Begun in 2003 and built on an old cattle farm, Harmony is a community that is still being developed, with plans for 7,500 units and attracting singles and families with children, as well as retirees, a mix many seniors find appealing.  Currently, about 1,000 people call Harmony home, but eventually, 18,000 will live here.  There are eight architectural styles, including Craftsman, Colonial Revival and Georgian, and six distinct neighborhoods, each with homes of similar style and price.  Sizes range from town homes with 1,305 sq. ft, two bath and two bedrooms ($99,900) to the largest home, a mini-mansion with nearly 6,400 sq. ft. priced at $1.7 million.  All homes are Energy Star compliant and most come with a front porch.  Builders include D.R. Horton, Robertson Homes and Signa Homes.  Home sites are also for sale, priced from $79,000 to $150,000.  Call (407) 891-8358 or visit www.harmonyfl.com for more information.

As Harmony grows according to plan, design rules are implemented to promote a small town ambiance.  These include limiting neighborhoods to 100 homes, encouraging pet ownership (there are two dog parks), allowing for on-street parking, nurturing lush landscaping, building small parks scattered throughout neighborhoods and providing services within walking distance of home sites.

This community is ideal for anyone who loves nature.   From their front door, residents regularly spot owls, eagles, osprey, deer, otter and armadillos, and miles of walking and bicycling trails through wide open meadows provide plenty of opportunities to relax and admire the beautiful surroundings.  There are two 500 acre lakes, Buck Lake and Cat Lake, but no houses are built anywhere near them, providing a tranquil setting for boating (sailing, kayaking, canoeing or other non-motorized watercraft) and other water activities.   

Harmony also boasts an 18 hole, championship Johnny Miller signature golf course that is open to the public and that has golfers seeing nothing but great green expanses, wetlands and pine trees.  No homes are built near the course.  The 16,000 square foot clubhouse is a social center and houses a tavern and a popular restaurant.  There are also riding stales and a swimming pool, and the community is Dark-Sky compliant, allowing for star gazing all night long.

Homeowners pay an association fee (starting at less than $100 per month) that covers infrastructure, amenities upkeep and park maintenance, but there is also a CDD fee of up to $5,500 per year, depending on the neighborhood  (CDDs - Community Development Districts - are common in Florida).   CDDs fee cover infrastructure maintenance.

One of the pluses of this community is that it is out in the country, yet close to everything a retiree needs.  Downtown Orlando is 40 minutes to the northwest.  Local shopping is 10 minutes away, and Melbourne Beach is 40 minutes to the east.   The Harmony Town Center is still being developed but will house a supermarket, a pet cafe, bakery, restaurants, boutiques, human cafes, hardware store, ice cream parlor and much more, all gathered around a town square.

Major health care facilities and hospitals are located in Orlando.

Average summer temperatures in this area are in the mid 90s (evenings dip into the 70s).  Winter temperatures generally stay in the 60s, with some low 70s.   Rainfall is anywhere from one inch to 5 or 6 inches per month.

While housing costs are not lower than the national average, Florida has no state income tax, which helps lower overall living costs.