Si ha estado pensando en bajarse de la montaña rusa del alquiler y comprar su propia casa, no hay mejor momento que el Mes Nacional de la Vivienda Propia.

¿Qué plantas, flores y árboles prosperan realmente en el caluroso clima de Florida, en lugar de lucir bonitos durante unas semanas y morir de frío bajo el sol del verano?

At Habitat for Humanity Greater Orlando & Osceola County, we want to help you navigate through the challenges of becoming a homeowner. Our path may not be easy, but it is designed to help future homeowners develop the skills necessary to succeed as homeowners. From choosing your finishes to financing your home, let us walk you through the journey to become a homeowner! Application approval. Check! You’re on your way to becoming a homeowner! After carefully going through Habitat Orlando & Osceola’s application process, you have met our homeownership requirements [link to Our process page]: you have a need for affordable housing, the means to pay for your future Habitat home, and the willingness to partner with us. Our staff will be in contact with you to go over the next steps, which we’ve outlined below. Head back to “school” with Habitat U Part of your homeownership journey includes attending eight classes that cover different aspects on homeownership. Learn everything from how to maintain your home to how to prepare your finances. We want you to become a homeowner expert! Customize your home It’s finally time to personalize and stylize your home! Start by learning about the different locations and price points of the communities we are building safe and affordable homes in. Once you’ve selected your new neighborhood, our staff will help you choose between a variety of floor plans to match your lifestyle. Finally, customize your home with a selection of exterior colors, cabinetry, countertops, and more. Habitat Orlando & Osceola wants your new place feel like home. Building quality Your lot is secured and walls are going up. You are that much closer to owning a home! Your home is being built using energy-efficient, environmentally friendly construction practices to help better our community and lower your utility bills. Lend us a helping hand Depending on the number of adults in your household, you are asked to contribute 75-150 hours of sweat equity to Habitat Orlando & Osceola. Sweat equity can mean everything from constructing homes to sharing your story with our supporters. By fulfilling your sweat equity, you have a bit more of a stake in the construction process and often can learn home maintenance in practice, especially when volunteering on our build site. We are rooting for you every step of the way! Check out your new house Homeownership is so close you can nearly touch it… literally! Habitat homes take a few months to build start to finish and come equipped with select appliances, including a stove, dishwasher and refrigerator. Welcome home When you buy a home from Habitat Orlando & Osceola, you’re partnering with a builder who is ready to walk you through every step of the home buying process. You attended all the Habitat U classes, customized your home, and fulfilled your sweat equity. You put in the hard work and now it’s time to be rewarded! Our Habitat staff was with you every step of the way and wants to make the final step, closing, as easy and affordable as possible. The home closing process consists of a lot of paperwork that we’ll take care of for you - but the closing process also involves also a lot of celebrating. As we hand you the keys to your safe and comfortable new home, you can finally add “homeowner” to your list of accomplishments. Are you ready to begin your homeownership journey with us? Visit our page on the application process .

Nunca es demasiado tarde para convertirse en propietario, aunque tenga más de 55 años y los niños se hayan ido de casa. De hecho, ser un nido vacío podría ser el mejor momento para que usted comience ese viaje a la propiedad de la vivienda. Ahora la pregunta es: ¿debería comprar una casa antigua o buscar una de nueva construcción? Al asociarse con Habitat for Humanity Greater Orlando & Osceola County, la elección es fácil. Casas Nuevas vs Reventa Comprar una casa vieja puede significar tener que lidiar con accesorios, cableado y plomería anticuados - todo lo cual puede significar costosas reparaciones en el futuro, o una costosa remodelación que retrase su mudanza y vacíe su cuenta bancaria. Una casa nueva ofrece la oportunidad de empezar de cero en un hogar lleno de nuevos electrodomésticos, cableado, fontanería y mucho más. Con la nueva construcción también se llega a elegir el color exterior, así como los acabados interiores de su casa. Su nueva casa será tal y como la quiere desde el día en que se mude. Es mucho mejor que tener que lidiar con lonas, bandejas de pintura y escaleras desordenando el espacio. Vivir cómodamente en una casa accesible Para los mayores de 55 años, lo mejor es una casa de una sola planta. Disfrutará de un acceso fácil y no tendrá que subir escaleras. Admitámoslo, la idea de subir y bajar cestos de la ropa sucia pierde su atractivo con el tiempo. Remodelar una casa antigua para tener un dormitorio principal y un lavadero en la planta baja puede costar mucho dinero. Comprar una casa que satisfaga sus necesidades futuras significa que podrá "envejecer en su lugar" en lugar de tener que abandonar su hogar a medida que cambien sus necesidades de estilo de vida. Las casas de Habitat Orlando & Osceola están diseñadas para ser accesibles a medida que cambian las capacidades de sus propietarios, gracias al Diseño Universal. Estas características incluyen una entrada sin escalones, manijas de palanca en todos los grifos y manijas de las puertas, y estantes ajustables en el armario del dormitorio principal. Forme parte de una comunidad Vivir en su propia casa de nueva construcción significa formar parte de un vecindario. Tendrás espacio para organizar cenas familiares y un patio trasero para que los más pequeños corran y jueguen. Tu casa es tuya. Puedes cultivar un huerto, sentarte en el porche o poner tu música favorita sin tener que preocuparte de molestar a los vecinos a través de una pared compartida, como harías en un condominio o apartamento. Si vives con unos ingresos fijos o te preocupa el constante aumento de los alquileres, Habitat Orlando & Osceola puede ayudarte. Comprar su propia casa nueva significa no más aumentos de alquiler, y una hipoteca asequible de tasa fija que es probablemente más baja que el alquiler que está pagando ahora. Con nuestros diseños y electrodomésticos energéticamente eficientes, sus facturas de servicios públicos serán estables y manejables. Asóciese con Habitat Orlando & Osceola, y podemos ayudarle en el camino a ser propietario de una casa segura y asequible donde pueda disfrutar de sus años dorados al máximo. Aprenda más sobre nuestro programa de propiedad de vivienda .

Comprar una casa es una gran decisión. Pero, ¿cómo saber cuándo ha llegado el momento? ¿Está preparado para ser propietario? Aquí tienes 8 señales de que puedes estar preparado para convertirte en propietario.

Vivir en Apopka significa que está a pocos minutos de disfrutar de toda la belleza natural que Florida Central tiene para ofrecer. Si está considerando construir una casa Habitat en nuestra comunidad Juniper Bend , podrá disfrutar de algunos de estos divertidos lugares para vivir aventuras al aire libre. Wekiva Springs State Park Wekiva Springs State Park cuenta con manantiales de aguas cristalinas para nadar y bucear, así como aventuras en canoa/kayak. Hay rutas de senderismo y ciclismo, paseos a caballo, camping y pesca. Los observadores de aves acuden en masa al parque cada año para avistar las numerosas especies de aves que viven aquí, y forma parte de la ruta Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail. Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive ¡Un paseo de ensueño para los amantes de la naturaleza! La Lake Apoka Wildlife Drive (LAWD) son 11 millas de carretera de grava a lo largo de la orilla norte del lago Apopka, donde le garantizamos que verá docenas de especies diferentes de aves, además de un montón de grandes caimanes. Los pacientes y perseverantes pueden ver linces e incluso nutrias. Se tarda unas dos horas en recorrerlo, y a mitad de camino hay un área de picnic cubierta y unos baños portátiles. Si le gusta observar aves o fotografiar la naturaleza, no se lo pierda. La ruta está abierta de viernes a domingo, de sol a sol. Para los atletas más aventureros, también hay una entrada para bicicletas en Magnolia Park, que recorre la orilla norte del lago Apopka hasta Minneola. Magnolia Park Si lo que busca es un lugar para hacer fotos de la puesta de sol, no busque más. Magnolia Park , en la orilla oriental del lago Apopka, ofrece una gran zona de juegos para los niños, un jardín de mariposas, mesas de picnic y una rampa para botes. El parque organiza numerosos eventos al aire libre durante todo el año, como paseos por la naturaleza, charlas junto al fuego y una visita de Papá Noel al estilo de Florida (¡en un hidrodeslizador!) en diciembre. Está permitido acampar en tiendas y caravanas. King's Landing Ninguna aventura al aire libre en Apopka estaría completa sin una visita a King's Landing . Este parque, que alberga la ruta de remo número 1 de Florida Central, alquila kayaks y canoas o puede traer los suyos propios. El sendero de 8,5 millas tiene una corriente suave, con lugares para "parar" a tomar un aperitivo o nadar en el río Wekiva. Por el camino tendrá la oportunidad de ver ciervos, nutrias, osos e incluso algún que otro mono salvaje. Es una forma salvaje de pasar el día. West Orange Trail Saca la bicicleta o ponte las zapatillas de correr para recorrer el West Orange Trail. Terminado en 1999, el West Orange Trail forma parte de un proyecto nacional de "conversión de vías férreas en senderos", que convirtió vías de ferrocarril en desuso en senderos utilizables para montar en bicicleta, hacer footing y caminar que se extienden desde Apopka hasta Minneola. Desde su apertura, este sendero se ha convertido en un elemento fijo de la vida de Florida Central. El sendero permite montar en bicicleta, caminar, hacer footing, correr, montar en monopatín e incluso montar a caballo. Hay varias estaciones a lo largo del sendero donde se puede aparcar, hacer picnic o descansar. Se pueden alquilar bicicletas en Spin City Cycles, en Apopka, a sólo tres kilómetros de la entrada del sendero. La estación/entrada al sendero de Apopka se encuentra en 11 S. Forest Avenue.

The home buying process with Habitat for Humanity Greater Orlando and Osceola County is an exciting and life-changing process. Part of this exciting journey is having the opportunity to choose a layout that fits your family’s lifestyle. Habitat Orlando & Osceola offers a variety of floorplans to choose from in each of our communities . As you begin to comb through your options, it’s important to think about how your family will use the space. The right floor plan will greatly improve your experience in your new home. We understand this can be a stressful decision process, so follow the tips below to help select the best layout for your family’s new home. Select your number of bedrooms This is an easy place to start. Consider how many family members you expect to live at your new home and if your family plans on growing. We offer three and four bedroom homes. Even if you’re a smaller family, an extra bedroom could act as a guest room or an office space. Think about your bathrooms Our current communities offer 1-2 full bathrooms. Silver Pines Pointe offers two full bathrooms, while most of Juniper Bend's floorplans offer one full bathroom. One bathroom may be more than adequate for smaller families, but two bathrooms can be useful for larger families and families that like to entertain frequently. Pay attention to the location of the bathrooms as well. Some of our homes offer the second bathroom as a master bath while others have both bathrooms in shareable locations. How much space do you need? Our pre-designated floor plans range from 1,244 square feet to 1,548 square feet. The extra square footage is most commonly found in the living space and storage areas. Depending on your family’s size and lifestyle, the extra space could just make life just a little easier. Most new construction homes are designed with open floor plans. An open floor plan may be that extra space for your children to run around, or the ideal set up for an evening with guests. We offer a variety of layout options, so sometimes it just comes down to personal preference! Storage, storage, storage All of our homes offer extra storage space and a designated laundry/utility space. If a single-car garage is high on your list of must-haves, then focus your attention to our Silver Pines Pointe homes . Every family is going to have personal belongings, but some may have more than others. To select the ideal layout for your family, take into consideration how much storage space your family may need Be Mindful of Your Budget As you run down this list of decisions, it’s important to keep in mind that more space comes with a cost. Our Habitat U classes will help you prepare your finances and determine how much you can spend on your home. Some choices may even be made easier as you can narrow your choices to what best fits your budget. Buying a home can be a nervewracking process, from applying to choosing the look of your home. At Habitat Orlando & Osceola, our staff strive to make the journey as smooth as possible by being available for any questions or concerns. Are you ready to apply to become a Habitat homeowner? Visit our online Orientation , which will walk you through the program once more before allowing you to apply.

Want to get out of the house but don’t want to spend any money? Here in Orlando, there are plenty of ways to have a good time without spending a dime. At the time of this article’s publication, many of these locations require guests to wear masks and socially distance from others. Please check with each venue for any further instructions. Enjoy this list of nine free things to do in and around Orlando! Lake Eola Park in downtown Orlando One of the most iconic spots in Orlando, Lake Eola Park features the renowned Lake Eola fountain, as well as its famous resident swans. There is plenty of open space to relax and picnic. You can set the kids loose in the playground, or walk along the lakeside trail, taking in the spectacular views of our “city beautiful”. There are also free concerts and movie nights throughout the year. Learn more about this park . Kraft Azalea Garden in Winter Park Kraft Azalea Garden is a lush and secluded hidden gem. This quiet lakeside park is home to a great egret rookery, and these large birds can be seen year-round. It also features the largest, northernmost banyan tree. This towering tree, native to India and Sri Lanka, thrives in the Central Florida heat and humidity. Sunsets are particularly spectacular here, and the lake allows boating, kayaking, and paddle boarding. Read more about this Winter Park garden . The Glass House in Lake Nona No stone throwing, please. Visit Tom Fuin’s “Glass House” in Laurette Park Village in Lake Nona. This unique art installation is a part of Fruin’s ICON series and uses reclaimed materials with American folk-art influences. The Glass House is just one of many large sculptures located through the Lake Nona area. Day or night, this colorful structure makes for a perfect photo op. Check out this link for more information on The Glass House . Disney Springs No list of stuff to do in Orlando would be complete without mentioning the Mouse! With free, covered parking and rows and rows of shops, Disney Springs is a great place to spend the day, even if you’re just window shopping. Check out the amazing sculptures in The Lego Store, search for hidden Mickey’s, or cool off at the Splash Pad. When your feet get tired, hop on the free boat ride for a relaxing cruise around the lagoon past Port Orleans, Riverside, and back again. Learn more about Disney Springs . Universal City Walk Not wanting to be left out, Universal Orlando has some free attractions, too. Parking at City Walk is free after 6 p.m., and there are plenty of shops to browse in this bright and vibrant venue. There are free water taxis to take you from one side of the park to the other. For a unique musical experience, hop on the water taxi over to Portofino Bay to catch the nightly Musica Della Notte opera, every night at sunset. Visit this website to read more about CityWalk . Old Town in Kissimmee The car buffs in the family will be eager to head to Kissimmee for a pair of weekly car shows. Strut your stuff at the Friday Muscle Car Show to see a slew of show-quality machines dating from new classics all the way back to the mid 60’s. On Saturday, old school classics and antique cars from the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s take the spotlight. Each night is capped with an 8:30 p.m. cruise, as all these gorgeous show cars line up to parade around the streets of Old Town. For more information, visit My Old Town USA . Artists and art lovers are in luck! Orlando has museums galore, many with free admission or that are free on select days. Donations are always appreciated. Zora Neale Hurston Museum in Eatonville Located in Eatonville, the oldest incorporated African-American municipality in the U.S., this museum features the history of famed local author Zora Neale Hurston herself, as well as many works of art by artists of African descent. Visit this website before you visit . Cornell Fine Arts Museum in Winter Park Located on the Rollins College campus in Winter Park, this museum features permanent and rotating exhibits, meaning you’ll get the chance to see something new every time you visit. There are more than 5,000 art pieces and artifacts on display here, from the ancient to the contemporary. There are also hands-on activities for kids. Learn more about the Cornell Fine Arts Museum . Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Arts in Winter Park Free on Fridays and select holidays, the Morse Museum is home to the world’s most comprehensive collection of works of art created by Louis Comfort Tiffany, including his iconic leaded glass lamps and windows, as well as pottery and jewelry. The museum also houses a large collection of 20th century American paintings, furnishings, and architectural objects. At the time of this article’s publication, the Morse requested that all visits, including free visits, first be booked online. To learn more, please visit https://www.morsemuseum.org/plan-your-visit . BONUS ENTRY: Orange County Regional History Center Located just off Orange Avenue in downtown, the History Center features four floors of exhibits that take you on a journey through 12,000 years of Central Florida history. Free admission is offered to: children under 4, Orange County employees, and all Florida teachers/educators (kindergarten through university). Regular admission is between $6 - $8. Orange County Library card holders receive $2 off admission, and AAA members get a 15% discount. Visit their website here .

Habitat for Humanity Greater Orlando & Osceola County ofrece ahora otra experiencia virtual para aquellos interesados en su programa de compra de vivienda: un webinar dirigido a compradores de vivienda por primera vez que quieran aprender más sobre el camino de Habitat hacia la vivienda propia. Liz Alicea-Madera, Directora de Servicios de Programas de Hábitat Orlando y Osceola, describe el proceso de solicitud del programa, los criterios y más en este video.