Preferred Properties of Okeechobee - Florida Realtor

The city of Okeechobee is located at the northern most tip of Lake Okeechobee, the second largest freshwater lake within the U.S. Okeechobee truly is the gateway to south Florida as it lies just 40 miles from the waters of the Atlantic Ocean and 90 miles from the Florida Gulf Coast.

The city, population 4,950, is the county seat of Okeechobee County, population 38,998. Beef cattle ranching is the counties oldest industry as it sits in the midst of the state's most productive cattle production and dairy farming region; but don't forget is best known for some of the finest fishing in the United States. The citrus and dairy industry follows the beef cattle business as a large part of the agriculture industry in Okeechobee county. Tourism is also an important industry for the county as each winter thousands of winter residents head to Okeechobee to escape the extreme cold and enjoy the fish filled waters of Lake Okeechobee.

While summers are hot and humid, the weather from October through mid-April is just about perfect with mild sunny days and rare cold spells. In July, the hottest month, the daily average high is 91 degrees with an average evening low of 74 degrees with over 8 inches of rainfall and humidity exceeding 75 percent. But in January, the coldest month, the daily average high is 75 degrees with an average low of 55 degrees and just three inches of rainfall.

In addition to fishing, there are several golf courses, swimming pools, and tennis courts for outdoor recreation and since the weather is great most of the year, walking is a favorite past time. There's festivals and events during the major tourist months of fall and winter including rodeos, arts and crafts shows, and the Speckled Perch Festival. In addition, there's plenty to see and do throughout this part of Florida year round from the fun of Orlando to the excitement of Miami.

There's plenty of shopping; from a busy downtown to four shopping centers offering the shopper virtually everything they need and while the city is small, because of the annual tourist invasion, there's plenty of good restaurants, gift shops, and attractions for all to enjoy. If you love fishing and outdoor recreation where folks are friendly, and you want someplace with a wonderful winter climate that's not expensive then by all means take a look at Okeechobee and its marvelous lake.

Okeechobee is very proud of its schools! We currently have 5 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, 1 freshman campus, 1 regular high school, and 1 alternative high school. All of these schools are in modern facilities or in totally renovated historical buildings. The district office is in the first brick school building (1916) and the Okeechobee Freshman Campus is housed in the original brick high school (1925). Okeechobee is one of the few Florida school districts that does not have a shortage of classroom space. Most of our portable classrooms have been eliminated in the past two years.

Upon graduation, many of our students attend Indian River Community College, which has a branch campus in Okeechobee. The main campus of IRCC is in Fort Pierce, just 40 miles away. Indian River Community College offers classes at its Okeechobee campus ranging from vocational training to personal enrichment for students of all ages.

If your looking for a great place to raise a family in a more relaxed environment, or you need a second home to get away from the cold and want to do some fishing then Okeechobee may be just for you. Take a look at our large inventory of homes and email us or give us a call. We have many qualified residential agents who are waiting to find you just the right home. Preferred Properties invites you to stop by their office and meet with our agents.