Joe's comprehensive guide to Ocala 55+ retirement communities.

   You might ask, isn't a community only for people 55+ discrimination? The answer is that age isn't one of the governments protected groups.

  The advantages of a 55+ community is being around people your own age, lots of amenities like a club house, fitness center, pool, golf course ect. Of course that varies from one place to another. Many 55+ communities are gated for the residents security and some are not.

  The disadvantages are maintenance fees, higher water and sewer than in some areas that aren't 55+ developments and being around people who are all the same age without enough to do.

   There are often a lot of resales in the 55+ communities because people either pass away or move back to where they came from in order to be closer to relatives. A lot of resales gives the buyer a lot of choices and a good negotiating position.

   Below is a partial list of Ocala retirement communities with a brief description.

CANDLER HILLS  Located in SW Ocala, golf course community with a lot of amenities. Priced from the low 200's to the high 300's. Part of On Top of the World.

CHERRY WOOD  Located in SW Ocala, Candler Hills is basically part of On Top of the World. It has a club house, no new homes just resales priced from the low 100's to 200 range. Single family homes on 1/4 acre lots. HOA fees are around $200.00 per month which includes maintenance of common areas, trash pickup, basic cable tv and a club house and pool. Cherry Wood is not gated.

CIRCLE SQUARE WOODS  The older part of On Top of the World. Frame built older homes can be as low as the $70's and larger new block houses as high as the mid 200's. A huge number of resales to choose from. This is a huge community comprised to neighborhoods each with a different character, services and amenities. You really need to shop and compare here there tons of homes to chose from, both new and old. HOA fees vary from $280.00 to $340.00 per month. Fees do cover a lot and this varies from one neighborhood to another. Covered items can include insurance on the outside of the home, street lights, water & sewer, trash drop off facility, basic cable tv, 24 hr security guard at the gate, pools & clubhouse, free bus to town.

FALLS OF OCALA   Manufactured home community priced in the mid 100's.

HARDWOOD TRAILS  Located in the SW part of Ocala. Newer homes in a yet to be completed development. Priced in the mid 200's.

HILL TOP ESTATES  Manufactured homes in the $100 to $150 range.

INDIGO EAST  Another part of On Top of the World. Single family newer homes priced from the mid 100's to mid 200's. Kind of like Candler Hills but without the golf course. HOA fees are around $130.00 a month.

LIVE OAK VILLAGE  Older condominiums with a club house, pool and golf course. Priced under $100

MARCO POLO VILLAGE  One of Ocala's best 55+ communities. Large single family homes on 1/2 acre lots priced from the mid 200's to the 300's. Marco Polo 55+ is not gated and does not have a club house. It's basically single family homes in a 55+ setting. HOA fees are $135.00 per year to maintain the common areas.

MARION LANDING   Homes here vary widely from older frame and vinyl homes priced below $100 to newer block homes priced up around $200. There is a club house and pool. HOA fees are $318.00 per quarter year and include water & sewer, twice a week trash pickup, maintenance of common areas & club house & pool. Marion Landing is not gated but has a random nightly security patrol.

OAK RUN A huge gated community that's basically divided into villages although they call them neighborhoods.. It has a club house and golf course. New and resale homes exist. Prices from low 100's to high 300's depending the age of the house and the area it's in. The highest priced ones are on or very near the golf course. Lots of resales here. HOA fees and what they cover vary widely.

OCALA PALMS  An upscale gated golf course community located in the NW part of Ocala. Very nice homes, in the 200's. HOA fees are around $130.00 per month and include 24 hr gated entry, maintenance of common areas, twice a week curb side trash pickup, basic cable, clubhouse & pool but not golf.

ON TOP OF THE WORLD  A huge community that varies from one neighborhood to another. See the various communities Circle Square Woods, Indigo East, Candler Hills. All parts of On Top of the World are gated.

PALM CAY  A medium sized community of frame and vinyl construction single family homes. A gated community with a club house. Priced from $75,000.00 to the low 100's. HOA fees are $81.00 per month and include common areas, club house, guard at gate and twice a week trash pickup.

PINE RUN   An older gated development of frame and vinyl construction. Priced in the low 100's. HOA fees are $75.00 per month and include club house, common area maintenance, basic cable tv, guard at the gate and twice a week trash pickup.

QUAIL MEADOW  Located in the NW part of Ocala. Single family block homes on nice 1/4 acre lots priced from the high 100's to mid 200's.

SPRUCE CREEK  Frame and vinyl homes priced from below $100 to the low to mid 100's. Located in SW Ocala. This is an early Del Webb project.

SPRUCE CREEK GOLF COURSE  Located in the SE part of Ocala, This is a golf course community that caters to active retirees. Priced from just below $200 to as high as  $500. There are a lot of resales here. It is a very large sub division.

SPRUCE CREEK PRESERVE  A SW Ocala gated golf community of frame and vinyl and frame and stucco construction. Priced from the mid 100's to the low 200's. HOA fees are $112.00 per month.

SPRUCE CREEK SOUTH  A gated golf course community with a club house and olympic sized pool. Frame and vinyl construction in the mid to high $100's.

STONE CREST  Located in the SE part of Marion County. This is a gated golf course community with all the amenities you would expect. Block built homes and villas priced from the high $100's to over $300. A newer development with lots of resales.

SUMMER GLEN   Both new homes and resales. Great club house and pool. Also a golf course. Very nice community with homes in the high 100's to the mid to high 200's. Plenty of resales.