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About Our Area ...
When people think of Florida, they mostly think of a land of oceans and palm trees. That is pretty accurate, but there is another part of Florida people are discovering every day. The Highlands Ridge is a sandy “spine” of hills and subtropical paradise that runs from Lake Placid up into Central Florida. Highlands County in particular (Lake Placid & Sebring) has beautiful ridge lakes, which offer great swimming, boating and fishing opportunities in a freshwater setting. These aren’t mud holes, but absolutely gorgeous sandy-bottomed lakes. It isn’t nearly as crowded or expensive as the coasts and once people actually find the area, they realize it’s a much better place for them. Taxes are far less. Homeowner's insurance is also far less. And being inland and hilly, it’s much safer than being on the coast in terms of hurricanes – they lose a lot of steam by the time they get to us (yet, we're only about an hour from each coast - great day trips).
Lake Placid is at the southern end of Highlands County which itself is at the southern end of the 100-mile-long chain of ancient hills known as the Lake Wales Ridge. Geologists consider this one of North America's oldest land forms, and these hills were once islands when most of the state was submerged by a shallow sea a LONG time ago. For more information on the Ridge, CLICK HERE.
Highlands County is home to more than 90 lakes, and provides a rich habitat for a wide variety of wildlife.
There has been quite a bit of growth in the county the past few years - some really beautiful homes and developments have been built. But, it's still a rather quiet place to live - perfect if you like a country setting yet want enough dining and shopping experiences (we have lots of stores, a good sized mall, several nice shopping centers, etc).
Over 85% of the state's population is within a 150 mile radius. Tampa, Ft Myers, Orlando, West Palm and other large Florida cities can be reached in less than 2 hours, so we're very centrally located. More "claims to fame"? We are considered the Caladium capital of the world as well as boasting more than 30 great murals all over town!
The school system in Highlands is actually very good. CLICK HERE for more information.
In 2010, Highlands County was approved as an IB school! This is a big deal as this is considered the best/most advanced program for high-school students internationally. Click here for an article on IB and link to Highlands County Advanced Academics Website.
Avon Park, Lake Placid & Sebring Communities
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