Del Webb Minneola, Esplanade at Highland Ranch, and Mount Olive Shores each made a case for the perfect Central Florida retirement home in one of our most enjoyable video tours. Buyers Becca and Jim (relocating from a farm in Wisconsin) put all three communities through their paces with a detailed wishlist and a $600,000-$800,000 budget. Here's what they found, and what it might mean for your own search.
What Becca and Jim were looking for
Before getting into the homes, it helps to know the brief. Becca and Jim wanted to land within an hour of Disney World, with the Clermont, Minneola, and Mount Dora corridor at the top of their list. Their must-haves:
- A garage longer than 22 feet to fit their Ford F-350 Super Duty truck
- Tile floors throughout
- A private pool
- A split floor plan for hosting guests
- Gas utilities
- Community amenities: fitness center, craft groups, and RV storage or an RV club for their Airstream trailer
Three agents (Claire, Tricia, and Mary) each championed a different community.
Del Webb Minneola: new construction with room to customize
Claire presented the Stardom model at Del Webb Minneola, a new-construction community in Minneola, Florida. Base pricing starts at $470,000. Lot premiums and upgrades push the final number higher, but within Becca and Jim's budget there was real room to personalize.
The Stardom's open-concept layout checked several boxes: wood-look tile flooring, a flexible split floor plan, and a three-car garage that can be extended well past the 22-foot threshold. For buyers who want to put their own stamp on a home from the ground up, new construction is hard to beat.
Del Webb Minneola HOA and amenities
The HOA fee runs $394 per month, covering lawn care, internet, and cable. There's also an $840 annual food and beverage minimum tied to the community restaurant. Amenities are still coming online as the community builds out. The resort-style plan includes a fitness center, pools, and social clubs. For an RV-enthusiast couple, it's worth asking the sales team directly about RV storage options, since policies can vary by phase.
Mount Olive Shores: the RV community in Polk City
Tricia took Becca and Jim in a completely different direction: Mount Olive Shores in Polk City, Florida. This is one of the few communities in the country built specifically around the RV lifestyle. Every home has either an RV pad or an attached RV garage with full hookups. If your Airstream is as central to your life as your living room, this place deserves a serious look.
The home Tricia showed was priced at $589,000 on a lakefront lot. The HOA fee is just $1,850 per year, among the lowest you'll find anywhere in Florida.
Where Mount Olive Shores falls short for this couple
The tradeoff is size. At just over 1,200 square feet with one bedroom and a compact kitchen, the home didn't have the living space Becca and Jim needed for hosting family. If you're a full-time RVer who wants a smaller home base with an unbeatable garage setup and lake views, Mount Olive Shores could be exactly right. For buyers who need more square footage, it's a tougher fit.
Esplanade at Highland Ranch: resale value in Clermont
Mary's pick was a resale Lazio model at Esplanade at Highland Ranch in Clermont, and she came prepared. Knowing the truck requirement, she brought a tape measure to the showing and confirmed the garage clears 22 feet. That kind of agent detail matters.
Built in 2017, this 2,275-square-foot home is listed at $643,000 and has three bedrooms, three full bathrooms, an open den, and a tankless gas water heater. Outside, a screened pool with an outdoor kitchen overlooks a dry retention area, exactly the kind of private backyard that makes Florida living worthwhile.
Esplanade at Highland Ranch HOA and community life
The HOA fee is $1,200 per quarter ($400 per month), covering complete lawn and shrub maintenance. Esplanade at Highland Ranch is a Taylor Morrison community with a full amenity campus: resort pool, fitness center, tennis and pickleball courts, and a busy social calendar. Because it's an established community, you can see exactly what you're getting before you sign anything.
Quick facts: side-by-side comparison
- Del Webb Minneola (Stardom model): From $470,000 + lot/upgrades | HOA $394/mo + $840/yr restaurant minimum | New construction | Minneola, FL
- Mount Olive Shores: $589,000 | HOA $1,850/yr | 1,200 sq ft | RV garage with full hookups | Polk City, FL
- Esplanade at Highland Ranch (Lazio model): $643,000 | HOA $400/mo | 2,275 sq ft | 3 bed / 3 bath | Pool + outdoor kitchen | Clermont, FL
Which community did Becca and Jim choose?
At the end of the tour, Becca and Jim chose Del Webb Minneola. The ability to design a brand-new home to their exact specs (extended garage, tile floors, gas lines, their preferred layout) won them over. Being part of a community that's still taking shape had its own appeal.
Esplanade at Highland Ranch was a genuinely close second. If you want to move in sooner and like knowing exactly what a finished community looks like, the Lazio resale is a compelling option. And if the RV matters more to you than the square footage, Mount Olive Shores is truly one of a kind.
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