Storey Park: Lake Nona's Master-Planned Value Play

When buyers narrow their Lake Nona search to the $350K–$600K range and want a new or near-new home in a planned community, Storey Park comes up almost immediately. It is Lennar's major contribution to the Lake Nona submarket — a large master-planned community adjacent to Laureate Park that delivers many of the same lifestyle attributes at a meaningfully lower entry price. I want to give you an accurate comparison and make sure you understand the financial structure before you fall in love with the community center.

What Storey Park Is

Storey Park is a Lennar master-planned community located in the Lake Nona area of southeast Orlando. It sits adjacent to Laureate Park and shares the broader Lake Nona geography — Medical City proximity, the 417 freeway, the Lake Nona Town Center corridor — without being a Tavistock-developed community.

The community is large, with multiple phases and thousands of planned homesites. Lennar has used its Everything's Included approach here: homes come standard with appliances, flooring, and features that competing builders charge as upgrades. For buyers comparing builders, this can represent genuine value, though the specific selection is Lennar's standard package rather than a custom choice.

Storey Park is not gated. It has a neighborhood feel — internal streets, a defined community perimeter, amenities — but there is no guard gate or controlled access.

The Amenities

Storey Park includes a community amenity package that is substantial for its price tier:

• Resort-style pool
• Fitness center
• Clubhouse
• Playgrounds
• Walking trails within the community

The amenity package is managed through the community's combined HOA and CDD structure. These facilities are real and used — the community demographic is heavily young families and working professionals who actually show up to the pool.

Homes and Price Range

Lennar offers multiple series within Storey Park, from its entry-level products to its larger premium models:

Series / Size	Square Footage	Price Range
Smaller attached / townhome style	1,500–2,000 sq ft	$350K–$430K
Single-family, smaller plans	2,000–2,800 sq ft	$430K–$510K
Single-family, mid-range plans	2,800–3,600 sq ft	$500K–$570K
Larger or premium-lot homes	3,500–4,200 sq ft	$550K–$620K

These are approximate ranges based on recent market activity — new construction pricing from Lennar adjusts based on incentives, phase releases, and market conditions. Current pricing may vary.

CDD vs. HOA: Understanding the Fee Structure

This is the part where I need to be careful and direct, because buyers in Storey Park occasionally arrive at closing surprised by their tax bill.

Storey Park carries both an HOA fee and a CDD assessment. They are different things:

HOA fee: Paid monthly, typically $130–$180/month in Storey Park depending on section. Covers common area maintenance, community management, and amenity access.

CDD assessment: Appears as a line item on your annual property tax bill, not your monthly payment. Typically runs $2,000–$3,500/year in Storey Park. This funds the infrastructure bonds that paid for roads, utilities, and community facilities.

When you're comparing Storey Park to a non-CDD community, the math is: add the annual CDD to your effective carrying cost. A $3,000/year CDD is $250/month on top of your mortgage and HOA.

This is not unique to Storey Park — most Lake Nona communities carry CDDs. But buyers comparison-shopping online often don't see the CDD until they get their first tax bill.

Storey Park vs. Laureate Park: The Real Comparison

Factor	Storey Park	Laureate Park
Price floor	~$350K	~$450K
Builder	Lennar (production)	Multiple builders, some custom
Design philosophy	Conventional suburban	New urbanist, walkable grid
Fiber internet	Standard cable/fiber available	Gigabit fiber infrastructure
Solar options	Available as upgrade	Available, better integrated
Walkability	Car-dependent	More walkable by design
CDD	Yes, $2,000–$3,500/yr	Yes, $2,000–$4,500/yr
Gated	No	No

The honest answer is that Laureate Park is a more architecturally and urbanistically ambitious community, and it shows in daily life. The walkability is real, the street grid encourages it, and the fiber infrastructure is genuinely superior. Storey Park is a well-executed production community with good amenities at a lower price point.

For buyers whose primary criteria is new construction in the Lake Nona area with maximum square footage for the dollar, Storey Park is the better choice. For buyers who care about walkability, community design, or the tech infrastructure, Laureate Park is worth the premium.

School Zones

Both Storey Park and the broader Lake Nona area fall within:

• Elementary: Eagle Creek Elementary or Innovation Middle School feeder zones (address-specific)
• Middle: Lake Nona Middle School
• High: Lake Nona High School

Lake Nona High School has grown rapidly alongside the community and has strong academic programs. The school zone is a draw for families considering the area.

Who Buys in Storey Park

The buyer profile is predominantly young families relocating from outside Florida — particularly from the Northeast and Midwest — and Medical City employees and staff who want proximity to work without the Laureate Park price premium. I also see a meaningful number of first-time move-up buyers who have outgrown a starter home and want new construction with real amenities.

Investor activity has been present in this community — the proximity to Medical City and the appeal to healthcare workers makes it a reasonable rental investment. If you are buying as an owner-occupant, be aware that the community has a mix of owners and renters.

My Honest Assessment

Storey Park is a solid choice for its price tier. The Lennar product is consistent, the amenities are real, and the Lake Nona location carries long-term tailwinds from Medical City employment and infrastructure investment. You will not get the community design sophistication of Laureate Park, but you will get a newer home with more square footage for less money.

Understand the CDD. Price it into your decision. Beyond that, if new construction in the $350K–$600K range in Lake Nona is your target, Storey Park deserves a serious look.

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Ryan Solberg is a luxury real estate agent with MaxLife Realty specializing in Lake Nona, Medical City residential, and master-planned community buyers across Central Florida.