When you think of Central Florida, you think of Disney, entertainment and attractions.  Few people realize that among the five major counties in Central Florida, Orange, Seminole, Osceola, Polk and Lake counties.  Carol Ann Hewitt of Oxford Reatly notes that there are 2,500 lakes where Bass fishing is a major sport, in addition to golfing and water skiing.  

Nothing could be more pleasant than a leisurely boat ride through the many lakes, some of which are connected by navigable canals, such as the famed Butler Chain of Lakes in Windermere, a growing suburban area to the southwest of Orlando, where one will find a series of eleven environmentally protected lakes, whose shores are dotted with beautiful estates. These lakes weave through  and around some of Central Florida’s most prestigious gated golf and country club communities, such as Keenes Pointe, Isle Worth, and Lake Butler Sound. Winter Park, a charming town with a quaint downtown shopping area on the north side of Orlando, boasts the Winter Park Chain of Lakes.

Minutes from Orlando’s downtown business district, there are beautiful homes on the shores of Lake Conway and Sand Lake.   To the north of Orlando in Lake County is Lake Harris, a 13,789 acre lake, which is part of a large body of water known as the Ocklawaha Chain of Lakes.  Lake Tohopekaliga – known to the locals as Lake Toho – is one of the largest lakes in Osceola County with over 19,000 acres!  Great fishing here!

Gone are the tiny cottages of years ago,  where native Orlandoans would come during the hot Summers to catch the cool lake breezes.  They have been replaced by luxurious lakefront homes with wine cellars, elevators, elaborate gardens, heated pools, spas and boat houses.  You can purchase a resort setting in your very own back yard and statistics prove that lakefront property is less resistant to economic downturns.