Sarasota, Venice, and Lakewood Ranch New Homes

This past weekend I toured Island Walk and Gran Paradiso with some new home buyers.  It illustrated how as a buyer, you should have a Realtor working with you when searching for a new home. The off-white cabinets and tone on tone backsplash and counter tops in the Summerwood model The zero corner door option available on the Summerwood model in Island Walk There are so many models now available from the new home builders in the Venice, FL area, a home buyer will appreciate how an agent working for them can direct them to the builders and communities that fit their needs. My customers this weekend wanted specific home features, combined with a lot that had a south or west exposure for the pool.  Because I knew the new home communities, we were able to find the particular model and lot my customers were looking for. Please contact me to tour new home communities with you, and search for finished new construction homes for sale on my website.

Yesterday I toured a new condo community in Osprey by DR Horton called Bay Street. Bay Street is behind the once-abandoned Mediterranean-themed shopping area in Osprey, just north of the new Walmart. Not many new condos are being built in our area.  Most builders are focusing on townhomes, semi-detached villas, or single family homes. The amenity center at Bay Street is nearing completion as of this writing Bay Street condos have beautiful lake views Bay Street condos have open plans and offer upgrades such as tile floors and upgraded appliances You can't beat this location. Developers back before the real estate bust bet big on this area, and now with the improving economy and increased buyer demand, DR Horton is offering a unique and affordable product. Prices range from $200,000 to just over $250,000, with 2/2 and 2/2/den floorplans with 1244 sq. ft. to 1575 sq. ft.  A number of move-in ready units are available now. Please contact me for a tour o...

I just toured two brand new model homes at Windwood by Neal Communities. Windwood is a new home community by Neal in Venice, FL If you like the idea of a brand new home with zero CDD fees and low monthly homeowner association fees (only $1,177 annually), then Windwood might fit the bill.  The drawback is that Windwood will have no community pool or clubhouse, and yard maintenance is the responsibility of the homeowner. There are 5 floor plans offered in Windwood, with the starting price for the 1772 square foot Expression model at $259,900.  The most expensive model, the 2-story Ovation model, provides 2577 square feet and starts at $304,900.  These prices include base home site, and lot premiums apply for lake and preserve views. Neal's Ovation model home at Windwood Kitchen inside the Ovation model home at Windwood I have been a fan of other Neal Communities new home developments, but I feel like Windwood misses the mark.  The Expression model h...

Island Walk has been at the apex of new home construction in Venice FL for quite some time.  The builder, Divosta Homes, has a stellar reputation for building quality homes all over south Florida. Island Walk will eventually consist of 2,400 residences, and at a rate of 150-200 units per year, new homes will be built in Island Walk for the foreseeable future. Today I toured their new model homes and their on-site showroom.  They also have two interactive online touchscreen monitors, where buyers can configure their homes with desired finishes and see the price right away.  This truly sets Island Walk apart from the other new homes in the Venice area. The Martin Ray model home has a nice open plan and large caged pool and covered lanai. The Abbeyville model has nice touches such as a curbless shower and a butler's pantry. Unlike many builders, Divosta provides their design center on-site, giving buyers an almost endless choice of floorin...

I recently visited Sarasota National in Venice.  There's a lot going on here with a lot of new home options for buyers. Sarasota National has been around for a while.  It was acquired from the original owner by WCI, after the real estate market downturn.  Many people consider it a golf course community, but you can purchase a new home, villa, or condo without belonging to the golf club.  Sarasota National is located east of Venice on Hwy 41, about 4 miles from downtown Venice. Yes, I mentioned condos as a housing option in Sarasota National.  Most of the new home builders in the Venice and Sarasota areas are concentrating on single family and villas because they are more profitable, but WCI is offering "carriage homes" in Sarasota National. Carriage homes under constuction in Sarasota National I toured several of the model homes and villas during my visit.  If you've ever visited Venetian Golf and River Club in Nokomis, another WCI communit...

If you're looking for a new home in the Venice, FL area, you won't want to miss Gran Paradiso by Lennar. Tuscan themed Gran Paradiso entrance Sprawling Gran Paradiso clubhouse Clubhouse great room Activities room Gran Paradiso fitness and aerobics center Located on Hwy 41 about 5 miles east of downtown Venice, Gran Paradiso is a modern take on Tuscan style, offering an impressive resort-style club house and pool. One of the best features of Gran Paradiso is that all homes have access to the clubhouse and are maintenance free, which means law mowing, irrigation, and exterior pest control are provided with low homeowner association fees, which vary from around $150 per month to around $225 per month for some of the villas. Tile roofs are standard on all Gran Paradiso homes and villas I found some of the floor plans, such as the Princeton II, a bit disappointing in that a formal dining and living room are still offered, where most of today...

Today I was fortunate to tour a new home community between Englewood and Venice called Keyway Place. Keyway Place is built by Ryland Homes and is located just south of Manasota Beach Road on Hwy 776.  Keyway Place doesn't look like much from the road, but the community will have 70 homes, all single story. Prices start in the $230's.  I was highly impressed with the model home. Kitchen has that WOW factor.  Note the builder upgrade ceramic tile plank floors. The generous master bedroom Open floor plan that buyers want and a very useful spot for the den, 3rd bedroom, or home office I really liked the floor plan for this model home, which is the Heron model elevation B.  The placement of the den was logical, yet so many other builders tend to place this room on the side of the house rather than the front.   A starting price of $243,000 for 1635 sq ft for this model is a good value among new homes in the area.  There are no CDD fees ...