MONTVERDE, Fla. – Roughly 30 years after Joe Wynkoop moved to Montverde (34756) he finds himself mayor of a town built on a quiet landscape, a balanced budget, and a place no one ever wants to leave.
“Everyone has their own space in the cemetery,” Wynkoop told News 6. ”I got mine.”
His smile and soft-spoken delivery capture the easy-going lifestyle that has become the trademark of this tiny town.
During a recent visit, Wynkoop gave News 6 a tour of construction projects in various stages of development, from the water towers to the 8,000-square-foot library expected to open its doors next year.
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Each project is paid for by grants, sustaining a debt-free balanced budget and controlled growth second to none.
“At the end of the day it will be finished built and paid for, " Wynkoop said. “We’re pretty proud of it, a lot of thought went into all of this.”
The library is the latest piece of what has become the center of Montverde from town hall to the post office, to a brand-new sports court that includes basketball and pickleball courts flanked by a dog park and butterfly park.
“I’ve been here over 30 years and it really hasn’t changed that much in 30 years,” He said.
The 66-year-old mayor admits new residents will suggest bringing in new shops, even a Costco or WAWA convenience store, but that call for 21st-century stuff usually changes once residents move into the town and understand what Montverde is about.
Wynkoop is also a realtor in this town and admits the demand for homes, especially new homes has been difficult to meet.
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“You can find homes that are built already that will go for $360,000 to $370,000,” Wynkoop said. “Those homes, (pointing to new construction across from the sports court), went for $900,000 and the buyers paid cash.”
Rose Kemp of the Orlando Realtor Association called Montverde “a gem.”
The community offers a blend of manufactured homes and new construction, with the last of the available land limited to 400 new homes.
This year they’ve had 25 sales and 11 of them were actually in March, The ORRA president told News 6. ”It has its own market, there’s homes that are in the millions.”
With a population just shy of 2,000 people, Montverde hopes to continue a community sitting on what the mayor likes to call the “sweet spot.”
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