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Florida Retirement Communities

 

Harmony

Harmony, Florida

Nature Lovers Will Love Peaceful Harmony
          

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
The town of Harmony is a development with a vision.  It bills itself as "environmentally intelligent" and promotes the idea, through its planning and design, that for humans to prosper, flourish and live well, they must interact positively with the environment.  To that end, this community, built on 11,000 acres southeast of Orlando, will utilize just 30 percent of the land and leave the rest as parks, open space, recreation areas and wilderness.   There is a belief here that people have a responsibility to the land and need to protect it.

 

 

 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 (so far, several hundred are complete), and attracting singles and families with children, as well as retirees.  Many seniors find this mix appealing, but for those who prefer to live with others in their own age bracket, there are plans to build within the existing community an active-adult community with 55 as the minimum age.  Eventually, 18,000 people will call Harmony home.  

Prices begin in the low $200s for single family homes with one-story, two bedrooms, two baths, a formal dining room, a gathering room, a covered Lanai and a garage located on a alley.  Prices rise from there and top out in the $600s for homes with four bedrooms, three and a half baths and 6,000 square feet.  There are also plans for condominiums, town homes and apartments.  Homeowners pay an association fee (ranging from $110 to $265 a month) that covers infrastructure, amenities upkeep and park maintenance.

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, 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.  Residents regularly spot from their front doors 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.

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.
 

Great Retirement Communities Newsletter is published twice a month by Webwerxx, Inc.  2770 S. Elmira St., #152, Denver, CO  80231. (303) 358-0512.  Copyright © 2006.  All rights reserved.  No part of this electronic publication may be reproduced without the express written consent of Webwerxx, Inc.  All attempts were made to verify the accuracy of the information contained in this bulletin, but some information may have changed since publication. Webwerxx, Inc. cannot be held responsible for information that has changed since this publication appeared online.  Please contact us at staff@greatretirementspots.com if you have questions or comments.