On Top of the World Environmental Honors Keep Coming

OCALA, FLA. – Yet another environmental accolade has been added to a growing list of national and state honors earned by On Top of the World Communities with its selection as a finalist in the Sustainable Florida 2011 Best Practices Awards program sponsored by the Collins Center for Public Policy.
One of just three finalists in the green-building category, On Top of the World, 8445 SW 80th St., is the only Florida home builder to reach the finals for displaying “outstanding ... sustainable practice in the built environment.”
This commitment to sustainability, environmental stewardship and energy-efficient home designs also grabbed the attention of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which presented On Top of the World with a 2010 ENERGY STAR® Excellence in ENERGY STAR® Promotion Award for its energy-efficient homes and consumer-education programs. The community was the only Florida home builder – and one of just six in the nation – to receive this honor.
On Top of the World landed among award finalists for various reasons including the fact that all new homes built in the community are ENERGY STAR®-qualified and are offered with solar power as an optional feature.
This commitment has resulted in 975 ENERGY STAR® homes being built since 2000, and the solar homes built in the community have saved more than 34 tons of coal while generating 87,000 kilowatt hours of electricity ... in the past year alone.
Moreover, On Top of the World recently expanded its sustainability efforts to the community’s commercial buildings by installing a system of solar panels to fully power its 8,800-square-foot golf-course maintenance building. This move will provide 115 percent of the building’s power to run all electrical equipment, air-conditioning, office space, water-recycling systems and to handle the building’s landscaping irrigation.
The Sustainable Florida 2011 Best Practices Awards ceremony will take place June 2 in Daytona Beach.
The Collins Center, named in honor of former Florida Gov. LeRoy Collins, was founded in 1988 as a statewide nonprofit organization to seek out creative, non-partisan solutions to Florida’s toughest issues. Throughout its history, the Jacksonville-based center has sought to “uphold the principles maintained by Gov. Collins – public and private integrity, deliberative democracy, environmental stewardship and economic fairness.
Named to the list of America’s 100 Best Master-Planned Communities by Where to Retire magazine and Best Neighborhood for 55+ by Ocala magazine, On Top of the World Communities has built about 4,500 homes in 14 neighborhoods in this 12,972-acre central Florida location since construction began in the 1980s.
All On Top of the World homes are steel-reinforced concrete block construction, and every home meets or exceeds ENERGY STAR® guidelines ... verified by independent inspectors. In fact, On Top of the World is Florida’s first active-adult community to receive 100 percent ENERGY STAR qualification on all new homes.
For more details, visit OnTopoftheWorld.com.

Activities Just For You @ On Top of the World Communities

There's No Limit to What You Can Do in Just One Day!

As a resident of On Top of the World, there are extraordinary opportunities to participate in countless activities, clubs and organizations ranging from Mah Jongg, Stamps, and Line Dancing to Tennis, Softball and Wallyball. Residents have access to three golf courses and over 250,000 square feet of recreational facilities – the most anywhere! – as well as over 200 clubs and organizations. These active clubs schedule many fun activities throughout the year including cruises, shows, dances, plays, and much more. When you become a resident of On Top of the World, you too will be able to join an established club or create a new one based on your own interests.

Enjoying life during retirement is what you discover when you become a resident of On Top of the World. The Health & Recreation Department (H&R) has created and provides instructors for a variety of health and wellness programs as well as exciting expos, trips and activities. Here are just a few examples:

• Boomer Boot Camp Fitness Class
  


• Craft Fair
  


• Rags to Riches Rummage Sale
  


• Care & Share Volunteer Expo
  


• Home Improvement Expo
  


• Kick Butt Kick Boxing Fitness Class
  


• Trip to Key West, FL
  


• Fats Domino Tribute Show
  


• Sweetheart Dance
  


• Hoofin’ it for Hospice Charity Walk
  


• Medieval Times Dinner Theatre
  


• And much more…

Keep up with all On Top of the World resident events and activities at www.OTOWinfo.com.

The 2011 Ocala Open Golf Tournament Benefits Local Charities

Candler Hills Golf Club will be host to the 5th annual Ocala Open Golf Tournament on March 16 – 18, 2011. Candler Hills Golf Club is the prestigious golf course at On Top of the World Communities in Ocala, Florida. The three-day tournament will be played Wednesday through Friday with a Pro-Am scheduled for Tuesday.

On Top of the World Communities has established an outstanding reputation for leadership and community service in the greater Ocala and Marion County area. The Ocala Open Golf Tournament will benefit the local charities: Hospice of Marion County, Inc. and Interfaith Emergency Services. Hospice of Marion County, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is providing exemplary compassionate comfort care for the terminally ill and support services for the families/caregivers. Interfaith Emergency Services is a not-for-profit organization which provides food, shelter, clothing and emergency financial assistance to those in need in our local community.

The 2010 Ocala Open was a great success, drawing 74 golf professionals to the field. Hospice of Marion County, Inc. received $25,000 that was raised by the tournament. Local businesses embraced and supported the event with sponsorships and spectators. The 2011 Ocala Open is sure to be an even bigger success.

For more information on the 2011 Ocala Open Golf Tournament, click here.

Remodeling Division Changes Name, Adds Services

At the same time its list of home-improvement services has been expanded, COA Everywhere Inc., the construction arm of On Top of the World Communities, has changed the name of its home-improvement division to World Home Improvements, says Robert Colen, remodeling manager.

Previously, World Home Improvements had focused exclusively on expanding and remodeling homes using only ENERGY STAR®-qualified materials and techniques in this 12,972-acre active-adult community at 8445 SW 80th St. in Ocala. But the changing needs of On Top of the World residents – and those along the SR 200 Corridor in Marion County – made company officials reconsider what and where services would be offered.

As a result, World Home Improvements added the design and construction of handicap-accessible bathrooms, kitchens and other rooms to its comprehensive list of remodeling services that range from enclosing and air-conditioning lanais to adding a wing to an existing home.

Home-remodeling services were expanded a little more than a year ago and met with immediate and widespread success at On Top of the World Communities. That, in turn, provided the incentive to expand beyond the boundaries of this award-winning community into other areas of Marion County, and to expand its offerings as well.

Ocala Makes Top Ten List For Retirees!

According to Portfolio.com, an online business journal, Ocala has been recognized as the eighth most popular city in the country for retirees. Perfectly situated in Central Florida, Ocala is home to tranquil landscapes, sunny weather and a low cost of living. It is also close to tourist destinations including St. Augustine, Daytona Beach, Orlando and Tampa, making it easy to visit these popular get-aways. Read the article and see the entire list of cities here.

WTSP 10 News out of Tampa has a segment entitled "Why do they call it that?" They recently asked this question about the local municipality of Kenneth City. On Top of the World Communities' president, Kenneth Colen, sat down with WTSP 10 News to give the answer.

A whole lot of amenities and services for your dollar!

When you purchase a home at On Top of the World Communities, you’re not just buying a home, you’re getting a “world” of amenities, activities and services. Just take a look at the MANY things On Top of the World offers…all within the community! Just a golf cart ride away from your front door, you will find well over 250,000 square feet of fun:

Indoor and outdoor swimming pools, craft center, library, woodworking shop, golf courses, fitness centers with locker room facilities including showers, steam room, sauna, and whirlpool, full-time fitness director and cutting edge, age-specific fitness programming, conference rooms, over 200 resident clubs and organizations, full-time tennis pro, remote control flying field, auditorium/ballroom for resident dances and theatrical productions, ceramics studio, billiards room, card rooms, shuffle board, miniature golf, horseshoes, lighted tennis courts with Plexi-cushion surface, slow pitch softball, pickleball, indoor racquetball courts, open-air town square offering a farmer’s market, weekend entertainment and festivals, walking trails, dog parks, restaurants, community centers, full time social director organizing events throughout the year, cultural center presenting top name performers, life long education with over 700 classes each year, monthly community newspaper, home design studio with professional design consultants, meeting halls, recreation centers, world class day spa, AND MORE! Does the active adult community you are considering include all of this?

And that’s just the fun stuff! On Top of the World provides many services, too. Services offered include curbside trash pickup or central refuse disposal, recycling centers or curbside recycling pick-up, homeowner’s structural insurance (excluding contents and improvements), street maintenance, bus service to major shopping centers and malls, basic cable and internet connection, professional landscaping of community common areas, staffed or video-monitored gate operations, fire hydrants, street and community lighting, home exterior maintenance, lawn maintenance and more! Does the active adult community you are considering provide all of these services?

The level of amenities and services you receive at On Top of the World is based on the neighborhood in which you live. Two of our neighborhoods, Windsor and Renaissance Park, are considered “full-service” because they offer the largest number of services and amenities. Candler Hills and Indigo East each provide a different mix of services and amenities.
If you are moving to a community that offers amenities and services, chances are that you will be charged a monthly community service fee (CSF), or a homeowners’ association fee. The amount of this fee will be based on the level of services and amenities provided. When considering one active adult community over another, it is best to discover which amenities and services are included in the CSF of each community. Attached is a worksheet which you can use to compare communities as you “shop”. View it here! The worksheet lists the amenities and services provided at On Top of the World (by neighborhood) and provides space for comparing these amenities and services side by side with other communities you are considering.
The community service fee at On Top of the World is subject to annual adjustments based on increases in operational expenses only, not arbitrarily based on the rate of inflation. Can any of the other communities you visit say that?

No matter where you choose to spend your retirement, you are going to incur monthly expenses. It is wise to compare communities by reviewing which services are included in the CSF and which you will pay for separately. Just because a community offers a low CSF, does not mean that your monthly expenses will be low, especially if you have to go outside the community for the amenities and services you want. For instance, if your community does not include life long education but you take courses at a local college, what are the costs of those courses? Add that amount to your CSF amount. If your community does not have a full service fitness facility and you get a membership at a fitness center in town, what is the monthly cost? Add that amount to your CSF amount. Are basic cable and internet included in your CSF? If not, then add their cost to your CSF amount. Be sure to include ALL the costs in order to achieve an accurate comparison.