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Hidden Springs/Estates
Fall Newsletter 2025
| Fall 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 | | |
Happy Fall, Hidden Springs/Estates residents!
We have a few months left of hurricane season. Don't get too comfortable yet. September and early October can be very active times for hurricanes. The season ends November 30. Stay prepared.
By now, all of you should have received your Contribution Notices in the mail. The recommended yearly fee to keep this neighborhood safe and aesthetically pleasing is $125. Please read the letter that was enclosed in your Contribution Notice mailing. It's important that you all contribute. If you can't afford $125 for the year, then contribute what you can. We live in a big neighborhood – 380 homes with three large entrances.
This quarter we had all three of the medians at the entrances painted yellow. Prior to this paint project, the yellow on them was barely visible. Please see below for the before-and-after pictures.
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We have a couple of large projects on our to-do list. As you know from a few newsletters ago, we had to remove all the trees (Ligustrums and Crape Myrtles) from the 11 planters along our wall on Dr. Phillips Boulevard. The roots were pushing against our brick walls and there was concern that walls would crack, separate and collapse. Through the generous anonymous contribution of a homeowner, we were able to pressure wash all the brick and stucco walls that are part of our subdivision. Our new goal is to plant Podocarpus in those planters. The roots of the Podocarpus don't spread out and won't create a wall hazard. We have Podocarpus on the north side of the Pine Springs entrance so you can see what that looks like. It gives our subdivision a clean, kempt look to passersby.
Our second big project is to elevate and trim all the Laurel Oaks at our four retention ponds. We are responsible for those trees. There are about 12 Laurel Oaks that need to be elevated and trimmed. As it is currently, some of them are very close to blocking the sidewalks. The county will not trim them. We are awaiting tree trimming estimates. This will be one of our larger expenses this fiscal year.
Currently, the trees at the retention ponds are overshadowing the sidewalks and will soon grow to the point they'll become so low and block sidewalk passage. See pics of the low-hanging trees.
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We had another successful Happy Hour. Thank you to Robert Laurita and Dale Naugher for hosting.
Don't forget about National Night Out on October 7th at the retention pond. It's always a fun event. Reminder emails will go out before the event.
Residents Sasha and Leslie are volunteering to coordinate another fun Halloween competition, so get those decorations ready!
Thank you all for being great neighbors. As always, reach out to any of us on the board if we can be of help.
Sincerely,
Donna Fontaine
HOA President
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By Treasurer Tina Dottino
Thank you to all who paid dues last year! Our fiscal year ended August 31, and we posted a small increase over last year in the number of residents’ contributions. Our 2024-2025 fiscal year costs were greater than budgeted, with a large expense for removing the overgrown trees in the planter boxes and repairing the brick wall along Dr. Phillips Blvd. We also put some extra money aside to increase our reserves, which act as an emergency fund for large, unbudgeted expenses such as downed trees in the common areas or significant damage to our walls. Our fiscal year has just kicked off and notices have gone out. Please pay your dues by mailing a check or using our PayPal feature. Though we are a voluntary association, everyone in the neighborhood benefits from the donations. Your HOA dues go toward providing for the maintenance and landscaping of our common areas, including mowing, sprinkler repair, and tree trimming; offering welcome baskets to new Hidden Springs/Estates residents; hosting events such as the National Night Out Block Party, repairing of our neighborhood walls; and maintenance of the lighting and signage at our entrances. This coming fiscal year we are expecting additional expenses for replanting the planter boxes on Dr. Phillips and possibly replacing some of the lighting fixtures at the entrances. We could not do all of this without the
financial support of our residents. We deeply appreciate all the neighbors who pay their dues and hope that even more of our Hidden Springs/Estates homeowners contribute! While our dues are voluntary, they are essential and every contribution matters.
Please click here to contribute.
Click here to view the budget.
| | National Night Out: Neighborhood Block Party | | |
Join us Tuesday, October 7 for the 42nd Annual National Night Out celebration at the corner of Pin Oak and Sago Palm from 6:30-8:30pm. This neighborhood block party is free to attend, and our HOA will provide hotdogs, cookies, refreshments, raffles and more! Plus, we will have creative crafts for the kids and games for everyone! The Orange County Sheriff's Office will be on hand to raise awareness on crime prevention and is bringing a special unit to fight crime with them. In the event of rain, we will cancel. We look forward to
seeing everyone there and getting to know all our neighbors better!
| | "Haunt Your Home" Decorating Contest | | |
We're excited to announce the 2025 Hidden Springs & Estates "Haunt Your Home" Decorating Contest! We invite all homes to have fun and out-boo your neighbors for the Hidden Springs & Estates Best-Decorated Halloween Home!
You can earn an award for:
- The Most Haunted House
- The Best Not-So-Scary House
- The Best Overall Halloween Home
Nominate any house by sending the address to SpookySpringsEstates@gmail.com by October 28. Judging happens on Oct 30, between 7-9pm. Be sure to run your decorations on full display during those times. Winners will be announced on November 3.
Happy Decorating!
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Thanks to Robert Laurita and Dale Naugher for hosting our August Happy Hour! They have a beautiful home, and a great time was had by all! To see more photos from the event, click here.
Save the date for our next Happy Hour on Friday, November 14!
| | Resident Realtor: Real Estate Market Update | | | | |
This neighborhood market report is brought to you by our Resident Realtor, Kendle Arribas with The Agency. She is a long-term resident of Hidden Springs and has a deep understanding of our community.
If you're thinking about selling your home and would like a free market evaluation, please contact her at Kendle.Arribas@TheAgencyRE.com.
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Orlando's State of the Market
"Nationwide reports show that mortgage rates have now dipped to their lowest point in nearly a year, and that’s welcome news for both buyers and sellers across Central Florida," said Lawrence Bellido, president of the Orlando Regional REALTOR® Association.
- July’s interest rate was recorded at 6.5%, down from 6.7% in June. This is the lowest interest rates have been in 2025.
- Overall sales increased by 1.5% from June to July. There were 2,513 sales in June and 2,551 sales in July.
- Inventory for July was recorded at 13,557, down 1.7% from June when inventory was recorded at 13,793.
- New listings fell 1.7% from June to July, with 3,788 new homes on the market in July, compared to 3,854 in June.
- Pending sales decreased 5.2%, with 3,976 in June and 3,771 in July.
- Homes spent an average of 69 days on the market (DOM) in July – up slightly from 67 in June.
- The median home price for July was recorded at $389,999 – keeping in line with May and June’s median home price of $390,000.
Inventory
- Orlando-area inventory fell 1.7% from June to July. Inventory in June was 13,793, and inventory in July was 13,557.
- The supply of homes fell to 5.31 months in July, down 3.2% from 5.49 months in June. A balanced market is six months of supply.
- The number of new listings decreased from June to July by 1.7% – from 3,854 homes to 3,788 homes.
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Hidden Springs/Estates Activity
For the period of June 2-September 3, 2025, our neighborhood had five sales ranging from $540,000-$654,000. There are currently three homes for sale and two homes are pending. Updates to your home, proper maintenance and curb appeal all add value. When our neighborhood looks good, it helps increase everyone’s home values. Please do what you can to keep your homes looking their best both with interior updates as well as landscaping and lawn maintenance.
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Real Estate Report for Hidden Springs/Estates
June 2-September 3, 2025
| | Accuracy of all information deemed reliable but not guaranteed and should be independently verified. © My Florida Regional Inc. DBA Stellar MLS, ©️ 2023 FMLS, ©️ 2023 GCMLS, all rights reserved. Matrix v11.2. Copyright © 2024 CoreLogic. All rights reserved. | | Holiday Lights Installation Services | | Johannessen Lights, founded by Eric Johannessen, provides customers with superior and customized Christmas lighting design services. They currently and effectively manage approximately 100 installations each year, each design being unique by adding that personal touch for each customer -- never compromising and always providing the highest quality (and brightest) lights to customers. Not only do they design and install your Christmas lights, but they take down, neatly label and store them for you until the next year. They installed the lights and garland at the entrances in our community the past two years, and they would be happy to provide you with a quote to decorate your home as well. Feel free to call (407) 636-3232 to schedule your free quote. | | | | With the elimination of our deputy patrol services, it is more important than ever to get to know your neighbors, keep an eye out for each other and call 911 immediately to report suspicious activity. If you have a camera that has captured video of an event, please share it with the Sheriff's Department. | | |
If you notice anything suspicious in the neighborhood, please call 407-836-HELP (4357) for a non-emergency or 911 for an emergency.
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.
National Night Out will be on Oct 7th at the retention pond at Pin Oak & Sago Palm. This is a great time to get to know your neighbors and meet with Orange County Sheriff deputies. There will be plenty of food and things to do. Come out and participate.
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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.
| | 311, Code Enforcement, AirBnB Update & Watering Days | | |
Dial 311 - It Works!
This is how Board members stay on top of code violations.
Be a good neighbor and call 311 if you see a hazard i.e.; broken sidewalk, mold/slippery sidewalk, falling tree branches, etc. The Orange County 311 system is a great way to connect with local government services. They can also 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 ocfl.net/311. There are a couple of houses on Caspian that are being fined or charged for cleanup work performed by the county. Another on Pitch Pine has a pool that is totally overrun with algae, this is a public health issue.
Short-term rentals are not allowed in Orange County. If you suspect a home is being used for short-term rentals, report it to Orange County 311 (see below) or send an email to hoa@hiddenspringsestates.org. For more information about zoning for short-term rentals call (407) 836-3111. We are keeping an eye on one that stopped but now may be starting up again.
Watering Restrictions:
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You may water your lawn TWO DAYS A WEEK until November 1. Orange County Watering Restrictions and Irrigation Schedule can be viewed here. 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.
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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 for her work in putting together and delivering these wonderful welcome baskets to our new residents each quarter. If you have anything you can contribute to our welcome baskets, please contact us.
The HOA makes an effort to keep our directory of homeowners current. If you have a new neighbor and they are not receiving our newsletters, please have them reach out to the HOA to get added to our list.
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November 2, 2023
Everton Klemba
5503 Pine Shade Court
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November 18, 2024
Romeo Hosh
7718 Pine Springs Dr.
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April 22, 2025
5929 Cedar Pine Dr
Josie Azocar
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June 2, 2025
7801 Pine Haven Ct.
Rhonda and Darren Kent
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June 17, 2025
Diana Tufeily
5803 Cedar Pine Dr.
Not pictured:
May 30, 2025
Wei Cheng Yeh & Caroline E St Romain
5525 Meadow Pine Ct.
July 2, 2025
Mansuri Abdulrazak Gulamrassul
Mansuri Naghat Sultana
7549 Lake Marsha Dr.
| | | 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. | | Like and Follow Our Facebook Page | | Follow our Facebook page for Hidden Springs/Estates where we share news, events and updates related to our neighborhood! This page is another great place to stay informed about what’s happening in our community and to connect with fellow residents. Please note, this page is intended for sharing positive updates and information. If you have any concerns or issues, we kindly ask that you direct them to our HOA email at HOA@HiddenSpringsEstates.org. We invite you to like and follow our page at: Hidden Springs & Estates Facebook Page. We look forward to connecting with you online! | | |
President
Donna Fontaine
Vice President
Fred Hawkins
Treasurer
Tina Dottino
Secretary
Charles Simonel
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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.
Copyright © 2025. All Rights Reserved.
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