Orlando metro (Winter Park, Winter Garden, etc..) We've been looking to buy a house as well, given your budget, you'll be able to find something.

(edit: I reread and saw you said homeschool community- disregard the school explanations! I homeschool mine now, however, and there is ABSOLUTELY a few homeschool groups in PC!!)

Two Words: Plant MFing City.

Look, Central FL is a weird place. Tampa to Orlando is like one giant Metro area. Except for Plant City, which is this little hidden gem of "old timey hometown vibes."

Pros:

--Cute little downtown area with a ton of events. It's getting revitalized right now: New bars/hang-out spots, restaurants, shops.

--The Holiday parade is great (last year "The Grinch" came flying in driving a sports car and the cops "arrested" him lol).

--Strawberry Festival once a year bring is decent bands and a ton of cash for the city.

--Decent shopping with almost everything you'd need (the only thing they dont have is a Target but there are about five within 30min).

--Brand new hospital just got finished last year, too. It's really nice inside (I've got twin boys... I'm all too familiar with ERs lol).

--Not in any of the hurricane evacuation zones AND a ton of the areas (like the one I suggest later) aren't even in flood zones. I went through two hurricanes back to back last year and felt little to nothing. Drive around and see the fully intact, very well-kept mobile homes from the 60s/70s and you'll understand how little impact PC gets from storms. (This is not to suggest people havent gotten damage, because of course they have, but in the grand scheme is waaaay less).

--You can absolutely have land AND if you go to thr North part of PC its in the "unincorporated " bit, so its way less regulated (aka you leave me alone/I leave you alone). Try anywhere From Knights Griffin to Bruton Rd N -> S and Paul S Buchman HWY/39 to Pless Rd E -> W.

--I lived in PC for two years with my kids and really enjoyed it. We went to both Knights Elementary and Cork Elementary for K-6 and they were both incredible. Middle schools are, well, all middle schools SUCK right now, but Marshall Middle Magnet has some amazing teachers/admin that are really, truly teying and genuinely care about the kids. Can't speak to the HS as we never went.

Cons:

--Is there a weird, underground Scientology presence? Yeah. That's there... but its like one building downtown and you'd literally miss it if you didnt know. Nothing like the conglomerate-beast woth its acolytes running around downtown Clearwater.

--If you choose the area I mentioned above, you will have a bit of a "food desert" issue. Wal-mart/groceries took me about 23-25min depending on traffic. But you sacrifice convenience for privacy/quiet.

--Closed on Sundays would described a lot of the older places in town. Again, its a small town vibe and some places are still rolling on the "closed at 5pm/sundays" vibes.

--Can be a little isolating; if you aren't used to being in the middle of nowhere it'll take some getting used to.

All of this is obviously anecdotal. But I adore Plant City and it will always hold a special place in my heart.

Ocala. Rainbow park neighborhood off of hey 40. Close to WEC. No hoa. Approx 20 min to I-75, via hwy 40. A lot of new construction. Wooded lots for sale to build your own, as well. A lot of the new builds on 1/4 acre lots, 1500sw ft home new construction , approx $240-280,k....Wooded lots for sale on 1/4 acre, 1-2 acres and larger. You could easily build a new 2500sqft home on a couple of acres, with your budget.

I think you are getting downvoted because you triggered a certain demographic.

Someone mentioned Plant City....but I think north of I-4 because it is getting very congested in that area....in fact, I would say North of Ocala (to avoid the villages) and South of Lake City.

No HOA in Florida? Good luck with that, you are unicorn hunting.

Bought a house in Longwood 1.5 years ago - it's a long main road with communities off to the left and right of it, most of them non-HOA or voluntary HOA 🙂

Dundee.winterhaven area long wood ok

Lakeland Plantcity.. no!!

If you are looking into buying - I have a home in Bushnell for Sale. its 5bed/3 bath, pool, over an acre, fully privacy fenced, concrete driveway, a 2 story 40x60 steel building detached (dream man Cave) - Bushnell is an awesome town. 40 min from Tampa, Orlando and Ocala _ very centralized.

Lake county is the fastest growing county in the state. I live 10 miles outside Eustis and Mt Dora. I moved here 5 years ago from Miami. The amount of traffic is crazy. The growth in this area is becoming ridiculous. I live in the boonies. We are an Orlando suburb. Do your homework before you buy.

Sebring is a fantastic place to live. Look there.

The South Lake region blows everything you want out of the water

Reading other posts. Not every home in Florida's "nice" areas has an HOA. Recommend looking in the Lakeland area. Beautiful downtown and other areas. Lots to do. Home prices are lower than in the Orlando or Tampa areas.

Our relatives live in Lakeland and love it. (In a beautiful, older neighborhood called Sugartree with no HOA either. Beautiful homes full of character. No "cookie cutter" homes there.) We spend a lot of time there. The area has, of course, many beautiful lakes, hence the name. Lots of large oak trees, too, make this area lush, beautiful and green with gently rolling hills too, unlike the flatter more southern part of Florida. So much character in Lakeland.

Lakeland is known for it lower crime rate, lower than the national average. Heard of Sheriff Grady Judd? If not, look him up on YouTube as you will find many videos of him. He is the real, no-nonsense, sensible sheriff of Polk County, and he and his department are extremely well-loved by all who live there. (Except the criminals!)

Florida is loaded with homeschooling families. Many towns have several support groups to choose from, where you can get together with other likeminded homeschooling families for co-ops, field trips, science and history fairs, etc... Check out the Florida Parent-Educators Association (FPEA) for info on local support groups in the area to which you would like to move.

Central Florida is a great choice for a beautiful place to move. If you want a bigger city feel you can find that, or if you want a small, old fashioned, more rural town you can find that also. Don't let anyone fool you, Florida still has many charming, lovely places to live! Affordable too compared to many other places in the country. Highly recommended!