Drive out Clermont’s Wellness Way and you’ll find rolling hills, blueberry fields, and a big recreational lake, with Hamlin’s restaurants and Horizon West’s shopping just over the county line. That’s the Wellness Way corner of south Lake County. For years it was mostly groves, nurseries, and open land between Clermont and Horizon West. Now two new-home communities are going up here, a few miles apart. They’re Lakehaven Estates and Parkside Trails.
We spend a lot of time out this way, and people ask us about these two constantly. So here it all is in one post: where they are, what a normal day looks like, what each community has, and how the current incentives work.
Where Wellness Way Is and Why It Matters
Wellness Way is the name for a large planned area in southeast Lake County. It sits between Clermont and the Orange County line, just west of Horizon West. The county’s plan covers roughly 15,000 acres. It sets aside land for homes, for conservation, and for future jobs in fields like healthcare and technology. We’ve been following it for a while. You can read about earlier plans in our posts on the new community on Hancock Road and the 700 acres planned along Wellness Way.
Inside Wellness Way is Olympus, a planned sports, wellness, and mixed-use development of about 243 acres across from Lake Louisa State Park. The plans call for a sports campus, health and wellness facilities, hotels, and a town center with shops and restaurants, along with more than 1,000 homes. Apartments were the first piece to go up, and the first new-home neighborhood inside Olympus is now getting started. The sports campus and town center are still in the planning stages, so there’s no firm timeline on those yet. We wrote about that first home community back when it was announced, in our post on the 318-home front porch community planned within Olympus.
If you’re buying out here, two road projects matter more than anything else.
New Independence Parkway extension. Orange County is extending New Independence Parkway about a mile west from Avalon Road to the Lake County line. There it will connect to Wellness Way Boulevard. Construction started in fall 2025. Recent county updates say the road is on track to open around the end of 2026, while the county’s project page still lists early 2027. Either way, it’s close. The county expects the new link to take 7,000 to 9,000 cars a day off Schofield and Marsh roads.
Why do we care so much about one mile of road? Right now, getting from Parkside Trails to Hamlin means driving the long way around, about 20 minutes. Hamlin Town Center is only about 2 miles away as the crow flies. So once the connection opens, we expect that drive to be closer to 5 minutes. That’s our local estimate, not an official number. But it would change how you live out here.
SR 516, the Lake/Orange Expressway. The Central Florida Expressway Authority is building a new 4.4-mile toll road from US 27 in Lake County to SR 429 in Orange County. It isn’t open yet. According to CFX, the first section from SR 429 to CR 455 is expected to open in spring 2027. The full road to US 27 is estimated for early 2029. The plans include a wildlife crossing and a multi-use trail alongside the road. If you commute, that means a more direct run to SR 429 and the rest of the Orlando area.
A Day in the Life Out Here
Here’s how a Saturday could go if you lived in either community. Drive times below are rough, without traffic, on today’s roads.
Start with breakfast or coffee at Hamlin Town Center on Lake Hancock. It’s about 12 minutes from Lakehaven Estates today. Hamlin has a Publix, Walmart, and a Cinepolis theater. The restaurant list keeps growing, with spots like Ford’s Garage, Home State Brewing, Agave Bandido, and Bosphorous. More is planned along the lake, including a boardwalk and a food hall. If you like the Hamlin area, our post on Hickory Nut Estates covers another new neighborhood nearby.
Then head to Southern Hill Farms on Schofield Road. It’s about 5 minutes from Lakehaven Estates. It’s a 120-acre family farm with blueberries, strawberries, peaches, sunflowers, and zinnias. U-pick seasons run in winter and spring. The fall festival runs from late September through late November, with a corn maze, a petting zoo, and apple cider donuts. We’re big fans, and you can see our family among the peach trees in our Southern Hill Farms post. Our tip: go early, and bring sunscreen and a wide-brim hat.
In the afternoon, get outside for a while. Lake Louisa State Park in Clermont has lakes, hiking, and camping. Closer to home, both communities have their own parks and amenities, which we cover below.
For dinner, downtown Winter Garden is about 23 minutes from Lakehaven Estates. Plant Street has the Garden Theatre, Crooked Can Brewing, and the Saturday farmers market. The West Orange Trail runs right through town. Our post on new construction in Horizon West has more on the Winter Garden side.
And yes, Disney is close. Magic Kingdom is about 30 minutes from Lakehaven Estates and about 38 minutes from Parkside Trails. Downtown Clermont is about 20 minutes from either one.
Healthcare is close too. Orlando Health Horizon West Hospital is at Porter and Avalon roads in Winter Garden. Orlando Health South Lake Hospital is in Clermont.
Lakehaven Estates
Lakehaven Estates is built around a 132-acre recreational lake, with trails and parks planned throughout the larger Lakehaven area. It sits south of Schofield Road, near Southern Hill Farms.
Plans call for these amenities:
- Resort-style pool and playground
- Fitness center and indoor/outdoor sport courts
- Non-motorized lake access with a kayak launch
- A lakeside movie lawn
Plans also include a clubhouse and a walk-up bar with outdoor dining. HOA dues are set to go up once the amenity building is built, so that building is still to come. Fill out the form below and we’ll tell you which amenities are open today, which are planned, and when they’re expected.
The lake is what stands out to us. Launching a kayak without leaving your neighborhood is a big draw.
Lakehaven also includes a separate 55+ neighborhood called Del Webb Lakehaven. It has its own amenities and its own homes. We’ll cover it in a future post.
Parkside Trails
Parkside Trails sits on McKinney Road, north of Lakehaven Estates and right along the future Wellness Way Boulevard. The two communities are about 9 minutes apart by car today. Plans for this site date back a few years, and we first wrote about them in our post on the 948 homes coming to Wellness Way.
The site plan shows the community’s amenity site on the west side and parks within the neighborhoods. Conservation land sits south of Wellness Way Boulevard. The townhomes are grouped near the amenity site, so many of them are a short walk from the pool.
Planned amenities include:
- Clubhouse and resort pool
- Fitness center
- Playground and open play fields
- Pickleball and tennis courts
As with Lakehaven, fill out the form below and we’ll tell you which pieces are finished and which are coming.
To get there today, take SR 429 to New Independence Parkway, then Avalon Road, then turn left on McKinney Road. You’ll pass Blue Heron Nurseries on the way in. Once the New Independence extension opens, you’ll be able to reach Hamlin via Wellness Way instead.
Schools
Based on the Lake County Schools attendance zone map, homes in both communities are zoned for Sawgrass Bay Elementary, Windy Hill Middle, and East Ridge High. School zones can change as new homes fill in. Check your exact address with the Lake County Schools locator before you buy.
The Homes at Each Community
Both communities offer townhomes and single-family homes on several lot sizes. Floor plans and square footage ranges are close between the two. Base prices below were current when we wrote this. They change often, so use them as a starting point.
Lakehaven Estates
| Home type | Size (sq ft) | Base price |
|---|---|---|
| Townhomes | 1,652 to 1,847 | From $399,990 |
| 34′ bungalows | 1,628 to 2,231 | From $446,990 |
| 40′ bungalows | 1,648 to 2,942 | From $453,990 |
| Classic 50′ homes | 1,882 to 3,575 | From $578,990 |
| Estate 60′ homes | 2,379 to 4,272 | From $692,990 |
HOA dues run about $215 a month for townhomes and $99 a month for single-family homes, plus a $2,000 initial contribution. There is also a CDD of roughly $1,099 to $3,297 a year, depending on the home.
Parkside Trails
| Home type | Size (sq ft) | Base price |
|---|---|---|
| Townhomes | 1,652 to 1,858 | From $419,990 |
| 40′ bungalows | 1,715 to 2,942 | From $469,990 |
| Classic 50′ homes | 1,882 to 3,575 | From $587,990 |
| Estate 60′ homes | 2,379 to 4,272 | From $687,990 |
HOA dues run about $203 a month for townhomes and $85 a month for single-family homes, plus a $2,000 initial contribution. The CDD runs roughly $1,049 to $3,146 a year.
Both communities also have quick move-in homes, some ready now and some finishing over the next few months. The list changes week to week. Fill out the form below and we’ll send you what’s available today.
Incentives and Buying Smart
At the time of writing, both communities offer flex cash you can use toward closing costs or a lower interest rate. Parkside Trails offers $20,000 on quick move-in homes, and $50,000 may be available on select to-be-built floor plans. Fill out the form below and we’ll tell you which plans qualify. Lakehaven Estates offers $20,000 on to-be-built homes and $50,000 on select quick move-in homes that are already discounted.
Here’s what that can look like on two quick move-in homes, compared with today’s average rate.
| Example | Price | Payment at 7.03% | With flex cash toward rate | Monthly difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lakehaven Estates single-family, $50,000 flex | $486,320 | $2,921 | $2,315 (about 4.87%) | About $606 less |
| Parkside Trails townhome, $20,000 flex | $419,990 | $2,522 | $2,365 (about 6.40%) | About $158 less |
Here’s the part we like most. With the $50,000 Lakehaven incentive, the payment on that $486,320 home comes out about the same as a $386,320 home with no incentive at today’s rate. In other words, you get about the same payment for a home priced about $100,000 higher.
Assumptions: 10% down, 30-year fixed, principal and interest only (no taxes, insurance, HOA, or CDD). Market rate is the Freddie Mac weekly average of 7.03% for the week of September 24, 2026. Closing costs estimated at 2.5% of the price. Each point costs 1% of the loan and lowers the rate by about 0.25%.
One catch. Loan rules limit how much a seller can pay toward your costs. On a conventional loan with 10% down, that limit is usually 6% of the price, about $29,000 on the $486,320 home. To use the full $50,000 toward your rate and closing, you may need a larger down payment or a different loan type. Reach out and we’ll walk you through how any amount over the limit gets applied.
These numbers are for illustration only and are not a loan offer. Rates, incentives, prices, and availability change often. Confirm your numbers with a lender before you sign anything.
Let’s Talk About Wellness Way
We’ve watched Wellness Way go from groves and nursery land to new neighborhoods. We can’t wait to see these roads open. Lakehaven Estates and Parkside Trails are two different ways to live here. One is built around a lake. The other sits right on the new Wellness Way corridor with Hamlin almost next door.
If you’re thinking about either one, contact our buyer’s agents at Lake County New Homes. We’ll get you current pricing, the latest quick move-in list, and today’s incentives, and we’ll walk through both communities with you.
Fill out the form below to receive the latest pricing and updates on Lakehaven Estates and Parkside Trails!
