It was not so long ago that Central Florida was a sleepy backwater of orange farming communities, it has an amazing story of growth, mainly due to the ideas of Walt Disney, it is the epicentre of tourist and property investment activity in the sunshine state.

The "Disney Catchment Area" stretches from Disney World, down to Kissimmee and Davenport, stretching up to Claremont.  For those looking for more exclusive developments you have the choice of the many Golf developments on the west side of Orlando around Windermere and Lake Buena Vista.  Incorporated in this area are attractions such as Sea World, Universal Studios and the Wet n Wild water park.

As the tourest industry has grown, so has the property development.  Today Orlando has all but absorbed its neighbours Kissimmee and up-market Windermere, with shopping malls, resorts, hotels, crazy golf and restaurants lining Highway 192 and catering for every possible tourist whim. 

It's is worth exploring a little further afield during a visit to Central Florida.  Continuing south from Kissimmee along combined Highway 17/92 the countryside changes back to dust dotted with cattle and orange groves. 

Lake Kissimmee State Park is in the heart of cattle country and offers nature trails, campsites, fishing and even canoeing.  At weekends, visitors can step back in time and relive the days of cattle drives and cow camps.

Winter Haven is an hour's drive from Disney World and offers a striking contrast to the area's more commercially popular tourist attractions.  This community of around 25,000 people is surrounded by 23 beautiful freshwater lakes, 14 of which are joined by navigable canals. 

Davenport also offers the best of both worlds, being just 20 minutes away from Disney World and an hour from Gulf Coast, yet it sits peacefully surrounded by a wealth of top-class golf courses and rolling hills once used for citrus growth.

The Central florida Economy

Central Florida is rich in tourist gold thanks to the millions of visitor that flock there each year.  The opening of Disney World in 1971 really put Orlando on the international map and the appeal has been enduring, with other crowd-pulling attractions springing up in close proximity. 

The entertainment, leisure and tourist industry remains the economic driving force of the area.  Unsurprisingly, the Disney Empire is the largest private employer with over 53,000 people on its books, and Universal Studios is another huge employer with around 14,500 staff.

Orlando itself is one of the fastest growing cities in the US with an estimated 5,000 new residents arriving monthly.  For this reason the housing market is very buoyant, although most sales are for second or holiday homes.  Property prices remain well below the state and national averages and generally offer excellent value for money.  A four bed-room house can be purchased from around $250,000.

Buying in the Orlando or Davenport area makes for an excellent investment, too.  Rental returns are high though you should check that your property is in the correct rental zone to ensure that you are not subject to limiting restrictions. 

Thanks to the "snowbird" phenomenon, the rental season here is virtually year round.  When retirees of colder northern US states and Canada head south to avoid the cold winters, they create an extremely high rental demand from November to April.

While Orlando and further south in Kissimmee could be described as well developed, the north provides a refreshing contrast.  The market here is not quite as soft becomes it's a little more exclusive and the developments tend to focus around the proliferation of golf courses in the area.

Central Florida Social Profile

As you might expect, most of central Florida is populated by young families who take advantage of the child orientated entertainments of the area and the reasonable property prices.  The area is also very popular with American retirees from metropolises such as New York who want to change of pace and a break from the big city life.

Central Florida is popular with UK buyers and it remains an attractive proposition.  The strength of sterling against the dollar means that the area represents great value for money, and many couples in their fifties are releasing equity from their UK property take advantage of the current soft market.

If it's Central Florida that you are interested in please search for local homes in the "IHL Multiple Listing" Link at the top of the grey bar to the left of this page, or you can contact us on the on "Free Phone" 0808 1786941.

IHL has agents that have an in-depth knowledge of the area. It would be our privilege to represent you in your search and purchase of your Florida Property. With us you will never deal with a sellerÿs agent so you know you will get the best deal possible. Remember that our fee's come from the Seller, not you.

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