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Retirement
Communities
Active Adult
Retirement Communities
Age-Restricted
Retirement Communities
Retirement
Communities
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| For those who do not
want to live in a master-planned community or buy real
estate when it comes to retirement time, the Village of La
Casa del Sol in Davenport, Florida (population 2,000)
offers a nice an alternative to the spiffy, new retirement
communities popping up everywhere by providing small, cozy
rental cottages on a yearly lease. This
affordable community is age-restricted, but not all residents live
here year-round; many are snowbirds and only reside in La
Casa del Sol during the winter months.
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Once used as housing by employees of Walt Disney World, the more
than 300 cottages are now nestled in orange groves and next to Lake
Saint Charles forty-five miles southwest of Orlando. All
of the cottages are leased, so no long term-commitment is required,
and the management company takes care of all maintenance issues, a
definite plus for those who like to do some traveling throughout the
year. The grounds are also completely maintained by the
management staff. The community has a casual feel and is
well-kept, although the grounds are a little bedraggled, but does
not have the manicured look or ambiance of many higher-end,
master-planned retirement developments.
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Each private cottage comes semi-furnished and has a
standard bedroom (with a Queen size bed), a bathroom, a living room
with a Murphy bed and a kitchen (with a dishwasher, stove,
refrigerator, microwave, table, dishes and small appliances).
The yearly lease is $3,995 (or $4,295 for a cottage
with a view of the lake) and includes unlimited use of the resort
clubhouse, pool and exercise room. Additional options include
a screen room (add $1,000 per year) and/or air conditioning (add
$500 per year). All cottages are non-smoking.
La Casa del Sol prides itself on its sense of
community and has a number of regularly scheduled activities, including
bingo, bridge games, dance lessons and movie night, as well as
occasional ice cream socials, theme dinners, barbeques, pancake
breakfasts and holiday events. The community also has a
putting green, a horseshoe pit, a shuffleboard facility and a
clubhouse with large pool, a hot tub, billiards, a meeting room, an
exercise room and a small library. This area is a
popular tourist destination so there are many nearby
attractions In addition to Walt Disney World, Cypress
Gardens, Sea World and Busch Gardens are within an hour's
drive. Davenport itself is growing, due in part to an influx
of home builders catering to British tourists.
For the best selection of cottages, April is the
ideal time to put in a reservation for a
standard June 1st to May 31st lease. Call 1-800-597-1255 for
more information.
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