Orlando and its theme parks are open again after lockdown and Florida is ready to do business! If you’re waiting to head Stateside in search of a Disney home, here are some pointers to help you get started…

Choosing a good ‘realtor’ is key to finding your perfect home in the Sunshine State. Realtors are the closest thing to estate agents in the UK, but they are more regulated and assessed regularly to maintain standards. Your realtor will match properties to your wish-list, negotiate a purchase price with the realtor representing the vendor and oversee the exchange of contracts. Many will also offer a property management service.

All properties for sale in Florida are uploaded and shared by realtors on-line using a Multiple Listings Service (MLS) platform. Realtors can see everything for sale in the area(s) where they operate, which means as a buyer you should only need to work with one good realtor. Usually, the commission paid by a vendor to sell their home will be split between the vendor’s and buyer’s realtors. The US system is generally regarded as more transparent and efficient than in the UK.

Many British buyers in central Florida want their property to pay for itself through holiday rentals, while reserving a few weeks for themselves each year. However, letting to holidaymakers for short periods, typically a week or two, is allowed only in areas designated short-term rental (STR) zones. It’s important to tell your realtor if you wish to rent out the property, especially as some communities also have their own independent rules for rentals.

Most properties in Florida are within communities, often gated, and either geared towards the vacation home market or more residential use. Common to all communities will be the homeowner association (HOA), a group of homeowners who organise the maintenance and rules of the community. They also oversee payment of HOA fees, charged to all owners to cover the upkeep of communal areas.

Be aware that HOA fees vary considerably by community. Typically, those with lots of leisure amenities and services tend to have higher fees, but equally they attract higher rental returns. Retired second-home owners who don’t require lots of facilities but do want low running costs tend to opt for older single family-home communities with just a club house and maybe a communal swimming pool.

The ‘Golden Triangle’ is the most popular area for owning a Disney home where short-term rentals are permitted. Predominantly south and south-west of Disney World and shaped like an upside-down triangle, its top edge follows Highway 192 and its bottom corner ends just north of Haines City.

Bisected by Interstate 4, giving fast access to Orlando city, the airport and theme parks, it includes the metropolitan areas of Kissimmee, Davenport and the community of ChampionsGate.

Established communities with easy access to the theme parks (15-30 minutes) that appeal to the family homeowners include Highgrove, Tuscan Hills, Encantada, Solana, Calabay Parc, Highgate Park, Tuscan Ridge, and West Haven. Meanwhile, popular options especially close (10 minutes) to Disney include Windsor Hills, Sunset Lakes, Emerald Island, Tuscany, Calabria, Indian Creek and Formosa Gardens. Central Florida has a huge choice of golf courses and homes next to a fairway too. If being within a golf community near Disney is a priority, options include Reunion, ChampionsGate, Highlands Reserve, Providence and more affordable Southern Dunes.

Hotel-style vacation resorts are increasingly popular, with extensive leisure activities and full on-site management, where owners are obliged or encouraged to enter their property into a leaseback or rental scheme with the developer. The Grove Resort & Spa and Margaritaville Resort and Lake Buena Vista Resort & Spa are three examples.