The short version: Arlington Ridge is not part of The Villages, but it has its own community development district (CDD). The Arlington Ridge CDD owns the golf club and the amenity buildings. Its fiscal 2027 budget sets total CDD assessments of $3,346.89 to $3,971.89 per home, depending on phase and product, collected on the property tax bill. That includes two bond series scheduled to retire in 2036. A homeowners’ association sits on top of that. Mo could not confirm the community’s age restriction from a recorded or official document, so get the declaration before you rely on it.
Arlington Ridge at a glance
| County and city | Inside the City of Leesburg, Lake County. All 1,046 home parcels fell inside city limits on the county’s GIS layer, and the ordinance that created the CDD describes its land as entirely within city limits.Lake County GIS; City of Leesburg Ordinance 03-94 |
|---|---|
| Location | West of U.S. Highway 27, east of County Road 33, south of State Road 48, along the north bank of the Palatlakaha River. The PUD conditions place The Plantation at Leesburg along its southeastern boundary.Ordinance 03-94; PUD conditions (Ordinance 16-33) |
| Special district | Arlington Ridge Community Development District, an independent special-purpose government under Chapter 190, Florida Statutes. Established by City of Leesburg Ordinance 03-94, effective October 13, 2003. Managed by Inframark.arlingtonridgecdd.org |
| Homes | The fiscal 2027 budget counts 1,046 assessable units, including 94 townhomes in Phase 1C. The PUD allows up to 1,196 dwelling units on about 500 acres. County year-built dates run from 2005 to 2022.FY 2027 adopted budget; Ordinance 16-33; Lake County GIS |
| Golf and amenities | The CDD owns the 18-hole Arlington Ridge Golf Club, designed by Gary Koch and open for public tee times, plus the social center, grille, tavern, fitness center, pools, theater, courts and RV lot.CDD Recreational Facilities Use Policy (effective Aug. 20, 2026); golf club site; Lake County GIS |
| Age restriction | Not verified. Listing sites describe Arlington Ridge as 55+, but Mo couldn’t find the age rule in a recorded declaration or on an official HOA page on October 10, 2026. Read the HOA declaration before you rely on it. |
Lake County GIS, checked October 10, 2026: every Arlington Ridge home parcel lies within the Leesburg city-limits polygon.
The CDD numbers for fiscal 2027
The Arlington Ridge CDD adopted its fiscal 2027 budget on August 20, 2026. The fiscal year runs October 1 to September 30. Per home, for the year:
| Operations and maintenance | $2,775.74 for every unit. It was $1,884.71 in fiscal 2023. |
|---|---|
| Series 2006 bond | $425 to $1,050 depending on phase and product. Scheduled to retire May 1, 2036. |
| Series 2019 bond | $146.15 for every unit. Scheduled to retire May 1, 2036. |
| Total CDD assessment | $3,346.89 to $3,971.89 per unit. Phase 2 and Phase 3 single-family homes are at the top of that range. |
From the Arlington Ridge CDD’s FY 2027 adopted budget. These are CDD assessments only. HOA dues and property taxes are separate.
Two more lines in the same documents matter. The general fund budgets a transfer to cover golf course and food-and-beverage shortfalls. And the district’s FY 2025 audit, dated June 30, 2026, gave clean opinions on the general fund and debt service fund but qualified opinions on the golf and food-and-beverage funds, because some miscellaneous revenue entries weren’t reconciled. Neither is a reason to walk away. Both are reasons to read the latest budget, audit and board minutes before you buy into an amenity system you’ll help fund.
What changes compared with The Villages
The structure will feel familiar. Like The Villages, Arlington Ridge has a special district with bonds collected on the county tax bill. But the bonds, the budget and the board are Arlington Ridge’s own. Its debt has nothing to do with the Villages bond, and there is no Villages amenity fee. Because it’s inside city limits, the City of Leesburg’s levy also appears on the tax bill. Pennbrooke Fairways, Royal Highlands and The Plantation at Leesburg are all outside city limits.
What to verify before you sign
- The CDD assessment and bond lines for that parcel.
The amount depends on phase and product. Pull the current tax bill, and ask the district’s assessment line whether a payoff of the bond portion is available and what it would be.
- The HOA disclosure summary and the HOA estoppel.
The HOA is separate from the CDD. Florida law requires its disclosure summary before the contract.
- The age and occupancy rules, from the declaration itself.
If being in a 55+ community matters to you, or to your resale plan, confirm the recorded language. Don’t rely on a listing remark.
- Amenity access rules.
The CDD’s facilities policy covers access cards for owners and lessees, guest passes and annual paid access for non-residents. Know which applies to you.
How Mo prices an Arlington Ridge home
- Compare total cost, not just price.
Two similar homes can carry different Series 2006 amounts. Buyers feel that difference every year until 2036, so Mo puts it in the comparison.
- Same phase, same product.
Townhomes in Phase 1C, 2000s single-family homes and late-2010s Phase 3 homes are separate pools. Golf frontage is coded on 488 parcels.
- Arlington Ridge sales only.
The Plantation is next door, but its fee stack and housing stock are different, so its sales aren’t comps.
- District documents on screen.
Budget, audit and the assessment for the parcel go in front of out-of-state buyers before showings, not after inspection.
Mo hasn’t sold a home in Arlington Ridge. His verified out-of-state work includes 1007 Rockville Pl in The Villages, closed at $315,000 on April 30, 2026, and 40140 Palm St in Lady Lake, sold at $307,000 on July 22, 2026.
Arlington Ridge next to the other Leesburg options
- The Plantation at LeesburgThe neighbor to the southeast. An HOA rather than a CDD, fully built out, outside city limits.
- Royal HighlandsFurther south. All single-family, with a privately owned golf course.
- Pennbrooke FairwaysOn State Road 44 toward The Villages, with an HOA-owned golf course and a mix of manufactured and site-built homes.
- The VillagesThe other bond-and-district system buyers compare. Check it parcel by parcel.
Questions people ask about Arlington Ridge
Is Arlington Ridge part of The Villages?
No. Arlington Ridge is a separate community inside the City of Leesburg with its own community development district, the Arlington Ridge CDD, created by City of Leesburg Ordinance 03-94 in 2003.
Does Arlington Ridge have a bond like The Villages?
It has its own. The Arlington Ridge CDD has Series 2006 and Series 2019 special assessment bonds, both scheduled to retire May 1, 2036. For fiscal 2027, total CDD assessments run $3,346.89 to $3,971.89 per unit, collected on the property tax bill.
Who owns the Arlington Ridge golf course?
The Arlington Ridge CDD. County records title the golf course parcels to the district, and the district’s facilities policy lists the golf club, grille, tavern, social center, pools and fitness center among the facilities it owns.
Is Arlington Ridge a 55+ community?
Listing sites describe it that way, but on October 10, 2026 Mo could not confirm the age restriction from a recorded declaration or an official HOA source. Ask for the HOA declaration and read its occupancy provisions before relying on 55+ status.
Is Arlington Ridge inside Leesburg city limits?
Yes. Every Arlington Ridge home parcel fell inside the City of Leesburg limits on Lake County’s GIS layer, and the CDD’s creating ordinance describes its land as entirely within the city. Expect a city levy on the tax bill.
Sources
Checked October 10, 2026. District budgets reset every October 1, so Mo pulls the current year’s figures for the parcel before any offer.
- Arlington Ridge Community Development District: home page and contacts
- Arlington Ridge CDD: About the CDD (Ordinance 03-94, effective October 13, 2003)
- Arlington Ridge CDD: finances and assessments
- Arlington Ridge CDD: FY 2027 adopted budget (August 20, 2026)
- Arlington Ridge CDD: FY 2025 audit (report dated June 30, 2026)
- Arlington Ridge CDD: Recreational Facilities Use Policy (effective August 20, 2026)
- City of Leesburg Ordinance 03-94 establishing the CDD
- City of Leesburg Ordinance 16-33: Arlington Ridge PUD conditions (revised July 21, 2016)
- Arlington Ridge Golf Club
- Lake County GIS: community development districts layer
- Lake County GIS: tax parcels layer (land-use codes, year built, common-area and golf-course parcel owners)
- Lake County GIS: city limits layer (parcels tested against City of Leesburg limits)
- Lake County GIS: recorded subdivision plats
- Lake County Property Appraiser: parcel search
- Florida Statutes 720.401: HOA disclosure summary before a contract