Stone Creek Or On Top Of The World: Which Ocala, Florida 55+ Community Is Right For You?

For retirees comparing 55+ communities in Ocala, Florida, Stone Creek and On Top of the World often end up on the same shortlist. The two sit right next to each other, and a new road now connects them. Both offer strong amenities and a range of home options, so the decision usually comes down to the details.

Bobby Mathews, Broker Associate with RE/MAX Foxfire, has sold homes in both communities for more than 20 years. “Both communities are fantastic communities,” he says. Here is how he explains the differences to buyers trying to decide between them.

What The Two Communities Have In Common

Mathews starts with the similarities. Both communities offer new construction and resale homes. Both have extensive amenities. Both are golf cart accessible inside their gates and beyond them. Both also include owner-maintained neighborhoods as well as maintenance-included neighborhoods, which carry higher association fees.

The builders bring different strengths. Stone Creek is a Del Webb community, and Del Webb has been a leader in active adult communities across the country for decades, with resort-style amenities to match. On Top of the World is a local builder that has grown into a large community with a wide range of activities. “They have really come into their own,” Mathews says.

Home Styles, Utilities And Lot Sizes

On Top of the World offers a wider mix of housing, from attached homes built in rows of four to eight up to high-end single-family homes. Stone Creek is mostly single-family homes, with one section of duplexes.

Utilities can be a deciding factor for some buyers. On Top of the World has natural gas piped into its homes, while Stone Creek is all electric. “Sometimes you have people who have cooked professionally in their lives,” Mathews says. “They want gas because you can more precisely control how much heat you use to cook.” Natural gas can also run water heaters, dryers and home heating, which can affect monthly utility costs.

Lot size is another consideration. Home sites in Candler Hills, part of On Top of the World, tend to be a bit larger than those in Stone Creek. Buyers who want more land around their house often lean toward Candler Hills for that reason.

Getting Around And Staying Social

Both communities support golf cart travel, but the distances differ. On Top of the World has grocery stores and restaurants right outside its gates. From Stone Creek, reaching the same shopping and dining by golf cart usually takes 10 to 15 minutes.

Population size also shapes daily life. On Top of the World has a much larger population, so a club that exists in both communities may have more members and a fuller schedule there. “That club’s going to be more active,” Mathews says. “There are more members, there are more things that they do.”

For buyers who want a busy social calendar, that difference is worth weighing. Buyers who prefer a smaller, more contained setting may find Stone Creek’s scale appealing.

Fees And Ownership

Both communities include owner-maintained and maintenance-included areas, but On Top of the World offers a broader range. At one end are neighborhoods with low fees that cover basic amenities. At the other are fully maintained neighborhoods where fees cover lawn care, pest control, fertilizing, termite control, exterior insurance, and care of the common areas. Stone Creek offers both options on a smaller scale.

Mathews says On Top of the World is the community out-of-state buyers find hardest to understand, because ownership varies by neighborhood. Candler Hills, Indigo East and Weybourne Landing are fee simple, the traditional form of homeownership in the U.S. The maintenance-included areas of On Top of the World are a leasehold estate.

Some buyers assume that means a land lease, but it does not. “These aren’t mobile homes on leased land,” Mathews says. A leasehold estate grants full ownership rights for 100 years from the date the home’s certificate of occupancy was issued. During that time, owners can buy, sell, and leave the home to their heirs, just as they would with fee simple property. The first homes in On Top of the World were built in 1984.

“On Top of the World is a little bit more of a complicated community to understand,” Mathews says, “but it’s by design in the sense that they want to give you so many options.”

In the end, the better choice depends on how you like to cook, how much land you want, how close you want to be to shopping, and how active a social scene you are looking for. More insights on buying and living in the area are available on the RE/MAX Foxfire blog.

RE/MAX Foxfire is a full-service residential real estate brokerage serving Ocala, Marion County, Summerfield, The Villages, and surrounding Central Florida communities, with a strong focus on 55+ active adult living, equestrian properties, and acreage. Built on 50 years of trust, local knowledge, and multi-generational client relationships, the brokerage is known for its relationship-first, community-rooted approach.

This article is based on information provided by the expert source cited above. It is intended for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, or real estate advice. Readers should conduct their own research and consult qualified professionals before making any real estate or financial decisions.