Moving to Orlando? Start Here.
The honest guide to where to live, what it really costs, and what nobody tells you before you move. It's from an Orlando broker who made the move himself, not a listings site.
Free guide · instant download · for anyone moving from another country, another state, or within the state.
Alexander van Grondelle · Broker/Owner, NextHome Horizon Realty · Orlando since 1999
Moving to Orlando? Start Here.
Where to live, what it really costs, and what nobody tells you before you move.
Alexander van Grondelle · NextHome Horizon Realty
Most people moving to Orlando begin with the Orlando the internet shows them: holiday homes near the parks. They pick a community from photographs, a thousand miles or an ocean away, and only find out after closing what the rules, the commute and the monthly costs really are.
A home you can't rent out the way you planned. A new-build that ends up 10–20% above the advertised price once lot premiums and upgrades are added. A CDD fee on your tax bill that nobody mentioned. Years in the wrong neighbourhood for the life you actually wanted.
Orlando is two markets, not one. Once you know which one you are buying in, almost every other decision gets easier. This guide shows you how.
Moving to Orlando? Start Here.
Where to live, what it really costs, and what nobody tells you before you move.
Alexander van Grondelle · NextHome Horizon Realty
What you'll get
- The honest answer to "Can we rent it out when we're not using it?" Why the same four walls and a roof can carry different rules in Orlando.
- What changes when you move from another US state, the UK, Canada or other country: income tax, the homestead exemption, insurance, currency and overseas lending.
- Five communities side by side: Dr. Phillips/Bay Hill, Windermere, Winter Garden, Horizon West and Celebration, each with its one honest trade-off.
- The costs nobody explains up front: CDD assessments, the gap between a builder's base price and the contract price, and the rental rules by area.
- The seven mistakes relocating buyers make, from buying off the photographs to missing the homestead deadline.
- A step-by-step timeline: from 6–12 months out to the month you move.
Most "moving to Orlando" guides list the theme parks and the weather. This one tells you what a local broker tells his own clients: the rules, the real costs and the trade-offs. Every number carries its source and date.
I've made the move you're making.
I was born in England, spent eight years in Bahrain, and in 1996 my wife and I chose Florida; by 1999 we had made the move. New city, new state, new country: I know how it feels to buy somewhere you don't yet know. That's why the first thing I do with anyone moving here is work out which Orlando they actually want, before we look at a single house.
Why I'm qualifiedA licensed Florida agent since 2002 and a broker since 2007. I'm the broker and owner of NextHome Horizon Realty. I hold the CIPS, SRS and CLHMS designations among others, I served as the 2025 Chairman of the Global Council, and the 2024 Grievance Committee Chair for the Orlando Regional Realtor Association. I live in Bay Lakes, in the Dr Phillips Area (SW Orlando).
A short hello from Alex
- We talk first.You tell me the life you want here, and I show you which of Orlando's two markets fits it.
- I'm your eyes on the ground.I send video walkthroughs before you fly, so you only travel to see the homes that deserve it.
- I handle it from here.I attend inspections, appraisals and walkthroughs on your behalf, and I stay your agent long after closing.
What I offer
A buyer consultation before any house.
We decide together whether you want a primary home, a second home, or a second home now and a move later.
Personal video walkthroughs.
I preview and film homes myself, so you don't spend airfare on the wrong one.
Representation when you can't be here.
I attend inspections, appraisals and the final walkthrough for you.
A trusted network.
Lenders, tax advisers, insurance professionals, property managers and contractors.
Why me
Most agents sell you whichever Orlando you've already found. I start by showing you the one you didn't know existed: the residential market, which the internet rarely shows people moving here. If Orlando turns out not to be the right place, my international network means I can point you somewhere else, and still be your agent.
We don't know where to start, and we're afraid of getting it wrong from a distance.→
We know exactly which Orlando is ours, what it costs, and who's looking after us on the ground.
The zero-dollar cancellation
My buyer agreement can be cancelled at no cost. If you're not happy with me, you can walk away. Committing to someone you've never met, from another state or country, shouldn't feel like a trap.
Communities I serve: the five in the guide.
Dr. Phillips / Bay Hill
Restaurant Row and Bay Hill Club & Lodge are here, and Epic Universe is about 5–8 minutes away (Jared Jones, August 2026). Established and central. Not a nightly-rental area.
Windermere
The Butler Chain of Lakes is here. Schools: Windermere High and Bridgewater Middle. It has the strictest rental rules in the area.
Winter Garden
Plant Street and the West Orange Trail are here. 30–40 minutes to downtown Orlando (MaxLife Realty, April 2026).
Horizon West
It is 40–55 minutes to downtown, and most communities carry a CDD assessment on top of HOA dues.
Celebration
A walkable town centre beside the Disney area. Its master association requires a 30-day minimum lease.
Why my local depth matters to you
I live here and have sold here for more than twenty years. I know which community rules allow what, which costs don't appear on the listing, and which streets zone to which schools. That knowledge is what keeps you from finding out the hard way.
Those who were most worried about buying from a distance are the ones who wrote these reviews.
"Alex made our transition from Columbus, OH to Windermere, FL smoother than we could have ever imagined... video walk throughs that saved us expensive airfare and travel, to meeting with inspectors, contractors; it was like as if we were actually there."
"From the time of our first meeting and then all the correspondence that took place between us, Alex in Orlando and my wife and I here in the UK, went like clockwork."
"He represented my wife and I as a Buyers agent when we were out of the country and completed the initial walk through with the home seller on our behalf... pointed out things we probably would have missed ourselves."
"Alex has been my family's realtor for 10+ years... it was only fitting that as me and my husband looked to purchase our first home we chose Alex."
Haven't decided if you're moving? Early is exactly when it helps most.
Follow for more free value
On YouTube I walk through Orlando's neighbourhoods, the two markets and what's changing, so you can get to know the area long before you arrive.
Your free guide: Moving to Orlando? Start Here.
- The two-markets answer to "Can we rent it out?"
- Five communities compared: price range, commute and the honest trade-off.
- The hidden costs and the step-by-step timeline.
Free. Instant. No spam — unsubscribe anytime.