Hello ladies! My husband, two young boys and I will be relocating from Kansas City by August and I just found this neat site/resource! I am a 28 year old stay at home mom with boys ages 3 1/2 and 1 and we'll be looking for a really nice condo or apartment complex to live in. Any suggestions? We want something with all the upscale amenities... I would love some input from you all! I look forward to getting to know some of you and being in touch with the community when we get there! Thanks so much!

Kari B.

Welcome, Kari! Thanks for joining us here.

I don't have any good tips for condo/apt -- well, when we moved we considered a condo in the historic district. It was cute, but didn't have any amenities that I recall.

W/ the housing market, I wonder if it's cheaper to buy a house now and get a really good deal?

Good luck hunting and I'm sure some other moms on here will be more helpful than me.

Thanks Elizabeth! I really appreciate your input! We really want to rent right now until we get a feel for the city. Of the properties I've seen from my internet searches, it looks like The Highlands at Heathbrook, The Estates at Heathbrook and Tuscany Place Apartments are the best. Are they in a good part of town? I'm so worried we'll pick a "bad" area!

Thanks!

Kari B.

Heathbrook and Tuscany are beautiful places but you will need to consider where your husband is working. With the price of gas it may be logical to find a place close to his job. Even though your children are small, schools are another factor. Also to consider, are these places children friendly. The Grand Reserve is another location to check into. You didn't mention if you have pets. This is a lovely town, I have been here 30 years. Welcome

Thank you so much for your response, RobertRon.

I guess we'll have to wait and see where in Ocala the store is being built and go from there. We are definitely wanting a place with a playground. I've seen a couple of places have them. We don't have pets, so that isn't an issue. I appreciate your input and am excited to be there!

One other place that you can check into is Fore Ranch, located on SR200 just a mile or so from I-75. It is less than a year old, has all the amenities like a walking trail, gym, club house, etc. they have town houses to rent or condos. Hope you have a good and safe move to Ocala.

I'm not sure if Fore Ranch has a pool? Is that something you are looking for? I know Tuscanny Village does and their apartments are very nice. My daughter has a friend who lives there. I moved here three years ago but I purchased a manufactured home. I only live about 5 minutes for Tuscanny and the area is a very safe one as far as I can tell. You are pretty much within walking distance of anything you would need down there. You are real close to a mall (although it is a snall one). They have more strip malls (outside malls) down here than anything else. For how big Ocala is I was really shocked that the biggest indoor mall they have is Paddock Park.

Hey there! Welcome!

I think you should definitely consider where your hubby will be working. Fore Ranch is awesome (and it does have a pool) but it's on the other side of I-75. If you husband works closer to the downtown historic area, you might want to consider renting a house there. There are a lot of nice houses for rent in the historic/surrounding areas with lots of great parks within walking distance, beautiful old trees, and many young families with young kids just like yours!

Thank you everyone for your suggestions! I think we've found out the store is on 19th Ave by the Whataburger? So Fore Ranch would be an option.... are there places for rent in that subdivision, or are they all for sale?

We'll definitely keep it in mind and can't wait to head there soon to scout out a new home for our family!

Thanks again!

Hello Dezignermom,
Just curious... what kind of business are you opening in town? You mentioned that it will be located on 19th Ave by Whataburger... that is a really nice area. BTW, welcome to Ocala, i am sure your family will love it here.

My husband is being relocated by his current employer, Aldi. They are building a brand-new store right there. It will be a really nice discount grocery store. I will also be hopefully doing some freelance graphic design work from home!

Thank you so much for the warm welcome!

That store is in walking distance to Grand Reserve Apartments (really nice ones!) Literally just around the corner.
Best!
Robyn