Lake Griffin Preserve
510+/- Acre Family Legacy Property with Frontage on the 9,400-Acre Lake Griffin in Central Florida
- 510+/- Acres in Lake County, Florida just an hour northwest of Orlando
- Over 1.3 miles of frontage on the 9,428+/- acre Lake Griffin, the 8th largest lake in Florida at apx seven miles long and three miles wide
- Just five miles to The Villages and in the path of growth for future development
- Owned and preserved by the same family for over 130 years
- Beautiful, quintessential ‘old Florida’ cabbage palm oak hammocks throughout
- Within 5.5 miles of The Villages which has 43 golf courses, schools, new retail, and hospitals
- Lake Griffin’s angling opportunities for largemouth bass, bluegill, speckled perch, catfish and is a popular lake for crappie
- Lake Griffin is the last lake in the Harris Chain before it flows into the Ocklawaha River running north to join the St Johns River
- Enchanting setting along the white sandy shore of the lake with moss-draped live oaks, palms, and signs of Native Americans spending time here in the past
- Apx 80+/- Acres of pasture and former orange grove, the property has some fencing for cattle
- Areas of natural pines
- Just northeast of Lake Griffin State Park, 620 acres, home of the state’s second largest live oak
- Not yet protected by a conservation easement, but would be an ideal candidate
Lake Griffin Preserve is a 510+/- acre oasis in the midst of the nation’s fastest growing metro area. Held by the same family for over 130 years, and only the third ownership since the Spanish Land Grant, this undeveloped property is a rare anomaly in an area of the state that is known for its growth and development.
According to US Census Data, The Villages, an age-restricted adult community just 5+/- miles from Lake Griffin Preserve, had the fastest growing population rate for the third straight year. The community, with a population of 119,000, was also ranked on the Forbes 2016’s Best Places to Retire list. The latest expansion of The Villages in their efforts to meet the sales demands (an impressive 200 resales per month and 200 new construction sales per month) was in Lake County towards Lake Griffin.
Lake Griffin Preserve’s most notable feature is its 1.3+/- miles of shoreline on the 9,428+/- acre Lake Griffin. The lake is seven miles long and three miles wide, and is a popular lake for crappie, as well as largemouth bass, bluegill, speckled perch, and catfish.
The shoreline is sandy and much of it consists of moss-draped live oaks and palms. The current owners tell stories of their family members finding many native American artifacts along the lake, further dating back the longstanding appreciation that the past inhabitants had for this property.
Undoubtedly, some of our favorite time on the property is spent traveling the white sandy roads that rove under the spindly arms of the ‘old-Florida’ cabbage palm-oak hammocks. There are about 80 acres of cleared pasture and former orange grove, areas of natural pines, and a small duck pond.
The property has some fencing and has cattle which currently afford the owners an ag exemption on property taxes. The Lake Griffin Preserve property is presently zoned ag; one unit per five acres. According to the sellers, there is still a vote to be had sometime in the near future regarding Fruitland Park annexing large parcels with a PUD into the city limits. If that happens, it will be one to four per acre.
With the absorption rates at The Villages, the potential for Lake Griffin Preserve’s higher and better use as a waterfront community is very strong. By the same token, a conservation easement donation could be off the charts here and we are well-known for the guidance and advice we offer on this strategy, as well.
Much of the land to the south of the property is Lake County Water Authority holdings. The Lake Griffin State Park is 620 acres just southwest of the property and is famous for having the state’s second largest live oak. Lake Griffin Preserve is just a few short miles to 43 golf courses, schools, new retail and dining options, and hospitals.
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Lake Griffin Preserve
- Lake Griffin Preserve is 510+/- acres near Leesburg, Florida
- Just an hour northwest of Orlando and approximately five miles from The Villages
- There are exceptional boating and fishing opportunities on the 9,400+/- acre Lake Griffin
- Lake Griffin Preserve has paved road access as well as dirt road access and is just a short drive off of US 27/441
- Over 1.3 miles of frontage on the 9,428+/- acre Lake Griffin
- Just northeast of Lake Griffin State Park, 620 acres, home of the state’s second largest live oak
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From murky farm ponds to pristine glacier-cut lakes and everything in between, Knox Daniels’ expertise stems from a lifelong fascination of water and the creatures that live in and around it. He recognizes and helps clients appreciate the value water features bring to a property. “My goal is to help buyers realize and sellers maximize the value different water bodies bring to a property, not only in a recreational sense, but also for social storm reasons.” After extensively traveling the country for collegiate BASS fishing tournaments, Knox graduated and worked for the Southeast’s finest fisheries and wildlife biologist, Greg Grimes. With Grimes’ company, AES, Knox managed many of the southeast’s finest private lake estate/impoundment properties, and learned the intricacies of upscale property management. Learning from Greg and other biologists, Knox honed in on the specific conditions and habitat needed for optimal gamefish growth in private lakes. He has also worked as a property manager on several thousand acres and for a commercial developer, facilitating the dirt work and builds of several apartment complexes, but his true passion has always been in the outdoors. “I’ve always had an insatiable fascination with ponds/lakes and am grateful to be able to help to place clients on the properties of their dreams and make their personal fisheries/wildlife goals reality with JKA.” – Knox Daniels
Jason has been assisting landowners for the last 28 years in Georgia and South Carolina obtain achievements the owners did not realize were possible. His degree in Biology from Georgia Southern stemmed from the desire to know how things in nature work. His plantation roots began at just 16 years old outside of Albany, GA and the last 20 years were spent in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. His entire career has been spent developing a global approach to plantation management. That plan included sales. Sales is in Jason’s blood- his mom had a 45-year career as a real estate broker. After college, he chose to pursue his passion of making properties great. In 2011, Jason sold his first plantation. Since then, he has assisted buyers and sellers with over $20 million in sales while most of that time working as a full-time General Manager of a large Lowcountry plantation. Today, he is committed to using his unique skill set and experience to guide landowners through the many challenges of plantation ownership.
Bruce Ratliff is a retired elected official (Property Appraiser Taylor County). Bruce brings years of experience in ad valorem tax knowledge. His property tax background gives JKA Associates & clients a unique insight into the complicated tax process. Bruce held several positions in the Florida Association of Property Appraisers, including member of the Board of Directors, President, Vice-President and Secretary, and served on the Agricultural & Legislative Committees for the Association. The real estate business has been part of Bruce’s life since childhood. His mother, Shirley Ratliff owned Professional Realty of Perry, Florida and his father, Buster owned Ratliff Land Surveying which Bruce was General Manager of before his political career.
Hailing from a long line of outdoorsmen, Tim learned a great deal from his father and grandfather. He saw first-hand what it means to be a good land steward. He believes land is so much more than a place to hunt, fish, and grow timber or crops. “It’s an identity, a resting place, a safe haven and a way of life, said Tim.” Tim’s family ties to Alabama run deep. During his grandfather’s first term, Governor James was responsible for signing into law Alabama’s first state duck stamp which helped to ensure funding for the procurement, development, and preservation of wetlands for migratory waterfowl habitat. He also established Alabama’s lifetime hunting license, so it is no surprise that Tim is an avid outdoorsman with a keen eye as to how best to improve habitat for the greater good of its wildlife.
With Madison County roots, Lori grew up on her family farm at Pettis Springs along the historic Aucilla River. A love of the land was instilled in Lori very early on by her father who was a local farmer. Lori understands the importance of good land stewardship and has witnessed first-hand how her own father, a former 2-term member of the Florida House of Representatives whose district encompassed many rural counties of the Red Hills Plantation Region, with a little bit of sweat equity, so lovingly worked their own family land. These are core values she carries with her today, and nothing gives her more personal satisfaction than to represent some of the south’s best land stewards.
Cole’s dedication to land management lies in his family roots. As a fourth-generation timber expert, Cole’s earliest memories were spent with his father managing timber investments. With a degree in Food Resource Economics from the University of Florida, Cole is the epitome of an up-and-coming leader. He grew up with a hands-on approach to learning land management and conservation and has spent the last 15 years learning every angle of the real estate and forest industry. Cole is a member of the Florida Forestry Association, Red Hills Quail Forever, Southeastern Wood Producers Association and he uses this platform as an advocate for landowners and their land investments. His family has dedicated the past 60 years to providing landowners in North Florida and South Georgia with professional land management services focused on improving and protecting one’s forestland and wildlife investment. In fact, their family business, M.A. Rigoni, Inc., was one of the first to introduce whole tree chipping to the Red Hills Region.
As a landowner of his own family farm, Lick Skillet, along with family land that has been passed down and enjoyed together at Keaton Beach for 40 years, Jon knows what it means to be a steward of the last best places. As a third-generation land broker with more than 30 years of experience in advising landowners in this niche, Jon is known for his innate ability to harvest a land’s unique intrinsic value. Touting several notable sales under his belt, Jon personally closed Rock Creek/Molpus – 124,000 acres of premium timberland at $142,000,000 – which was known as the largest timberland land sale in the Southeast for eight years running. He is a co-founding member of LandLeader and achieved the real estate industry’s highest honor, “2022 National Broker of the Year – Recreational Land Sales,” by the Realtors® Land Institute.