Everything you need to know about buying a home in Orlando

What is the best type of home to buy in Orlando

There are many types of property and homes you can buy in Orlando from duplexes, commercial buildings, condos, single-family homes and more. Orlando, however, is the vacation home capital of the world attracting over 78 million visitors during 2018. With the ever-expanding growth of Disney World, Universal Studios and many more attractions around the City this destination is set for years of growth. The vacation and hospitality market being the main draw to Orlando.

Buying a home in Orlando

Areas you should consider when buying a home in Orlando

Orlando is split up into separate counties with many having their own rules regarding what can and cannot be done. Only Osceola and Polk County allow Short Term vacation rentals. Luckily for us, this is the exact area you would like to buy in to capitalize on this growing market. Shops, restaurants, and infrastructure have all been built around this and Disney itself is built on Osceola County property.

What are the best communities to buy a home near Disney World?

When you visit Disney you will see that there are many communities being developed however there really are only a handful of communities that we would be happy to recommend to you.

Reunion Resort

Orlando’s most luxurious vacation rental community, located just 5.5 miles from Disney and features 1 bedroom condos up to 15 bedroom Mega Mansions. Onsite also features 3 championship golf courses. A hotel, water park, splash park, spa, fitness center, several pools, and many restaurants.  If you are looking to built or buy a custom home in Orlando the Reunion is the place for you.

Championsgate

One of the most popular resort communities in the Disney area, this resort is made up of separate communities with the Retreat at Championsgate being where most of the larger vacation home investments can be found. Homes range from 4 – 9 bedroom with newer homes having modern, traditional or Mediterranean styles. The resort itself has a large clubhouse with a cinema, bar, and restaurant and also features the Oasis water park with a lazy river.

Encore Resort

A fantastic resort community located just minutes from Disney featuring 5 – 11 bedroom homes with private pools and spas. The resort itself has its own private waterpark, clubhouse, fitness center and children’s club all exclusive to owners and guests who stay here.

What new communities are being developed?

Many of the newer communities have completely sold out leaving few opportunities to buy a brand new off-plan home in Orlando. There are however a few opportunities that we would highly recommend.

Windsor Island Resort homes for sale

Homes for sale Windsor Island Resort

The brand new resort community being developed by Pulte Homes who are one of America’s top builder and developers of other popular communities such as Windsor at Westside. Windsor Island Resort is being built with you and your guest in mind, a master-planned community designed for vacation rental.  World-class amenities make this resort one of our top recommendations when buying a home in Orlando.

Read our guide on our Top Resorts here.

Solara Resort

Phase 1 was sold out very quickly and has now just released Phase two. Solara is already a very popular resort featuring modern floor plans with Townhomes and large 4 – 9 bedroom vacation homes. Onsite also features a Flowrider surfing simulator, clubhouse, waterpark, and restaurant. The location to Disney is perfect and highly recommended for a good investment.

Margaritaville

A brand new Resort with a world-famous name. Here you can buy 2 – 8 bedroom cottages many with lake views. The resort itself is really where this community stands out. A full resort with a huge beach entry pool, poolside dining and bar service, regular concerts, onsite water park, and shopping village makes Margaritaville a one-stop holiday destination.

What return should I expect

Returns do vary from house to house, but the majority of owners in Orlando easily cover all expenses and mortgage costs making Orlando one of the safest places to invest in.

Who will look after my investment home

Many owners are not located in the area where their second home is located, so how do you manage a home from a different location.

The property management company, when buying a home the next most important thing is selecting the right property manager for your home, depending on if you are looking at renting your home or just keeping it as your private second home will determine which company is the best fit for you. An established property management company will take care of absolutely everything for you, from preparing your home for rental, getting licenses, arranging cleaning and maintenance. They will even take care of your taxes and making sure you are paid your rentals on time. Property managers work hand in hand with the booking companies making this an extremely efficient process where you can get involved in as much or as little as you like.

Who furnishes these properties

Buying a home in Orlando is one thing but making sure these homes rent is another.  By making sure your home is furnished to a high standard and fun for children and adults alike will make sure your home rents. Depending on where you buy the restrictions are different, take Margaritaville as an example, here the furnishings are strictly designed by the onsite team to guarantee strict standards across the community, Ethan Allen is the preferred furnishings in here. Other communities such as Reunion and Solara allow for owners to either furnish the home themselves or seek help from a professional designer – we are happy to recommend or even take care of this aspect for you.

How can I get more bookings for my home

Our parent site TopVillas.com is Orlando’s leading bookings company by listing on here not only does your home get exposure to a huge amount of targeted traffic but your home will also get an automatic lusting on sites such as Airbnb, VRBO, Homeaway, Flipkey, Tripadvisor and more. We can regularly push your home on social media and through our other platforms to make sure your home is getting the maximum exposure and generating you a great return.