Sanford, Florida Real Estate

Sanford, Florida real estate - Whether you’re buying or selling a home in Altamonte Springs, Florida, CENTURY 21 Solutions Realty has the marketing, services, and trained professionals to assist you.

The legislative branch of the City is composed of a five-member elected Commission, including a citywide elected Mayor. The City Commission is governed by the City Charter and by State and local laws and regulations. The City Commission is responsible for the establishment and adoption of policy. The execution of such policy is delegated by the Commission to their appointed City Manager. The City Manager, City Clerk and City Attorney serve at the pleasure of the City Commission.

The positive Quality of Life, which attracted General Henry Sanford to purchase 12,547 acres of land and plan a town in 1870, continues to attract new business and residents today.

General Sanford wanted a beautiful setting of stately Oaks, water view vistas, good roads, great schools and an ideal climate for his city and for the home base of his booming business enterprise. The City of Sanford continues, today, to offer favorable economic development opportunities to businesses of all kinds while offering a quality level of services and amenities for residents.

Sanford's downtown is a historic hot spot combining retail and galleries, office and commercial with a growing theatre and restaurant/entertainment center. Now known as the Helen Stairs Theatre for the Performing Arts, the landmark restored Ritz Theatre building of 1920's Vaudeville fame now produces an annual season of "name" entertainment shows along with housing Seminole County's repertory theatre adult and youth company.  Activities at the Theatre alone bring over 50,000 people to downtown Sanford annually.

The City's Orlando Sanford International Airport is one of the fastest growing in the U.S. providing service both domestically and to Europe.  Receiving over 2 million passengers annually, the Airport supports many service businesses and provides thousands of jobs to the area.

Seminole County Schools are renowned for excellence. MONEY magazine identified Seminole County schools as one of the top 100 school districts in the nation in terms of offering high quality education in a moderately priced community. The school district has been recognized every year since 1992 for being in the top 10% of the nation's 15,600 school districts as meeting the needs of families choosing schools.

Sanford sits on the south shore of Lake Monroe at the head of the navigation on the St. Johns River. During the Seminole Wars of the 1830's, the area was the site of an U.S. Army post name Fort Mellon. As settlers moved into the area, the town of Mellonville was established. With the advent of commercial steamboat service, the town became a distribution point for goods essential for the growth of Central Florida. When Orange County was created in 1845, Mellonville became the county seat.

In 1870, Henry Shelton Sanford purchased the land west of Mellonville. He planned a new city "the Gate City of South Forida," which he believed would become the transportation hub for all of southern Florida. In 1877, the city of Sanford was incorporated and Mellonville was annexed six years later. In 1880, Henry S. Sanford formed a land company in London to encourage investments in the new city. That same year construction began on the South Florida Railroad with a terminus in Sanford. By 1884, Sanford was a prosperous town with wharves, a railroad station and a large hotel.

Mr. Sanford's greatest interest in Florida was the development of Belair, a citrus grove and experimental garden near Sanford. More than 140 varieties of citrus, including the Valencia orange, were tested for adaptability to the Florida climate. In September 1887, a bakery on First Street caught fire. The blaze spread rapidly through the wooden buildings on the east side of town until stopped by the volunteer fire department. When the town was rebuilt, the new structures were made of brick.

During the winter of 1894-95, the citrus industry received a serious blow when freezing temperatures destroyed the year's entire crop. Many citizens faced economic ruin and left the area. Those who stayed harnessed artesian wells and developed a sub irrigation system that permitted commercial agriculture. By the first decade of the 20th century, Sanford was one of the largest vegetable shipping centers in the United States, and received the nickname "Celery City" for the most successful crop. On April 25, 1913, Seminole County was officially established with Sanford as the county seat. In the boom and bust years that followed, Sanford shared in the growth of Central Florida. From 1942 to 1968, the Sanford U.S. Naval Air Station drew many residents away from agriculture and brought new people to the city. Today the old station is Sanford's International Airport.