Lake area guide · Orange County, Florida
Butler Chain of Lakes, FL homes for sale
Zoya Solovyeva, REALTOR®, works with buyers and sellers around the Butler Chain of Lakes and the rest of Central Florida, in English or Russian.
English and Russian · Olympus Executive Realty · Client reviews
01At a glance
The Butler Chain in six facts
The Butler Chain of Lakes is 13 lakes joined by 32 navigable canals, over 5,000 acres of water in southwest Orange County, Central Florida. Lake Down and Little Lake Down lie inside the Town of Windermere, which also reaches Lake Butler’s north shore; the other lakes are in unincorporated Orange County. In ZIP 34786, which covers the northern and central lakes, the median home sold for $764,775 in the three months to September 2026.
Sources: Orange County Water Atlas, Census 2020 boundaries (TIGERweb) and Redfin, ZIP 34786, November 2026.
- County
- Orange CountyEvery lake in the chain is in Orange County. Lake Down and Little Lake Down are in the Town of Windermere; the rest are unincorporated.Orange County Water Atlas
- ZIP codes
- 34786, 32819, 3283634786 covers the northern and central lakes and the town. Lake Chase and Lake Tibet fall in 32819; Lake Sheen, Pocket Lake and Fish Lake in 32836.Census 2020 ZIP code areas
- Public schools
- Orange County Public SchoolsThe assigned school follows the exact address, not the lake.Look up an address on the OCPS locator
- Drive, without traffic
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- Downtown Orlando 27 min
- Airport (MCO) 44 min
- Magic Kingdom 28 min
- Median sale price
- $764,775ZIP 34786, down 15.5% in a year. The median home took 57 days to sell, and the median sale came in at 96.1% of list price.Redfin, 3 months to September 2026
- Public boat ramps
- R.D. Keene Park and Lake DownR.D. Keene Park on Lake Isleworth has 49 trailer spaces. The Lake Down ramp has no public parking.Orange County Parks, November 2026
02Client reviews
What clients say about working with Zoya
Three Google reviews, quoted exactly, with “…” at every cut. None of them is about a home on the chain; they show how Zoya works.
“I was very happy to find a Russian speaking realtor in Orlando, Florida. Zoya was professional, thorough and very knowledgeable about my real estate needs. Highly recommended!!!”
“Very energetic professional Very Honest she will explain everything in detail. Strongly recommend her without any hesitation!”
“…She took the time to thoroughly evaluate my home and its unique features, and they used that knowledge to create a targeted marketing plan that highlighted my home's strengths and attracted the right buyers. …”
03The Orlando Atlas · Butler Chain of Lakes
Lakes linked by canals, with Windermere on the north shore.
The chain runs from Lake Down in the north to Lake Sheen, Pocket Lake and Fish Lake in the south. The dashed outline is the Town of Windermere; the rest of the chain is unincorporated Orange County. Choose a nearby area to read its guide.
One chain, 13 lakes
Orange County counts 13 lakes joined by 32 navigable canals, with over 5,000 acres of water draining south toward Reedy Creek and the Everglades. The state has listed the chain as an Outstanding Florida Water since March 1, 1984, its highest level of protection, so new discharges to the lakes face stricter permits.
- Lake Butler 1,600 acres
- Lake Tibet 1,200 acres
- Lake Down 900 acres
- Lake Sheen 656 acres
- Town of Windermere limits
- Highways: SR 429 toll road to the northwest, I-4 to the southeast
Illustrative map. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Drive times without traffic, OSRM, November 2026.
04Buying
Buying on the Butler Chain
In ZIP 34786 the median home sold for $764,775 in the three months to September 2026, down 15.5% in a year, after a median 57 days on the market. That ZIP mixes lakefront, canal and inland streets, so each house needs its own comparable sales.
Olympus Executive Realty · (609) 408-7086
Most homes around the lakes are detached houses. In the Lake Butler Census area, which surrounds seven of the lakes, 86.5% of homes are single family detached and the median home was built in 2003 (Census, 2020 to 2024). These are the checks Zoya runs with buyers before an offer on the water.
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Town or county?
Lake Down and Little Lake Down are inside the Town of Windermere; the other lakes are in unincorporated Orange County, and a Windermere 34786 mailing address can be either. Look the parcel up on the Orange County Property Appraiser site, because the town or the county sets the code, the taxes and the services.
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Docks, boathouses and the shoreline
The Windermere Water and Navigation Control District sets rules for docks, dredging, filling, canal work and minimum fill elevations. Ask which permits cover an existing dock or boathouse, and check with Orange County before you plan new work at the water.
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Sewer or septic
A 2007 county study found about 70% of developed land around the chain on septic tanks, and virtually all development in the Lake Butler, Isleworth, Louise and Wauseon Bay basins. Sewer lines may reach more streets now, so ask which one serves the house and have any septic system inspected.
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Flood zone and insurance
Search the exact address on FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center, because zones are drawn parcel by parcel, and get flood and homeowners quotes before your inspection period ends.
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HOA and the lake levy
Ask whether the home has an HOA and, if it does, for the documents, fees and rental rules. The tax bill shows whether the parcel pays the lake district levy: 0.2528 mills for October 2026 to September 2027.
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Rental plans
Orange County zoning allows renting a single family home for less than 30 days only in R-3 districts. For a home inside the Town of Windermere, ask the town about its own rules. If rental income matters, read the question on short term rentals first.
05Selling
Selling on the Butler Chain
Sales have slowed in ZIP 34786. In the three months to September 2026 the median home took 57 days to sell, up from 45 a year earlier.
Redfin, ZIP 34786 housing market: days on market and sale to list for the 3 months to September 2026; price drops for September 2026, when 4.7% of homes sold above list price.
Price the water, not the ZIP code. Only about half of ZIP 34786 is the Lake Butler Census area and about a third is Horizon West, so its median mixes inland homes with lakefront ones. Zoya prices from recent sales of comparable homes on or near the same lakes, so the asking price rests on real sales nearby.
Put the lake in the listing. Name the lake, say whether a boat can reach the rest of the chain by canal, and describe the dock and any boathouse with the permits behind them.
Gather the paperwork early. Dock and shoreline permits, the flood zone, sewer or septic records and any HOA documents answer the questions that tend to stall a contract.
06Around the lakes
Town, county and Census areas
Orange County publishes no neighborhood map for the chain, so these are the official areas that cover it.
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Town of Windermere
Incorporated town · since 1925The small town on Lake Down and Little Lake Down, settled in 1888, with 3,344 people in the Census estimate for July 2025. Its limits also reach the north shore of Lake Butler.
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Lake Butler Census area
Census designated place · unincorporatedThe area around Wauseon Bay and Lakes Butler, Louise, Isleworth, Blanche, Chase and Tibet, with 18,851 people and 6,705 homes in the 2020 Census. It is a statistical area, not a town, and not the city of Lake Butler in Union County.
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The southern lakes
Unincorporated Orange CountyLake Sheen, Pocket Lake and Fish Lake lie outside any Census place, in ZIP 32836, along the western edge of Dr. Phillips.
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Isleworth and Keene’s Pointe
Gated communitiesTwo gated communities on the chain, as listing sites name them. No county source maps them, so ask for the HOA rules, fees and gate access before you make an offer.
Sources: Orange County Water Atlas, Census 2020 boundaries (TIGERweb), Census Vintage 2025 estimates and Florida Senate Resolution 1884 (2025) on the town’s history, read November 2026.
07On the water
Boat ramps, lake rules and the preserve
Two county ramps open the chain to the public, and one county district sets the rules on the water.
- R.D. Keene Park. A 52 acre county park on Lake Isleworth at 10900 Chase Road, with a public ramp and 49 trailer spaces. Launching with a trailer and motorboat costs $5 a day or $150 for an annual pass; when the lot fills, the gate closes until 2 p.m.
- Lake Down Boat Ramp. A small county ramp at 9619 Conroy Windermere Road with no public parking. The town’s Fernwood Park ramp is only for Town of Windermere residents with a park pass.
- Who sets the rules. The Windermere Water and Navigation Control District, run by the County Commission, covers 27 lakes across 16,854 acres and regulates boat speed, docks, dredging and canal work. Since 1988 the Butler Patrol, with officers from FWC, Florida Park Patrol and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, has enforced boating laws on the lakes and canals.
- Egret Island. The privately owned island in Lake Butler, also called Bird Island, has a buoyed swim zone that no vessel may enter.
- New no wake zones proposed. A May 2026 county draft would add idle speed zones at both public ramps and slow speed zones in the canals between the lakes. The County Commission hearing is set for December 1, 2026, so follow the posted markers.
- Tibet-Butler Preserve. A 438 acre county preserve on Lake Tibet with trails and the Vera Carter Environmental Center, open daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Bicycles are not allowed, and neither are pets other than service animals. On November 7, 2026 the county listed every trail as closed after storms.
Sources: Orange County Parks pages for R.D. Keene Park, the Lake Down ramp and Tibet-Butler Preserve; the town’s Fernwood Park page; the county’s lake district and boating safety pages, its May 2026 draft ordinance and the Water Atlas, read November 7, 2026.
08Prices
What homes cost near the lakes
Two official sets of figures, each with its source. For homes on a particular lake, ask Zoya for recent sales there.
| Median sale price | $764,775down 15.5% in a year |
|---|---|
| Median price per square foot | $269down 8.5% in a year |
| Median days on market | 5745 a year earlier |
| Median sale to list price | 96.1%up 0.1 point in a year |
| Homes sold in September | 172178 a year earlier |
Source: Redfin, ZIP 34786 housing market, all home types, read November 7, 2026.
| Housing units | 6,752 |
|---|---|
| Detached single family homes | 86.5% |
| Owner occupied | 86.9% |
| Median year built | 2003 |
| Median value, as estimated by owners | $930,500 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020 to 2024, tables B25001, B25003, B25024, B25035 and B25077.
Redfin’s figure covers ZIP 34786, which is about half the Lake Butler Census area and about a third Horizon West, so it is not a lakefront price; Redfin’s own Lake Butler page could not be read. The Census value is what owners think their home is worth, in 2024 dollars, not a sale price.
Looking for a home on the water?
Tell Zoya which lakes, your budget and what you need, and she will send matching Butler Chain listings on WhatsApp.
09Getting around
Drive times and main roads
| To | Without traffic | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown Orlando | 27 min | 13.7 mi |
| Orlando International Airport (MCO) | 44 min | 21.0 mi |
| Magic Kingdom | 28 min | 14.7 mi |
Without traffic: free flow car routing from a point on Lake Butler (OSRM), November 7, 2026. Expect longer drives at rush hour.
- No train nearby. The closest SunRail stations, Orlando Health/Amtrak, Church Street and Sand Lake Road, are 10.6 to 11.5 miles east in a straight line, and trains run Monday to Friday only.
- Highways. The SR 429 toll road runs to the west of the chain and I-4 to the east and south.
- Local roads. Winter Garden Vineland Road (CR 535) runs along the west and south side, past Tibet-Butler Preserve. Conroy Windermere Road runs along the north side, and Apopka Vineland Road along the east side toward Dr. Phillips.
Sources: SunRail station list and OpenStreetMap road data of July 2026, read November 2026.
10Schools
Public schools
Each address has its own assigned schools, so look up the exact house before you make an offer, not just the lake or the ZIP code.
Look up the schools for an address (OCPS)11Pros and cons
What the lakes give and what they ask
What works
- A chain you can boat13 lakes joined by 32 navigable canals, with over 5,000 acres of water.
- Protected waterAn Outstanding Florida Water since 1984; Orange County calls its water quality “generally excellent”.
- Newer housesThe median home in the Lake Butler Census area was built in 2003.
- Parks on the waterR.D. Keene Park with its public ramp, and the 438 acre Tibet-Butler Preserve on Lake Tibet.
- Near the theme parks28 minutes to Magic Kingdom and 27 to downtown Orlando, without traffic.
What to weigh
- CostOwners put the median home value at $930,500 in the Lake Butler Census area (Census, 2020 to 2024).
- The airport and the train44 minutes to MCO without traffic, and no SunRail station within 10 miles.
- Two sets of rulesTown or county code depending on the parcel, plus county review for docks and shoreline work.
- SepticMuch of the basin used septic tanks in the county’s 2007 study, so check each house.
- Boating and rentalsNew no wake zones go to a county hearing on December 1, 2026, and county zoning limits stays shorter than 30 days.
Sources: as cited in the sections above, from the Orange County Water Atlas, Orange County Parks, the U.S. Census Bureau, Redfin, OSRM and SunRail.
12Questions
Butler Chain questions
What buyers and sellers ask about the lakes, with the official source for each answer.
How many lakes are in the Butler Chain of Lakes?
Orange County counts 13: Lake Down, Little Lake Down, Wauseon Bay, Lake Butler, Lake Louise, Lake Isleworth, Lake Blanche, Lake Chase, Lake Tibet, Lake Sheen, Pocket Lake, Fish Lake and one small unnamed lake, joined by 32 navigable canals with over 5,000 acres of water. Lake Butler is the largest at about 1,600 acres. Older pages say 11 because a 2007 county study left out Little Lake Down and the unnamed 14 acre lake (Orange County Water Atlas).
Is the Butler Chain of Lakes in Windermere?
Only some are. Lake Down and Little Lake Down are inside the Town of Windermere, and the town reaches Lake Butler’s north shore; the other lakes are in unincorporated Orange County. A Windermere 34786 mailing address covers most of the northern and central lakes, while Lake Chase and Lake Tibet fall in ZIP 32819 and Lake Sheen, Pocket Lake and Fish Lake in 32836. Check the parcel on the Orange County Property Appraiser site to see whether the town or the county applies.
How much are property taxes on the Butler Chain?
It depends on the parcel. For October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027, Orange County levies 4.4347 mills countywide; unincorporated parcels add 1.8043 mills for the Sheriff and 2.8437 for fire and EMS, and parcels in the lake district add 0.2528 (county budget, FY 2026 to 2027). For an unincorporated parcel in the lake district those county levies come to 9.3355 mills, about $9.34 for every $1,000 of taxable value, before school, water management and other levies. Parcels inside the Town of Windermere also pay the town’s rate, 3.7425 mills for FY 2026 (Florida Department of Revenue); in July 2026 the town council voted to keep that rate for the next year (Orange Observer, August 5, 2026). For the full bill, look the parcel up on the Property Appraiser and Tax Collector sites.
Are short term rentals allowed on the Butler Chain of Lakes?
In unincorporated Orange County, where most of the chain lies, renting a single family home for less than 30 days is allowed only in the R-3 district. Other short term rentals of 179 days or less are limited to certain commercial and industrial districts or a planned development that allows them, and every other district prohibits them (Orange County Zoning FAQ). Homes inside the Town of Windermere follow the town’s own code, so ask the town. If rental income is part of your plan, ask a Florida real estate attorney how these rules apply to the home you want before you sign.
Is there public boat access to the Butler Chain of Lakes?
Yes. Two county ramps are open to the public. R.D. Keene Park on Lake Isleworth has 49 trailer spaces and charges $5 a day with a trailer and motorboat; the Lake Down ramp on Conroy Windermere Road has no public parking (Orange County Parks). On the water, the county’s lake district sets speed and dock rules, no vessel may enter the buoyed zone at Egret Island on Lake Butler, and new no wake zones go before the County Commission on December 1, 2026, so follow the posted markers (Orange County boating safety).
Can I work with Zoya in Russian?
Yes. Zoya speaks English and Russian, so you can talk through a lake home, the offer and the closing in either language. For Russian readers, her Windermere page in Russian also covers the lakes.
Talk to Zoya
Thinking about the Butler Chain?
Tell Zoya which lakes you have in mind, or about the home you want to sell, and she will reply within 24 hours in English or Russian.
- Call(609) 408-7086Olympus Executive Realty
- TextSend a textOlympus Executive Realty · (609) 408-7086
- WhatsAppMessage ZoyaOlympus Executive Realty
- Emailrealtor@zoyasells.comOlympus Executive Realty, 16903 Lakeside Drive, Montverde, FL 34756
Keep exploring
Nearby areas and guides
Next door
Looking outside Central Florida? Real estate elsewhere in Florida
Facts checked November 7, 2026. Sources are linked beside each figure or listed under each section: Redfin, the U.S. Census Bureau, OSRM routing, the Orange County Water Atlas, Orange County Parks, Zoning and budget pages, the Florida Administrative Code, the Florida Department of Revenue, the Orange Observer, OCPS, SunRail, the Town of Windermere and OpenStreetMap.