By Diego Bravo - Realtor® on May 20/2023

Many factors combined have made Ocala (Florida) a highly desirable place to reside and to do business for residents from other areas in Florida, from other states’ residents, and for people from abroad. Therefore, in recent years, this city has been showcased as one of the fastest growing cities in the United States. Of course, there are many reasons for this. Its strategic location, lower cost of the real properties and lower cost of living than the average in Florida, a unique city-country mix lifestyle, and the many options to enjoy outdoor activities the entire year: rivers, lakes, natural preserves (for hiking, running, bicycling, horseback-riding), state parks, golf courses, and close to beaches of the Atlantic coast and the Gulf of Mexico. Also, a true playground for horse-lovers, as Ocala and Marion County are trademarked as the “Horse capital of the world”.

Such fast growth makes many of my clients ask me if this will change Ocala’s unique city-country mix lifestyle they are enjoying already or dream of enjoying it soon? Fortunately, there are five elements that will help maintain this for a long time.

1. Most homes are separate from the others as they are built on bigger lots than is usual in other cities, usually from a seventh of an acre (approx. 560 square meters) to one acre (4,046 square meters) or even more in the country homes; so, the front and back yards have a lawn, decorative plants, and trees (fruit trees, palm trees, etc.) that add green to the landscape and provide a habitat to many species of insects (including bees and butterflies), birds, lizards, frogs, squirrels, and other species. Likewise, most of the subdivisions of condos and townhomes have similar wide green areas in between the buildings. The many golf courses in the area add more green land to the landscape. In other words, Ocala’s residential areas are very far from being a concrete jungle like the big cities.   

2. The Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway extends along the South of Ocala and Marion County, and the Ocala National Forest on the east. These are stable, ranger-protected ecosystems that the public can enjoy for walking, running, biking, horseback riding, and camping.

3.  There are various beautifully maintained state parks with woods, trails, and bodies of crystal water (rivers or lakes) full of wildlife. The public can enjoy these parks in many ways: having a picnic, hiking, bird watching, and kayaking in their waterways, even swimming in certain permissible areas. The best known are Silver Springs State Park, located to the East of Ocala, and Rainbow Springs State Park in Dunnellon, very close to Ocala to the West.

4.  Horse and cattle ranches will also continue to be a part of the landscape of the city and Marion County. In 2005 the county created a commission within the administration called Farmland Preservation Area dedicated to the preservation of farms. This regulates development in these areas and protects the soil and water sources.

5.  Due to the great importance of the equine industry in Ocala and Marion County with an economic impact that exceeds 2.6 billion dollars annually, Horse Farms Forever, a non-profit foundation, was created in 2018 with the mission of inspiring the conservation of horse farms through education and awareness. The objective is to preserve the grasslands that are the natural habitat of equines, protect the soil and water on which they depend, and minimize land use conflicts in the county.

I was born and raised in the second largest Colombian city (Medellín), but I have always been very close to the countryside due to my family's love for horses, which led me to pursue my bachelor’s degree in animal science at Universidad Nacional de Colombia. For me Ocala is the perfect combination of the two worlds, the city life and the country life. That is why this is "My Dreamland" where I moved permanently in 2003.

If you are interested in buying property in Ocala or other areas in Florida, contact us at (352) 266-2782 by text, WhatsApp, or phone call. We have great options among new construction, used houses, horse farms, income-generating properties, or land.