On Top of the World is a huge 55 plus retirement community located in SW Ocala Florida.  Sidney Colen, a visionary Florida builder, purchased the 12,872 acre Circle Square Ranch in 1975 and began to develop On Top of the World in 1982. His son is still building new homes here today.

On Top of the World is unique in Ocala real estate for a couple of reasons. This is a leasehold property which is unusual for our area. This means that you own the house but the lot is leased for 99 years from the time of the first sale.  A buyer also can’t finance more than 80% of the purchase price of their home. Unlike most Ocala 55+ communities all outside maintenance is part of the HOA fees.

In addition to new homes there are quite a few resales here.  Older homes are often attached in groups of 4 to 6 and of concrete block and stucco construction. The newer homes are single detached and also CBS. Sizes range from 1,000 to about 2400 sq ft of living area.

HOA fees for attached Villas and detached single family at On Top of the World include all outside maintenance including lawns, painting and roof repair but not replacement as well as property insurance on the building but not the contents or interior.

Amenities include the Arbor Club with indoor and outdoor pools and tennis, the Health and Rec Center with a fitness center, racketball, steam room ect. and a craft building with a complete woodworking shop, The Spa Ranch and Fitness Center, a library, a dog park, a bus service for shopping  and the Circle Square Cultural Center. There are 2 golf courses, the Tortoise and Hare and The Links.  Golf, the Ranch Spa and Fitness and the Cultural Center all have fees above and beyond your HOA fee. There is also great adult education and cultural opportunities at Master The Possibilities which is also open to the public.

Candler Hills is an active 55+ golf course community located in SW Ocala. Candler Hills is a newer part of the On Top of the World Communities. The homes here are of concrete block and stucco construction and built within the last few years. There are new homes for sale and quite a few resales. HOA fees include a 24 hour guard at the gate, common area maintenance, curb side trash pickup, access to On Top of the World amenities, discount golf fees and the exclusive Candler Hills clubhouse and heated outdoor pool. Candler Hills is a golf cart community meaning you can drive your cart down the road. As a matter of fact you could drive all the way to a super market if you were so inclined. You are not allowed to finance more than 80% of the purchase price of a home here. Candler Hills has very high quality and very energy efficient newer home. Candler Hills unlike OTOTW itself is a fee simple community meaning you own the land. There are Community Development District bonds attached to most of the resale homes which add approximately $900- year to your taxes.

Indigo East is a newer part of On Top of the World communities. It is located just north of SR 200 and is close to shopping restaurants and health care.  Homes in Indigo East are all of concrete block and stucco construction and range in size from around 1200 sq ft of living area to a little over 2,000.  Prices are in the $100-200,000- range with most in the middle. Indigo East has an electronic gate that works on a bar code but not a person in a guard house at the gate. There is a nice clubhouse and pool. HOA fees include maintenance of the common areas, clubhouse, curbside trash pickup. For an additional $750- year per household you can use all the amenities at On Top of the World such as the indoor pool, fitness center and clubs.

Indigo East also has Community Development District bonds that add $483- per year to the taxes and an additional common area maintenance fee that adds an additional $296- year to the taxes. Bonds are for 30 years and the maintenance fee is forever and can go up or down. Great homes for the money despite the CDD bonds and resulting taxes.

Indigo East is a newer part of On Top of the World communities. It is located just north of SR 200 and is close to shopping restaurants and health care.  Homes in Indigo East are all of concrete block and stucco construction and range in size from around 1200 sq ft of living area to a little over 2,000.  Prices are in the $100-200,000- range with most in the middle. Indigo East has an electronic gate that works on a bar code but not a person in a guard house at the gate. There is a nice clubhouse and pool. HOA fees include maintenance of the common areas, clubhouse, curbside trash pickup. For an additional $750- year per household you can use all the amenities at On Top of the World such as the indoor pool, fitness center and clubs.

Indigo East also has Community Development District bonds that add $483- per year to the taxes and an additional common area maintenance fee that adds an additional $296- year to the taxes. Bonds are for 30 years and the maintenance fee is forever and can go up or down. Great homes for the money despite the CDD bonds and resulting taxes.

JB Ranch is a new 55+ community located just off SR 200 here in SW Ocala. JB Ranch was started just before the great real estate crash of 2008. There are a mix of 3 builders. Armstrong Homes, a local builder, built a few homes around 08. Lenar built a couple of dozen homes on lots they still owned in 2018 but have finished. The remaining homes are being built by DR Horton. These are really nice homes that are priced to compete with much older resales. Prices are in the high $100’s to low to mid $200’s.

The clubhouse is brand new. There is a meeting room, kitchen and a fitness room with really nice high end equipment. There is 1 outdoor beach entry type pool. Once built out there are expected to be approximately 380 homes.

Candler Hills is an active 55+ golf course community located in SW Ocala. Candler Hills is a newer part of the On Top of the World Communities. The homes here are of concrete block and stucco construction and built within the last few years. There are new homes for sale and quite a few resales. HOA fees include a 24 hour guard at the gate, common area maintenance, curb side trash pickup, access to On Top of the World amenities, discount golf fees and the exclusive Candler Hills clubhouse and heated outdoor pool. Candler Hills is a golf cart community meaning you can drive your cart down the road. As a matter of fact you could drive all the way to a super market if you were so inclined. You are not allowed to finance more than 80% of the purchase price of a home here. Candler Hills has very high quality and very energy efficient newer home. Candler Hills unlike OTOTW itself is a fee simple community meaning you own the land. There are Community Development District bonds attached to most of the resale homes which add approximately $900- year to your taxes.

Oak Run is a large 55 plus community located just off SR 200 in the SW corridor area of Ocala. Construction began in 1985 and was built out in 2007. Oak Run is divided into neighborhoods. These neighborhoods have evolved over a 25 year period and each one has a unique character. The older homes are frame with aluminum or vinyl siding. The newer homes are concrete block and stucco. As time went by the size of the houses grew as buyers expectations increased over that 25 year period. You will find older homes as small as 700 sq ft of living area and newer homes over 3,000 sq ft. Prices as you might expect vary tremendously. HOA fees vary by the neighborhood. In a few areas the homes include lawn care which adds to the fee. In general HOA fees at this time range from $110- to about $150- with homes that have lawn care being  higher at about $230- $250 per month, exact fees vary by neighborhood. Amenities at Oak Run are extensive. They include 3 gates with a guard house, basic cable TV, curbside trash pickup and common area maintenance. There is the Royal Oaks Golf Course, 5 outdoor pools, an indoor pool, a great fitness center that is like joining a gym, a restaurant, numerous clubs, tennis, pickleball, horseshoes, shuffle board ect. Golf is not included in the HOA fee.

Summerglen is a 55+ retirement community with a very nice golf course just south of Ocala.  All homes are 2004 and newer. Homes in Summerglen are all concrete block with stucco and range in size from a little under 1500 sqft of living area to a little over 2500 sq ft. HOA fees include maintenance of the common areas, clubhouse and amenities, trash pickup, guard at the gate and lawn mowing but not fertilizing. Summerglen is an active 55+ community with a great clubhouse, heated beach entry pool, fitness center, library, crafts, dog park, softball field, basketball court and a lot more. Two things that Summerglen offers that most other communities don’t have are lawn mowing and free RV parking, both are extra costs elsewhere. Golf is an extra fee. There is also a nice restaurant, Moreno’s Grill located next to the clubhouse. As in any community that has lawn care you cannot fence your yard.