Hidden Springs/Estates
Spring Newsletter 2022
Spring greetings, Hidden Springs/Estates residents. We hope you enjoy our quarterly newsletter, which highlights neighborhood news, area happenings and other useful community information. To contact the HOA, you can email us or visit our website.
Message from the President
Dear Residents,

Spring is in the air – time to refresh and renew! You can even pick up a free tree or two at an upcoming Adopt-A-Tree event! Click here for dates, locations and tree options. Before I get into the things that are upcoming, I first and foremost want to thank all of you for your patience and support with, what I call, the Valentine's Fiasco. As most of you are aware, we had some neighbors decide to set up a tent, like an open storefront, at our Pine Springs entrance. This was not sanctioned at all by the HOA. After many calls and conversations, ultimately the situation was handled by the Orange County Sheriff's Office. I want to thank our communications director for sending out emails to keep all of you abreast. It's so important that we have your emails for communicating neighborhood alerts and information when things come up, and we want to keep you informed. 

Moving to a happier subject: In the next few weeks, the Pin Oak Hidden Estates entrance will begin renovations of the signage, landscaping and lighting, so you'll see some construction going on. We've been talking about the Pin Oak entrance for years, and finally it’s going to happen. Some of the existing signage tiles have cracked and broken, so we are going to completely replace the tiles, and we want to improve the landscaping and lighting at the entrance as well. We could not do this without those who financially support Hidden Springs/Estates. Replacing entrance signage is quite costly, which is why we’ve had to put this project off for years until now. 

The small amount of $110 a year is precious to our neighborhood. I really don't even want to think about what this neighborhood would look like if we didn't have those contributions. If you don't contribute, please seriously think about doing so. If you think about getting a bang for your buck, you definitely get it with the $110 a year contribution. Think of it this way: For $9.16 a month, you get to live in a highly desirable and safe neighborhood. Not a bad deal. 

Other news: We replaced the dead Robellini at the south side Pine Springs entrance, and sometime in March, we will re-sod a section of the Pine Springs median that has become overrun with weeds. We have hired Heron Landscaping to handle the fertilization and weed control at our entrances. The cost is $195 every two months for lawn and shrub care at our three entrances. 

In addition, we replaced two photocell light sensors and the flood light at the Pine Springs north side entrance. The sensors save energy by automatically turning the lights on when it gets dark and turning off when it gets light.

Upcoming events include an Easter Egg hunt on April 16 and another Earth Day Community Cleanup event on April 23. Our wonderful social director is helping organize those two events, so mark your calendars and be on the lookout for more information in this newsletter and in the upcoming weeks. 

Again, thank you all for everything you do to keep Hidden Springs/Estates a wonderful place to live.

Sincerely,
Donna Fontaine
HOA President
Community Contributions
By Treasurer Tina Dottino

Thank you to all who have paid their 2021-2022 dues so far – we are having another record year! To date, more than 200 families have paid their dues, and several new families to our neighborhood have contributed as well. Thank you for your support of our HOA. As you may be aware, the funds go toward providing for the safety and security of our residents with entrance lighting and extra Sheriff’s safety patrols. Dues also provide for the maintenance and landscaping of our common areas and entrances, as well as improvements to our neighborhood to keep it safe and attractive. Watch for coming upgrades to the Hidden Estates entrance sign at Pin Oak! None of this could be done without your support. Our neighborhood is a better place because of you!  There are many residents who have not made their contribution yet, though, and they are encouraged to take advantage of our easy PayPal feature to pay their dues. If you haven't paid your dues yet, please click here to contribute.  

easter_eggs_in_field.jpg
Easter Egg Hunt
Date: Saturday, April 16
Time: Starts at 10am
Where: 5543 Sago Palm Drive

Bring your basket and bunny ears and hop on over to 5543 Sago Palm Drive for an Easter egg hunt on Saturday, April 16. The hunt will start with the little kids at 10am and move up to the big kids. Thank you to resident Tara Savage who is once again hosting at her home with the HOA. It is always a fun event! Refreshments will be provided. Kids of all ages are welcome to attend with a parent!
Community Cleanup Event
Please join us in cleaning up our neighborhood on Saturday, April 23, 2022, at 9:30 a.m. In recognition of Earth Day, we thought the timing was appropriate to all pitch in and clean up our community. We will spread out in different locations throughout the neighborhood. The initial meeting place will be at the Sago Palm and Pin Oak Drive retention pond.

Gloves, trash bags and nifty nabbers will be supplied courtesy of Orange County's Neighborhood Services Division. We will set up a pop-up tent for participating residents to register and gather materials before we start. In addition, we will provide light refreshments for all volunteers who register.

If you do not want to volunteer to help clean up the common areas of our neighborhood, we ask that you please take time on this day to clean up your own yard.

It is our hope that this clean-up event will not only improve the appearance of our neighborhood, but also increase neighborhood pride among residents.

Thank you to resident Aga Rask for helping to organize this event. Please click here to register for the event bit.ly/HSE22 by April 11 or contact Aga at aga.belka@gmail.com with any questions.
Spring Cleaning
It is so great to see so many of our neighbors doing a spring cleanup to your homes. This initiative certainly helps with keeping up the values of our homes. It is a great time for taking care of fence repairs, lawn replacements and possible painting of your homes as well. Our request during these cleanup months is that you keep your yard waste behind your fence or on the side of your home until Tuesday evening after 6pm when you can place it by the sidewalk for pickup on Wednesday. Our goal is to keep our neighborhood beautiful by not having your yard waste place on your sidewalk for days in advance. Thank you for all of your assistance. 
Yard of the Quarter Winners: Larry & Linn Foreman
6107 Cedar Pine Drive
Congratulations to Larry and Linn Foreman -- our new winners of our Yard of the Quarter program! Larry and Linn have lived in Hidden Springs since 1998. They've been married 55 years! 

Both originally from West Texas, they met while in school at Texas Tech. After school, Larry went into the electrical distribution industry. He worked for a while in Texas, then was offered a position at Hughes Supply here in Orlando. Even though the Foremans live here, Larry still has ties to Texas where his family has had a farm since the early 1900s.

Linn has been a homemaker since their kids were born. Their three kids, now in their late 30s and 40s, kept her pretty busy. All three were involved in sports, especially soccer and basketball, and all three attended our local public schools, including Dr. Phillips High. Larry, too, was quite involved with the kids' athletics. He has been coaching AAU for many years and was also involved in Seminole Soccer Club with his daughters' soccer teams.

Larry and Linn are at their happiest spending time with their grown children and their grandchildren. Linn also enjoys Cricut, which is paper crafting and scrapbooking.  

Larry continues to work part-time as Director of Capital and Energy Projects for the Vantage Group, which is a company that supplies MRO electrical needs to national conglomerates like Georgia Pacific, International Paper, and others.

The beautiful yellow-leafed tree in their front yard is called a Tabebuia, also known as a Trumpet tree. Trumpet trees vary in color from pink, purple, white and yellow. They are indigenous to South Florida, but more and more we see them in Central Florida. The trees are very drought tolerant. They typically bloom around February through March for about a month.

The Foremans were given a $50 gift certificate to Ace Hardware by our sponsor, John Scolaro with Coldwell Banker. Thank you, John, for your unyielding support to Hidden Springs/Estates.  
Real Estate Market Update
Orlando's Market (January 2022)
According to the Orlando Regional Realtor Association, interest rates continue to slightly increase as the average interest rate for January 2022 was recorded at 3.38% compared to December 2021 when it was at 3.07%. January’s median home price was recorded at $335,000, a slight decrease of 1.47% following December 2021’s record high of $340,000. Overall sales in January dropped by 20.6%, with a total of 3,033 sales compared to 3,820 sales in December 2021. Homes spent an average of 32 days on the market in January, up slightly from December 2021 when the average was 31. Inventory continued to drop in January, decreasing by 8% from December 2021 to January 2022, for a total of 2,379 homes on the market in January. ORRA's full state of the market can be found here.
Hidden Springs/Estates Activity
For the period November, 30, 2021-February 28, 2022, our neighborhood had seven sales posting an average of 21 days on the market! This mirrors the activity from the 4th quarter sales in 2021. Currently, six homes are under contract and expected to close soon. Four of the sales were conventional financed, two were cash transactions and one home was VA financed. Homes sold between $485,000 and $675,000 with the average sold price of $536,143. This high number is elevated due to the one home that sold above our normal average sales which in this quarter is estimated at $513,000! The highest average sales price on record for Hidden Springs/Estates!
Real Estate Report for Hidden Springs/Estates
December 1, 2021-February 28, 2022
All content displayed above is deemed reliable, but not guaranteed. Website users are advised to verify all information with their real estate representative. Copyright® My Florida Regional MLS DBA Stellar MLS. Digital Millennium Copyright Act Take-Down Notice


Contact John Scolaro with Coldwell Banker Realty at 407-230-5567 or email orlandorealtor.john@gmail.com if you're thinking about selling your home and would like a free market home evaluation.
Spotlight on Security
Your annual contributions help Hidden Springs/Estates pay for a deputy to watch out for suspicious activity, monitor motorists' speed and help protect our community overall.

Safety Report November-January
One resident was stopped for running more than one stop sign and speeding. Remember, this is your neighborhood, please drive safely.  Pin Oak has a lot of kids going to and from the Elementary school, slow down!

We continue to see people from different companies going door to door selling solar panels. They do not work for Duke Energy, they represent private companies. Remember, this is a NO SOLICITING neighborhood. Please do not let solicitors in your house or buy anything from them. If you are interested in what they are selling, call the company directly and make an appointment.

If you notice anything suspicious in the neighborhood, please call 407-836-HELP (4357) for a non-emergency or 911 for an emergency.

Curbside Collection
Garbage and Recycling is picked up on Tuesdays for Hidden Springs/Estates residents. Yard waste and Large Items are picked up on Wednesdays. Items should be placed at the curb no later earlier than 6:00 p.m. the night before and no later than 6:00 a.m. on your scheduled collection day. Roll carts should be placed behind your home/fence or in your garage so they are no visible from the street when being stored. Frequently asked questions can be found here. For more information, please visit the Orange County website.
Code Enforcement & Watering Days
You may have seen Valentine's Day gifts being sold at the main entrance to Hidden Springs. This was not sanctioned by the HOA, and we able to get the Orange County Sheriff's Department to remove them.

There was a complaint about a resident on Abelia who has several dogs in the back yard that make noise late at night. Please contact Animal Control at 407-254-9152 or 311 if you have similar issues.

In addition, if there is a property being neglected that you feel is not in compliance, please call 311 to report any issues or upload a photo along with the information to the 311 app.

The Orange County 311 system is a great way to connect with local government services. They can help you with animal concerns, neighborhood inquiries, traffic matters, road conditions and more. You can contact them via phone, website or an easy-to-use app. Learn more at 311 Help & Info

Watering Restrictions:
You may start watering your lawn TWO DAYS A WEEK on March 13. Orange County Watering Restrictions and Irrigation Schedule can be viewed here. Outdoor irrigation is limited to two days a week during Eastern Standard Time (from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November). Water only if necessary and not between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Water for no more than one hour per zone. Watering Violation Enforcement Process: First-time violators will receive a warning through a door hanger notice and by letter. Repeat violators will be subject to a fine of $25 per violation. A violator can appeal to a Hearing Officer after a written request is submitted and a $25 filing fee is made.
New in the Neighborhood
fresh&co
Founded in 2010 by NYC-based ST Management, fresh&co is a destination for chef-inspired, organic, seasonal food, offering an array of vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free menu options. Located at 7228 West Sand Lake Rd. Visit their website at freshandco.com to learn more.
Welcome, New Residents
Please welcome the following new residents to Hidden Springs/Estates! Each is given a welcome basket from the HOA filled with goodies and neighborhood information. Special thanks to Karen Butler and John Scolaro for their work in putting together and delivering these wonderful welcome baskets to our new residents each quarter. And thanks to Woof Gang Bakery next to Fresh Market for always donating items for our baskets. If you have anything you can contribute to our welcome baskets, please contact us.

Current list of sales and purchaser information:
August 25, 2021
5512 Cedar Pine Dr.
Abdulmalik Haiderali & Janbibi Kabani
September 13, 2021
5260 Abelia Dr.
Baoliang Wang
September 14, 2021
5417 Cedar Pine Ct.
Robert & Amy Battocletti
September 16, 2021
5514 Meadow Pine Ct.
James M. & Cara Morgan
September 28, 2021
5712 Cedar Pine Dr.
Jonathan Allen Bostic
October 27, 2021
7718 Twin Pines Ct.
David and Rebecca Hubler
October 29, 2021
5632 Pitch Pine Dr.
Frank R. Cordero
December 13, 2021
7601 Majestic Pine Ct.
Ed & Erin Turnmeyer
Not pictured:

December 9, 2021
5812 Pitch Pine Dr.
Chi Kwan Leung & Eva Ying Heung Leung

December 12, 2021
7812 White Ash St.
Hugo Elias Rios & Michele Plumey Rios

December 23, 2021              
5429 Split Pine Ct.
Melissa German

January 26, 2022
5527 Pine Shade Ct.
Ruben Ramos-Reyes
Database Updates
Please make sure that you keep the Hidden Springs/Estates Homeowners Association updated with your latest email address and any resident name changes. We continually update our records by adding proper names and email addresses into our database. If you know someone who has recently moved in or who does not receive our emails, please tell them to contact us so they can receive our quarterly newsletters, event updates and alerts form the HOA.
Thank You to Our Supporters
Advertise your business in our newsletter! Promote your business to Hidden Springs/Estates residents with a business card-sized ad in our quarterly newsletter for $50 per issue, which includes a free ad on the Supporters page on our website for one year ($25 value). Only one ad will be featured per newsletter. Please email HOA@HiddenSpringsEstates.org for additional advertising information.
Board of Directors
President
Donna Fontaine

Vice President
Fred Hawkins

Treasurer
Tina Dottino
 
Secretary
Charles Simonel
Contact Management & Welcoming Director
Karen Butler 

Sr. Database Director
Denise Bradley

Communications Director
Kendle Arribas

Orange County Code Enforcement Liaison
Anonymous
Click here to see our supporters. If you are interested in promoting your business to Hidden Springs/Estates residents with a business card ad on our Supporters page for $25, please contact the HOA for more information.
Although it is the Hidden Springs/Estates Homeowners Association's (HSE HOA) intent to provide accurate and up-to-date information, no warranty, express or implied, is made regarding accuracy, adequacy, completeness, legality, reliability or usefulness of any information contained on the pages of this newsletter. The HSE HOA assumes no liability for damages, incurred by the user of this information, which occur directly or indirectly as a result of errors, omissions or discrepancies in the information. The HSE HOA provides this information on an "as is" basis. The HSE HOA reserves the right to make changes and updates to the information at any time and without notice. Any person or entity who relies on information contained herein does so at his or her own risk.

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