What are CDD fees, and do Orlando communities have them?
A CDD (Community Development District) fee repays the bonds that built a newer community's infrastructure — roads, utilities, amenities — plus ongoing maintenance. Many newer Central Florida master-planned communities have one, billed on your property tax bill, separate from HOA dues.
A CDD — Community Development District — is a special district, created under Florida law, that newer master-planned communities use to finance their own infrastructure: roads, water systems, ponds, pools, clubhouses. The CDD fee on your tax bill is how that financing gets repaid.
The two parts of a CDD fee
There's a bond portion — repaying the debt that built the infrastructure, which can eventually be paid off — and an operations-and-maintenance portion that continues as long as the district maintains what it built. Both usually appear as a line on your annual property tax bill, which is why your true monthly payment in a CDD community is higher than the mortgage math alone suggests.
CDD vs. HOA
They're separate, and many communities have both. The HOA is a private association enforcing standards and running amenities day to day; the CDD is a public financing district repaying infrastructure. Two line items, two sets of documents, one combined monthly reality.
Where you'll see them
Mostly in the newer master-planned communities — Lake Nona, Horizon West, and much of the growth corridors — because that's where infrastructure was recently built. Established older neighborhoods rarely have them. Amounts vary meaningfully from community to community, so the specific figure belongs in your comparison, not an average.
Before you commit to any community, I pull the actual CDD and HOA numbers for that address and put them into your full monthly picture — the only version of "can I afford it" that counts.
This answer is general education, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Your situation is unique — let's talk through the specifics together.