Stonecrest Homes for Sale in Summerfield, FL
A gated 55+ community in Marion County, less than three miles from The Villages. Here is who runs it, what you pay, what golf costs, and the one thing buyers get wrong about the cart paths.
What is Stonecrest?
Stonecrest is a gated 55+ community in Summerfield, in Marion County. It sits less than three miles from The Villages, and that proximity is why most buyers find it. It is run by a resident-controlled property owners association — residents elect the board, and the board sets the dues.
Two facts do most of the work when buyers compare it to The Villages. First, it is in Marion County, not Sumter. County decides the tax rate, so the numbers people quote about Sumter County do not apply here. Second, and this is the one that surprises people: you cannot take a golf cart from Stonecrest into The Villages. Stonecrest says so itself.
Governance-wise, Stonecrest is one of the better-protected options in this group. Residents vote. Compare that to Oak Run, where the developer sets the fee unilaterally, or Spruce Creek South, where a private investor owns the amenities outright.
Stonecrest at a glance
| County | Marion — not Sumter |
|---|---|
| City | Summerfield, FL |
| Governance | Resident-controlled POA |
| What you pay | Monthly POA dues; villas pay a higher tier |
| Who sets it | The resident-elected board |
| CDD | None found — confirm on the tax bill |
| Golf | Separate club membership |
| Cart to The Villages | No route. Stonecrest's own FAQ says so. |
| Age rule | A 55+ community under federal housing-for-older-persons rules. Confirm the specific occupancy terms with the POA. |
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Who actually runs Stonecrest
A property owners association runs Stonecrest, and the residents control it. They elect the board. The board sets the dues. If residents do not like a decision, they have a vote and an election to use.
That sounds ordinary until you look at what is next door. In this stretch of Marion County, three different governance models sit within a few miles of each other, and they are not equivalent. At Oak Run, the developer still owns the common areas and the recreation centers and sets the monthly fee on its own authority — residents never vote on it. At Spruce Creek South, the association dissolved in 2014 and a private investor owns the gate, the pool, and the golf course. Stonecrest is the version where the people paying the fee are the people setting it.
That is not a small thing over twenty years of ownership. The fee amount on the day you close matters far less than who is allowed to change it afterward. I walk buyers through all four models on the 55+ communities comparison.
The golf cart question
This is the one buyers get wrong, and it is worth being blunt about. Stonecrest sits less than three miles from The Villages. Buyers see that on a map and assume the cart paths connect. They do not.
Stonecrest's own FAQ says there is no golf cart route into The Villages. Carts from Stonecrest reach the neighboring Walmart, Aldi, and Lowe's. That is the extent of it. There is no cart path to a town square, no cart path to a Villages recreation center, no cart path to the executive golf courses.
If the cart lifestyle is a real part of why you are moving to Florida, that fact should carry weight in your decision. The golf cart guide covers what the network inside The Villages actually reaches, which is a very different picture: groceries, medical offices, dining, and all five town squares.
What you actually pay at Stonecrest
Three separate things land on a Stonecrest owner. Only one of them is the community charging you. Buyers routinely read all three as one number and get the comparison wrong.
The POA dues
Monthly, set by the resident-elected board, with villas on a higher tier than single-family homes. I am not printing a figure here. I could not confirm a current published schedule at a primary level during the research pass, and a number I cannot source is worse than no number. Ask the POA for the current schedule in writing, and ask which tier the specific home falls in.
The Marion County package — not a Stonecrest fee
Every unincorporated Marion County home carries the same county charges on its tax bill: a $283.97 fire assessment for tax year 2025, plus solid waste and stormwater, totaling $513.97. Some listings and forums present that as a community charge. It is not. It is the county, it shows up at Oak Run and both Spruce Creeks too, and moving between Marion communities does not change it.
Property tax — verify by address
Stonecrest is in Marion County. The rate depends on the exact parcel and its tax district, and a Marion rate quoted for a home inside The Villages does not describe a home in Stonecrest. Pull the parcel record for the specific address and read the tax district line. And remember Florida reassesses at market value after a sale, so the seller's bill is not your bill.
No CDD found — but check the bill
No community development district was found for Stonecrest. That is good news for a buyer, because a CDD assessment is a flat non-ad valorem line that can run into the thousands per year where one exists. Arlington Ridge over in Lake County is the cautionary example. Still, confirm it on the tax bill for the specific home rather than taking my word or the listing's.
Golf is separate
Golf at Stonecrest is a separate club membership, not something the POA dues cover. That is the norm here — every 55+ community in this comparison charges separately for golf, either by membership or per round. The Villages is the exception: walking play on its 45 executive courses is included in the amenity fee, and only the championship courses cost extra.
The usual homeowner costs, unchanged
Insurance, roof age, and air conditioning age matter here exactly as much as they do anywhere in Florida. Roof age drives the insurance quote more than square footage does. Get the installation date in writing and get a quote before your inspection period ends, not after.
Stonecrest versus The Villages
I sell in The Villages. That does not make Stonecrest the wrong answer for everyone, and pretending otherwise would waste your time. Here is both columns.
Where Stonecrest wins
- One monthly payment, not three. POA dues and that is the community charge. In The Villages you pay an amenity fee plus a CDD bond plus a CDD maintenance assessment.
- No CDD bond. None was found here. A newer home in the southern part of The Villages can carry $3,000 to $5,000 or more per year in bond that a Stonecrest buyer never sees.
- A gate. Stonecrest is gated. Most villages in The Villages are open — no gate and no guard house — and only a few are gated.
- Residents control the fee. Elected board, real vote. That is better protection than Oak Run or Spruce Creek South offer.
- Smaller scale. Buyers who find The Villages overwhelming are describing something real, not imagining it.
Where The Villages wins
- The golf cart lifestyle. No cart route runs from Stonecrest into The Villages — Stonecrest says so. Inside The Villages, carts reach groceries, medical, dining, and all five town squares.
- Golf economics. Walking play on 45 executive courses is included in the amenity fee. At Stonecrest golf is a separate club membership.
- Amenity scale. 130 recreation centers and five town squares with free nightly entertainment, against one amenity campus.
- Fee transparency. District budgets are public and the amenity fee's adjustment rule is written into the deed. Stonecrest's current dues schedule was not publicly confirmable during my research pass.
- Resale depth. Far more transactions, which means a clearer read on what a home is actually worth.
The honest summary: if you want a gate, a single monthly payment, and no bond, Stonecrest deserves a look. If the cart paths and the golf are why you are moving to this part of Florida, Stonecrest cannot deliver those, and three miles on a map does not change that. Full side-by-side on the 55+ communities comparison, and the Villages side is broken down cost by cost on the cost of living guide.
Stonecrest in Summerfield, FL: common questions
Marion County, in Summerfield. It is not in Sumter County, even though it sits less than three miles from The Villages. County decides the tax rate, so confirm the county on the parcel record for any home you are considering.
No. Stonecrest says so in its own FAQ. Carts reach the neighboring Walmart, Aldi, and Lowe's, and that is the extent of it. If cart access to The Villages matters to you, this is the single most important fact on this page.
A resident-controlled property owners association. Residents elect the board, and the board sets the dues. That is a different model from Oak Run and Spruce Creek South nearby, where residents do not vote on the fee at all.
Monthly POA dues, with villas paying a higher tier. I do not print a figure here because I could not confirm a current published schedule at a primary level. Get the current amount in writing from the POA before you offer.
No CDD was found for Stonecrest. That is worth confirming on the tax bill for the specific home, because a CDD assessment shows up as a flat non-ad valorem line and can add thousands a year where one exists.
No. That is Marion County. It is a $283.97 fire assessment (tax year 2025) plus solid waste and stormwater, and every unincorporated Marion County home pays it. Moving to a different Marion community does not change it.
No. Golf is a separate club membership. That is true of every 55+ community near here except The Villages, where walking play on the 45 executive courses is included in the amenity fee.
Other 55+ communities near The Villages
Comparing Stonecrest against The Villages?
Tell me what you are actually after and I will give you my honest read on which side fits it. I will say so if the answer is Stonecrest.