Why Mike and Robin chose Royal Highlands in Central Florida for retirement
Mike and Robin relocated from the Niagara Falls area of Western New York to Royal Highlands, a 55+ golf course community in Leesburg. They spent two years looking at communities across Tennessee, Alabama, Kentucky, the Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida before landing there. Every item on their checklist got a checkmark. Here's how the search went, and why Central Florida came out on top.
Why Central Florida beat Tennessee, Georgia, and the Carolinas
Florida wasn't their first stop. They looked broadly across the Southeast and ran into the same problem everywhere else: the number and quality of 55+ active adult communities outside Florida just doesn't compare.
Mike put it plainly: "I looked at one in Tennessee, their amenity was a fire pit." Florida communities routinely come with resort-style pools, golf courses, fitness centers, craft studios, and dance facilities. The gap was hard to argue with.
Both describe themselves as "country people" from a rural area, so the coasts and big cities were off the table early. Central Florida, with its conservation land, small-town feel, and corridor of communities running from Ocala south, was the right fit on those terms alone.
How they narrowed down 55+ communities using a spreadsheet
Mike is, by his own admission, a spreadsheet guy. Robin keeps her own list in Word. Together they built a detailed comparison covering:
- HOA fees and whether the community has a CDD (Community Development District)
- Amenities: golf course, pools, fitness, crafts, dance studio
- Home features: three bedrooms and two baths to host visiting family
- Location: rural feel, conservation areas, not too crowded
- Date-stamped data so they knew how current the information was
Their advice for anyone starting this process: pick the community first, then narrow down the home. That's what their concierge Mary told them, and it kept them from falling in love with a house in the wrong place.
What makes Royal Highlands in Leesburg stand out
Royal Highlands checked every box on Mike and Robin's list.
Golf, pools, and fitness
A full golf course, a large outdoor pool (Mike noted it's actually bigger in person than it looks in videos), an indoor pool, and a fitness center that surprised them both with its size. Robin had joined water aerobics within days of moving in.
Rural setting with conservation land
Royal Highlands has the slightly remote, country feel they were after. Conservation areas border the community, and it still has full amenities inside the gates.
Activities for people who don't like to sit still
Crafts, a dance studio, fishing, and dozens of clubs. As Robin says, "I'm not a good relaxer," and Royal Highlands keeps her booked.
Quick facts about Royal Highlands
- Location: Leesburg, Central Florida (Lake County)
- Type: 55+ active adult, gated, golf course community
- Setting: rural, conservation-surrounded, social
- Amenities: golf course, outdoor and indoor pools, fitness center, craft and dance studios, fishing, active clubs
- Home style that worked for Mike and Robin: 3 bedroom / 2 bath to host family
How quickly new neighbors become friends
One real fear about relocating without family nearby is loneliness. Mike and Robin's first few weeks tell a different story. Within minutes of the moving truck pulling in, neighbors were introducing themselves. They locked themselves out of their new home the first night, and neighbors rescued them.
In three weeks they had already been to two outings, two birthday parties, and several get-togethers. Robin walked a dish down the street, forgot her phone, and was gone an hour and a half before Mike came looking.
Her rule: if you're invited somewhere, you go. The unpacking can wait.
Biggest lessons from their Florida retirement search
Visit before you commit
Online research gets you only so far. Mike and Robin didn't fully grasp the gap between Florida communities and out-of-state options until they walked the properties. The pool at Royal Highlands was significantly larger in person than in any video they'd seen, a reversal of the usual online letdown.
Understand HOA fees and CDD bonds
Comparing communities side by side revealed wide swings in monthly costs and tax structures. Some Florida communities carry CDD bonds, a separate infrastructure loan tied to the property; others don't. Mike and Robin made sure they knew exactly what they were paying at Royal Highlands before signing anything.
Know what you actually want
Their non-negotiables were specific: golf, rural setting, three bedrooms, conservation views, strong amenities. That clarity made the final call straightforward.
Ready to find your Central Florida 55+ community?
Mike and Robin spent two years building spreadsheets and visiting communities across multiple states to find the right fit, but you don't have to start from scratch. Create your free account and our AI will match you to 55+ communities that fit your budget, lifestyle, and must-haves (whether that's a golf course, a rural setting, or room for visiting family), giving each one a personal match score so you know exactly why it's a good fit for you.
Save the communities you like to your shortlist, then compare them side by side in the Decision Matrix to weigh HOA fees, amenities, location, and more, all in one place. It's the organized, confident approach Mike and Robin wish they'd had from day one.
