About Reserve at Windermere Neighborhood
Reserve at Windermere occupies a small parcel on the north side of Windermere Road, about a mile northwest of Town Square. The development was platted by Element Home Builders to deliver eight custom contemporary estates inside the Town of Windermere mailing area — a rare proposition in 34786, where new-construction inventory has been functionally exhausted by decades of build-out across Isleworth, Keene's Pointe, and the established Butler Chain enclaves.
All eight homes were completed between 2022 and 2024, ranging from approximately 4,000 to over 5,000 square feet with 4–5 bedrooms, 3–5 bathrooms, and three-car garages. Element's standard delivery package included a private pool with summer kitchen, open contemporary floor plans, high-end stainless appliances, and finish upgrades typical of Element's custom work in Bella Vita Estates and Lake Down Reserve. The community is not gated — its exclusivity comes from its scale (eight homes total), not from a guardhouse.
Lots are a half-acre or larger and back to either a small water feature or conservation, which is the structural reason Element capped the project at eight units rather than densifying. Buyers who shop Reserve at Windermere are typically choosing between this enclave, the older custom stock in Willows at Lake Rhea and Crescent Lake Estates next door, or the much larger and pricier guard-gated alternatives a few miles south.
📊 Quick Facts
🏠 Home Features
Element's typical delivery package across the eight homes included:
- Open contemporary floor plans with high ceilings and large windows
- Three-car garages
- Private screened pools with attached summer kitchens
- Stainless steel appliance packages and high-end stone countertops
- Master suites with custom-built walk-ins and spa-style baths
- Half-acre+ lots offering room for expanded outdoor living and landscaping
- Lots backing to water features or conservation rather than to neighboring rear yards
Specific finishes vary by home — Element worked with each original buyer on selections during construction, so resale inventory is not a single floor plan repeated eight times.
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Reserve at Windermere Location & Connections
The community sits on the north side of Windermere Road in the northwest portion of Windermere, roughly one mile from the brick streets and Town Square shops at the heart of the historic peninsula. Lake Crescent (a 187-acre lake served by the Town's Recreation Center) lies a short distance west; Lake Butler — the largest lake on the Butler Chain — is a few minutes southeast.
The Windermere Road corridor is the primary north-south route connecting Town of Windermere to the Park Ridge-Gotha Road / Maguire Road grid that ties into State Road 535 and the Florida Turnpike. From this address, residents are within reasonable commuting range of Downtown Orlando, the Dr. Phillips Restaurant Row corridor, and the entire Butler Chain of Lakes system.
🏘️ Adjacent Neighborhoods & Areas
- Immediately adjacent (east, off Windermere Road): Willows at Lake Rhea — established lakefront community on Lake Rhea
- Immediately adjacent (south/southeast, off Windermere Road): Crescent Lake Estates — older traditional-style custom stock built between 1979 and 1999
- West: Lake Crescent and the Town of Windermere Recreation Center (Butler Bay) — a 187-acre lake with public kayak launch, boardwalk trail, and resident-only tennis courts; not a platted neighborhood
- Southeast (Lake Butler corridor): Manors at Butler Bay and Lake Butler Estates — estate communities with direct Butler Chain frontage
- South (~1 mile): Town of Windermere proper — the historic peninsula with Town Square Park, Main Street shops, and the 1890 Schoolhouse
The two sister Element communities, Bella Vita Estates and Lake Down Reserve, are nearby but not directly adjacent — Bella Vita is on Park Ridge-Gotha Road north of the lake, and Lake Down Reserve is on Conroy-Windermere Road south of town.
🚗 Detailed Commute Times
- Downtown Orlando: 20–25 minutes (≈14 miles via Conroy-Windermere Rd and I-4)
- UCF Campus: 35–45 minutes (≈30 miles via SR-408)
- Walt Disney World: 15–20 minutes (≈8 miles via Apopka-Vineland Road / SR-535)
- Universal Orlando: 15–20 minutes (≈10 miles via SR-408)
- SeaWorld Orlando: 15–20 minutes (≈9 miles via Sand Lake Rd)
- Cocoa Beach: 65–75 minutes (≈70 miles via SR-528)
- Lake Nona Medical City: 35–45 minutes (≈25 miles via SR-417)
- Dr. Phillips Restaurant Row: 12–15 minutes (≈7 miles via Apopka-Vineland Rd)
✈️ Airport Access
- Orlando International Airport (MCO): 25–35 minutes (≈18 miles via SR-528 BeachLine)
- Orlando Sanford International Airport (SFB): 50–60 minutes (≈37 miles via SR-417)
- Orlando Executive Airport (ORL): 25–35 minutes (≈14 miles via SR-408) — general aviation
- Kissimmee Gateway Airport (ISM): 30–40 minutes (≈20 miles) — general aviation
🚆 Highway & Rail Connections
- SR-429 Expressway: ~10 minutes via SR-535 — primary north-south toll route through west Orange County
- Florida Turnpike: ~15 minutes — connects to the broader Florida tolled network
- Interstate 4: ~15 minutes via Conroy-Windermere Road — main Tampa–Orlando–Daytona route
- SunRail: Nearest station is Florida Hospital Health Village or LYNX Central Station (≈25 minutes east)
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Reserve at Windermere Amenities & Lifestyle
Reserve at Windermere offers no on-site community amenities — there is no pool, clubhouse, gym, or playground inside the gates because there are no gates and no shared infrastructure beyond the entry road. The lifestyle here is built around what each homesite contains (a private pool and summer kitchen on every property) plus everything within a one-mile radius: Town Square in historic Windermere, the Recreation Center on Lake Crescent, and the broader Butler Chain corridor.
This is a small-enclave model designed for buyers who explicitly want to avoid HOA-amenity overhead. Communities like Keene's Pointe, Isleworth, and Lake Butler Sound carry the country-club model; Reserve at Windermere is the opposite — minimal HOA scope, no club dues, no amenity package, and a price band reflecting the difference.
🏊 Neighborhood Amenities
Inside the community: None. There is no shared pool, clubhouse, fitness center, gated entry, or sports facility. Each home includes a private screened pool with summer kitchen as a standard inclusion.
Walkable / immediately nearby (within ~1 mile):
- Town of Windermere Recreation Center (Butler Bay) on Lake Crescent — kayak launch, boardwalk trail, sand volleyball, resident-only tennis courts (passes available at Town Hall)
- Town Square Park — historic green space hosting the 4th of July Pancake Breakfast, Halloween Hayride, and PetFest
- Park Among the Lakes — additional resident-only tennis courts
- The historic 1890 Windermere Schoolhouse and Town Hall
- Brick and dirt streets through the Town of Windermere historic core (preservation ordinance)
🛍️ Shopping & Services
Day-to-day shopping is organized around Main Street in historic Windermere (specialty retail, Tim's Wine Market, home décor), The Grove at Isleworth shopping center on Conroy-Windermere Road (Publix, Walgreens, casual dining), and the regional anchor Winter Garden Village about 10 minutes north. The Mall at Millenia is the closest luxury mall, ~20 minutes east.
For comprehensive shopping information: View our Windermere Shopping Guide →
🍽️ Restaurants
Local dining ranges from Main Street's small-town options in Town of Windermere to the Sand Lake Road "Restaurant Row" corridor in Dr. Phillips — about a 12-minute drive — which concentrates Central Florida's highest density of upscale chef-driven concepts. Downtown Winter Garden and the Crooked Can Brewery in the Plant Street Market are roughly 12 minutes northwest.
For comprehensive restaurant information: View our Windermere Restaurants Guide →
🎭 Arts & Culture
Cultural anchors close to the community include the historic 1890 Windermere Schoolhouse, the Town Hall (a century-old civic landmark), and the small-museum Windermere Heritage Center. Leu Gardens, the Maitland Art & History Museum, and Downtown Orlando's Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts are within reasonable driving distance.
For comprehensive arts & culture information: View our Windermere Arts & Culture Guide →
🏃 Health & Wellness
Primary medical resources nearby include Orlando Health's Dr. P. Phillips Hospital on Sand Lake Road (~12 minutes), AdventHealth Winter Garden, and Orlando Health Horizon West Hospital. The Lake Nona Medical City complex (UCF College of Medicine, Nemours, VA) is a ~35-minute drive east.
For comprehensive health & wellness information: View our Windermere Hospitals Guide →
🌳 Parks & Recreation
The closest parks are the Town of Windermere Recreation Center on Lake Crescent (kayak launch, boardwalk, tennis), Fernwood Park on Lake Butler (public boat ramp and pier — primary Butler Chain access for non-lakefront buyers), and R.D. Keene Park on Lake Tibet-Butler. Tibet-Butler Preserve offers 3.6 miles of nature trails on CR 535. The West Orange Trail for cycling is a short drive north.
For comprehensive parks & recreation information: View our Windermere Parks & Recreation Guide →
⚽ Sports & Athletics
The Isleworth Golf & Country Club and The Golden Bear Club at Keene's Pointe are the two flagship private golf clubs in the area (membership required). Public-access alternatives include West Orange Country Club in Winter Garden. Tennis access is built into the Town of Windermere parks system (resident-only, passes via Town Hall).
For comprehensive sports & athletics information: View our Windermere Sports & Athletics Guide →
🎉 Fun Things to Do
The Butler Chain itself is the headline attraction — boating, water-skiing, fishing, and lakefront sunsets across a connected eight-lake system. Theme park access is unusually strong from this address: Disney, Universal, and SeaWorld are each 15–20 minutes away. Disney Springs is a popular evening destination for shopping, dining, and entertainment without theme-park admission.
For comprehensive events & activities information: View our Windermere Events & Things To Do Guide →
🎓 Schools
Reserve at Windermere is served by Orange County Public Schools. Based on the prevailing zoning pattern for Town-of-Windermere-proper neighborhoods in this corridor:
- Elementary: Windermere Elementary School
- Middle: Gotha Middle School
- High: Olympia High School
Important: This specific subdivision is not explicitly listed in the Windermere school zone mapping table, and OCPS boundaries are subject to change. Always verify current zoning with the Orange County Public Schools school locator before relying on this for a purchase decision. Private alternatives in the area include Windermere Preparatory School (IB Diploma program).
For comprehensive school information: View our Windermere Schools Guide →
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How Reserve at Windermere Compares
The most useful comparison for a Reserve at Windermere buyer is not against generic "new construction" but against the two real-world alternatives a shopper actually weighs: Element's other Windermere enclaves (same builder, similar price band, different micro-location), and the older established custom stock immediately next door (lower price, mature trees, no warranty). The table below frames those tradeoffs.
| Feature | Reserve at Windermere | Bella Vita Estates | Crescent Lake Estates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Homes | 8 (smallest) | 11 | ~50 (established subdivision) |
| Year Built | 2022–2024 | 2019–2023 | 1979–1999 |
| Builder | Element Home Builders | Element Home Builders | Various custom builders |
| Typical Lot | 0.5 acre minimum | ~0.5 acre | 0.3–1+ acre (varies) |
| Home Style | Contemporary | Contemporary | Traditional Florida |
| Gated | No | No | No |
| CDD Fee | No | No | No |
| Tree Maturity | New plantings | Establishing | Fully mature |
| Distance to Town Square | ~1 mile | ~1.5 miles | ~1 mile |
💡 Value Proposition: Reserve at Windermere is the smallest and newest of Element's three Windermere enclaves, which makes it the most supply-constrained — only eight resale opportunities will ever exist. Buyers who want the same builder with slightly more inventory should also look at Bella Vita Estates and Lake Down Reserve; buyers willing to trade new construction for mature canopy and an established neighborhood should consider Crescent Lake Estates and Willows at Lake Rhea immediately next door.
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Reserve at Windermere HOA & CDD Information
Reserve at Windermere operates under a homeowners association covering the eight-home enclave's shared common areas, entry signage, and architectural standards. Because there is no clubhouse, pool, fitness center, or gated entry, the HOA's scope is narrow compared to amenity-rich communities — and dues at this scale tend to be modest as a result.
The community is not part of a Community Development District, so there is no CDD assessment layered on top of property taxes. Buyers comparing this enclave to Horizon West master-planned alternatives (where CDD overlays of $2,000–$5,000 annually are common) should account for that as a recurring annual savings over the life of ownership.
💰 HOA Fees & Management Contact
HOA fees and management company information often change. Please contact us and we will be happy to provide you with the current HOA fee, payment schedule, and direct contact information for the HOA management company. We can also check for you to see if there are any current or upcoming special assessments.
📋 What HOA Fees Cover
- Maintenance of the community entry, signage, and any shared landscape areas
- Architectural review and enforcement of community design standards
- Reserve funding for long-term common-area capital expenses
- Insurance for any HOA-owned common elements
- Administrative costs of the association
Reserve at Windermere does not include amenities like a pool, clubhouse, or gated entry, so dues are scoped accordingly. Learn more about how HOAs work →
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David Myers
