Thinking of OTOW (Ocala, The Villages: appointed, houses, established neighborhood)

[vdorritty]

Comments on OTOW? ....and Sinkholes in Florida, a concern?

[Ghaati]

Yes there are sinkholes in Central Florida, especially. And OTOW is in Central Florida. It's a large 55+ community, but not as large as The Villages (which is the largest in the world). Prices for OTOW start at over a quarter of a million, average prices appear to be close to half a million. They have some really beautiful conservation areas and make use of solar energy for some of their community buildings and golf courses. They're around 1/2 hour from downtown Ocala.

My personal opinion - considering the sinkholes - is to buy pre-owned, in an established neighborhood. Never buy in a new development or new neighborhood in an existing development. Let them get the kinks out, and the ground fully settled. Even then there's still a risk of sinkholes but at least you'll know it wasn't their construction that caused it.

[rjm1cc]

I think sink holes in residential communities are related to retention ponds that are designed to hold water.
I do not think you will have a big risk of a sinkhole in OTOW as they do inspect the ground before building. Retention ponds are designed to drain.

[Ghaati]

Sink holes in Central Florida are a thing, whether in a residential area or not. You can do a google search for "sink hole alley" and find all kinds of information about it.

There are sink holes, and there are ground collapses. Sink holes are a natural occurrence caused by rainwater eroding sub-surface limestone and creating pockets of air, which eventually make the surface "sink" into the hole.

Sink holes are one type of ground collapse. Poorly-lined retention ponds can cause other ground collapses, and badly-constructed or improperly laid pipes under the ground can crack, thus creating a brand new hole in which the ground can collapse.

When you build in an area known for natural sink hole activity, you need to be EXTRA careful about construction material, placement, displacement of plants and trees (roots prevent erosion), pipes, retention ponds, sewage, everything else.

But sink holes will happen in "sink hole alley" whether you build on it or not. Building on it just increases the risk of ground collapse.

[rjm1cc]

Originally Posted by Ghaati

Sink holes in Central Florida are a thing, whether in a residential area or not. You can do a google search for "sink hole alley" and find all kinds of information about it.

There are sink holes, and there are ground collapses. Sink holes are a natural occurrence caused by rainwater eroding sub-surface limestone and creating pockets of air, which eventually make the surface "sink" into the hole.

Sink holes are one type of ground collapse. Poorly-lined retention ponds can cause other ground collapses, and badly-constructed or improperly laid pipes under the ground can crack, thus creating a brand new hole in which the ground can collapse.

When you build in an area known for natural sink hole activity, you need to be EXTRA careful about construction material, placement, displacement of plants and trees (roots prevent erosion), pipes, retention ponds, sewage, everything else.

But sink holes will happen in "sink hole alley" whether you build on it or not. Building on it just increases the risk of ground collapse.

Fortunately you can Google for sinkholes and see the history in OTOW.

[dontaskwhy]

Yes, sinkholes will always be a factor but they rarely result in destruction or condemning of homes/businesses. It is always a possibility but after living in the Ocala area for almost 23 years, I have never owned a property directly affected by a sinkhole or related damage from one.

Not much different than living in New York and expecting snow during Winter/Fall months.

[rainroosty]

What the heck is "OTOW"? Is it that much work to type it?

[Ghaati]

Originally Posted by rainroosty

What the heck is "OTOW"? Is it that much work to type it?

Is it too much work to google it?

It's a place in Ocala, which is in Central Florida, and the OP is concerned about sink holes. Does it really matter what OTOW stands for, when the question is about sink holes in Central Florida?

https://www.google.com/search?q=otow...hrome&ie=UTF-8

There ya go. I googled it for ya. Was pretty simple. Just go to google and type in OTOW and hit enter. You get that link.

[dontaskwhy]

Originally Posted by rainroosty

What the heck is "OTOW"? Is it that much work to type it?

OTOW = On Top of the World. This is large, almost exclusively 55+ residents just outside of Ocala, FL on Highway 200 (aka College Road). Much easier to remember with the abbreviated name. Still better than the prior name from the early 1980's, The City of Life.

[Stripes17]

We toured OTOW a couple of weeks ago.

Really liked the houses. But the community doesn't seem to have any "pop" that caught our eye.

We're looking for activities and social interactions. Not sure where everyone was hiding, but it was dead in there.

I think I like the idea of more golf on the executive courses at TV versus the three courses at OTOW.

Was also a little disappointed that the salesperson made a statement to both my wife and I about home pricing which turned out to be quite untrue.

I think we're back to looking at TV a little more. Hate the higher monthly costs associated with living there. But we seem to really blend in when we visit there.