Deed Restricted Communities

Deed restrictions vary widely from one Ocala subdivision to another. They are basically a good idea. They keep people from removing the engine from their car and leaving it in the driveway for a month or two.

They can be a pain too. I can’t put a shed in my back yard unless it is made the same way as my house and matches the homes design. That basically means I’d have to build a cement block structure similar to my house that would cost a fortune instead of buying or building a cheaper wooden shed. Of course it also keeps people from buying those plastic sheds from Lowe’s. You can see it’s a two edge sword.

Deed restrictions can also prevent you from parking a boat in your yard, they can make you mow your grass regularly and even water your lawn. There are lots of things or very few.

A lot of deed restrictions are important. Like homes should be of similar size and construction. No mobile homes next to million dollar mansions.

Deed restrictions are how 55+ communities were created.

Some deed restrictions are well enforced and some not at all. It’s best to assume that even if they are not enforced today, they could be in the future.

Before signing a purchase and sales contract you should be given a copy of the deed restrictions to read. Some can be quite a few pages but it’s important to see if you can live with them. Once you move in it’s too late to change your mind.