By David Siegel
Where are we traveling to next? Here’s a hint: It’s home to Disney World, Universal Studios and SeaWorld. OK, you know where our next stop is: Orlando!
Imagine vacation living all year. Those who have made Orlando their permanent home have that experience. It’s a community made up of many subdivisions with a lot of residents living in single-family homes that are part of larger developments. A majority of these homes have built-in pools, and the residents have access to a wide range of amenities such as community pools and clubhouses that offer exciting common areas like one of the resorts you stay in when you are on an Orlando vacation.
There are two schools in the Dr. Phillips section, the Orlando Torah Academy and a Chabad school, that offer classes starting with nursery school up to eighth grade. The Orlando Torah Academy accommodates approximately 150 children who are primarily Orthodox, although the school offers a warm, open environment for a diverse group of children, and the Chabad school has approximately 85 students. An all-girls high school was started a few years ago while boys go to various high schools in the surrounding towns.
Florida offers school choice vouchers that can offer scholarships up to $10,000 per child, and there are other scholarships for families of children with disabilities.
The frum community in Orlando is small but growing. There are currently approximately 70 frum families, with six to eight new families having moved to Orlando in the last year. This is a large figure compared to the two to three families on average that would typically relocate to the community. There are also two shuls in town, the Orlando Torah Center and the Chabad, which are both located in the Dr. Phillips section. The Chabad is located near a commercial area and serves that community as well.
Due to its proximity to the city of Orlando there are many employment opportunities. Orlando has a thriving medical industry including three major systems—Orlando Health, Florida Hospital and Nemours Children Hospital. Many people in town serve as doctors, lawyers, nurses, engineers, real estate agents and teachers. Defense contracting through such companies as Lockheed Martin, BA systems, General Dynamics and Northrop Grumman is another major area of employment in Orlando. And let’s not forget Mickey! There are unprecedented opportunities to find employment in leisure and hospitality in this tourist-driven market area.
There are several kosher restaurants in the area including the Kosher Grill, which is an Israeli grill and restaurant. The Kosher Eatery has both a meat and a dairy section. Several local supermarkets offer kosher food options including Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s and Winn-Dixie. Several times a year a wholesale food order is arranged from a food distributor, and many residents will stock up on meat and chicken.
There is a JCC, which is equipped with a banquet hall to host events, located approximately 15 minutes from the community. The facility has a basketball league, art classes, Krav Maga and more activity programming. It also offers a nursery in addition to various educational programs provided by the two schools.
Below are two recent sales in Orlando (provided from www.Realtor.com):
| sales price | re taxes | ||
| 8436 Bermuda Dunes Drive | 3 bdrm, 2 bath,1632 sq ft | $370,000 | $2,246 |
| 7016 Brescia Way | 5 bdrm, 3 bath,3151 sq ft | $555,000 | $7,043 |
The Orlando Center for Jewish Development is an organization that helps inform prospective residents by setting up interviews with different rabbis in town, arranging tours with schools and making weekend arrangements for people wanting to learn more about the community. The director, Efraim Ellman, can be reached at [email protected].
At a Glance
State income tax: 0%
Number of shuls: 2
Number of schools: 2
State tuition subsidy as described above.
David Siegel is a vice president of Mortgage Lending with guaranteed rate affinity (GRA)—16 Arcadian Avenue, third floor, unit C-6, Paramus, NJ, 07652—a leading national retail mortgage lender in the country. GRA is licensed in all U.S. states except Hawaii and works with many investors, which allows it to provide competitive pricing and a broad channel of unique options to handle the often very specific needs of the community. David has over 15 years of experience at both major banks and mortgage bankers and understands the guidelines of different lenders to help direct his customers to the best loan type for their needs. No one lender is the best option for everyone. David will help you find the right choice for you. [email protected]. 201-725-9527.NMLS 277243 Guaranteed Rate Affinity NMLS 1598647 Equal Housing Lender. For licensing, go to www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org [add branch address] Licensed by the NJ Dept. Of Banking and Insurance.
