Deerwood — Local services in Alafaya

A money hungry community. I wish I would've known more before I moved in but was desperate to get out of my previous living situation and for some reason thought this was an affordable option.

$800 a month for lot rent, but that includes absolutely nothing. You must mow your own lawn, and if you don't, they'll charge you $75. I'm curious how/why that randomly increased from $50 last year. These lots are so small, even the $50 was a scam. I'm a single working mom of little kids and also going to school myself, having a hard time keeping up with things. Especially the yard when it's raining every day after work.

Over 250 lots at $800/month? At least $200,000/month. Where is all that money going? You can't take your dog to the small dog park up front because nobody picks up after their dogs, it's disgusting. People don't pick up dog poop from your yard either. I constantly have trash in my yard from people throwing it out their car windows (pictured is today's litter).

The kids' park is incredibly bland and every time I take my kids, I have to pick up trash, including blunt wrappers all over the place. Wasps there as well. Money could be put into this to upgrade it, but instead, they've repaved the front parking lot multiple times in the past year.

I've had to break up kids fighting (in front of my toddlers) at the pool twice, and most of the time there's people there blaring their music. They also decided to do construction on the main pool in June/July last year. Couldn't use it for 2 months in the middle of summer. Still paid the same in lot rent though. Outdoor cats urinating and defecating on my front porch weekly.

Combining the mortgage and lot rent, I'm paying the same amount as a mortgage for an average 3/4 bedroom house in this area that would have included the land. Very disappointed in my choice.

Lastly, this is nothing against anyone who works here. Every interaction I've had has been pleasant. These issues come from above them.

A mobile home community that was once meant as an affordable alternative in this area has now become just as unaffordable as the rest of Orlando, thanks to the greed of Sun Communities.

EDIT: Two weeks since posting this. Just got a letter that states our lot rent will be increasing to $839/month. In less than 1.5 years it's increased over $100/month. When we moved in, it was...

I moved into this community in 2021. At first, it seemed like a decent place to live, until at the end of my 1 year rental lease, i was told it's either buy the home or move out. I foolishly bought the home. As with any trailer park, you can own the home but never the land if you can even call these super tiny lots land. Even owning the home, you can not do what you want with it unless the park manager gives her permission for you to do it. If you are foolish enough to buy through triad financial who has some sort of deal with deerwood you can not move your home to private land, it must remain on site so deerwood can continue to control you while collecting just as much from you as the mortgage for the home if not more. The raise lot rent yearly but your lot size never grows. The rules of the park seem to only apply to some. I had 2 vehicles towed by park management with zero notice or warning. I saw many of the Hispanic neighbors had cars parked in the road and in the yard as well as cars being worked on, but never once were they towed in the 3 yrs I lived here. They will tell you that no aggressive breed dogs are allowed, yet I saw many with new and old residents. I also saw a few people's dogs get attacked by other residents' dogs, and yet the manager did nothing. It seems they play favorites with either friends or family who live on-site as to who must follow rules and who can do whatever they want. On top of that even though you have to buy the home you still are required to ask the park manager for permission to get a pet and are told you can only have 2 dogs max even tho you bought the home. The dog park has broken glass in the dirt, which I informed management about, and they, of course, did nothing about it. Security that you pay for with your lot rent may circle the community 1 time a month if they feel like it. The company hired for trash come whenever they feel like it, so you may match it, you may not. They could come at 5 am or 9 pm, Tuesdays and Thursdays, or just Saturday if they even show up that week. Maintenance rides around on golf carts doing a whole lot of nothing, which is also something your lot rent pays for. I am so glad my job needed me to move to another city because this place is among the worst ran places I've seen. DO NOT MOVE HERE. IT IS A HORRIBLE...

Ive lived here since 2010. Before deerwood took over. In every community you have good and bad. Before deerwood pple didnt like connie but she kept this place a decent place to live. Yes we go thru managers so fast it will make your head spin. And newsletters are often misspelled and is full of events for the chosen few it seems. Its easy to get upset at all the things wrong. But we need to look at the positive. The location of this park is becoming more convenient since 50 has been built up. In 2010 there was no family dollar or wawa or aldi... No wendys or ace hardware... It was all woods. Yes there are issues with homeless. But if we put a lock gate at the pool they wont be able to come in and shoot up in the bathrooms and wash in the pool. Maybe we can get real security instead of a car parked up front empty that everyone laughs at. They have fixed the sidewalks. And i for one am anxious about the trash issue since we have a lot of woodland critters. Those critters make it nice but can be dangerous if they have rabies and our children have to walk past piles of trash that attract the raccoons , cats, and wild pigs. But the trash isnt all the management fault. Pple dont wanna work since the pandemic. And trash companies are no different. But i agree they need to stay on top of them. This is a good community to live in. I dont run in and out of my nabors houses but i have good nabors. The maintenance men are always polite and always working hard somewhere. But they always smile and wave hello. It takes everyone working together and respecting one anouther to make a great community. So if you wanna be part of a good community this park may work for you. If you just want a place to live and act the fool.... Maybe this...