The City of Ocala, located in central Florida, is a lovely area surrounded by lush greenery and offers scenic views of the countryside. The city is renowned for having the diversity and vitality of a much larger city.
The city has a truly wonderful history, and within its lovely historic district, visitors will find a neighborhood of charming tree-lined streets and well-preserved Victorian and Tudor homes. Throughout the city and in nearby suburbs as well are modern home development projects, which offer a wide array ranging from single-family homes, townhouses, apartments and condos.
Country Living with A Modern Twist
Many people have preferences for living in peaceful, quaint and less-stressful environments, and for those wishing to live the country life, Ocala and the whole of Marion County as well offers a lot of options for home buyers, from acquiring newly-completed country communities to lovely farm houses, horse farms, and large estates. Traveling to and from each district is quite comfortable, as the area's highway system makes outlying areas convenient to the city's central business and shopping districts.
Lots of new home construction is expanding the selection for newcomers and prospective home buyers. In this county, the trend in housing is tilting toward stylish gated communities, which feature elegant yet quite affordable custom-built homes. These communities, like Oak Run, On Top of the World, Ocala Palms, Lake Diamond, and in nearby Lady Lake, The Villages of Marion, and many more offer buyers a wider option of home designs and recreational amenities, as these villages have clubhouses, golf courses, pools, tennis courts, fitness centers, scenic walking trails, cafes and restaurants.
The wide array of home choices here, which range from single-family homes, condominiums, villas or patio homes are available, with newly-completed apartment complexes offering rental opportunities and have monthly rates starting at $570 and running to a high of $1,300 for upscale multi-room units. Houses here have prices ranging from $120,000 for a starter home to rural estates and horse farms that cost around $450,000 above. For standard three-bedroom, two-bath residence, these are likely to cost between $200,000 and $240,000.
How The Market Is Being Viewed Today
Although the area truly offers plenty of wonderful real estate options for home buyers, and has a lush and scenic countryside to add, the US housing slump has not spared this area from the hassles and tribulations brought about by the mortgage and credit downturn. According to some local industry observers, fewer than half of the families making the average income can buy the average home these days. In just six years ago, the the city and its environs were considered the second-most affordable place in the South for housing, and 10th-ranked in the US.
However, in 2006, Ocala ranked 41st in the southern region and 110 overall in the country. According to some observers, the steep fall and rapid decline in housing affordability affects the long-term viability of the county's economy, which most see as fully dependent on the middle and working classes, who are now being eased out of the local housing market and not easily being able to join the ranks of homeowners.
Among Florida's small and medium-sized housing markets, the city of Ocala reported higher sales of existing single-family homes in January 2008, reporting a total of 428 homes sold, as compared to 378 homes for the same period last year, which represents a 13 percent increase The median sales price also went up by 39 percent to $166,200.
According to the Ocala/Marion County Association of Realtors, many individuals are drawn to the area’s scenic beauty, relaxed lifestyle and friendly community. According to the local realtor's group, more people are coming up from South Florida where traffic and living conditions are much more congested, as they consider this area to be a gorgeous and truly livable location for retirees and new families.
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