Actively selling horse farms in the Ocala, Marion County area, I receive daily “wish lists” from prospective buyers.   The number one wish for most buyers is – you guessed it – granddaddy oak trees.

Well, a very wise man once told me when I first moved to Ocala, 17 years ago, that it was better to plant your own trees and put them where you want them instead of building around existing trees.

Try telling a very insistent purchaser this and it doesn’t normally settle very well, so I decided to do a little research on my own about the good old grand daddy oak trees that we see dotting the hillsides of Ocala, Florida, the Horse Capital of the World.

Oaks are slow growing and can take as long as two to three decades before they begin to provide significant shade.  There are nineteen oaks native to Florida and over 300 species of oaks worldwide.

The majestic, moss-draped live oaks reach heights of 40 to 50 feet with trunk diameters of 3 to 4 feet.  Their low, massive braches provided naturally formed, angled wood valuable in building the wooden ships of the 1800′s.  It was for this reason that one of America’s first forest reserves was established in the panhandle of Florida.  Live oaks are common on sandy soils throughout the state.  Unlike most other oaks, the live oaks retain their leaves until after the following year’s leaves have appeared.  This results in an”evergreen” tree.

The water oak grows and reproduces quickly and is often the most abundant species.  However, the tree is relatively short-lived compared to other oaks and may only live only 60 to 80 years.  They do grow to 50 to 80 feet and are normally found growing in the moist or wetter soils.

In general, in good soil, such as the rich limestone soil found in areas of Marion County and Ocala, Florida, oaks grow relatively quickly and provide landscape and shade values within five to ten years.

I guess the bad news is that there is no species known as a “grand-daddy oak”- this is just a nickname for the biggest, oldest oak tree you can find.  Generally speaking, they would most commonly be a member of the white oak family and could possibly be 300 to 500 years old.  Often in the Ocala area, you see these oaks in a long “row.”  This is because the oaks were used to protect the crops from the winds and were planted as “wind rows.”

Just remember when you are looking at those majestic grand daddy oaks, their days might unfortunately be numbered.  Sad thought, I know, but it is even sadder on the pocket book when one comes down.

Equestrian Communities are becoming more popular, and we have several here in Ocala, Florida, “The Horse Capital of the World”.  As Realtors in the Ocala area we are receiving more requests each year for a property in an equestrian community with private bridle trails and possibly a community barn.

There are several reasons to consider a community barn.  Like many owners, you might be retired.  Often, Ocala is a winter destination for horse owners, leaving homes and barns unoccupied for 6 months or more.  Horse owners still feed, hay, water, and turn out their own horses in an equine subdivision such as Hunterdon Hamlet, yet they have no boarding fees.  With a community barn you don’t have to worry with the maintenance and upkeep.

If you are new to the area, you have the ability to meet neighbors with the same interests, whether they are horse showing or trail riding, instant friendships are made right at the barn.  Equestrian communities are a great way to build relationships, make friends, and find riding buddies.

Many of the equestrian communities in the Ocala, Marion County area offer the owners the option of building their own private barns on their property.  We have many resales in our market with prices ranging from the high $200,000s and up, depending on the amenities.

Many of the equestrian communities are also privately gated offering piece of mind and security.  If they are gated with an active homeowner’s association, there will be homeowner’s association dues.

To begin searching for your ideal property, be sure to make a list of priorities.  Wanting to keep your horse on your own property rather than in a community barn will broaden the search.  Location, budget, and specific amenities should be at the top of your list.  Be sure to use a Realtor that knows horses!

Good Luck and Happy Trails.

Call for an appointment to view Hunterdon Estate, listed at $399,900.

This past weekend, Gause and Son Jewelers, a local Ocala fine jewelry store held a scavenger hunt in downtown Ocala. My husband, Greg had to show horse farms at the last minute so I recruited my friend Cathy Trickel as a last minute teammate. The grand prize was a Tacori diamond ring worth $15,000.

We met at 10am on the square in downtown Ocala. There were approximately 300 people lined up on a very chilly Saturday morning. The first clue was texted to our phone and we were on our way, along with about 300 other hopefuls.

Wearing our sneakers and sweatsuits we thought we were going to be awesome competition, but as hoards of young (very young) couples were running past us at a blur we knew we were in trouble. Not to dispare, we were older and wiser!

Ocala Traditions, awesome store, did I mention they have Kate Spade china? We became engrossed in so many lovelies there it was hard to leave. Cathy mastered the art of a proper “place setting” in record time, however, the browsing might have cost of a little time.

On to the next clue, my gosh, where is the library? We thought it moved. I guess they mean the old library, the new library is several miles away, and since we couldn’t possibly walk or run that many miles let’s just head to the old library. The answer to the clue is here, yay.

By now we are shedding the extra clothing and figuring this is a good way to also shed some extra pounds. Several clues were centered around the Horse Fever Horses on the square. This is the 10th anniversary of Horse Fever. Cathy being a new resident to Ocala, thought she would like to take the Quarter Horse home to her new farm when the auction comes up in March. Of course we had to stop and admire all the horses on exhibit and all the local Ocala artist that painted them. The Horse Fever Auction in March of 2001 raised $1.5m. WOW! The auction will be held at Ocala’s own Live Oak Farm and proceeds go to Marion Cultural Alliance.

How many small square windows are in the façade on the law offices of Bird and Pozzu? Well after 3 tries we never did get this one right, does anyone know the answer?
We made it back after missed two questions and taking a couple of tries for the right answer on a few anothers, but all and all it was for a very good cause. All donations given went to ALS – Lou Gehrig’s disease.

What a great day with a fabulous friend in beautiful downtown Ocala.