About Osceola County
Osceola County has just two cities, Kissimmee, the county seat, and St. Cloud, on the southern shore of East Lake Tohopekaliga. BEBR's 2025 estimate places most residents in unincorporated areas, in places such as Poinciana, Buenaventura Lakes, Celebration and Harmony. Lake Tohopekaliga lies just south of Kissimmee, and Lake Kissimmee is almost entirely inside the county. With no ocean coastline, the county still publishes flood evacuation maps for areas known to be vulnerable to flooding, with rally points on higher ground and access control points that stay closed during an evacuation.
Celebration, near Walt Disney World, was originally developed by The Walt Disney Company. Short-stay lodging is part of the county's economy, and the county Tax Collector registers rentals of less than 180 days for the Tourist Development Tax, whether the unit is a single-family home, a condominium or another structure rented to guests.
Buyers who plan to rent a home for short stays face a different set of questions than owner-occupants. Lenders treat primary homes, second homes and investment properties differently, and zoning, community development district charges and association rules on short stays are separate checks that depend on the address. The county publishes a short-term rental overlay map and a short-term rental planned development district page for that zoning check.
Quick facts
- County seat
- Kissimmee
- Region
- Central Florida
- 2026 conforming loan limit
- $832,750
- One-unit home · FHFA
- 2026 FHA loan limit
- $541,287
- One-unit home · HUD
- Geography
- Lake Tohopekaliga and East Lake Tohopekaliga, fed by Shingle Creek
- Lake Kissimmee, almost entirely inside the county, with Lake Kissimmee State Park on its western shore in Polk County
- An inland county with no ocean coastline but mapped flood evacuation areas
- Housing types
- Single-family neighborhoods in Kissimmee, St. Cloud and the unincorporated communities
- Master-planned communities such as Celebration and Harmony
- Townhomes and condominiums, which the county SHIP page lists as eligible property types
- Vacation homes and condominiums bought as second homes or short-stay rentals
Figures show their source and year. Confirm details with the county offices.
Housing in Osceola County
Osceola County's housing is organized around a few large pieces. Kissimmee and St. Cloud have older streets and newer subdivisions, while the largest communities are unincorporated: Poinciana, which crosses into Polk County, and Buenaventura Lakes, near Kissimmee, are census-designated places, and Celebration and Harmony are master-planned communities, the first developed by Disney and the second near St. Cloud.
The county's SHIP page, checked in October 2026, lists single-family houses, townhomes and condominiums as the eligible property types, a reminder that attached housing is a normal part of this market. BEBR shows the unincorporated area adding far more residents since 2020 than Kissimmee and St. Cloud together, so new homes are concentrated outside the cities. Confirm the county for any Poinciana address, because that community spans Osceola and Polk counties.
Financing in Osceola County
USDA loans
Away from the Kissimmee and St. Cloud corridors, Osceola County has rural land, and some addresses there may fall inside USDA-eligible areas. The eligibility map sorts properties address by address instead of by county or town, and the program has income and occupancy rules. A vacation-rental plan would not fit a USDA purchase, so check eligibility only for a home meant as a primary residence.
Investor and DSCR loans
Say at the outset how the property will be used, because lenders treat primary homes, second homes and investment properties differently. A DSCR loan looks mainly at the property's rental income, and many lenders also review credit, assets and reserves. In a vacation-rental market, ask how a lender treats short-stay income and whether it wants lease history, since approaches differ between lenders.
Condominiums
Condominiums and condo-hotels near the attractions raise project-level questions. A building three habitable stories or higher needs a structural integrity reserve study under s. 718.112 and, as it ages, milestone inspections under s. 553.899. Ask for both reports, the budget and the association's rental rules; lenders review the association itself, and units in projects run like hotels, with rental pools or hotel-type services, may need a non-warrantable condo option.
Flood zones and flood insurance
The county's pages include a What's my flood zone? lookup, a FEMA Floodplain Program page and flood evacuation maps with rally points. Sign up for ALERT Osceola to receive emergency messages. A lake-adjacent home deserves a question to the seller about past high water, and FEMA's Flood Map Service Center gives the official zone for the address.
Homestead exemption
Homestead exemption is for a permanent residence, so a vacation home that is not the owner's permanent residence does not qualify, and Florida law generally treats renting out all or most of a homestead as abandoning it, with limited exceptions. A buyer who moves in full-time and owns and lives in the home on January 1 can apply with the Osceola County Property Appraiser by March 1. Plan the first tax bill accordingly, since second-home and rental properties are assessed without the exemption.
Local homebuyer assistance
When checked in October 2026, the county's SHIP page said purchase help needs a homebuyer education certificate and a letter from a participating lender before a pre-application is accepted, and lenders send intake forms by email. The home must be a single-family house, townhome or condominium. The City of Kissimmee has its own SHIP plan on file with Florida Housing, so confirm whether the county or the city covers the address.
Short-term rentals
The county's Tax Collector registers rentals of fewer than 180 days for the Tourist Development Tax, including single-family homes and condominiums. Zoning is a separate test: the county's short-term rental planned development page says to verify that zoning allows short-term rentals, points to an overlay map and the Zoning office, and notes that a state vacation rental license is also needed. Association and district rules add another layer.
Cities, towns and communities
- KissimmeeCityCounty seatThe county seat and largest city, incorporated in 1883, and a principal city of the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford metropolitan area.
- St. CloudCityCity on the southern shore of East Lake Tohopekaliga, founded as a retirement community for Union army veterans.
- PoincianaUnincorporated communityUnincorporated community that spans Osceola and Polk counties, so the county of a given parcel needs checking.
- Buenaventura LakesUnincorporated communityUnincorporated community in northern Osceola County near Kissimmee, commonly called BVL.
- CelebrationUnincorporated communityUnincorporated master-planned community near Walt Disney World, originally developed by The Walt Disney Company.
- HarmonyUnincorporated communityUnincorporated master-planned community near St. Cloud.
Official local resources
- Osceola County Property Appraiser
- Osceola County Tax Collector
- Osceola County Clerk of the Circuit Court (official records)
- Osceola County Emergency Management
- Osceola County Housing and Community Services (SHIP purchase assistance)
- Osceola County Flood Evacuation Maps
Links go to government offices, not to Mortgage by Ruben.
Osceola County: common questions
5 questions
What is different about buying a home near Kissimmee to use as a vacation rental?
Occupancy drives the loan rules, because a primary home, a second home and an investment property are each treated differently by lenders. The Osceola County Tax Collector says rentals of less than 180 days, in single-family homes, condominiums and other units, owe the Tourist Development Tax. Zoning, community development district charges and association rules on short stays also vary by address.
What are rally points on Osceola's flood evacuation maps?
Rally points are areas of safety and higher ground shown on the county's flood evacuation mapping. Nobody is required to go to one, and public safety officials staff them to help people who need assistance. The maps also mark access control points that stay closed during an evacuation. Search an address in the map viewer and sign up for ALERT Osceola.
What must be done before applying for Osceola County's SHIP purchase assistance?
The county page, checked in October 2026, lists two pre-application steps: a homebuyer education certificate from a HUD-certified counseling agency or another qualified provider, and a letter from one of the county's participating lenders. Intake forms are accepted only by email from recently approved lenders. The property must be a single-family house, townhome or condominium.
Is Poinciana in Osceola County or Polk County?
Both. Poinciana is a census-designated place that lies in Osceola and Polk counties, so a Poinciana mailing address does not show which county's property appraiser, tax collector, permit office or housing program applies. Look up the parcel on the Osceola County Property Appraiser site, and if it is not there, check Polk County's, before relying on county-specific help.
Can a vacation home near Disney get a homestead exemption?
Not while it is a second home. Florida's homestead exemption, s. 196.031, requires the owner to hold title and make the home a permanent residence on January 1, and under s. 196.061 renting out all or most of a homestead generally counts as abandoning it, with limited exceptions. A buyer who later moves in full-time can apply with the Property Appraiser by March 1 for the next cycle, and the office decides each case.
Loan programs to explore
- Short-Term Rental LoansFinance vacation rentals using short-term rental income.
- DSCR Loans for InvestorsLooks mainly at the property's rent. Documents vary by lender.
- Condotel and Non-Warrantable Condo LoansFor condos and condo-hotels outside Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac project rules.
- Second Home LoansFinance a vacation home you will use part of the year.
- Down Payment Assistance ProgramsGrants and second loans that help with funds to close.
Not sure which program fits? Try the program finder or run your own numbers in the calculators.
Browse all loan programsNeighboring counties
Local information on this page is general, comes from public sources and can change. Loan programs and eligibility do not depend on the county alone, and this page does not determine them. For current facts about a property, check official sources such as the county property appraiser or assessor and FEMA flood maps. This is not a commitment to lend, and program availability varies by lender.