Orlando has many different styles of homes and neighborhoods. We put together this home style/neighborhood guide to help you get an overview of the many types of homes Orlando has to offer. There is definitely a home that will fit your taste, wallet and lifestyle…

Click here for our “work in progress” Orlando Neighborhood Guide
Spanish (Mediterranean) style homes – This popular home design found its footing in America near the beginning of the 20^th century and is commonly found in California and Florida. Its most distinctive feature is by far the tiled roofs, but smooth stucco finishes, iron work and terra cotta ornaments are also commonly found. Both single and two story designs are found in this style.

In the Orlando area you will find this type of home closer to the Disney area (South Orlando). New buyers often expect tile roof homes in the Orlando area, however, this home style is far more popular in South Florida (Miami, Ft. Lauderdale etc.). Keep in mind that those beautiful homes with tile roofs usually are in higher price ranges.

Some Mediterranean style communities and subdivisions where you will find Spanish style homes in the Orlando area:

• Alaqua and Alaqua Lakes, Longwood
• Avalon Park, Orlando
• Baldwin Park, Orlando
• Bay Hill, Orlando
• Belmere Village, Windermere
• Enclave at Maitland (Montacito) (Single Family Homes and Town Homes), Maitland
• Fountain Park (Townhomes), Lake Mary
• Keenes Pointe, Windermere
• Lake Forest, Sanford
• Magnolia Plantation, Lake Mary
• Orange Tree, Dr. Philips
• Sweetwater Country Club, Apopka
• Terracina (Town Homes), Sanford (see image)
• Tuskawilla, Winter Springs
• Village Walk at Lake Nona (Townhomes and Single Family Homes), Orlando

Prairie Probably one of the most recognizable but least known is the modern architectural style of the prairie home. Made famous by Frank Lloyd Wright (but designed by many other architects as well) these home feature low pitched roof’s with overhanging eaves and horizontal lines, intended to give the impression that the house could blend into to its surroundings. Later, based on these design concepts the Ranch style home was engineered.

In the Orlando area you will find these unique homes in areas like Longwood and Winter Park. There is not technically a community with the majority of homes being this style, however by driving through communities like Wingfield Reserve in Longwood or The Springs in Longwood you will find some unique home styles.

Art Deco Art Deco architecture usually brings to mind south beach Miami, but this design style was actually one of the most influential designs movements of the 20^th century and can be found in cities across the USA (and Europe). Emerging as a reaction to the somberness following WW1, this modern style typically features flat roof lines, and utilizes stainless steel, aluminum and lacquer in its finishes.

Some homes resembling the art deco style can be found in Winter Park or Sanford FL, however, as mentioned above Miami is the area known for its Art Deco style.

Pueblo The Pueblo design style has its roots in the Spanish/Mediterranean architecture of the early 20^th century. The main style difference is that the wall joints tend to have a curved or rounded shape to them, rather than being squared off, and often wood beams are exposed through the exterior walls.

Driving through the historic residential district of Sanford you will see some samples of Pueblo/Mission style homes.

Bungalow The bungalow has a long and interesting history. Originally used as a term to describe a one story thatched roof house in India, the term gained popularity in the USA during the late 19^th century. It was during this time, also known as the Arts and Crafts period, when the term began to describe large country homes. Today the term typically refers to a small single story home usually featuring dormer windows and a covered front veranda.

Bungalows can be found in Winter Park, College Park and even Thornton Park.

Contemporary- The vast majority of homes in the Central Florida/Orlando area are considered “contemporary”. This home style generally has an open floor plan, high or vaulted ceilings, an attached garage and stucco finish. The roof is usually covered in asphalt shingles and (in large part due to the hot and humid Florida climate) the exterior framing is done with concrete blocks instead of wood.

When buyers first move to the Orlando area they usually like the contemporary home style since, depending on which area they originally moved from, it is a new style to them. Very soon after that they realize though that this style is prevalent in Central Florida. It takes a lot to customize a contemporary home, also because they are usually located in subdivisions with an HOA that sets rules as to how much you can alternate the exterior of your home. Even a decision as simple as painting your home or putting up a fence can be blocked by the board. Communities with contemporary homes in Orlando are often referred to as “cookie cutter” communities.

Custom Homes – A custom home can be built in any architectural style. The home’s design is usually worked out with the homeowner and the architect/builder. These homes can be built from “stock” floor plans or can be built upon the specifications of the homeowner. Usually it’s a little bit of both, utilizing a “stock” floor plan and customizing it to meet the needs of the client. Custom homes can be found in all of the luxury home communities throughout Central Florida, including Alaqua, Alaqua Lakes, Keenes Pointe, Isleworth and many more.

Related Post: Orlando FL Most Expensive Homes for Sale

High Rise Condos – Most often high rise condos are found in major city’s where land space is limited. Downtown Orlando has recently built a few high rise condo buildings, including the Vue at Lake Eola. Although the interior of each condo can range in style, the building itself is usually more than 6 stories tall and features mainly a glass exterior.

More High Rise Condos in Orlando:

• 101 Eola
• 530 East Central
• The Jackson Condo
• Sanctuary Downtown
• Solaire at the Plaza
• Star Tower Condo
• The Vue at Lake Eola
• The Waverly (see picture)

Resort Style Condos – While these usually represent a lifestyle rather than an architectural design difference, they typically borrow their styling from major vacation resorts. Most often these have a Mediterranean feel and design with tiled roofs. But the most distinctive aspect of these homes is in the amenities not the design. Usually they are located on a golf course with 2 or more pools as well as a community activity center, gym and clubhouse.

Resort Style condo communities can be found throughout the Orlando area. Since Orlando is considered a vacation place by most of the rest of the world this is one of the styles of housing one might expect to be prevalent in Central Florida. Areas with a higher density of these communities are located closer to the Disney and attractions area. Some of these communties are zoned for short term rentals and used by tourists who want to stay an extended period of time. Metro West is an area with many communities like these, however you will even find resort style condos in the Lake Mary and Sanford area with complexes like Notting Hill and Arbor Lakes (see image).

TownHomes – Townhome communities can come in a variety of design and architectural styles. Most townhomes have one or more shared exterior wall, but typically no one above or below them. Many townhome communities feature contemporary design styles, but a new trend in the Central Florida area has been a Victorian or Colonial townhome design giving the community an old town feel.

Unique Town Home Communities in the Orlando area (some of these communities also include single family homes):

• Avalon Park, (Colonial and Victorian Style), Orlando – 100s to 200s
• Baldwin Park (Colonial and Victorian Style), Orlando – low 200s to 300s
• Fountain Park (Mediterranean luxury town homes with elevators), Lake Mary – low 200s to 300s
• Montacino (Mediterranean), Maitland – low 200s to 300s
• Terracina (Mediterranean), Sanford – low 100s to 200s
• Victoria Park (Colonial Style), Deland – low 100s to 200s
• Village Walk at Lake Nona (Mediterranean), Orlando – low 200s to 300s

Tudor style – Tudor style homes are so named, because they were the prevalent architectural design used during the reign of the British Tudor monarchs (1485-1603). They have a distinguished and unique appearance featuring decorative timbering, steeply pitched roofs and tall narrow windows.

There are not many Tudor style homes in the Orlando area. However, other than in custom homes, this highly desirable (because unique) home style can be found in a few communities that were built by Toll Brohters (a builder well known for their Tudor style houses).

Tudor Style Homes in the Orlando area:

• Preserve at Astor Farms, Sanford – 200s to 400s
• River Oaks at Timber Springs, Orlando – 200s to 400s

Four square – The quintessential American house, the four square almost seems to define American home architecture. The four square gained popularity in the early 20^th century as an efficient way to use small pieces of city land. A Four Square home is typically designed as a 2 level simple box shaped home with a 4 room design. Although many of these homes have been altered by past owners throughout the years, the exterior generally features a full length porch with wide stairs.

Four Square homes can be found in the historic cities within the Orlando area including Sanford, Winter Park, and downtown Orlando.

Cape Cod – As the name suggests this style of home was originally built in Cape Cod MA, during the early part of the 18^th century. It was an economical shelter solution to the blustery New England weather. In the 1930’s this home design regained popularity and became the first “tract” homes in the newly developed suburbs. It most distinctive feature tends to be the clap board or shingled exterior walls, shuttered windows and second story dormer windows.

Cape Cod style homes can be found in Winter Park.

Craftsman – The craftsman home was derived from the arts and crafts movement of the late 19^th century. It features a strong emphasis on natural products and craftsmanship, usually having stone chimneys and porch supports built-in cabinetry, seating and book cases as well as beamed ceilings.

Craftsman style homes can be found in Winter Park.

Colonial – The colonial style home came into existence based on need rather than a new form of architecture. As families grew during the 18^th century many of their cape cod styled homes grew with them. Out of this expansion came the Colonial. An American Colonial home usually has 2 levels and is very symmetrical (much like the Cape Cod) with the front door centered and windows arranged evenly along the façade.  Function and practicality are the driving force behind this home style, but throughout the years some embellishments have been made and many now feature grand columns, elaborate decking, and dormer windows.

Colonial style homes (of course imitation, not originals) in the Orlando can be found mostly in the town home sections of communities like Baldwin Park, Victoria Park or Avalon Park. Other than that this style can be found in many areas with custom homes including Winter Park or Altamonte Springs.

Victorian – Although many people imagine a doll house or gingerbread house when thinking of Victorian homes, the truth is that a Victorian Home is any home that was built during the Victorian period (1840-1900). During this time of industrialization many new techniques and innovations became available to builders and they were eager to test them out. The end result was often an overly embellished home, each with their own unique character.

Victorian homes can be found in the historic district of Sanford or Winter Park.

Click here to read more about the Victorian Homes of Sanford FL

Ranch - After WWII and during the Baby Boom, affordable housing was needed en-masse. The result was a variation on the Pairie and Bungalow design with an emphasis on simplicity. Since then, the ranch has been re-invented several times. Sometimes being built as a split level or raised level, but still maintaining its simple floor plan, rambling lay out and attached garage. Contemporary ranches also sometimes borrow features from other designs, such as the Spanish design, most often seen in ranch homes, built in the early 1980s.

Ranch style homes can be found throughout the entire Orlando area. Just like the contemporary home style reigned in the 1990s and 2000s, Ranch style homes were popular before that, as mentioned above. The Crossings in Lake Mary or Hidden Lake in Sanford are neighborhoods with Ranch style homes in Seminole County.

Click here for our “work in progress” Orlando Neighborhood Guide

Hardly anyone likes to be quizzed but sometimes it is not a bad thing to take a test. Especially when it helps you to take an important, life changing decision. That said, RealEstateWall would like to challenge every soon-to-be first time home buyer (whether you are in Orlando or elsewhere in the world) to take our little first time home buyer quiz. Don’t worry, it’s nothing serious, just five simple questions that might bring you closer to finding out if you are ready to make your move

And now, enjoy – and remember to share and compare your results with family and friends!

Sanford FL  and for the most part all of Seminole County in Central Florida doesn’t really have a lot of land available anymore. Since land has become so expensive, builders have been either constructing town homes (more homes on less land) or luxury homes. There are two new construction townhome communities Sanford (West of I-4) that we wanted to mention here:

• Terracina by Morrison Homes
• Savannah Park by Ashton Woods Homes

For now I will only talk about Terracina, please refer to one of my next blog posts or call us at 407-340-6458 for more info about Savannah Park!

Teracina Sanford FL

Prices at Terracina start in the mid 100s (have come down from low 200s since they first sarted in spring/summer 2008) – in my opinion these unique town homes are well priced because of what they offered: prime location in terms of convenience and highway access. The communities are only minutes from I-4, 417 and the Seminole Towne Center Mall as well as Colonial Town Park with its dining and entertainment virtually next to Terracina.

At the same time you’ll enjoy the closeness to the Wekiva River, Historic Sanford, the Sanford Marina and Riverwalk. West Sanford is a very new and growing area – it doesn’t necessarily offer the urban lifestyle you would find in downtown Orlando, Baldwin Park or Winter Park. It is however an area that does offer lots of recreation and outdoor activities. The Sanford/Lake Mary area has great bike trails that you can enjoy after work or during weekends. Terracina’s town homes impress with gorgeous tile roofs and a unique Mediterranean style that is hard to find in Seminole County. Amazing upgrades await you inside and there are also town home floor plans available with the Master downstairs. Sizes range from approximately 1,300 to over 2,000 square feet. The community has a community pool and gated access.

Check out the availability of homes on the right and contact us at 407-340-6458 to inquire about any current builder or move-in specials!

Living in downtown Orlando and adjacent Thornton Park (Zip Code 32801) is a dream many (first time) home buyers dream: walking to cafes, restaurants and shops – possibly even to work! It’s a dream of convenience and urban lifestyle. Imagine living only minutes away from beautiful Lake Eola, the perfect spot for a walk or just to relax and read your favorite book.

Visit the public library, one of the many art galleries, and last but not least the many trendy night clubs, bars and restaurants O-town has to offer – all by foot or bicycle! If this is a lifestyle that suits you, definitely check out the townhomes downtown Orlando has to offer at the moment (property slider on right). You will see, there aren’t many because the downtown area of the City Beautiful is a desirable spot – however, you may find the one that is just right for you!

See one that you like? Give us a call or send us a quick message so we can contact you.

Haven’t found the one but know that you would like to? NEW: Click here to subscribe to the Downtown Orlando Townhome RSS Feed and receive brand new listings as they enter the market directly to your desktop, phone or preferred RSS reader!

Best of all: NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED! You will remain completely anonymous – until you find the right town home and contact us about it, that is

I have been a renter for the last 4 years, my husband is a lifer. He is from France and has a very European idea about home ownership, in other words, it is just not that important to him. After years of going back and forth about what we should do, we have finally decided that now IS a good time to buy. (yaaaay!) It is not without some sacrifice however. In order to come up with the down payment my husband must sell his beloved motorcycle (that he actually NEVER rides, but loves anyway) and his precious semi-professional video camera (again NEVER uses but just having it makes him feel good)

After talking with our Realtors (Jose and Claudia) we decided that the best way to tackle this new venture was to first get pre-approved for a home loan. That process alone ended up taking so much longer than we had anticipated.  The whole time  I was sitting on pins waiting to find out if in this new “credit crunched” economy we would get approved. Dare I even look at what might be available? Of course I did and also started watching HGTV around the clock. I am a little obsessed. It has taken an excruciating 2 weeks to finally get the pre-approval letter (yay!), But it is also a much lower price point than we had been thinking. (Boo)

But being optimists we have set up our first appointment to meet with  Jose and Claudia to look at house, and see what we could possibly find in this seemingly depressing price range.

I will definitely post updates a long the way to let you know where this new experience will take us and what we are able to find.

You might have heard the news circulating that the real estate market has become a golden ticket for buyers, and especially first time buyers. First time buyers, previously out priced of homes, now have wide spread, home value reductions, as their entrance to the market. On top of that, first time home buyers are also being generously “gifted” with $8,000.00 from the federal government towards their down payment.

Sounds good doesn’t it? A bounty of affordable homes AND a significant amount of money to help you buy one of them?

But if you have never bought a home before, the process can seem intimidating. Knowing where to start and who to talk to can be overwhelming for many first time buyers and you can quickly start to feel that you are no longer the captain of your ship.

But there is no need to stress out, there are people whose job it is to guide you through this process and help keep you on track. They are your mortgage broker and your Realtor. And probably the two most important people you will need to deal with.

Your mortgage broker is there to help you define your budget and set a limit as to what you can reasonably afford. They typically like to work within certain ratios, determining what your income is versus how much debt you have. The main difference between a broker and a bank is that the broker, as a general rule, is talking with many banks and determining on your behalf who will offer you the best loan. A bank on the other hand is only using their criteria to qualify you and sometimes have a limited number of loan options to offer. Usually your Realtor can refer you to a reputable lender so, you will not need to search the yellow pages trying to figure out who to call.

Not only can your Realtor help you to find your lender, they can of course help you to find your new home. The realtor will sit down with you and go over your “wish-list”, what your “must haves” are and what you can do without.

There are also some questions you should probably go over before you sit down with your Realtor so you are ready when they ask. For example, how many bedrooms, bathrooms and square feet are you looking for? What type of neighborhood? It is important to you to have a lot of property and no neighbors or someplace that is very low maintenance? Basically create a list of what you like and don’t like and it will help your Realtor to find exactly what you are looking for.

Your Realtor’s main job is to guide you through the process from beginning to end. Helping you to find your lender, your home, your inspector, and often sitting with you at your closing to make sure everything has gone smoothly. So, when you think that you are ready buy, the only phone call you will have to make is to your Realtor. They will handle the rest.

And remember: The services a Realtor provides are FREE to you as the buyer. In Florida, Realtors are paid by the seller!

For those of you who have already ruled out single family homes, you may now wonder “what is the right home for me? Condo or town home?”

This is a very good question because there definitely is a difference between condos and town homes. Much of it is related to a lifestyle.

With a condo you definitely will have the least amount of maintenance work since almost everything will be included. That however can make the HOA (Home Owners Association) fees very high. You will also have the least amount of privacy in a condo since you will/may have neighbors not only to both sides but also on top of and below you. So in many ways owning a condo still resembles the apartment lifestyle.

Recently condo sales have not been great. In fact, at the moment it is hardest to sell a condo. So if you are looking at it from an investment point, a condo will probably give you the least return on investment at this point. Of course it also all depends on the area you are located in. Downtown Orlando is not as affected as the Lake Mary and Sanford area because there is simply more demand for the condo lifestyle and owning a home is almost impossible due to the limited amount of space. So it just makes more sense to own a condo there. But in areas that are surrounded by town home and single family home communities, owning a condo is maybe not the way to go, unless you know that your lifestyle requires it. Many times, flight attendants or people who travel a lot, as well as people who only live in Florida a certain time during the year, will find a condo more attractive.

A town home is a nice combination of a condo and single family home in a way that you have less maintenance than in a single family home but still more privacy than in a condo. But there are of course also restrictions and many town homes don’t have private yards (even though that seems to become more fashionable now). The HOA fees are not as high as in a condo community but still higher than in a single family home community.

With a single family home of course you also have the option to buy in a community/neighborhood where you won’t be required to pay any fees. Those communities usually provide the greatest degree of home ownership freedom since you can do whatever you want with your home. You could paint it, put up a fence etc. without having to ask for permission. There is however a disadvantage to that since you never know who your neighbor may be and I have seen pink or green homes that have shocked entire neighborhoods ) In an HOA restricted community at least the HOA will try to keep everything unified which in turn helps the resale value of a single family home (and of course also of a town home or condo). Looking at return on investment, single family homes typically go up more in price and are also easier to sell. It all depends though because no point to buy a single family home just because of that and then not enjoy living there because of all the maintenance work etc. It is also seemingly easier to meet people in a town home or condo environment. Looking at the investment side is important but you always have to also like where you live.

On top of that there are some ownership differences. While town homes and single family homes are fee simple ownerships, condos usually aren’t. In a condo you typically only legally own the inside of the unit, but not the outside. With a condominium ownership it is also extremely important to review the HOA and Condominium documents since there may be more restrictions that you are aware of and there also might be assessment fees etc.

Here’s my own story: When we bought our first home we had to make a similar decision. Coming from an apartment, it seemed a big step to me to buy a home and I would have preferred to buy a town home. My partner however thought a home would be the better investment. So we bought a house. Within 2 years the town home we had looked at back then had gone up far less in value than the house. However, I need to say that during the time we lived in our first home I was not happy about the fact that the community didn’t have a pool and I did complain almost daily about that… So I basically sacrificed lifestyle for return on investment. Fortunately everything went well and we were able (because of the return) to buy a house with pool in a different community that I love. We were lucky though and in a different market, maybe we would have had to stay in our old home…and I would not have liked that at all. Anyway, that is just my personal experience that I wanted to share with you.

If you have any questions text or call us at 407-340-6458 or fill in the form below.