Les Terraces Homes for Sale

About Les Terraces Neighborhood

Les Terraces sits in old Windermere, accessed off Hempel Avenue on the eastern side of Lake Down. The neighborhood comprises 16 custom homes platted on full one-acre lots — roughly 43,560 square feet each — built individually between 1980 and 1996 by a mix of custom builders rather than a single production developer. The result is a community of architecturally distinct traditional estates rather than a uniform tract.

Homes range from approximately 1,800 to 3,900 square feet with three to four bedrooms, and most include private pools. Mature oaks, established landscaping, and the deep setbacks afforded by acre-plus lots give the streetscape a quiet, wooded character closer to old Florida than to modern subdivisions. The lot sizes alone make Les Terraces unusual: most newer Windermere communities sit on quarter-acre or half-acre lots at most, and acre-plus parcels in the 34786 ZIP are increasingly difficult to find at any price.

The defining feature of Les Terraces is what's missing: there is no homeowners association, no HOA fees, and no architectural review process. Owners park boats, trailers, and RVs on their own property, build sheds and workshops without committee approval, and modify their homes on their own schedules. For buyers who view their home as their property rather than a regulated asset, this is the primary draw — and it's increasingly rare in upscale Central Florida.

Les Terraces Location & Connections

Les Terraces is tucked off Hempel Avenue on the eastern side of Lake Down, north of downtown Windermere's Main Street. Hempel Avenue runs north-south as a quieter alternative to South Apopka Vineland Road, connecting north toward Park Ridge-Gotha Road and the historic Hempel Avenue corridor in Gotha, and south toward Conroy-Windermere Road.

The neighborhood is roughly two miles from Windermere's downtown Main Street, with the Butler Chain of Lakes public access points at Fernwood Park and R.D. Keene Park within a short drive. Theme parks, downtown Orlando, and Orlando International Airport are reached via the Florida Turnpike and the 429 Expressway, both within about 5–10 minutes of the Hempel Avenue exit.

Les Terraces Amenities & Lifestyle

Les Terraces is not an amenity-driven community — there's no clubhouse, pool, or gate, because there's no HOA to maintain them. The lifestyle here is property-based: large lots, mature trees, private pools, and the freedom to use your land as you see fit. What residents trade for shared amenities, they get back in proximity to Windermere's public lakes, parks, downtown Main Street, and the larger Butler Chain ecosystem.

How Les Terraces Compares

The clearest way to understand Les Terraces is by what it isn't. Most upscale Windermere communities are HOA-governed with deed restrictions, gates, and architectural review boards — features that protect property values but constrain owner flexibility. Newer Windermere neighborhoods often add CDD assessments on top of HOA dues. Les Terraces sits at the opposite end of that spectrum: no HOA, no CDD, no architectural review, and lots roughly four times the size of typical newer luxury construction.

Les Terraces HOA & CDD Information

Les Terraces does not have a homeowners association. There are no monthly or annual HOA dues, no architectural review committee, and no shared common areas requiring maintenance assessments. The neighborhood also does not have Community Development District (CDD) assessments — a feature increasingly common in newer Central Florida communities that can add several thousand dollars per year to a tax bill.

Buyers should still review the recorded deed for individual properties at closing. Some lots may carry private deed restrictions or easements that pre-date or sit independently of any HOA structure, and Orange County zoning rules still apply.

Frequently Asked Questions