Lakewood Ranch is an 8,500 acre master-planned community on Florida's Gulf Coast developed on the border between Sarasota and Bradenton close to I-75. The community consists of seven villages, from maintenance-free condos and town homes and single family homes to elegant custom estates.
Lakewood Ranch is the largest green-certified community in America. Every new village is built "green," incorporating building products that result in a healthier, more energy-efficient, and environmentally responsible home.
The community offer everything a family could want including gourmet and family-friendly restaurants, A-rated schools, unique shops and boutiques, business parks, a hospital and medical center, three golf courses, an athletic center and polo and cricket clubs. There are over 150 miles of sidewalks and trails, community parks, lakes and nature preserves shared with native wildlife.
Before the housing bust, Lakewood Ranch had been one of the fastest growing areas on the Florida Gulf Coast. But that all changed for a while. New home building had slowed to a crawl since the housing bubble burst. As recently as last October there was a nearly 31 month supply of unsold homes in Lakewood Ranch. If things hadn't turned around, it would have taken more than 2 1/2 years to just sell all of those homes assuming that no additional homes were listed for sale during that period.
Things have changed again - but this time dramatically for the better. Increased home sales in Lakewood Ranch have dramatically reduced the inventory of unsold homes. With their inventories depleted, builders are now flocking back to the area. By mid-year, 2010, existing inventories of unsold homes had fallen to just over a six month supply, which is considered a sign that supply and demand are back in balance.
Rich Stover, a well-known Sarasota real estate agent said recently, "what this means to you as a prospective home buyer is that the long painful period of price drops is about over and if you want a home in Lakewood Ranch, now is the time to come see one of our builders and get that dream home of yours under construction while these low prices are still around." His thoughts were seconded by another Sarasota waterfront properties Realtor who felt that while waterfront homes prices are still in the doldrums, Lakewood Ranch seems to have come alive again.
