Both communities sit in Lake County's Clermont corridor. Both are premium 55+ products from respected builders. Both carry the metro's lowest 0.85% property tax rate. But Esplanade is 475 homes with natural gas at $350 HOA, and Trilogy Orlando is 3,000 homes with solar standard at $490 HOA. The choice between them is not about quality — it is about which lifestyle structure fits your retirement.
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Talk to a Specialist →| Variable | Esplanade at Highland Ranch | Trilogy Orlando |
|---|---|---|
| Builder | Taylor Morrison | Shea Homes |
| Community Size | 475 homes (complete) | ~3,000 homes (near buildout) |
| HOA Fee | ~$350/month | ~$490/month |
| Amenity Center | Resort pool, fitness, dog park, spa — 15,000 sf est. | Magnolia House — 57,000 sf resort clubhouse |
| Golf | No on-site golf | No on-site golf |
| Natural Gas | Yes — standard | No — all electric with solar standard |
| Solar | No standard solar | Solar panels standard on all homes |
| County Tax Rate | Lake County 0.85% | Lake County 0.85% |
| Home Prices | $380K–$650K resale | $420K–$750K resale/new |
| Est. All-In Monthly | ~$850–$950/month | ~$1,020–$1,150/month |
Trilogy Orlando's ~$490 HOA is $140/month higher than Esplanade's ~$350. Over 12 months that is $1,680. Over 20 years that is $33,600. Is the $140/month justified?
What Trilogy's higher HOA funds: The Magnolia House at 57,000 square feet is the largest clubhouse in the Clermont corridor — nearly four times the size of Esplanade's amenity center. The scale of programming, fitness equipment, pool infrastructure, and social activity calendar at Trilogy is categorically different from a 475-home community. A buyer who uses fitness classes 5 days per week, attends social events monthly, uses the indoor pool in Florida summers, and participates in multiple organized clubs is getting value from that $140/month that adds up.
When it is not justified: A buyer whose retirement lifestyle centers on outdoor activities, personal hobbies, and small social circles will not consume Trilogy's amenity footprint. Paying $1,680/year for a 57,000 sf clubhouse you visit twice a month is not good financial management. If your honest self-assessment is that you want an amenity center available but not central to your daily life, Esplanade's $350 HOA covers that need efficiently.
The natural gas vs solar question. This is genuinely consequential for buyers with strong utility preferences. Esplanade's natural gas enables gas ranges, gas water heaters, gas fireplaces, and gas dryers — utilities that many buyers from the Northeast and Midwest have used their entire adult lives. Trilogy's solar panels reduce electric bills (typically $50–$150/month savings on electricity depending on usage) but the community runs entirely on electric utilities. For buyers who find gas cooking non-negotiable, Esplanade is the only 55+ community in the Clermont corridor that offers it. For buyers focused on energy cost reduction, Trilogy's solar pays dividends that partially offset the higher HOA.
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Choose Esplanade at Highland Ranch if: Natural gas cooking matters to you. You want a smaller community where you will know your neighbors. You value Taylor Morrison's build quality in an intimate 475-home setting. Your lifestyle doesn't require a 57,000 sf clubhouse. The $140/month HOA savings over 20 years ($33,600) is meaningful to your retirement budget.
Choose Trilogy Orlando if: Resort-scale amenities are central to your retirement lifestyle. You will genuinely use a 57,000 sf clubhouse — fitness classes, organized clubs, restaurant, event programming. Solar's energy savings matter. Scale gives you the social density for hobby clubs and organized activities. You are comfortable with a larger community where you won't know everyone.
We can build the exact all-in comparison for your specific price point and lifestyle — and help you figure out which community's trade-offs fit your actual retirement plan.
Connect with a specialist who knows this market from the inside — real cost math, honest community comparisons, and what's actually happening right now. Every agent is personally vetted by the Nova55Living founder.
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