Altamonte Springs’s big night comes every Fourth of July with its Red, Hot and Boom celebration, which features the largest fireworks display in central Florida and major music acts, like the Jonas Brothers. The event attracted 150,000 attendees this year.
So maybe it’s no surprise that homebuyers get a lot of bang for their buck in this town.
The housing market in this Orlando suburb is unusual for the area: Two-thirds of the units are rentals, many of them condos that were snapped up by investors who now lease them out. Rents are reasonable — a two-bedroom apartment goes for $800 or so. That, as well as low taxes, helps keep the cost of homeownership down in the area.