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DH has a final interview Friday with a *very* prominent, international company that has one base in Orlando, Fl. We are driving down Thursday night and being put up in one of their hotels, his interview is Friday. He has an old boss that he really got along with well working their who is trying to recruit him away from his current position in NE Fla. Unless dh steps on a landmine with the VP who is interviewing he is pretty much a shoe-in for the job.

 

Dilemma: moving 2.5+ hours drive away from dh's family, our church family...dh has never lived anywhere other than our hometown so this is a tough call.

 

Pros: We haven't had real insurance in over 5 years while dh has been a contractor in IT. We could really use insurance and I've heard that this company has the best.

 

In his current position he is *supposed* to be hired on as a regular employee by December. We would then have health benefits. Pay is probably going to be roughly equal. However, dh has been strung along for over 5 years in another department about being hired on and I've lost faith with this company.

 

Any tips on living in or around Orlando? What neighborhoods/counties to avoid? I would love to find a coop that meets weekly for my younger boys (elementary age) and maybe something my older son can do for science/PE.

 

Any input appreciated!!

Edited by Verity
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Hi, I'm in the Orlando area (north west area), and have a LOT of homeschooling friends. I run a group for kids in 6-9th grade, and we are part of a very active co-op as well. Lots to do heree, more than you ever COULD do and still get some schooling done. That said, my husband is in IT and i'd love you to message me as to what company you mean...I have a suspicion and could offer some insight into the orlando office if it is who I think it is.

 

As for neighborhoods, Oveido is popular (other side of town from me), College Park is older but aweseome, it just depends what you want. I think there is a house for sale down the street from me, in Apopka :)

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I was born and raised in Orlando. I don't live there now and I didn't homeschool there very long (we left 5 years ago)- so I can only help you out with good places to live and places to avoid - btw, I was a realtor, too - BUT alot depends on where his work is/will be located. Orlando is traffic intensive All.The.Time. 24/7-365.

 

If you want, you can pm me.

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Hi, I'm in the Orlando area (north west area), and have a LOT of homeschooling friends. I run a group for kids in 6-9th grade, and we are part of a very active co-op as well. Lots to do heree, more than you ever COULD do and still get some schooling done. That said, my husband is in IT and i'd love you to message me as to what company you mean...I have a suspicion and could offer some insight into the orlando office if it is who I think it is.

 

As for neighborhoods, Oveido is popular (other side of town from me), College Park is older but aweseome, it just depends what you want. I think there is a house for sale down the street from me, in Apopka :)

 

You are making me homesick!

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If we do move there, I know we'll get the Florida resident passes! I could go to Epcot often, just to stroll around and EAT!

 

My brother lives in Tampa and texts me ALL.THE.TIME from Disney. They go to eat out a couple times a week! I'm SOOOO jealous.

 

We really should look into annual passes for our family. We're there often enough it might actually pay off!

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Ok, I probably should say the name of the company - I don't think it will hurt anything, right? He is interviewing to be a castmember at WDW in IT. This is the final interview. :D

So, from what I hear we would have frequent, if not unlimited, access to WDW! My kids are very excited about this idea, so much that they are ready to write off everything here. LOL

 

Dh's friend/possible boss just bought a house in Ocoee but that looks out of our price range. I think we are looking to rent for the first year or so just to be sure things are working out. Tell me more about Apopka...what would the drive to 4600 World Drive look like? Google maps is only so helpful.

 

:auto:

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Ok, I probably should say the name of the company - I don't think it will hurt anything, right? He is interviewing to be a castmember at WDW in IT. This is the final interview. :D

So, from what I hear we would have frequent, if not unlimited, access to WDW! My kids are very excited about this idea, so much that they are ready to write off everything here. LOL

 

Dh's friend/possible boss just bought a house in Ocoee but that looks out of our price range. I think we are looking to rent for the first year or so just to be sure things are working out. Tell me more about Apopka...what would the drive to 4600 World Drive look like? Google maps is only so helpful.

 

:auto:

 

WOOHOO!!!!!! Can you adopt me please??????? We were on a Disney cruise and I met an IT guy who worked for Disney. He got last minute tickets for the cruise becasue he worked for Disney!!! So, unlimited access to WDW, plus great rates on the cruises!!! Man. That would save my family a TON of money!!!!:001_smile:

 

GOOD LUCK!!!!!

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I'm currently a CM at WDW, but will lose my job this fall since I have been unable to keep up with the new requirements for seasonal employees. Bummer!!! Lots of homeschoolers in the area though. There is even a Dinsey schooling yahoo group, but it has moved mostly to FB now (search Disney schooling Orlando). They have a group of tween girls that do American Girl studies at the parks. There is also a Duffy the Bear Adventure Group for the younger ones, and several "unofficial" homeschool days throughout the year. We have even enjoyed days at Sea World to study dolphins when the Dolphin Tale movie was released. They schedule Moms Night Out at different resorts, and there is always the impromptu "We're headed to Epcot. Want to join us?" posts.

 

Anyway, lots to do, and not just at WDW.

 

OTOH, I can't stand driving through Orlando. Ugh!! I like the Clermont area. Very pretty. Who knew Florida had such pretty rolling hills?

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Ok, I probably should say the name of the company - I don't think it will hurt anything, right? He is interviewing to be a castmember at WDW in IT. This is the final interview. :D

So, from what I hear we would have frequent, if not unlimited, access to WDW! My kids are very excited about this idea, so much that they are ready to write off everything here. LOL

 

Dh's friend/possible boss just bought a house in Ocoee but that looks out of our price range. I think we are looking to rent for the first year or so just to be sure things are working out. Tell me more about Apopka...what would the drive to 4600 World Drive look like? Google maps is only so helpful.

 

:auto:

 

Hmm...probably not a great drive, but would have to google to be sure. There is a yahoo group called disney schooling you might want to join, and ask on there as well!

 

Apopka used to be rural...there are areas that are really nice, working class neighborhoods like mine, and some very run down old areas. Just depends.

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I am an Orlando native :001_smile:. If I were you I would look in the Buena Vista or Celebration area for possible places to live. Definitely avoid Kissimee and Poinciana at all costs as they can be rough, high crime areas. If your hubby doesn't mind the commute (PP poster is correct in her description of the traffic here, ugh) the Waterford Lakes and Avalon Park area are awesome too.

 

Once you have lived here for a while you will be reaffirmed in your decision to homeschool because the school system here is terrible! Trust me, I am a product. :glare: But we do have awesome Universities!

 

All in all there are a lot of things to do here. Florida is definitely known for Disney and beaches but its rivers, lakes, and other natural features are stunning and a priceless resource for science lessons.

 

I think you will like it here and good luck to you and yours. :)

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I am an Orlando native :001_smile:. If I were you I would look in the Buena Vista or Celebration area for possible places to live. Definitely avoid Kissimee and Poinciana at all costs as they can be rough, high crime areas. If your hubby doesn't mind the commute (PP poster is correct in her description of the traffic here, ugh) the Waterford Lakes and Avalon Park area are awesome too.

 

Once you have lived here for a while you will be reaffirmed in your decision to homeschool because the school system here is terrible! Trust me, I am a product. :glare: But we do have awesome Universities!

 

All in all there are a lot of things to do here. Florida is definitely known for Disney and beaches but its rivers, lakes, and other natural features are stunning and a priceless resource for science lessons.

 

I think you will like it here and good luck to you and yours. :)

 

Thanks for the warning on Kissimmee/Poinciana - I wondered why housing prices are so low there. Does the same hold true for the Davenport area?

 

One of the great things about homeschooling is not worrying about the new school issue. Tough enough finding a new church!

I'm hoping to live some place that will have more outdoor living space, trees, maybe close to a lake. Continuing the online search and planning to drive around Friday during dh's interview and check out some neighborhoods.

 

Tips on getting hired? We aren't there yet but I hear the key is knowing someone who works there and getting them to be your reference. I'll definitely update everyone once we know more. :001_smile:

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We moved to Orlando (actually Celebration) about 8 months ago from PA.

 

Despite occasional homesickness and the lack of seasons, we love it! :-)

 

We are 15 minutes from WDW - which is awesome - but the tickets are expensive. Maintaining annual passes was one of the "conditions" of me moving here! :-)

 

If you are only moving from 2.5 hours away it will probably be less of a culture shock for you than for us - but despite the lack of any sort of grocery store options (we only have a Publix nearby and I'm not a huge fan), we have found the area to have everything we need. I've even started to get used to tourists everywhere!

 

We like to eat out and there are SOOO many options. In PA, we went out about 1x per month - here more like 1-2x/week!

 

ETA: I see your Dh is working for Disney! I you want more info on Celebration, please feel free to PM me your email address! Also, from what I understand, salaried Disney employees can get into the park w/ 3 (or4?) guests at any time. Don't quote me on that b/c my DH doesn't work for Disney, but we have some friends who do! And we are part of the Disney Schooling group on Facebook!

Edited by labst60
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I grew up in Orlando in the Longwood/Lake Mary area, and still have family there. One HUGE factor in looking for a home would be to try to avoid any type of commute on I-4 if at all possible. Clermont is a lovely area, no more than a 15-20 minute commute, and would avoid I-4.

 

If you don't mind the commute, Winter Park is a wonderful, old city with a lot of character.

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I grew up in Orlando in the Longwood/Lake Mary area, and still have family there. One HUGE factor in looking for a home would be to try to avoid any type of commute on I-4 if at all possible. Clermont is a lovely area, no more than a 15-20 minute commute, and would avoid I-4.

 

If you don't mind the commute, Winter Park is a wonderful, old city with a lot of character.

 

Clermont has a winery :)

 

That's all I know about it, and the only time I've been there, lol.

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You might look in the Hunter's Creek area, about 15 minutes to Disney. It is a very popular area for WDW employees. :)

 

You're very close to shopping but the traffic isn't bad in this part of town.

 

How about Meadow Woods? Hunter's Creek looks to be a bit out of our price range.

:bigear:

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:iagree: But, St. Augustine is beautiful! Have you seen Celebration? It's absolutely gorgeous! I'd love to have a place there!

 

Love Celebration, dh and I dream of moving there one day. In our dreams we are zipping around town on our Segways. :D Eating dinner at Cafe D'Antonio. :thumbup1:

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Lake Mary is a great neighborhood too...but it depends where he's actually working.

 

Lots of HS grouos...lots of very actuve churches...Northland, Orangewood, Calvery Assembly, First Baptist, etc.

 

Look into 4 Seasons passes....also Legoland. Lots of free kids passes around for Legoland.

 

Winter Park Farmer's Market on Sat AM is great. :)

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Love Celebration, dh and I dream of moving there one day. In our dreams we are zipping around town on our Segways. :D Eating dinner at Cafe D'Antonio. :thumbup1:

 

You know... Disney is building homes on property... A little pricey though. I wonder if it includes passes to the park as part of your HOA fees. :)

 

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2010/06/golden-oak-luxury-residential-resort-community-at-walt-disney-world/

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You know... Disney is building homes on property... A little pricey though. I wonder if it includes passes to the park as part of your HOA fees. :)

 

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2010/06/golden-oak-luxury-residential-resort-community-at-walt-disney-world/

 

Golden Oak, named after Walt’s Golden Oak Ranch in California, will offer single-family, custom homes priced between approximately $1.5 million and $8 million

 

Might as well dream big. :lol:

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Thanks for all the replies!

I have noticed several areas that are appealing. Looking at Homeschool Coops the ones I've seen so far seem to be in the Apopka area (not counting the Disney Schooling group).

We leave for the interview tonight, they are putting us up in the Yacht Club hotel - I still have to print out the details so not sure if that is exactly right.

I will let you all know if he gets the job, maybe someone can point me to a reasonable rental in their neighborhood.

:D

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I looked at these a while ago. Not to buy.....

 

I believe they said they included 5 full years of premium annual passes for your family. For that price, they should be lifetime! :D

 

Dawn

 

You know... Disney is building homes on property... A little pricey though. I wonder if it includes passes to the park as part of your HOA fees. :)

 

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2010/06/golden-oak-luxury-residential-resort-community-at-walt-disney-world/

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How wonderful!

 

Dh's work put him in the JW Marriott. I would have much preferred Disney property! They used the JW Marriott because it has so many conference rooms. How dare they choose a conference room location so far from Disney property! :lol:

 

Dawn

 

Thanks for all the replies!

I have noticed several areas that are appealing. Looking at Homeschool Coops the ones I've seen so far seem to be in the Apopka area (not counting the Disney Schooling group).

We leave for the interview tonight, they are putting us up in the Yacht Club hotel - I still have to print out the details so not sure if that is exactly right.

I will let you all know if he gets the job, maybe someone can point me to a reasonable rental in their neighborhood.

:D

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Yacht Club is beautiful. Last time we were at Disney, sil and I visited every single deluxe resort. I believe it is Yacht Club that has a very nice veranda to sit on and drink coffee. If not the Yacht Club it is Beach Club which is sorta connected to Yacht Club and Boardwalk resort. If you have time, take a nice walk on the Boardwalk.

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I went to the website after I printed out his itinerary. It is beautiful - I think this will probably be the nicest place we've ever stayed! We are always very thrifty and have taken very few vacations - our honeymoon was only two nights at a nearby bed and breakfast.

This is very exciting. I will definitely be planning to drink coffee out on that veranda! :D

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We are home, dh was so exhausted that he fell asleep right after dinner at 7pm! Everything went well and we are expecting an offer in the next week. Now to make the decision! I'm a bit overwhelmed with finding a place to rent. If we could buy looks like tons of options, rentals for a big family are a bit harder (5 of us plus my mom lives with us and her two dogs).

 

I loved Clermont, the lakes are awesome! It was raining when we went through Apopka and I think I saw "the wrong side of the tracks" - literally! lol

Dh's office would currently be just south of Dr Phillips, off of Reams Rd. But there is talk of moving to Celebration in the future. At least with a rental if they moved south and it was a problem we could move.

 

Thanks for all the kind thoughts and suggestions. We are praying for a good salary and relocation expenses. :D

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Thanks for all the replies!

I have noticed several areas that are appealing. Looking at Homeschool Coops the ones I've seen so far seem to be in the Apopka area (not counting the Disney Schooling group).

We leave for the interview tonight, they are putting us up in the Yacht Club hotel - I still have to print out the details so not sure if that is exactly right.

I will let you all know if he gets the job, maybe someone can point me to a reasonable rental in their neighborhood.

:D

 

If you meant my group, we actually meet in the downtown Orlando area mostly....or Altamonte. The co-op i'm part of also meets in that area.

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We are home, dh was so exhausted that he fell asleep right after dinner at 7pm! Everything went well and we are expecting an offer in the next week. Now to make the decision! I'm a bit overwhelmed with finding a place to rent. If we could buy looks like tons of options, rentals for a big family are a bit harder (5 of us plus my mom lives with us and her two dogs).

 

I loved Clermont, the lakes are awesome! It was raining when we went through Apopka and I think I saw "the wrong side of the tracks" - literally! lol

Dh's office would currently be just south of Dr Phillips, off of Reams Rd. But there is talk of moving to Celebration in the future. At least with a rental if they moved south and it was a problem we could move.

 

Thanks for all the kind thoughts and suggestions. We are praying for a good salary and relocation expenses. :D

 

I know at least one homeschool group meets at a park in Dr, Phillips.

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Yacht Club is beautiful. Last time we were at Disney, sil and I visited every single deluxe resort. I believe it is Yacht Club that has a very nice veranda to sit on and drink coffee. If not the Yacht Club it is Beach Club which is sorta connected to Yacht Club and Boardwalk resort. If you have time, take a nice walk on the Boardwalk.

 

 

We were blessed to be able to stay at the Yacht Club resort at Disney three years ago. It was wonderful! The kids loved the pools and you can see the fireworks from Epcot while you are swimming at night:)

 

Until this thread, I had absolutely no desire to live in FL, but I'm getting a little envious of all the wonderful homeschool opportunities;) I hope it all works out for the best for your family.

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If you meant my group, we actually meet in the downtown Orlando area mostly....or Altamonte. The co-op i'm part of also meets in that area.

 

Thanks for the clarification! There is a meeting of our current denomination in Apopka so that was one reason we looked to see if that would work out. It still might if I look in South Apopka/Ocoee. On the other hand I believe that this is a small, starter church that may have no other children - that may not be a good fit at this time.

Still so many things to figure out! :)

 

Thanks for all the helpful replies! I will definitely be in touch with you, KTGrok, if we end up taking the job offer!

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As for Meadowoods, BeunaVentura, Boggy Creek area, Kissimmee, and I'd even say Hunters Creek, you might want to speak Spanish if you are looking at any of them. We live in that area and are one of the few non Spanish speaking families around. But our area is very rural with lots of land, if that is what you are looking for. (Boggy Creek)

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  • 3 weeks later...

Dh got his job offer tonight and we are moving!

We have found a nice rental house in Clermont (about a 40min drive to his work) and we are very excited about this!

We are hoping to move at the end of *next week* - let the packing commence!

:w00t:

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Dh got his job offer tonight and we are moving!

We have found a nice rental house in Clermont (about a 40min drive to his work) and we are very excited about this!

We are hoping to move at the end of *next week* - let the packing commence!

:w00t:

 

Yeah!!! Congratulations! Boy, they want to move fast, dont they?

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