Hojin’s Southwest Orlando Real Estate Scoop

The town of Windermere offers some of the finest golf communities in the world with Isleworth, Keene’s Pointe, and Windermere Club. Isleworth is a world renowned golf club originally designed by Arnold Palmer & Ed Seay with Tiger Woods, Mark O’Meara, and Stuart Appleby as members. Keene’s Pointe is the newest golf community and a Jack Nicklaus design. Windermere Club offers the most affordable option in town but by no means an average community. Masterpieces created by some of the area’s finest builders can be found scattered among these communities.

Arnold Palmer and a group of investors purchased the land surrounding the Butler Chain of Lakes that would become Isleworth in 1984. The Tavistock Group purchased the community in 1993 and continued its original vision of only the best. A rotating collection of masterpiece sculptures assembled by Sotheby’s is displayed throughout the community. The 82,000 square foot clubhouse offers unparalleled personal service. The homes here are the finest in the area and among the top luxury communities in the world. Although Isleworth is renowned for golf, the properties on the Butler Chain of Lakes command the highest premiums. Both Tiger Woods and Mark O’Meara reside in properties on the Butler Chain. Pricing for homes currently start at about $1.5 million and can go much higher. Properties on the Butler Chain start at just shy of $5 million. There’s also a section called the Gardens where new Mediterranean villas are being built and sold for prices starting at $2.5 million. Isleworth is a community where only the best will do.

The development company of Castle & Cooke allowed Jack Nicklaus to continue his rivalry with Arnold Palmer of building competing courses in a particular area at Keene’s Pointe. Of course Jack Nicklaus would also have to have homes and golf holes on the Butler Chain of Lakes in a guard gated setting just like Palmer. Just as in Isleworth, the homes on the Butler Chain of Lakes command the highest premiums and in most demand.

The mix of homes in Keene’s Pointe tends to be more diverse than Isleworth. While Isleworth only offers homes from the finest custom builders, production builders such as Morrison and David Weekley Homes share the landscape alongside the custom builders. The community is subdivided into 7 villages so the production homes do not sit alongside the mansions but they do share the same spotlight. Homes in the sections with production homes have a traditional neo-classical style architecture while the custom home sections have a Mediterranean style. The village of North Shore is the most prestigious section of Keene’s Point where the homes on one side of the street are on the Butler Chain of Lakes and the other side on the golf course. Pricing currently starts a little above $500,000 and can go up to about $5 million. Properties on the Butler Chain currently start at about $3.5 million. There’s also a section of maintenance free golf villas on holes 9 and 10 which tend to be popular with absentee owners. Keene’s Pointe offers a country club lifestyle in a less grand way but with newer homes.

Windermere Country Club offers one of the more affordable options for a country club lifestyle in Windermere. The course is very challenging even though it’s only 6,760 yards and always in superb condition. The community is gated with homes mostly built in the early 90’s that sit on spacious lots. Just as in the other golf communities, the homes on Lake Crescent and Lake Roberts command the highest premiums. The two lakes are not connected to a chain but are spring fed with crystal clear water and more than ample room for water skiing. Properties start at around $600,000 and homes on the lake start at a little over $1 million. Certainly much more affordable.

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