Bithlo is a small community about 20 miles away from Orlando. “It’s one of those drive-through places where you blink, you’re there, then you’re gone. Any farther east and you’d be in the wetlands,” says Thomas Sons, a Keller Williams Realtor with 10 years experience. Re/Max Vantage Realtor Rustina Gibson, who has over 20 years of experience, says the location and property prices as primary draws. “The land there is probably the least expensive that you can get in Orange County,” she says, adding that the 30-minute commute into Orlando is also a perk. Hospitality, healthcare and advanced manufacturing represent top industries in the area. Top regional employers include Walt Disney World Resort, Orlando Health and Lockheed Martin.
Bithlo is a small community about 20 miles east of Orlando.
Walt Disney World is a leading employer in Bithlo and Central Florida.
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Homes for above and below the Orlando median
“The appeal is the price and the little bit of land and the fact that there’s no HOA, so you don’t have anyone picking on you for paint colors or parking your cars in your front yard,” Gibson says. Many of the community’s single-family homes are what she calls “inexpensive and rugged,” meaning they’re cheaper and have more land around them than most properties in Orange County. These are typically modest ranch-style and manufactured homes. However, planned subdivisions like Cypress Lakes, where Spanish-inspired Traditionals are common, do have HOAs. The median single-family home price in Bithlo is nearly $500,000, slightly above the Orlando median of $375,000.
Many Bithlo homes have more land than those in Orange County.
A beautiful home in Cypress Lakes exemplifies the traditional style homes found in Bithlo.
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Orange County Public Schools offer over 40 magnet programs
Orange County Public Schools receives an A-minus from Niche. The district serves more than 200,000 students with an average student-teacher ratio of 21 to 1. While their assigned elementary varies, most Bithlo kids go to B-rated Corner Lake Middle and B-plus-rated East River High. OCPS offers open enrollment in the form of more than 40 application-based magnet programs, including the First Responders Academy at East River. Orange County Academy is an unrated private school located in the old First Baptist Church of Bithlo building. United Global Outreach, a local not-for-profit organization, established the kindergarten through 12th school in 2010 to meet the historically underserved community’s educational and spiritual needs.
East River High School, on East River Falcons Way, offers education for grades 9-12.
Corner Lake Middle School is located on Chuluota Road in Orlando, Florida.
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Bithlo Community Park, Orlando Speed World and more offer recreation
Bithlo Community Park has 40 acres of outdoor amenities, including a playground. East Orange Babe Ruth Little League teams practice and play games on the baseball fields. In the rec center, there’s a computer lab and spaces for counseling/tutoring programs and limited health services. Orlando Speed World holds quarter-mile National Hot Rod Association drag races every summer. The track is just south of Bithlo, not far from Outdoor Xtreme Orlando Paintball & Airsoft and Orlando Mx Park, a motocross track. East Orange District Park, a new addition to the area in 2019, is about 5 minutes east.
East Orange Babe Ruth Little League plays at Bithlo Community Park fields.
East Orange District Park, 5 minutes east of Bithlo, hosts soccer games.
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Shopping and dining on Colonial Drive
Car dealerships and pizza places are spaced along Colonial Drive, the community’s main commercial area. Corner Lakes Plaza, off Colonial at the west end of Bithlo, has a Publix and a Tractor Supply. Several fast-food joints and a Walgreens are nearby. Dining and nightlife options in Downtown Orlando are about a 30-minute drive away, with no traffic.
Corner Lakes Plaza, on Bithlo's west end, features a popular Tractor Supply store.
Publix at Corner Lakes Plaza is a local favorite for Bithlo residents' necessities.
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Colonial Drive connects west to Interstate 4
The closest major highway is Interstate 4, which runs north-south through the middle of Orlando. It’s about a 30-minute drive west down Colonial Drive from Bithlo. Orlando International Airport is also about 30 minutes away. Of course, drive times vary depending on the time of day and traffic. During rush hour, Sons says it can take nearly an hour to get to the airport, and even longer to get into downtown Orlando.
Picture a business built on transparency, care, and communication. Rather than stress, fear, and easy promises. Picture a real estate agent committed to building trusted relationships and to the service of others. I started my real estate career back in 2006 working for a commercial developer and went into residential in 2014. With three generations of doctors, nurses, and military workers in my family. I am grounded in the principle to serve & protect. It is my honor to serve those who have served. So too, serving our amazing communities here in Orlando, Lake Nona, Windermere, Winter Garden, Dr. Phillips, Winter Park, Kissimmee St. Cloud and Celebration. A vital life-skill I embrace is that of communication. Communication is easy, instant, and effective when trust is high, so transparency in everything that I do and in who I am is at the heart of every relationship with my clients.
Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
