NEW COMMUNITIES ARE BOOMING
Home sales are hotter than ever in Lake Nona. In fact, the community had its best year to date in 2016, says Rob Adams, vice president of residential development for Tavistock Development Company.
And 2017 will likely be another record-breaker. From January through May, Lake Nona was the top-selling master-planned community in Central Florida — and among the 20 top-selling master-planned communities in the U.S. — according to RCLCO, a Washington, D.C.-based real-estate consulting firm that tracks sales statistics.
“Vibrancy attracts vibrancy,” Adams says. There were 230 sales notched in Lake Nona during the period surveyed by RCLCO, bringing the number of residents to about 12,000.
Lake Nona already has 3,200 single-family homes with 4,400 more planned; 800 townhomes with 1,244 more planned; and 560 multifamily homes with 1,220 more planned. About 2,000 homes of all styles should be added by 2018.
“It’s because of diversification and innovation in product types,” Adams says. “We like to have different products that appeal to different people. By broadening our appeal, we grow our sales. We cast a wide net.” That’s why Lake Nona offers single-family homes, townhomes, luxury apartments and custom estates at a wide range of price points, he adds.
That net is about to be cast even wider. In April, Tavistock announced plans for its first age-restricted neighborhood, The Gatherings, which this fall will offer 216 condominiums next to the VA Medical Center. Prices are expected to start in the high $200s, and the builder is Beazer Homes.
Work started late last year on Ariel Apartments, which will feature 348 one-, two- and three-bedroom urban-style apartments with scads of amenities, including a 24-hour fitness club featuring Technogym equipment and virtual classes.
Pixon, a “modern flat” concept, is about to break ground and is expected to open next winter. Located across from the Town Center, Pixon will offer 201 apartments, including six trial micro-units. There’ll be 23,000 square feet of ground-level retail space.
Laureate Park, which is planned for 2,600 homes, remains the largest and fastest-growing neighborhood in Lake Nona. More than 1,060 homes had been sold as of July. Buyers are attracted by creatively styled townhomes and single-family homes and a multimillion-dollar Village Center with a water park.
Conceived as a “wired-in, future-evoking” neighborhood, Laureate Park offers homes priced starting in the high $200s. A new gated subsection of Laureate Park, The Preserve by Taylor Morrison Homes, will offer 151 homes priced in the mid-$400s.
Also in Laureate Park is an open-to-the-public showhome dubbed WHIT (Wellness Home built on Innovation and Technology), which spotlights the ways in which technology can enhance healthy living. The builder is Craft Homes, which is also working on The Jewel Box, a townhome project aimed at singles.
In addition to Taylor Morrison Homes and Craft Homes, Laureate Park’s builders include Ashton Woods Homes, David Weekley Homes, Dream Finders Homes and Minto Communities. Pulte Homes will join the team soon with a new townhome community. Custom-home options are available from Arturo Barcelona Homes, Issa Homes and Phil Kean Designs.
Tavistock announced last December that the Amazing Explorers Academy’s first franchise, a preschool to teach kids about science, technology, engineering and math, is coming to Laureate Park this fall. That’s in addition to the neighborhood’s other special offerings, such as its own kids’ chess club, art classes and group exercise classes.
Here’s a rundown of other neighborhoods within Lake Nona:
• Lake Nona Golf & Country Club. This luxurious gated enclave of custom homes, nestled along the shores of Lake Nona, features a Tom Fazio-designed championship golf course, a 40,000-square-foot clubhouse, state-of-the-art fitness and tennis facilities, and a resort-style pool and spa. New homes are priced starting at $1 million.
• Lake Nona WaterMark. This luxury apartment complex is anchored by a 7,515-square-foot clubhouse with a resort-style pool, a fireside veranda, an outdoor kitchen and a business center. It’s located in the Sports & Performance District. Another apartment complex, LandonHouse Apartments, offers fitness amenities and views of the Lake Nona Town Center.
• Somerset Park. This new gated neighborhood, with single-family homes from M/I Homes and Century Homes, offers a community pool and cabana, a playground and walking trails. Prices start in the $260s, and about 325 homes are planned.
• Enclave at VillageWalk. This gated neighborhood of 143 Mediterranean-inspired estate homes, which is also built by Pulte Homes, is adjacent to VillageWalk, a built-out Pulte neighborhood, and its amenities. Prices start in the high $500s.
Communities on Lake Nona’s periphery are booming as well. Here’s a rundown of notable nearby neighborhoods:
• Eagle Creek. This master-planned community features an 18-hole golf course with a manor-style clubhouse. The new Eagle Creek Elementary School is on site. Builders include Jones Homes USA, Toll Brothers and CalAtlantic Homes. Single-family homes are priced from the $300s; golf villas from the $200s.
• Harmony. This nature-themed master-planned community is in Osceola County. Builders include CalAtlantic Homes, Lennar Homes, Meritage Homes, Regatta Building and Development, Richmond American Homes. Prices range from the $190s to more than $600,000.
• North Pointe. Homes feature granite countertops and oak or maple cabinetry in kitchens and bathrooms as well as architectural shingles and stucco exteriors in designer colors. The builder is Richmond American Homes. Prices start in the mid-$300s.
• Randal Park. This 700-acre community will encompass 815 single-family and 1,400 multifamily homes. More than 3 miles of bike paths and fitness trails surround a 5-acre central park with sports fields. There’s also a community center and eight smaller neighborhood parks and playgrounds. Builders include Mattamy Homes. New single-family homes are priced from the mid-$200s; townhomes from the low $200s.
• Tapestry. This gated, 250-acre master-planned community encompasses 1,100 homesites. Amenities include a clubhouse, a cabana, a pool, a playground and parks. Builders include Beazer Homes, KB Home and Mattamy Homes. Prices start in the low $200s.
Other new-home communities in the Lake Nona area include: Beacon Park Landing (D.R. Horton Homes, from the mid-$200s); Creekstone (KB Home, from the mid-$200s); Overlook at East Park (D.R. Horton Homes, townhomes from mid-$200s); Econ Landing (M/I Homes, townhomes from the low $200s); Gramercy Farms (KB Home, from the low $200s); Hanover Reserve (Royal Oak Homes, from the mid-$200s); Narcoossee Del Sol (M/I Homes, from the $250s; and Lake Preserve (Meritage Homes, from the high $200s).
Also: Lakeshore at Narcoossee (Pulte Homes, from the mid-$200s, townhomes from the low $200s); Narcoossee Village (M/I Homes, from the mid-$200s); Live Oak Estates (ICI Homes, from the low $500s); Woodland Park (Taylor Morrison Homes, from the $250s); Oaks at Moss Park (Lennar Homes, from the high $200s); Ravinia (D.R. Horton Homes, townhomes from the mid-$200s); and Sawgrass (CalAtlantic Homes, Beazer Homes, KB Home, Park Square Homes and Taylor Morrison Homes, from the $200s).
Finally: Serenity Reserve (55-plus community, from the low $300s); Stonewood Estates (A.R. Bailey Homes, townhomes from the mid-$200s); Storey Park (Lennar Homes, from the high $200s); Terra Vista (A&M Homes, from the low $200s); Turtle Creek (D.R. Horton Homes, Dream Finders Homes and K. Hovnanian Homes, townhomes from the high $190s, single-family homes from the mid-$200s); Underwood Estates (Royal Oak Homes, from the mid-$300s); Brighton Park (Mattamy Homes, from the low $200s); Twin Lakes (55-plus community, Jones Homes USA, from the low $200s); Bishop Landing (D.R. Horton Homes, from the $260s); and Wyndham Lakes (Lennar Homes and ABD Development, single-family homes, from the mid-$200s; townhomes, from the mid-$200s).
The area around Lake Nona will see unprecedented growth for the foreseeable future. A number of builders have announced plans for new communities, although prices and products weren’t available at presstime. Those builders and communities include: Pulte Homes (Split Oak Estates), KB Home (Hanover Square), Beazer Homes (Belle Vie) and CalAtlantic Homes (Sunset Grove).
But perhaps the most anticipated newcomer is a yet-to-be-named Mattamy Homes community located east of S.R. 417 and south of S.R. 528. The community, which spans more than 2,500 acres, will at buildout encompass 4,000 single-family homes, 2,000 multifamily homes and 500,000 square feet of office/retail space.