Leesburg

Silver Lake, a residential community about 50 miles north of Orlando in scenic Lake County, occupies a sweet spot between rural solitude and urban accessibility. “It’s private yet convenient,” says Sharon Wooten, an experienced Realtor with ERA Grizzard Real Estate based in nearby Mount Dora. “It’s more of a laidback community, but you also have a state college here and you’re right off a major highway, so there are restaurants and shopping nearby.” Adds Robin Costoplos, a broker associate with Coldwell Banker Vanguard Edge who lives minutes from the community: “It’s very peaceful and quiet, not to mention beautiful.” While Silver Lake itself provides plenty of recreation for those who live along it, it is a private lake. However, the community’s main attraction is being surrounded by a trio of large lakes – Griffin, Harris and Eustis – that are all connected. “Leesburg and all these little towns are part of the Harris Chain of Lakes,” says Wooten. “You can go all the way up to Jacksonville and all the way down to the Intracoastal Waterway on the lakes. That’s a huge asset for boating and fishing. It’s a great area for people who like to be on the water.” Residents enjoy access to the beauty and opportunity of Central Florida’s natural landscape as well as proximity to regional attractions. “There’s a lot to do in the area,” Costoplos says. “You’re within 10 minutes of Downtown Leesburg and within 10 minutes of Downtown Tavares, which is on the chain of lakes. There’s a lot of activity there. You have a lot of restaurants and bars, and people like to walk around Lake Eustis.” The community’s largest and most expensive homes can be found on Silver Lake Drive, with private piers and boats floating in their backyards a common sight. Nearby Silver Lake Meadows is a planned development that features a collection of luxury homes on oversized lots. Smaller contemporary homes are part of ongoing construction at planned communities such as The Silver Lake Pointe. Traditional ranch-style homes can be found throughout Silver Lake. “It’s a good market with some very nice homes on the lake and also older-but-still-nice homes,” says Wooten. “Price ranges depend on the location. On the water, you’re looking at anywhere from $450,000 to a few homes that go as high as $1 million or more,” says Wooten. “Off the water, you can get an older ranch-style home for around $300,000.” The average home value is $425,000. “You will get more bang for your buck than in some of the surrounding areas because not a lot of people know about it,” says Costoplos, who recently sold a remodeled home on Silver Lake. Students in Silver Lake can attend Lake County public schools Treadway Elementary, rated B-minus by Niche, in neighboring Bassville Park and C-plus-rated Oak Park Middle and Leesburg High in neighboring Leesburg. Oak Park offers the Cambridge International Program Lower Secondary course of study. Graduates can work toward the Cambridge Advanced International Certificate of Education at Leesburg High, a prestigious accomplishment that requires a team project and presentation and passing a written test on global perspectives and research. Leesburg High remains housed in a Mediterranean-style building built in 1926. The U.S. Highway 441 corridor runs through Silver Lake and provides convenient dining, retail and entertainment options. The highly rated J&T Smokehouse is known for its generous portions and friendly owners, and the City Star Family Diner features all-day breakfast. Nearby is the Publix-anchored Shoppes of Lake Village and the Lake Square Mall, which includes a movie theater with a pub. On the south side of U.S. 441 is the Leesburg International Airport, a general aviation facility. Residents will find commercial service at Orlando International Airport. Both 441 and the nearby Florida Turnpike lead directly to Central Florida’s largest city. “Silver Lake is also conveniently located,” says Wooten. “You can be in Orlando in 45 minutes.” Residents also enjoy proximity to State Highway 27, which provides access to other points of interest throughout the region.

The rural community of Lake Yale is so far from the busy streets of Orlando that the closest grocery store is 10 miles away, and dining out requires a trip to one of the surrounding towns. But that is just how the locals like it. “A lot of people don’t want to be in the thick of things,” says Jeffrey Evans of Right Realty Connection, who works and lives in Sunlake Estates, an established manufactured home community on the shores of Lake Yale. Surrounded by lakes and protected land, the community is an outdoor haven. “It attracts people who like fishing, boating and nature in general,” says Bent Danholm, a broker at Maxim Realty Orlando with more than 20 years of real estate experience. Both Lake Yale and the much larger Lake Griffin nearby hum with daily activity. Boaters and watercraft enthusiasts enjoy the freedom to roam more than 10,000 acres of open water. Anglers take advantage of some of the state’s best sport-fishing. “Lake Yale is the best bass-fishing lake in the area,” says Evans, who adds that the lake hosts regular tournaments. The community’s native marshlands are home to Sawgrass Island Preserve, which features primitive hiking trails and is a prime spot for bird-watchers and other nature lovers. Similar recreational opportunities are available at the Emeralda Marsh Conservation Area that borders the community to the south. Golfers can hone their game at the nearby Harbor Hills Country Club, a semi-private course that features an 18-hole, 6,900-yard layout. Large homes on acreage lots dot the community’s farmland and highlight the residential solitude the area can provide. Ranch-style designs are common among the overall single-family housing. Prices typically range from the high $200,000s to the mid-$600,000s. Lakefront manufactured homes provide a more affordable alternative, with prices ranging from under $100,000 to more than $200,000. Sunlake Estates is an amenities-filled 55-plus community with an interesting history. “What makes us different is that we started out in the ‘70s as a street-built subdivision that failed,” Evans says. “The developers went to Lake County and asked if they could change the streets and lot sizes, and the county said no. So, technically, we’re a subdivision with manufactured homes in it. We have wide streets and cul-de-sacs.” Amenities include a pool, clubhouse, fitness center and craft room, as well as boat slips. But that’s not all. “Only two communities in Lake County have first-responders, and we’re one of them,” Evans adds. “On top of that, we’re a gated community with security that drives around at night.” Florida offers school choice, so students aren’t bound by their zip code. However, most students are zoned into a trio of schools in a neighboring community. Umatilla Elementary is a B-rated school by Niche. Umatilla Middle is a B-minus-rated school. Umatilla High, a C-plus-rated school, offers extracurricular activities as diverse as Army JROTC and a bass anglers club. The Publix-anchored Woodland Center in Eustis is about a 10-mile drive. There's also a Winn-Dixie. The Gator Bay Bar & Grill is a popular destination for food and fun in nearby Leesburg. More retail and dining options are concentrated further south in Leesburg along the U.S. Highway 441 corridor. U.S. Highway 441 provides access to points of interest throughout the region. If residents do get the itch to be in the thick of things, the highway can be taken directly into the heart of Central Florida’s largest city. “You’re still just an hour from Orlando, so that’s not bad,” Danholm says.

The appeal of living in the Leesburg neighborhood of Lisbon is that it is surrounded by lakes, but not much else. The picturesque Lake County locale offers relative seclusion. “I deal with a lot of seniors, and being near the chain of lakes is what attracts them. Also, it’s not so crowded or as busy as Winter Park or other places,” says Dee Borwegen, a Realtor with Right Realty Connection who sells manufactured homes in the area. Winter Park is a popular Orlando suburb on the other side of the chain of lakes. Residents in Lisbon enjoy a slower pace. As Jeffrey Evans, also of Right Realty Connection and a longtime area resident, puts it, “A lot of people don’t want to be in the thick of things.” Whether along Lake Eustis or the many canals that dot the community, waterfront housing is prevalent. Boats nestled into private docks dot the backyards of Harbor Shores, a small neighborhood of quiet streets populated by traditional ranch-style homes on spacious lots. Nearby Meadow Ridge offers contemporary homes in a secluded subdivision setting. Ranch-style homes also can be found outside dedicated developments. Home prices typically range from the high $200,000s to the low $600,000s. “I think the housing is pretty reasonable for the area,” Borwegen says. “Of course, if you live right on Lake Eustis, the prices will go up.” Manufactured homes offer a more affordable option for those 55 and older who benefit from the sense of community provided by amenities-filled destinations such as Midway Manor and Mid Florida Lakes. “Being around people is the main attraction,” Borwegen says. “A lot of residents don’t have family around here, so they are alone except for the people in the community. They’re close-knit.” The waterfront communities feature housing typically priced from around $80,000 to more than $200,000. The largest lots include spacious yards. Lake Eustis, which borders the community, and nearby lakes Griffin and Yale offer more than 21, 000 acres of outdoor recreation. Lake Eustis is the center of activity because of its accessibility, but Lake Griffin is the largest of the three at almost 12,000 acres, and the smallest has a reputation as a premier sport-fishing destination. “Lake Yale is the best bass-fishing lake in the area,” Evans says. Whether in speed boats, bass boats, pontoons or other watercraft, residents enjoy an array of year-round activities on the water. The community’s natural landscape also features the 7,000-acre Emeralda Marsh Conservation Area, whose primitive hiking trails attract bird-watchers and other nature lovers. The 9-hole executive course at nearby Wedgewood Golf Course provides easy access to a quick round of golf, while Harbor Hills Country Club, a semi-private course on the other side of Lake Griffin, features an 18-hole, 6,900-yard layout. Residents of Lisbon enjoy a moderate level of accessibility relative to the area. They have less access than their neighbors to the south but more than their neighbors to the north. “Within 6 to 10 miles, you have everything at your fingertips – restaurants, shopping, the hospital,” Borwegen says. State Road 44 runs through the heart of the community. On the west side is Gator Bay Bar & Grill, a popular neighborhood destination for comfort food and karaoke located along Haines Creek. Heading east, residents can stop at Sully’s Smokehouse for generous portions of barbecue and make a quick shopping run at Dollar General. The Crazy Gator is an area favorite for dockside dining on the lake. SR 44 leads directly into Eustis, where a full-service Publix anchors the Woodland Center shopping mall about 7 miles away. An adjacent Winn-Dixie offers an additional grocery shopping option. SR 44 also leads directly into Leesburg about the same distance south. There, a variety of dining and retail options as well as UF Health Leesburg Hospital can be found along the U.S. Highway 441 corridor. Highway 441 is the main thoroughfare in Lake County, and it provides access throughout the region. It turns south in Mt. Dora, allowing a direct connection to Central Florida’s largest city. “You’re still just an hour from Orlando, so that’s not bad,” says Bent Danholm, a broker at Maxim Realty Orlando with more than 20 years of real estate experience. The nearby Leesburg International Airport is a general aviation facility. Commercial service is available at the Orlando International Airport. Younger students can attend Treadway Elementary, a B-minus-rated school. Depending on where in the community they reside, students are zoned to different middle and high schools. The western portion is zoned for Tavares Middle and Tavares High, rated B-minus and B, respectively, by Niche. Those living closer to Lake Eustis are zoned into Eustis Middle and Eustis High, rated B-minus and B-plus, respectively. Eustis High features career and technical education classes and an Air Force JROTC program among its academic offerings.

Old Florida living blends with modern-day convenience in Bassville Park, a residential community within the Florida Harris Chain of Lakes. Residents might breeze by in their pontoons just as often as they cruise in their cars, as this suburb rests in the middle of 3 major lakes – Lake Eustis to the east, Lake Griffin to the west and Lake Harris to the south. There’s also the smaller, perfectly circular Silver Lake in the heart of Bassville Park, the shores surrounded by fishing boats parked at personal-use docks and tall, mature trees. “The area is known to be more rural,” says Lori Reisman, a 37-year local and Realtor with Coldwell Banker Vanguard Realty specializing in the Lake County region. “But it’s close to everything – shopping, grocery stores, you’re even in between two hospitals.” Locals can quickly run errands and grab bites to eat thanks to the commercial area along U.S. Route 441, which runs along the southern edge of town. The residential areas of Bassville Park are unique in that it's predominantly made up of mobile home and manufactured home communities. But there are also ranch-style homes with attached garages, some with Craftsman influence and stone facades, as well as dwellings on one of the many lakes. “There are gated communities, manufactured home communities, 55-plus communities and lakefront property. It’s diversified and affordable compared to nearby areas,” says Reisman. In these quaint communities – some with inclusive HOA fees – are 500- to 1,500-square-foot homes, many with carports and some with wide front porches, starting as low as $10,000 and growing to $200,000. Outside of these neighborhoods are 1,500- to 2,000-square-foot properties – some with recent renovations and private back patios that kiss the lake shore – that typically cost between $230,000 and $400,000. While boating is the preferred outdoor activity in Bassville Park, residents also have access to a few neighborhood parks. Haynes Creek Park offers 36 acres of dog-friendly hiking trails and waterways where locals dip their kayaks. There’s even a bench swing overlooking the water where hikers can rest to admire native birds and reptiles. Nearby is Twin Lakes Park, a more family-friendly space with a playground, basketball courts and a long boardwalk over a small lake. On the south side of Silver Lake is Leesburg Dog Park, where furry friends can run off-leash. Bassville Park is in the middle of the 50,000-acre Florida Harris Chain of Lakes, one of the largest lake chains in the state. “There are some public boat ramps around Lake Eustis,” Reisman says. “But most docks are privately owned by residents who live on the lake.” Most pontoon excursions happen on Lake Eustis, but some locals also explore the wildlife around Lake Harris. Residents don’t visit Lake Griffin recreationally as often as the other lakes, due in part to its healthy alligator population. Retail and dining options are concentrated along the U.S. Route 441 corridor, which makes up a small but busy section of Bassville Park’s south side. The Publix-anchored Shoppes of Lake Village is next to the Lake Square Mall, which features traditional retailers and a movie theater. This commercial area also provides a variety of local, chain and fast-food restaurants. Residents might grab a Philly Cheesesteak at Lilly’s Super Subs or dine in on wings at Cousin Vinnie’s, instantly recognizable by its exterior murals. This pub is a popular spot for trivia and karaoke. Students living in Bassville Park can begin with a 15-1 student-teacher ratio at Treadway Elementary School before advancing to a 16-1 student-teacher ratio at Tavares Middle School, both graded a B-minus by Niche. They can finish their public school education at Tavares High School, which Niche grades a B and ranks among the best high schools in Florida for college preparation. The main way around town is on U.S. Route 441, which residents can take for 45 miles into Orlando. On the other side of the highway is Leesburg International Airport, a first port of entry airport for aircrafts returning to the country. Bassville Park is sandwiched between two major hospitals: AdventHealth Waterman on the east side of Lake Eustis and UF Health Leesburg Hospital west down Route 441. According to CAP Index, this area receives a crime score of 3 out of 10, which is lower than the national average of 4. The community is served by two Christian churches: GraceWay Church and The Fellowship Church. Both provide social events for members and nonmembers, as well as opportunities to serve on missions and join youth ministries.