Category: News

LAKEWOOD RANCH NO. 1 IN THE NATION FOR HOUSING STARTS IN SECOND QUARTER

LAKEWOOD RANCH NO. 1 IN THE NATION FOR HOUSING STARTS IN SECOND QUARTER

Lakewood Ranch led the nation in housing starts for the second quarter of 2019, according to Metrostudy, a leading research and consulting firm specializing in U.S. residential markets. The Ranch’s 1,561 new home starts exceeded those of other top-selling communities in Florida, Texas, Nevada and California.

“With a broad offering of new homes for every stage of your life coupled with a long standing reputation for amenities and lifestyle, Lakewood Ranch became the ‘Most Active Community’ in the United States for new housing starts as of 2Q 2019, surpassing The Villages for top spot,” said Tony Polito, director of the Tampa/Central Florida region of Metrostudy.

Earlier in the month, Lakewood Ranch was named the second fastest-selling community in the nation (first multi-generational community), according to Maryland-based real estate consulting firm RCLCO’s 2019 Mid-Year Ranking.

“Lakewood Ranch’s sales – and subsequent starts success – is a result of its exceptional location, multi-generational approach, and diversity of neighborhoods, as well as an ever-growing list of daily conveniences and social engagement opportunities,” said Laura Cole, senior vice president, LWR Communities, LLC.

Among the recent additions to The Ranch’s myriad offerings have been two new community parks, two new shopping centers, and the addition of 1.1M square feet of commercial development, which resulted in 222 new businesses and 2,631 additional jobs. Ranch developer Schroeder-Manatee Ranch has spearheaded more than 28 miles of road expansions, added a new sheriff sub-station on SR70, and introduced a new Town Hall for residents. Lakewood Ranch Medical Center recently completed and expansion, and Dr. Mona Jain Middle School will be open for the 2019-‘20 school year.

Prices in The Ranch range from $200K to more than $1 million, providing a multitude of options for buyers, including condominiums, paired villas, and single-family homes.

Sales in Lakewood Ranch continue to come from throughout Florida, as well as from high tax markets in the Northeast, specifically New York and New Jersey. There has been growing activity from the Mid-Atlantic, including Washington, D.C., Virginia and Maryland, as well as from California.

Metrostudy is the leading provider of primary and secondary market information to the housing and related industries nationwide. In addition to providing information, the company is recognized for its consulting expertise on development, marketing and economic issues, and is a key source of research studies evaluating the feasibility of residential and commercial real estate projects. Services are offered through an extensive network of offices strategically located in major metropolitan areas throughout the country.

Lakewood Ranch is the 31,000-acre award-winning master-planned community in Sarasota and Manatee counties on the West Coast of Florida. Just minutes from the Gulf Coast beaches and cultural assets in Sarasota, Lakewood Ranch is already home to more than 36,000 residents and features A-rated schools, the Lakewood Ranch Medical Center, the Sarasota Polo Club, the 75-acre Premier Sports Campus, its own Main Street with theaters, shopping and dining, and more than four million square feet of commercial property, including CORE, a life science business campus that focuses on research, health, and education.

July 25, 2019
Poinciana Grand Opening
We have a brand new community opening this weekend–Poinciana! This community is conveniently located between University Parkway and State Road 70 near Sarasota and Manatee’s most popular and fast growing area. Mark your calendars for the grand opening celebration on Saturday, July 20^th from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Come enjoy food, a DJ and more as we celebrate the opening of this charming community.

Grand Opening Details
- Saturday, July 20th from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
- 4335 Tamarind Place, Bradenton, FL 34203
- Model tours through our most popular floor plans.
- Food, live music and more!
About Poinciana

Poinciana resides in Bradenton, close to world-class shopping, local restaurants, championship golf courses, grocery stores and more. The beaches and downtown areas of Sarasota and Bradenton are only minutes away, delighting residents year-round. Local residents can stay active at fitness clubs just outside the neighborhood and can often be seen at nearby pubs and enjoying the area’s nightlife. You can learn more about the community here.

Poinciana Homes

Homes at Poinciana are available right now. Take advantage of our limited introductory pricing offer before it goes up! Starting from the mid-$200s and featuring a British-West Indies design theme, homeowners will enjoy new villa homes in a convenient location. Both Crystal Sand and Tidewater, two of Neal’s best-selling twin villa floor plans, will be offered at Poinciana with all-time low prices.

Crystal Sand
- 2 Beds
- 2 Baths
- 2 Car Garage
- 1,434 Square Feet
- 1 Story
Tidewater
- 2 Beds
- 2 Baths
- 2 Car Garage
- 1,524 Square Feet
- 1 Story
July 18, 2019
ideal-LIVING Magazine Honors “The Best of the Best in Planned Communities”

Wilmington, NC – ideal-LIVING magazine is pleased to announce its fourth annual “Best of the Best” issue which features the Top 100 Planned Communities. The honorees are also revealed on www.ideal-LIVING.com/bestofthebest.

Surveys were collected at the 2019 Ideal Living Real Estate Shows which showed the top amenities in which potential homebuyers were interested. The Top 100 amenity communities were chosen based on the top amenities requested, including walking trails, wellness facilities, proximity to healthcare, social clubs, swimming, a sense of community, cycling, racquet sports, gated, lake communities, coastal communities, and

Hundreds of nominations were submitted to ideal-LIVING earlier this year. A special editorial committee assembled by the publication reviewed the qualifications of each nominee and selected the winners in nine categories.

Among the categories honoring residential communities are the “Top 100 Planned Communities,” “Best Lake Communities,” “Best Mountain Communities,” “Best Coastal Communities,” “Best Golf Communities,” “Best Tennis and Pickleball,” and those with the “Best Wellness Environments.”

“The ‘Best of the Best‘ feature honors those areas and communities which deserve special recognition for their outstanding qualities, facilities, and programs,” said ideal-LIVING’s Editor and Associate Publisher Kelly Godbey. “We hope that this special feature in our Summer 2019 edition will serve our readers by focusing on the places that offer the lifestyle enhancements that are the most important to them.”

For more than 25 years, ideal-LIVING magazine has been a leading national publication for readers who are nearing retirement age or who are interested in the benefits of relocating their families or businesses. The magazine’s parent company, RPI Media, also distributes other publications like the comprehensive ideal-LIVING Choose Your Ideal Place Guide and sponsors the company’s signature ideal-LIVING Real Estate Shows each year. For more information, go to the website at www.ideal-LIVING.com.

July 16, 2019
Curious About Boca Royale? Summer is Your Time to Sample the Amenities

All eyes were on Boca Royale Golf & Country Club in the latest issue of Venice Lifestyle. The magazine profiled what is now one of the area’s fastest-growing golf and country club communities. Our community more than doubled in size over the past five years and will eventually double again, to 1,200 homes in a private club enclave.

People love living at this club because it offers a rare lifestyle that feels more like a vacation than everyday life. Residents of the gated, 1,000-acre community enjoy a full line of fun and fitness amenities, including an 18-hole, par 72 golf course, beautiful amenity center, and a members-only clubhouse.

Click to learn more about why summer is the perfect time to get a taste of club life at Boca Royale!

July 16, 2019
Indigo Model Home Grand Opening Event

Earlier this month, we held a grand opening to showcase our brand new model homes at Indigo in Lakewood Ranch. The homes that were showcased included Tidewinds, Sandcastle, Victory, Endless Summer 3, and Silver Sky 2. Event goers were given the leisure to tour the homes, interact with digital floor plans or speak with Neal Communities representatives who were more than happy to answer any questions.

Aside from the homes, the grand opening featured music, food trucks and a popsicle stand to combat the high temps. We’re appreciative of every individual, couple and family who stopped by to spend some time with us. It was such a successful event and we truly could not have imagined it going any better than it did. If you want to be informed about all of our events, be sure to like our page on Facebook.

Following the grand opening, Gabby and Barbara purchased a home of their very own at Indigo. They have been visiting the community since late January and have been patiently been waiting for their home to sell. Now that they have a contract on their home, they are prepped and ready to move in. We are pleased to welcome the two of them to the beginning of this new chapter in their lives.

Now that these homes are officially open, we welcome anyone interested in Indigo to schedule a visit. If you’re not local to Florida then no worries–take a look at this video to learn all about the community of Indigo. We hope you stop by soon!

June 24, 2019
Grand Palm Named In Top 50 Best Master-Planned Communities in the U.S. by Where to Retire Magazine

FLORIDA MASTER-PLANNED COMMUNITY RECOGNIZED AS 50 BEST IN U.S.

Where to Retire Releases 11th Biennial List

HOUSTON, TX (June 4, 2019) – Where to Retire reveals “The Short List: 50 Best Master-Planned Communities in the United States,” in the July/August issue, on newsstands June 11. The list is the only one of its kind, focusing on communities rather than locales and featuring first-person testimonials by current residents.

Grand Palm, in Venice, is one of nine master-planned communities in Florida to be recognized this year. Recreational paths wind past palm trees and green spaces at this lush, all-ages community. A lifestyle director organizes activities like yoga and dance classes, while canoeing, kayaking and other aquatic fun awaits on Adventure Lake. “We fell in love with it as soon as we saw it,” one resident said.

The selected 50 best master-planned communities showcase the variety of housing options and amenities that enrich the lives of relocating retirees. “Moving after retirement doesn’t mean just a new home; it means a new life,” Where to Retire editor Annette Fuller said. “Yes, each of our 50 communities builds attractive homes, but they also nurture new friendships. Most developments offer trails, sports courts, fitness equipment, restaurants, pools and more. The settings are gorgeous, near mountains, oceans, rivers, lakes and low-humidity deserts. Climates generally are mild, allowing daily communes with nature.”

Nearly a year ago, editors began gathering and evaluating information on hundreds of communities, but chose only established neighborhoods with enough acreage to build at least a year’s supply of homes. The communities come from 17 states. Florida has nine of the winning 50 communities, followed by North Carolina with eight, Arizona with seven and South Carolina with five. Home prices begin in the $120,000s and go upward of $3 million; 35 communities on the list have homes that start at less than $300,000. Almost half of the neighborhoods are age-restricted or age-targeted while the rest are all-ages. The communities are not ranked; rather, they are listed alphabetically by state and then by development name. A two-page chart gives a snapshot of all 50 choices and a guide to their amenities.

As the authority on retirement relocation since 1992, Where to Retire has covered hundreds of the best retirement regions, towns and master-planned communities. The magazine is published six times a year and has a national circulation of 200,000.

June 10, 2019
Top 3 Tips to be the Best Summer Host
Want to be the hostess with the mostest in your Neal home this summer? Take note of our top tips so your event can be the most talked about party of the season.

1. Serve up fruit infused ice cubes for your guests.

Banish the boring ice cubes. Whip up fruit and herb-infused ice cubes to flare up the most simple of drinks. Your guests will surely be impressed when you hand them a drink filled with these pretty cubes.

All you need is a variety of your favorite fruit and herb pairings, filtered water for a crystal clear cube and an ice tray. Chop your assortment of fruits and herbs, place them in an ice tray then top it off with water. Pop them into the freezer for a few hours until they are completely frozen and voila—your glass of water just went from bland to grand!

Click here for a breakdown of the recipe and inspiration for fruit and herb combos.

2. Fill your pool with a variety of pool floats.

Pool floats will certainly make a splash at your next summer party. From extravagant swans to giant slices of pizza, there’s a float for every sort of event. Before your next pool party, pick out a variety of pool floaties that match the theme that you’re going for. Watermelon slab floats are great for a generic summer barbecue while red, white and blue popsicles would make the perfect inflatable to lounge on for the Fourth of July. If you’re looking to splurge on pool floats then be sure to browse Funboy for original luxury pool floats. Bigmouth is another more affordable option with a wide array of products to choose from. There’s no doubt that these will be a hit not only for summer parties but the whole season.

Don’t have a pool? Check out Waterscapes Pools and Spas and you’ll have a pool full of festive floaties in no time.

3. Get your home guest ready.

There’s a few things that you can do to ensure that you and your home are prepped and ready to go before your guests arrive. Here’s a quick checklist you can run through before the party starts:
- First, stock up all of your bathrooms with plenty of toilet paper and disposable towels for guest use.
- Second, baby proof your home by locking any pantries that little hands may be able to get ahold of and if it’s a pool party, make sure to book a designated pool guard for the children. If your event is exclusive to only adults then you can skip this step.
- Third, set up food trays around your home in the living room, dining room and foyer area. That way the kitchen won’t be swarmed with hungry guests and you can replenish empty trays without stepping on anyone’s toes.
- Fourth, have a designated area for towels and make sure that there are plenty of them so that pool goers can easily access after their swim.
- Finally, make sure that you have plenty of disposable flatware, plates, cups and napkins for an easy cleanup.
Now you’re officially equipped to host an unforgettable summer bash in your gorgeous Neal home.
June 10, 2019
Happy at Indigo

EVERYTHING IS PERFECT!

One person I need to mention is Louise Randazzo, your agent who showed our home. This lady is OUT OF THIS WORLD. She has a smile on her face, in any difficult situation. When I called her at least 15 different times and asked good, average and stupid questions, she already had an answer or found me the answer one way or another. She is a wonderful human being who shows compassion to everyone.

She treated me and my wife as if we were the only customers she had, when she had multitude of clients waiting. She went way beyond her call of duty to help us get settled in our new Neal Communities home and even followed up with us to see if our situation was resolved. She is worth gold! She makes your organization proud!!

I am so glad I met this wonderful lady through your organization.

Liyanage & Iranthie Fernando
Indigo

May 22, 2019
Kudos from The Estuary

I am taking the time to express my gratitude for the support and execution excellence we receive from Mark Borgiasz in the Warranty Department.

(more…)

April 17, 2019
Neal Communities Provides Funds for Parrish Heritage Festival

LAKEWOOD RANCH, Fla. — Neal Communities, southwest Florida’s premier, private homebuilder, recently donated $5,000 in support of the Parrish Heritage Festival and Chili Cook Off for the Parrish Foundation, a nonprofit that provides grants to groups that serve residents of the Parrish community.

(more…)

March 19, 2019