The largest type on a new-home contract at Wellness Ridge sits just above the buyer's signature line. Florida law requires it to be there. Every contract for the initial sale of a home inside a community development district must carry a boldfaced statement, set larger than the rest of the contract, warning that the district "may impose and levy taxes or assessments" that are "in addition to county and other local governmental taxes," according to section 190.048 of the Florida Statutes.
That paragraph is the most permanent part of the deal. Builder financing offers on Clermont's Wellness Way corridor last a week or two. The rates they buy are fixed for five or seven years. The district's bond debt is scheduled to be paid off in the 2050s. A buyer comparing a new Wellness Ridge home with a resale home elsewhere in Clermont is weighing two costs on different timelines, and the shorter one gets all the marketing.
The Rate Was Built to Expire
The late-October round of builder promotions shows how this works. Lennar's "Black Friday Sale" offered a promotional FHA 5/1 adjustable-rate mortgage at 4.5%, with a 7.562% APR. It also offered up to $35,000 off the price and up to $5,000 in Flex Credit on select greater-Orlando homes. The fine print says the rate "remains fixed at 4.5%... for the first FIVE years" and adjusts once a year starting in year six. To qualify, a buyer had to sign between October 26 and November 1, 2026, and the rate and closing-cost pieces required financing through Lennar Mortgage.
Clermont homes were on the list. Lennar's offer page showed a move-in-ready Wellness Ridge townhome at $375,490 marked "$35K." Its Wellness Ridge and Sanctuary at Wellness Ridge page showed a move-in-ready home on Repose Drive at $278,990, also marked "$35K."
Taylor Morrison ran a parallel offer across the Orlando area. It advertised starting rates of 4.25% on a 7/6 conventional ARM and up to $15,000 toward closing costs or a buydown, for contracts signed October 19 through November 1 on quick-move-in homes closing by December 31. It also advertised up to $75,000 in Flex Cash on select homes. At its Waterstone Townhomes in nearby Groveland, quick-move-in homes were listed from $246,589, down from $286,589.
The November 1 contract deadline on both offers passed before this post was published. The pricing context explains why builders keep making them. The Orlando Regional REALTOR Association recorded September 2026's interest rate at 7.4%, the highest since November 2023, using Freddie Mac data. A builder that can offer a rate about three points lower through its own lender has a pricing tool most resale sellers can't fully match. The tool is front-loaded, though. It does the most for the payment in the first five or seven years, which is also when a buyer feels it most.
The District Was Built to Last
The other cost on a Wellness Ridge home comes from the Wellness Ridge Community Development District, a local special-purpose government that serves the community. Its FY2027 adopted budget sets two kinds of annual charges. One is an operations and maintenance assessment based on lot width. The other is a separate debt-service assessment that repays the bonds that paid for the infrastructure.
Here are the per-home gross amounts for O&M and for the Series 2023 bonds, the oldest of the district's three bond series:
| Product | FY2027 O&M, gross per unit | Series 2023 debt, gross per unit |
|---|---|---|
| Townhome, 22-foot | $506.93 | $573 |
| Townhome, 25-foot | $576.06 | $651 |
| Single-family, 32-foot | $737.35 | $834 |
| Single-family, 40-foot | $921.69 | $1,042 |
| Single-family, 41-foot | $944.73 | Not in this series |
| Single-family, 50-foot | $1,152.11 | $1,303 |
| Single-family, 60-foot | $1,382.54 | $1,563 |
The O&M figures are unchanged from FY2026 for every product type. The debt figures depend on which bond series covers a given parcel. The same budget schedules Series 2024 assessments from $688 to $1,876 and Series 2026 assessments from $688 to $1,877, depending on product. A 50-foot lot assessed under Series 2023 carries about $2,455 a year in district charges in FY2027. A home in a different phase falls under a different schedule, so no single total applies to the whole community.
The amortization schedules show how long these charges run. The Series 2023 schedule continues through June 15, 2053, and the Series 2024 schedule through June 15, 2055. The Series 2026 schedule also runs well into the 2050s. Florida law allows district assessments to be paid in up to 30 yearly installments, under section 190.022.
Put the two timelines side by side. A buyer who closed on a Lennar 5/1 ARM this fall would see the rate begin adjusting in late 2031. The Series 2023 debt line on that same home keeps appearing for more than twenty years after that.
How the Bill Arrives, and What Follows the House
The district's FY2025 audit describes these charges as non-ad valorem assessments. The district can collect them directly or through Florida's uniform method. Under the uniform method, the county tax collector mails the bill on November 1, with payment due by March 31. Wellness Ridge homeowners will see those bills in their mailboxes the week this post is published.
Three details change how a buyer should think about the line on that bill:
- The assessment is a lien on the land. Section 190.021 makes district assessments a lien on the property, equal in priority to state, county and school taxes, until paid.
- The debt portion can be paid off early. The audit says owners "may prepay a portion or all of the Debt Service Assessments," subject to the bond documents.
- The required boldface disclosure applies to the first sale. Section 190.048 requires it in contracts for the initial sale. Separately, section 190.009 requires the district to file its public-financing disclosure in the county property records, where later buyers can look it up.
The third point affects buyers of resale homes inside Wellness Ridge in a few years. They take on the same bond schedule without the builder's financing offer that came with the first sale. The district's growth is visible on the ground. Clermont's June 22, 2026 notice scheduled milling and paving on Wellness Way Phase 1A, including Zen Way, Fitness Street, Runners Circle and Blissful Street. The audit reported $15,005,000 in bonds outstanding at September 30, 2025, before the Series 2026 bonds were issued.
What a Resale Seller Can Put on the Table
A resale home in an older Clermont neighborhood can't offer a builder's affiliated-lender rate. Its seller can still pay toward the buyer's rate, within limits each loan program sets:
- Conventional loans. The Fannie Mae Selling Guide caps interested-party contributions on a principal residence at 3% of the lower of price or appraised value when the loan-to-value ratio is above 90%, at 6% between 75.01% and 90%, and at 9% at 75% or below. Temporary and permanent buydowns paid by an interested party, or by a lender affiliated with one, count toward that cap. The guide makes one exception. Standby commitments, which are blanket rate agreements between a builder and a lender signed before the buyer's sales contract, are not subject to the cap.
- FHA loans. HUD's FHA guidance allows interested parties to contribute up to 6% of the sales price toward closing costs, prepaids and discount points, with buydowns counted inside that limit.
- VA loans. The VA Buyer's Guide says seller concessions can't exceed 4% of the sale, and that sellers may pay discount points.
Under the Fannie Mae rule, a buydown funded for one specific sale counts toward the cap whether a builder or a resale seller pays for it. A builder with an in-house lender also has the standby-commitment route, which a resale seller does not. A resale seller who structures a buydown is using the same tool on a home that may have no district debt line at all.
Why Buyers Have Room to Compare
The market gives buyers time to make that comparison. The Orlando Regional REALTOR Association's September 2026 report covers Orange, Seminole, Osceola, Lake and Volusia counties. It shows 12,464 homes in inventory, an average of 66 days on market and a median price of $399,610. Townhome and condo sales had a median of $291,027. The report's body lists 5.6 months of supply, while its headline says 5.3. Either figure is close to the six months the association calls balanced.
The REALTORS Association of Lake & Sumter Counties reported similar numbers for its multi-county area in September 2026: 632 residential sales, 70 average days on market and 4.19 months of inventory. In both reports, homes are taking weeks to sell. Buyers have time to ask for each bond schedule and set it against the length of the fixed-rate period.
Quick Answers
Is the district charge the same for every Wellness Ridge home? No. The O&M amount depends on lot width or townhome width, and the debt amount depends on which bond series covers the parcel. The FY2027 budget lists each separately.
When is the bill due? Under the uniform collection method described in the district's audit, the county tax collector mails bills on November 1, and they are due by March 31.
Do the late-October builder offers still apply? Both the Lennar and Taylor Morrison offers described here required contracts by November 1, 2026. Any current offer will have its own terms and dates.
This post is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Please confirm assessments, lien terms and loan rules for your own situation with your lender, attorney or tax professional.
If you're comparing a Wellness Ridge new build with a resale home elsewhere in Clermont, the Perras Team can help you get the district's bond schedule for a specific lot and set it next to the fixed-rate period on the financing offer. David and Rema will go through both with you before you sign. Contact Us.
