Which Orlando Master-Planned Communities Have CDD Fees, and Which Still Sell New?
Quick answer
As of October 2026, of 7 Orlando master-planned communities Jared Jones compared, Avalon Park, Heathrow and Hunter’s Creek have no CDD, while Lake Nona and Horizon West carry CDD assessments. Horizon West, Lake Nona, Celebration and Avalon Park still offer new homes; the rest are resale only.
| Fact | Figure |
|---|---|
| Communities compared | 7: Baldwin Park, Heathrow, Avalon Park, Lake Nona, Hunter’s Creek, Celebration, Horizon West |
| Still offering new construction | Horizon West, Lake Nona, Celebration, Avalon Park |
| Resale only | Baldwin Park, Heathrow, Hunter’s Creek |
| No CDD | Avalon Park, Heathrow, Hunter’s Creek |
| Lake Nona CDD range cited | $1,532 to $2,528 a year by product type, plus HOA |
| Horizon West CDD range cited | $1,500 to $4,500 a year by phase, plus village and master HOAs |
| Avalon Park | 1,860 acres; started 1998 |
| Lowest listing found in the study | $175,000 condo in Hunter’s Creek |
Sources: Avalon Park Group (checked Oct 23, 2026); U.S. EPA, Naval Training Center Orlando (checked Oct 23, 2026); Jared Jones Team research for the Oct 11, 2026 video (fee ranges and listing; verify by address).
What counts as a master-planned community in Orlando?
A community where one developer, or one governing plan, laid out the streets, parks, school sites and town center on paper first, then built it out over a decade or two.
By that definition, Jared explains, places such as Oviedo, Winter Springs and Waterford Lakes are not on the list. They are active markets, but they grew one subdivision at a time without a single plan tying them together. The seven that pass the test are Baldwin Park, Heathrow, Avalon Park, Lake Nona, Hunter’s Creek, Celebration and Horizon West. Horizon West stretches the definition a little, because it is an Orange County sector plan with many builders working inside one framework rather than a single developer’s project. Buyers relocating from regions where planned communities line street after street often expect the same here. Central Florida has them, but they are spread around the metro, so location and commute matter as much as amenities when comparing them.
Which Orlando master-planned communities have CDD fees?
In Jared’s research, Lake Nona and Horizon West carry community development district (CDD) assessments, while Avalon Park, Heathrow and Hunter’s Creek do not. Baldwin Park and Celebration have their own district structures that vary by address.
A CDD is a special district that finances roads, utilities and amenities, and its assessment appears on the property tax bill. The ranges cited in the video are $1,532 to $2,528 a year in Lake Nona depending on product type, and $1,500 to $4,500 a year in Horizon West depending on how new the phase is, on top of HOA dues. Baldwin Park sits in a district that, per Jared, does not publish a simple schedule, so the figure must be pulled by address, and Celebration’s fees vary by village and street. No CDD does not always mean lower costs: Heathrow funded infrastructure through its HOA instead, and Jared estimates that HOA near $3,995 a year. Always pull the actual tax bill for the specific parcel.
Which Orlando master-planned communities still sell new homes?
Horizon West, Lake Nona, Celebration and Avalon Park still have new product, while Baldwin Park, Heathrow and Hunter’s Creek are built out and resale only.
Horizon West is the only one of the seven still under active construction at large scale, especially around Hamlin and the southern villages. Lake Nona continues to add condos, 55-plus product and new phases. Avalon Park, a 1,860-acre development in east Orange County that began in 1998, has one phase still active with townhomes, per Jared. Celebration has limited new construction from remaining builders. On the resale side, Baldwin Park was built on the former Naval Training Center Orlando, which was selected for closure in 1993, and is fully built out. Heathrow and Hunter’s Creek were largely complete by the early 2000s. Buying new usually means newer systems and builder incentives but also newer, often higher, CDD assessments; resale means established landscaping and a known track record of fees.
How do entry prices compare across the seven communities?
The spread is wide. The lowest listing in Jared’s study was a $175,000 condo in Hunter’s Creek, while Baldwin Park’s least expensive homes, condos, approach $500,000.
Between those ends, Jared’s research put Heathrow’s entry point at condos near $275,000, Avalon Park townhomes around $340,000 to $400,000, Lake Nona condos and 55-plus product near $355,000, and Horizon West townhomes in the $400,000s. Celebration’s smallest condos started in the mid-to-upper $100,000s. These are listing snapshots from October 2026, not medians, and they change week to week. In the video, Jared stresses that entry price is only half the comparison: CDD, HOA and service fees can move the monthly cost of two similar-looking homes by as much as $350. For the full community-by-community breakdown with prices and resident feedback, see our 7-community comparison linked below.
What do Orlando master-planned communities have in common?
Jared found three shared patterns: limited ways out, a “manufactured” reputation in some places, and fees that hide in different forms.
First, six of the seven have a known traffic choke point for getting out: Narcoossee Road for Lake Nona, the Turnpike and SR 429 for Horizon West, SR 50 and tolls for Avalon Park, John Young Parkway for Hunter’s Creek, toll roads for Celebration and I-4 for Heathrow. Baldwin Park is the exception because it was built into an existing city street grid. Master planning solves the inside of a community, not how you leave it. Second, the most praised walkable places were also the ones most often described online as “manufactured,” a matter of taste. Third, CDD and HOA charges are the same money in different forms, and most listing sites do not show the CDD line. Compare every line of the payment, drive the commute at rush hour and confirm fees by address. For help, call or text 407-706-5000.
Frequently asked questions
What are the master-planned communities in Orlando?
Jared Jones compares seven: Baldwin Park, Heathrow, Avalon Park, Lake Nona, Hunter’s Creek, Celebration and Horizon West. Each was laid out under one plan with streets, parks and a town center designed together. Places such as Oviedo, Winter Springs and Waterford Lakes grew one subdivision at a time, so they are not on this list.
Which Orlando master-planned communities have no CDD?
In Jared Jones’s October 2026 research, Avalon Park, Heathrow and Hunter’s Creek have no CDD. That does not always mean lower costs. Heathrow funded infrastructure through its HOA, which Jared estimates near $3,995 a year. Lake Nona and Horizon West carry CDD assessments. Confirm any community’s fees on the specific parcel’s tax bill and HOA documents.
How much are CDD fees in Lake Nona and Horizon West?
Ranges cited in Jared Jones’s October 2026 video are $1,532 to $2,528 a year in Lake Nona depending on product type and $1,500 to $4,500 a year in Horizon West depending on the phase, plus HOA dues in both. Assessments vary by parcel, so check the property tax bill for the exact address before you make an offer.
Which Orlando master-planned communities still have new construction?
Horizon West, Lake Nona, Celebration and Avalon Park still offer new homes, according to Jared Jones’s October 2026 research. Horizon West is the only one still being built at large scale. Baldwin Park, Heathrow and Hunter’s Creek are fully built out, so homes there are resale only.
What is the least expensive master-planned community in Orlando?
In Jared Jones’s October 2026 study, the lowest listing was a $175,000 condo in Hunter’s Creek, which also has low master association dues and no CDD. Listing prices change weekly, so treat that as a snapshot. Compare total monthly cost, including HOA, CDD and insurance, not just the entry price.
Is Baldwin Park a master-planned community?
Yes. Baldwin Park was built on the former Naval Training Center Orlando, which was selected for closure in 1993, and redeveloped under a single plan with a village center, grid streets and parks around Lake Baldwin. It is fully built out and resale only, and it is the one community of the seven built into an existing city street grid.
Sources
- Avalon Park Group: Developer Story (acreage and start year; checked Oct 23, 2026)
- U.S. EPA: Naval Training Center Orlando Site Spotlight (checked Oct 23, 2026)
- Jared Jones – Orlando Living (YouTube): The Truth About the Top 7 Master-Planned Communities (published Oct 11, 2026; fee ranges and listing snapshots from Jared Jones Team research)