Venice FL Area Real Estate Market Analysis

Residential real estate purchases listed in the MLS system for the Venice area have gone from less than 5% being made on an all cash basis prior to the economic crisis, compared to over 60% each year from 2010 to this (MFRMLS, 2015). It also appears that the area’s cash sales volume cannot merely be attributed to investors picking up foreclosed properties. Two local builders’ representatives report 50-60% of their communities’ new home sales have been made with all cash in the past couple of years, and that the volume of sales and demand have greatly exceeded corporate expectations during that time as well.  The total number of residential home sales recorded in the local MLS system for 2014 was actually 38% higher than the total for the 2005 calendar year in the midst of the housing bubble (MFRMLS, 2015).  This also indicates that the proportion of purchases made with lending cannot significantly be attributed merely to increase lending standards that are subsequently eliminating a section from the market or from the clearing of foreclosures as some would claim.

Local Market Analysis

Venice, Florida, Area Characteristics

Description. Lifestyle characteristics.  Venice is a quiet suburban location conveniently placed in between a number of more metropolitan areas with major airports.  Sarasota is a mere 20 minutes away, about an hour to Fort Myers, Tampa is about an hour and a half drive, while Orlando and its attractions are only about 2.5 hours away.  The Tamiami Trail, Route 41, is a major traffic corridor through the city and lays approximately midway between the coast of the Gulf of Mexico and Interstate 75.  It has a charming historic downtown are with a park, theater, restaurants and shopping.  There are many local golf courses in and near Venice.

Population.  Venice, itself, is a small city with a population of just over 21,000 (Bureau of Economic and Business Research, 2014) located in Sarasota County, Florida.  This figure is for the city proper and not including the greater range of Venice addresses.  Available data is not exactly clear as to the population estimate for the broader targeted Venice ‘area.’ The applicable zip codes that can have Venice mailing addresses are: 34275, 34285, 34292, and 34293.  Properties within the last three listed all would have Venice addresses.  A very small percentage of residences within the 34275 zip code currently have Venice mailing addresses. Population estimates from the 2013 American Community Survey for the three zip codes combined are 65,623 persons in 2013, 64,395 in 2012, and 64,062 in 2011 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010). According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, “in 2012, Sarasota [County] had a total personal income (TPI) of $21,400,975.  This TPI ranked 11th in the state and accounted for 2.7 percent of the state total.  In 2002, the TPI of Sarasota was $14,447,855 and ranked 10th in the state” (Bureau of Economic and Business Research, 2014, para. 2).

Population characteristics

Age of population.  The area is known for having an older population, as it is popular for retirees.  Florida, in general, has a reputation for its substantial number of seniors, which for 2013 was estimated to have 18.7% of its population at 65 years of age or older (“Sarasota County Quick Facts,” 2013).  The statistic for Sarasota County during the same timeframe was significantly higher at 33.3% of the population (“Sarasota County Quick Facts,” 2013).  “Among Florida’s counties, Sarasota County has the third‐highest percentage of residents aged 65 and over, the second‐highest percent‐age of residents aged 75 and over, and the highest percentage of residents aged 85 and over” (Sarasota County Planning Services [SCPS], 2012, July, p. 1).  The Venice area of Sarasota County is comprised of sections with a generally higher median age than much of the rest of the county at a figure greater than 64 years of age, as can be seen in Figure 1 from Sarasota County Planning Services (SCPS, 2012).

Economic status.  Only about 9% of the population was persons below the poverty level from 2008-2012 (U.S. Census Bureau, n.d.).  The majority of people own their own home, at 72%, with a median home value of $180,800 for owner-occupied units, and the median household income is $46,404 (U.S. Census Bureau, n.d.).  It might be argued that the household income figure could be somewhat deceptive, however, as it does not include capital gains or some supplemental retirement benefits (U.S. Census Bureau, n.d.).  These are likely to be, or have been for the data referenced, sources of income for the many residents of the area.  As a result, using the household income figures from the U.S. Census Bureau (n.d.) could potentially create a significantly skewed view of the local economy.  Additionally, the Census Bureau’s income figure is pre-expenses, so it is before mortgage expenses, etc.  An area where a higher proportion of the population owns their residence outright will also have a higher proportion of discretionary income compared to another area with similar household income figures. The impacts of this excluded income and of expense differences may warrant future research to determine if it is the case, and if so, to what degree.

Residential units.  The Sarasota County Property Appraiser’s website was utilized to search and download data spreadsheets on August 1st, 2015, listing all properties within applicable zip codes (Sarasota County Property Appraiser [SCPA], 2015).  From the list of all properties gathered for each zip code, non-residential and vacant or units under construction were eliminated from consideration.  Subdivisions were included for consideration where mailing addresses of ‘Venice’ or ‘North Venice’ in instances that the physical street address matched the mailing address.  Three instances of this criterion were also included that were listed as not in a subdivision.  The result is an estimated 1,443 residential units for zip code 34275 that would be considered Venice area domiciles. There are 11,915 residential units listed for the City of Venice with zip code 34285.  Zip code 34292 all have Venice physical addresses listed.  There are 8,187 completed residential units in place within zip code 34292.  Zip code 34293 resulted in 20,240 residential units in place.  This totals 41,785 residences contained in the research target area of Venice area.

Growth.  According to Census.gov’s State and County Quick Facts for Venice, Florida, the 2013 population estimate is 21,253 individuals; this is a 2.4% increase over the 2010 U.S.  Census (U.S. Census Bureau, n.d.).  Venice is 15.27 square miles with approximately 1359 persons per square mile, according to the 2010 Census (U.S. Census Bureau, n.d.).  At the time of the Census, only 6.1% of the population was under 18 years of age, while 57% of the population was comprised of individuals 65 years of age and older (U.S. Census Bureau, n.d.).

It is considered an area of high-growth due to considerable expansion in new home construction (Bureau of Economic and Business Research, 2014).  And, according to the local MLS (My Florida Regional MLS [MFRMLS], 2014; MFRMLS, 2015), the volume of home sales has been on a considerable upward trend in the past 5 years, increasing an average of 15% per year from 2008 through 2013 (Figure 2).  Increases in new home construction and increases in sales volumes indicate an increasing demand, while the number of active listings (Figure 3) has been on a downward trend over the past 5 years (MFRMLS, 2014). A housing economist for Trulia says that their data shows this market area is currently one of the top ten fastest moving in the nation (McLaughlin, 2015).

Figure 1. Count of Active Listings by Year and Month (MFRMLS, 2015)

Figure 2. Venice Residential Sales by Month for Past 5 Years (MFRMLS, 2015)

Figure 3. Venice Residential Average Sales Price by Month for Past 5 Years (MFRMLS, 2015)

The proportion of residents over 65 is projected to grow to about 40% by the year 2030 (SCPS, 2012), as the last of the Baby Boomer generation reaches retirement age.  The population is anticipated and planned to grow with other age categories as well (SCPS, 2012).  The resident population of Sarasota County is estimated at about 390,000 for 2014 with an additional winter seasonal population of 100,000 (SCPS, 2015).  Sarasota County Planning Services [SCPS] says that the population is growing at less than 1% currently, or about 5 new residents per day (SCPS, 2015, p. 2).  However, that rate is expected to increase dramatically over the next decade, with an anticipated average of 2,000 new housing units added per year to accommodate the growth (SCPS, 2015).  Permits for new residential units reached 1,196 in 2014, up over 382% since the low figure in 2009 (SCPS, 2015).  SCPS also reports that two-thirds of the growth that was seen for the county during 2011 through 2013 was in South County (SCPS, 2015, p. 2), which is predominantly comprised of the area targeted in the scope of this review.

Final Commentary

Venice, Florida, is a growing resort-style, coastal area popular for retirement living.  With Baby Boomers reaching retirement age in greater volume, and many finally seeing their retirement funds recovered from the downturn, the housing market demand is escalating for the area.  This is clearly shown by the data.  Increases in new home construction and increases in sales volumes indicate an rising demand and sales prices, while the number of active listings has been on a downward trend over the past 5 years (MFRMLS, 2015).  The local Neighborhood Development Services Department recently received 42 applications for new home permits in the target area from just one builder in one single day (City of North Port, 2015, p. 4).   In the consecutive 8 months through June 2015, that same department issued a total of 528 residential building permits (City of North Port, 2015, p. 4). The local real estate market for Venice, Florida, is certainly taking off, and the future outlook suggests that a home purchase in the area may be a very good option from a personal investment perspective. If you are considering a home here, act sooner rather than later due to rising home values.

Please, check out my website, and contact me for more information!

Look forward to hearing from you!

Ali

References

Bureau of Economic and Business Research. (2014). Florida estimates of population 2014: April 1, 2014. Retrieved from University of Florida, Bureau of Economic and Business Research: http://www.edr.state.fl.us/Content/population-demographics/data/PopulationEstimates2014.pdf

City of North Port. (2015, Summer). North Port grows in rooftops and businesses. North Port Currents.

McLaughlin, R. (2015, August 25). America’s fastest moving markets finally slowing down [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://www.trulia.com/trends/2015/08/fast-moving-markets-aug2015/

My Florida Regional MLS.  (2014).  Stats: Historical sales volumes [Data file].  Retrieved from http://www.mfrmls.com

My Florida Regional MLS [MFRMLS]. (2015). Stats: Venice home sales by year, with financing filter of cash and not cash [Data file]. Retrieved June 23, 2015, from http://mfr.mlsmatrix.com/

Sarasota County Planning Services. (2012, July). How are we aging? Retrieved from https://www.scgov.net/PlanningServices/Demographic%20Profiles/How%20are%20we%20aging.pdf

Sarasota County Planning Services. (2015). Demographic trends: Developer’s roundtable. Retrieved from https://www.scgov.net/PlanningServices/Demographic%20Presentations/Demographic%20Trends%20-%20Developers’%20Roundtable%20Jan%202015.pdf

Sarasota County Property Appraiser. (2015, August 1). Property search: Advanced search [Data file]. : .

State & county Quick Facts: Sarasota County, Florida. (2013). Retrieved from http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/12/12115.html

U.S. Census Bureau. (2010). DP05, ACS demographic and housing estimates: 2009-2013 American Community Survey 5-year estimates [Data]. Retrieved from http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/community_facts.xhtml#none

U.S. Census Bureau. (n.d.). State & county quick facts: Sarasota, FL [Data table]. Retrieved from http://quickfacts.census.gov

If you are considering purchasing a home in this community, I can assist you. My services and extensive resources are of no cost to you, and in most instances, I am able to save home buyers some money.  I do not work for any of the wonderful builders in the West Villages Improvement District, or any others for that matter. My services and information (including the resources provided on all of my websites) are wholly independent of these developers. No other independent professional is more knowledgeable about this community, and enlisting me to assist with your transaction also serves to fund these resources to keep them available for you and others on an ongoing basis.

Aileen “Ali” Johnston, MHA, MBA in Real Estate

Realtor®, Hoover Realty LLC

Mobile: 941-539-5771

WVID Blogspot

Gran Paradiso Blogspot

NewHomeVenice.com

My West Villages Site

My Gran Paradiso Site

My IslandWalk Site

Gran Paradiso: Greater District WVID Growth and Plans

Blogger article link

The West Villages Improvement District definitely survived the recession, and now it is on a springboard to be thriving region full of life, culture, and vitality. DiVosta’s appeal and fortitude in their IslandWalk community provided the foundation of endurance that propelled the district’s survival. Lennar’s acquisition and reopening of Gran Paradiso spurred much of the district revival as a result. And, now, Mattamy’s development plans as well as involvement with the greater district plans execution are seeing to it that the realization of the district as a masterfully designed village community of several adjoining neighborhoods. Information about their plans is finally coming to light.

Their first neighborhood is to be the “Preserve” with 110 larger lots and homes for a more tight-knit, small community. It will be a luxury level of estate homes with 3-car garages, etc, boasting plans that have a more ‘coastal’ style compared to the Italian-inspired IslandWalk and Gran Paradiso or the Key West feel of Grand Palm’s elevations. Groundbreaking is anticipated in September or October of this year for the Preserve neighborhood.

The second planned development of the former ranch property is called the “Renaissance.” It is to be a larger community and to offer a homebuyers with a selection of builders’ and their respective plans. The builder selection has yet to be released, but I will let you know what will be available as soon as I do.

There are also a couple of items of specific interest for residents in the district. Many will be happy to note that numerous resident and prospective homebuyer requests for a dog park have been heard, and it is in the plans for “sooner rather than later” implementation.

Other inquiries regarding the previously promised district shopping, restaurants, and service quarter have been answered as well. You will be happy to note that is also in back on track as part of the grand scheme. It is not to be the originally planned Town Center location, but it has been relocated and re-envisioned with increased walkability characteristics and enhanced aesthetics. It is projected to potentially break ground in about a year.

Further, integration with and accommodation of SCF offerings, along with a future Sarasota Memorial, incorporated into the design of district amenities and community features are to offer current and future community residents robust opportunities for lifelong learning, volunteerism, and involvement.

I cannot begin to tell you how thrilled that that I am to see the plans being implemented and excitement building for this rapidly growing area. It is coming into its own at long last. We are now witnessing the vision of the West Villages Improvement District finally unfold as the master-planned, active enclave that it was always intended to be. A dynamic and cohesive community comprised of several distinctly unique neighborhoods that are suited for many various tastes and style preferences.

If you are considering purchasing a home in this community, I can assist you. My services and extensive resources are of no cost to you, and in most instances, I am able to save home buyers time and money.  I do not work for any of the wonderful builders in the West Villages Improvement District, or any others for that matter. My services and information (including the resources provided on all of my websites) are wholly independent of these developers. No other independent professional is more knowledgeable about this community, and enlisting my support with your transaction serves also to fund these resources to keep them available for you and others on an ongoing basis.

Please, check out my website, and contact me for more information!

Look forward to hearing from you!

Ali

Aileen “Ali” Johnston, MHA

(currently working on an MBA in Real Estate)

Realtor®, Hoover Realty LLC

Mobile: 941-539-5771

WVID Blogspot

Gran Paradiso Blogspot

NewHomeVenice.com

My West Villages Site

My Gran Paradiso Site

My IslandWalk Site

Golf Homes of Venice

Gran Paradiso – WVID blog 11/29/2014

WVID blog 11/29/2014…wvidfl.blogspot.com 11/29/2014

Full article below:

Well, I have been putting off my follow-up post that was promised in the blog about the Supervisory Board meeting from the beginning of this month. Don’t worry. It is not that there is bad news or anything. If you read my post about the September 23rd meeting, you may recall that a new position was created. I wrote:

-A particular item of interest to point out, though, is that a new position has been created for a part-time monitor of onsite grounds projects and liaison between the supervisory board and the residents. The position title is Operations Manager, and a person with construction and project management background will be sought. Residents will also be able to contact the individual directly regarding issues and concerns.

The position has now been filled, and the gentleman (Mike Smith) hired into the position was introduced at the last meeting. Mr. Smith described his extensive background in construction and project management and stated that he lives minutes away from the West Villages communities, so he will be readily accessible when needed.

Good news, right? “Why delay sharing that,” you ask? It was also said at the meeting that Mr. Smith’s contact information will eventually be posted on the district’s website. I was hoping to include that information for your reference within my post. As of this morning, his contact information is not on the site. Anyway, in probably the worst case scenario, it is likely to be shared at the next meeting in a couple of weeks. I will share it when it is made available.

Speaking of the district website…new state legislation mandates that special districts have a web presence and that certain information be publicly shared through it. Most of the new directives are already met by the West Villages Improvement District, including such requirements as posting both complete financial information and the contact information for each governing body member. And, with the new legislation, means for district accountability and oversight was also established. A link to the Special District Accountability Program is to be shared on each district website. Special districts have until October 2015 to fully comply with all of the new mandates.

It has come up occasionally where individual residents have expressed concerns over the ethics of some arrangements and decisions, two items in particular of which I am aware. The new program will provide a reporting system for such concerns and means to hold them accountable. Let me also speak directly to the couple of concerns that I have heard, though, as well…

The first that came to my attention was that there were some ill at ease with the fact that developer representatives held seats on the Supervisory Board. As this post is already getting lengthy and there is considerably more to come, I will not go into detail on the Statutes (special districts and community development districts – Chapters 189 and 190, I believe) that outline the process whereby elected residents progressively take over the Supervisory Board seats. Do know that it is a process defined in state law, and that process is being followed. The first elected resident seat was opened last spring and filled through a popular vote this past summer. I will only provide here what I see as the logic behind developer appointees filling the seats at the outset. Keep in mind that the developers of these communities do not build houses on public land, they own the lots until they sell them to new residents/landowners. And, it is landowners that get to vote on elected seats. So, if a neighborhood has 1,000 parcels to be built and 300 of them are complete and sold to individual landowners, it is still the developer that owns the majority of parcels in the neighborhood. It would not make sense to hold a vote where 70% of the eligible votes come from one source.

That is my take on it at least.

The second of the two concerns, really just a couple of queries that came up, revolved around costs incurred for community plan changes and why the district would be responsible for such expenses. To provide an example, a question came up as to why the district was responsible for the expenses that arose as a result of a request for changes to the number of lots within one of the communities was approved. The adjustments resulted in special assessment (district tax/CDD) projections and calculations needing to be professionally reconfigured, which incurs a fee for that service. It was asked why the district would pay the fee rather than the developer that requested the change. Essentially, the assessment calculations are a district administrative obligation. It is up to the supervisory board to understand all of the implications of decisions that they make for approvals or denials, and to make decisions with those implications in mind.

Also, regarding costs of building the communities themselves, each of the developers has their own agreement with the district as to what is district responsibility and what is the developer’s, or even how responsibility may be shared between the two. Lennar, for instance, agreed to take on most of the financial burden from community infrastructure that would typically be publicly funded, as that unit of the district was in such financial distress when the company purchased the development. Other developers may submit to receive funding of all or a portion of eligible community structure elements, depending on the pre-established arrangement in place.

Hope that all helps to clarify some. I would be happy to answer any specific questions for you. If you’d like more information on anything in particular, just let me know. Also, I would love any feedback on what you would like to see for future blog topics.

Comment or email me at: ali-johnston@live.com.

Thanks for reading and have a blessed day!

Ali

If you are considering purchasing a home in this community, please let me assist you. My services and extensive resources are of no cost to you, and in most instances, I am able to save home buyers some money.  I even offer (*with a couple exclusions) $500 towards closing costs to my clients*. I do not work for any of the wonderful builders in the West Villages Improvement District, or any others for that matter. My services and information (including the resources provided on all of my websites) are wholly independent of these developers. No other independent professional is more knowledgeable about this community, and enlisting me to assist with your transaction serves also to fund these resources to keep them available for you and others on an ongoing basis.

Please, check out my website, and contact me for more information!

Look forward to hearing from you!

Ali

Aileen “Ali” Johnston, MHA

(currently working on an MBA in Real Estate)

Realtor®, Hoover Realty

Mobile: 941-539-5771

WVID WordPress Blog

WVID Blogspot

Gran Paradiso WordPress Blog

Gran Paradiso Blogspot

NewHomeVenice.com

My West Villages Site

My Gran Paradiso Site

My IslandWalk Site

Venice building boom

Check out the Sarasota Herald-Tribune article…

http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20141019/ARTICLE/141019653

If you are considering purchasing a home in this community, please let me assist you. My services and extensive resources are of no cost to you, and in most instances, I am able to save home buyers some money.  I even offer (*with a couple exclusions) $500 towards closing costs to my clients*. I do not work for any of the wonderful builders in the West Villages Improvement District, or any others for that matter. My services and information (including the resources provided on all of my websites) are wholly independent of these developers. No other independent professional is more knowledgeable about this community, and enlisting me to assist with your transaction serves also to fund these resources to keep them available for you and others on an ongoing basis.

Please, check out my website, and contact me for more information!

Look forward to hearing from you!

Ali

Aileen “Ali” Johnston, MHA

(currently working on an MBA in Real Estate)

Realtor®, Hoover Realty

Mobile: 941-539-5771

WVID WordPress Blog

WVID Blogspot

Gran Paradiso WordPress Blog

Gran Paradiso Blogspot

NewHomeVenice.com

My West Villages Site

My Gran Paradiso Site

My IslandWalk Site

Gran Paradiso / WVID Resident Supervisor Seat Candidacy and Election

 

Previous blogs have mentioned that one of the seats of the West Villages Improvement District [WVID] board of supervisors was determined to be an elected position from among district resident candidates. Well, information has been finalized and posted regarding the qualifying period, election date, and official location for voting.

The qualifying period for candidates for the Seat No. 5 qualified elector office of Supervisor of the WVID begins at noon on April 14, 2014, and ends at noon on April 18, 2014. Candidates must qualify for this office of Supervisor with the Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections located at The Terrace Building, 101 S. Washington Boulevard, Sarasota, Florida.

Voting will occur on June 24, 2014, at the Islandwalk clubhouse (address and times below).

For additional information about the process and/or to become a qualified candidate, please review the document links, website links, and information below.

– Notice of Qualifying Period

– Qualified Elector Election Procedures

– Memorandum on Referendum Procedure

– Presentation of Urban Area Map – Section 189.4051, Florida Statutes

 

Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections website

 

West Villages Improvement District board website:

The West Villages Improvement District was created by Special Act of the Florida Legislature pursuant to and under Florida Statutes Chapter 189 Special Purpose Local Government Act to assure timely, cost-effective, and high-quality design and implementation of infrastructure for the District located in City of North Port in Sarasota County.

WVID is a limited, single and specialized purpose Local Government whose purpose is to provide infrastructure, including community development systems, facilities, services, projects, and improvements to the District. The area governed by the District is approximately 8000 acres.

A five-person Board of Supervisors governs the District and members must be United States citizens. In addition to the general powers that allow the Board to conduct its work, its Special Powers include: provision for utilities, maintenance, construction and waste collection. The District may borrow money, issue bonds, and levy taxes and/or special assessments, user fees and charges.

2014 Election Info:

Date: June 24, 2014

Time:  8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Location: Islandwalk Clubhouse, 13605 Tantinto Blvd., Venice, FL 34293

 

 

 

 

If you are considering purchasing a home in this community, please let me assist you. My services and resources are of no cost to you, and in most instances, I am able to save home buyers some money. I do not work for any of the three wonderful builders in Gran Paradiso. My services and information (including the resources provided at http://www.GranParadisoVillage.com) are wholly independent of these developers. No other independent professional is more knowledgeable about this community, and enlisting me to assist with your transaction serves to fund these resources to keep them available for you and others on an ongoing basis.

Please, check out my website, and contact me for more information!

Look forward to hearing from you!

Ali

 

Aileen “Ali” Johnston, MHA

Realtor®, Hoover Realty

Mobile: 941-539-5771

 

Gran Paradiso Clubhouse Furniture

Furniture has been delivered for the clubhouse in Gran Paradiso, and it is truly exceptional! The few pictures here taken from my phone surely do not provide but a fraction of the grandeur and luxurious quality of the structure, design, and decor installed. Words cannot even do it justice properly. You will really just have to check it out for yourself.

 

 

 

As always, if you are considering a home in this community, please let me assist you. My services and resources are of no cost to you, and in most instances, I am able to save home buyers some money. I do not work for any of the three wonderful builders in Gran Paradiso. My services and information (including the resources provided at www.GranParadisoVillage.com) are wholly independent of these developers. No other independent professional is more knowledgeable about this community, and enlisting me to assist with your transaction serves to fund these resources to keep them available for you and others on an ongoing basis.

 

Please, check out my website, and contact me for more information!

Look forward to hearing from you!

Ali

 

Aileen “Ali” Johnston, MHA

Realtor®, Hoover Realty

Mobile: 941-539-5771

 

 

email: ali@granparadisovillage.com

Sam Rodgers Properties and Arthur Rutenberg Homes Models

 

As mentioned in the previous post, the community center in Gran Paradiso is well underway and possibly nearing completion. As of Saturday, touring was somewhat limited as the stone floors were being installed. Quick work was being made of the project, though, so any limitations are not likely to last for long. The furnishings are anticipated to arrive in mid-March, and the pool is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

 

 

 

The truly exciting news for today, however, is that both Arthur Rutenberg Homes and Sam Rodgers Properties have broken ground on their models in the Gran Paradiso development. Sam Rodgers is offering five plans within the community, ranging from $362k to $530k, and the various Arthur Rutenberg plans range from $400k to just under the $1m mark. The Arthur Rutenberg model is to be sold with lease-back terms costing somewhere in the $600k’s to $700k’s range, but the exact figure has not yet been finalized. Likely, the Sam Rodgers models will be listed in the same manner, with specifics determined when they are in later stages of production.

 

 

 

The floorplans for the models, of course, have already been determined. There will be two Sam Rodgers models and one Arthur Rutenberg. The Arthur Rutenberg is a one-story, three-bedroom plan with a den and bonus room, called the Messina. The Sam Rogers models are the the Bellisimo, which is a single-story home with three bedrooms and two full baths, and the Riviera II, which is a two-story four bedroom with four full baths and a bonus room. All three of the models are stunning open plans with exquisite architectural detailing, grand master suites, and three car garages. These are elegant homes in a luxury, resort-style community located in one of the best places to retire, according to Forbes (Forbes top 25 places to retire in 2014) and MSN Money (Money.MSN.com Ten of the Best U.S. Cities for Retirement 2014). I, myself, am exceptionally anxious to view these models in person once the construction and design teams have worked their magic on them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Check out my website, and feel free to call me for more information!

 

 

Check out my website, and feel free to call me for more information!

Community Center and Parade of Homes

 

The last seven to ten days have been big at Gran Paradiso. Last week the Trevi and Oakmont models were completed with furnishings (click links to see some photos). The Princeton is getting closer every day, and the Orchid villa is drywalled allowing for visitors to get a great impression of the finished product. The most momentous event occurred on Monday, though, with the final turnover of the community center building to Lennar.

 

Ok. It is not like it wasn’t inevitable and truly a sure thing, but there were no snags, no hitches, and now absolutely no turning back. It is official. That is always a milestone. It is obvious, however, that there was never any question of this on Lennar’s part. Progress on the community center has been underway and ongoing for some time now. The clubhouse itself is estimated for completion at the end of this month. Maybe in time for the annual Parade of Homes, which is scheduled for the February 22^nd through March 9^th.

 

According to The Parade of Homes Facebook page, there will be 81 homes participating this year. Specifically which homes and communities are participating will not be released until February 22^nd, when the event’s publication is released in that day’s editions of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune and the Bradenton Herald. I have it on good authority, though, that at least one home in Gran Paradiso will be featured. Being such a fan of residential architecture and interior design myself, I am really anxious for this year’s event and plan on checking out as many of the 81 as I can.

 

 

 

 

Check out my website for available homes, floorplans, and more!

Lighting, Landscaping, and Traffic at Rte 41 and Gran Paradiso

Lighting, landscaping, and traffic at Route 41/Tamiami Trail and the entrances to Gran Paradiso and Islandwalk were hot topics at the last West Villages Improvement District [WVID] meeting on January 14^th. The uplighting on landscaping has mostly been repaired or replaced, and the remainder is waiting on equipment delivery estimated to be sometime in late February to mid-March. Sod replacement along the corridor was also priced and options discussed, but such a large project requires ongoing discussion and possibly multiple bids. In the meantime, one developer’s representative requested that expediting replacement around just the entrances be considered, and that seemed to receive favor. The most divisive issue of the day, though, was that of traffic and landscaping within the median along 41.

Apparently, many Islandwalk residents are having a challenging time exiting the community onto Route 41 when making a left-hand turn to go northward. I had not thought about the issue prior to the meeting, but it does make sense. Generally, I am in and out of the Gran Paradiso community, and so had not noticed the issue before. But, I did visit Islandwalk recently to get information on their new floorplans, and when leaving, I turned right then made a U-turn in order to head north. I didn’t think much of it at the time (because I am such a ‘granny driver’ myself and do that kind of thing often), but it does frame much of the discussion from the WVID meeting.

Gran Paradiso residents would not face as many traffic challenges at the entrance, because heading North – where the closest stores and such are – is a right-hand turn with the traffic. Islandwalk residents have to cross one lane of traffic (traveling at 55mph in that section) and then compete with Gran Paradiso motorists to turn onto the northbound lanes. Even though this does not seem at first to be a Gran Paradiso resident issue, the growth of Gran Paradiso community is cited as a factor and the suggested solutions do impact Gran Paradiso residents. So, it is important that Gran Paradiso residents and interested parties be aware of the topic and discussions.

Casey Gant, Community Association Manager for Islandwalk’s HOA, sent a request in December to the WVID District Manager, Todd Wodraska, regarding requesting a traffic light installation and that all of the landscaping in the median be removed to improve sight lines in the meantime. At that time also, a warrant study as to whether lighting along the corridor would be justified was already underway. Mr. Wodraska responded to the request stating that a warrant study for a stoplight at the intersection would be recommended at the WVID meeting, but that preliminary expert review indicated that meeting multiple warrants to get it approved was unlikely at this time. He went on to say that the vegetation in the median met sight line guidelines, but it would also be reviewed in greater detail.

At the meeting, the debate on the concerns with what to do about the landscaping in the median and overall traffic problems was a little contentious. There were, of course, many views of how to address the dilemma: leave landscaping alone, remove some of it, remove all of it, paint traffic lanes on the pavement, install signage, and install a traffic light. Of course traffic issues and lighting along 41 are ultimately decisions for the DOT and not at the discretion of District Supervisors or residents.

Some improvement has been made, though. After the median landscaping was reviewed by District Supervisors prior to the meeting, the vegetation was trimmed back significantly, and it was determined that a more frequent maintenance schedule for the landscaping is justified going forward. So, at this time, removal of the landscaping that makes that section of the highway so lovely is not going to happen. It will, however, be more frequently maintained, which should make it look even more manicured in the future. Pavement striping possibilities will be evaluated. And, despite the fact that a light at the intersection does not seem to be warranted at this time, Mr. Wodraska indicated that he believes it certainly will be justified at some point in the future (with the continued community growth). He did nevertheless recommend that a full warrant study be conducted right away, just in case, and that was unanimously approved.

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