Two ways to live here
Age-restricted 55+ neighborhoods for buyers who want them, and all-ages sections for everyone else — a rare mix that suits multi-generational moves.
Neighborhood guide · NW Ocala, Florida
Ocala Preserve
Gated resort-style living — 55+ neighborhoods and all-ages sections · NW Ocala, Florida 34482
623 acresRolling oak country at build-out
~1,800Homes planned at completion
55+ & all agesBoth section types in one community
$205K–$699KRecent listing range
1,276–2,836Square feet
NW Ocala34482
Community overview
A resort under the oaks, in horse country.
Ocala Preserve is a gated, resort-style community in northwest Ocala — about 623 acres of rolling green space, majestic live oaks, and a seven-acre lake, planned for roughly 1,800 single-family and attached duplex homes at build-out.
It began in 2014 as part of Shea Homes’ Trilogy line. Developer Forestar acquired the community and renamed it Ocala Preserve in 2020, and the plan broadened: dedicated 55+ neighborhoods now sit alongside non-age-restricted sections, with Shea Homes and D.R. Horton both building today alongside a growing resale market. Downtown Ocala is just over five miles away, Interstate 75 is about a mile and a half from the community, and the World Equestrian Center is a short drive west.
Thinking of selling in Ocala Preserve?
Contact Jennifer for a current market evaluation of your home — pricing here varies widely by section, builder, lot, and whether the home carries a CDD assessment.
New and resale, side by side
Shea Homes and D.R. Horton are still building, while homes dating back to 2014 offer established resale options — often with the upgrades already in.
Low-maintenance by design
Association dues cover lawn care and irrigation, internet, the guarded gate, and club access on many homes — check the specific home’s inclusions.
An honest word on costs
HOA dues are substantial here, and many newer-phase homes also carry a CDD assessment on the tax bill. Jennifer will lay out the full carrying cost of any home before you offer.
One community, several ways to fit
Find your section inside Ocala Preserve.
Ocala Preserve is not one-size-fits-all. Sections differ by age restriction, builder, home type, and even which fees apply — Jennifer can walk you through which ones match your household, budget, and timeline.
The 55+ neighborhoods
The original Trilogy-era sections, built by Shea Homes around the Oak House club — age-restricted streets with the full resort calendar at their center.
The all-ages sections
Non-age-restricted neighborhoods added as the community grew under Forestar — popular with younger buyers, multi-generational households, and equestrian families.
Villas & duplexes
Attached and paired homes from collections like Resort and Riviera — the lowest-maintenance, most accessible way in, starting around 1,276 square feet.
Single-family collections
Detached one-story homes from Shea’s Escape, Freedom, and Reflect collections and D.R. Horton’s lineup — dens, covered lanais, and two- or three-car garages.
Golf & lake homesites
Premium lots fronting the golf course or overlooking Reflection Lake and the preserve green spaces carry the community’s top price points.
Horse country, resort home base
There are no barns or paddocks inside the gates — residents keep horses at nearby farms and come home to the club, minutes from the World Equestrian Center.
A brief history: planned as part of Shea Homes’ Trilogy line in 2014, the community was acquired by developer Forestar and renamed Ocala Preserve in 2020 — the change that opened the door to the all-ages sections. Section rules, rental policies, and fees vary; Jennifer verifies the specifics for any home you are considering.
Tour the sectionsLifestyle & amenities
The club is the calendar.
Life here centers on The Club at Ocala Preserve — the Oak House resort club and the Tack House — with a full-time activities team, 40+ member-led clubs, and a social calendar that runs from cooking classes and wine tastings to casino trips and coffee talk.
Oak House resort club
17,000 square feet of social and recreational space overlooking the lake — restaurant, fitness, spa and salon, culinary studio, card rooms, and a lakeside veranda.
Golf, reimagined
A Tom Lehman-designed course on about 50 acres — an 18-hole skills course and 6-hole players loops you can play in far less time than a traditional round.
Resort & lap pools
A zero-entry, beach-style resort pool for lazy afternoons and a separate lap pool for swimmers — plus spa time at the Agave Spa and Salon.
Salted Brick dining
The club’s signature restaurant and bar serves Southern-inspired dishes, with private dining at The Chef’s Table, Rose Farm’s culinary kitchen, and coffee at the Daily Grind café.
Fitness, inside & out
A full fitness facility with locker rooms, a second fitness center at the Tack House, group classes, and the outdoor Avid FitPod with a 200-meter rubberized track.
Trails, lake & parks
Miles of multi-surface walking, biking, and hiking trails, a seven-acre lake with kayaks, canoes, and fishing from Shoreline Outfitter, three themed parks, and a dog park.
Courts & clubs
Tennis, pickleball, and bocce courts, plus 40+ member-led clubs — book, cards, line dancing, veterans, garden, camera, and more — coordinated by a full-time activities director.
HOA & CDD — read this first
Recent sources put HOA dues roughly in the $440–$570/month range depending on home type and section, and the Ocala Preserve CDD’s published FY2026/27 assessments run about $711–$1,444 per year by phase and lot width. Not every home carries a CDD charge — verify both figures for the specific home before you buy.
Home styles
One story, many collections.
Nearly everything here is single-story living built since 2014 — villas for the lock-and-leave life, single-family homes with dens and lanais, and two builders still adding new phases. New construction and resale compete on the same streets, so the comparison matters.
Resort Collection villasShea Homes — six plans, 1,320–2,214 sq ft, 2–4 bedrooms, main-floor primary suites and covered lanais
Riviera CollectionShea Homes — three plans, 1,276–1,463 sq ft, 2–3 bedrooms; the community’s smallest footprints
Escape CollectionShea Homes single-family — 1,449–1,928 sq ft, 2 bedrooms plus den options
Freedom CollectionShea Homes single-family — 1,631–2,370 sq ft, 2–3 bedrooms, two- or three-car garages
Reflect CollectionShea Homes single-family — 2,112–2,451 sq ft, the largest Shea plans, with den and 2.5 baths
D.R. Horton homesSix single-family models, 1,402–2,034 sq ft, 2–4 bedrooms, open layouts and smart-home features
Ocala Preserve by the numbers.
Pricing here swings with section, builder, lot position, and fee structure — new construction and resale sit side by side, so a monthly snapshot keeps buyers and sellers honest about where the market stands.
This month in Ocala Preserve
Jennifer publishes a monthly Ocala Preserve market snapshot: new listings, pending sales, recent solds, median price, and average days on market across the 55+ and all-ages sections.
Contact Jennifer for the latest numbers — updated monthly from Stellar MLS data.
Why work with Jennifer
A Realtor since 2003 — and your financing resource, too.
Jennifer Hay has guided Ocala buyers and sellers since 2003. As a Broker Associate with Axen Realty and a Mortgage Loan Originator with NEXA Lending, she pairs neighborhood expertise with in-house financing guidance most agents can’t offer.
Two decades in Ocala
A Realtor since 2003, Jennifer knows NW Ocala’s resort communities street by street — including how Ocala Preserve’s 55+ and all-ages sections differ.
Real estate + mortgage, one call
As an MLO with NEXA Lending, she can walk qualified buyers through financing options alongside the home search — no handoffs, no guesswork.
The full cost, up front
HOA dues, CDD assessments, and club terms vary by section and phase here. Jennifer totals the real monthly carrying cost of each home before you write an offer.
Financing paths worth exploring.
Jennifer can help qualified buyers compare mortgage options through NEXA Lending. The right program depends on the borrower, property, occupancy, income, credit and current guidelines.
Conventional financing
Qualified buyers may choose from fixed- or adjustable-rate conventional options with down-payment and mortgage-insurance requirements that vary by program.
FHA financing
Qualified buyers may explore FHA financing, which may offer a lower down-payment path for eligible borrowers and properties.
VA financing
Eligible veterans, active-duty service members and certain surviving spouses may qualify for VA financing, which may include a zero-down-payment option.
New-construction financing
Qualified buyers building with Shea Homes or D.R. Horton may explore options that work with builder timelines and incentives; program rules and availability vary.
Programs, rates, terms, loan limits and funding availability are subject to change. Not all borrowers, properties or communities will qualify. This is not a commitment to lend.
Ask Jennifer about financing
NEXA Lending · 5559 S Sossaman Rd, Bldg 1 #101 · Mesa, AZ 85212
Your Ocala Preserve contact
See Ocala Preserve with Jennifer.
Jennifer Hay · Axen Realty Broker Associate · NEXA Lending Mortgage Loan Originator
FL Real Estate License BK3150197 · NMLS ID 2612003 · REALTOR® since 2003 · Equal Housing Opportunity
Neighborhood guide prepared November 5, 2026