Lakewood Ranch ranked in top 10 master planned communities in U.S.
LAKEWOOD RANCH -- Two national real estate consulting firms ranked Lakewood Ranch in the top ten U.S. master-planned communities for the fifth year in a row.
The Manatee County master-planned community was ranked no. 8 by California-based John Burns Real Estate Consulting and no. 9 by RCLCO, based in Maryland. Lakewood Ranch beat other communities in Texas, Arizona, California, Colorado and Florida, according to a release from LWR Communities, LLC.
The Villages, located in Central Florida, took the top spot on both lists.
In 2015, more than 28,000 people visited Lakewood Ranch information centers and models. There were 535 new home sales, up from 475 in 2014.
"Lakewood Ranch continues its success," Lesley Deutch, senior vice president of consulting for John Burns said in a statement. "The strong school system and growing local job base, coupled with the Florida lifestyle and multiple golf courses makes Lakewood Ranch a desirable destination for working professionals and retirees alike."
Diversity in development has also helped Lakewood Ranch grow as much as it has.
"The master-planned community has benefited from its strategy of inviting new builders to the MPC, such as Meritage, Del Webb, WCI and Mattamy, who offer a wide array of home products, sizes and prices," Deutch said in the statement. "As a result, Lakewood Ranch now offers products ranging from $190,000 town homes to $5,000,000+ custom estates."
In general, master-planned communities experienced higher demand across Florida from both families and older buyers, said Todd Larue, managing director at RCLCO and Cameron Pawelek, senior associate at RCLCO.
Another element of Lakewood Ranch's growth can be attributed to strong numbers in the existing communities of Bridgewater, Esplanade, Central Park, Country Club East and The Lake Club. Two new communities, Neal's Indigo and Mattamy's Harmony were added and plans to expand amenities such as the athletic center and clubhouse helped drive sales in 2015.
At the end of 2015, there were more than 8,900 homes and more than 1,000 apartments in Lakewood Ranch with 261 single-family homes and 640 apartments in various stages of construction.
Community offerings were also credited for Lakewood Ranch's success.
Rex Jensen, president and CEO of Schroeder-Manatee Ranch, Lakewood Ranch's developer, said in the statement the combination of the Ranch's commercial properties and their subsequent job creation attracts visitors and gives them incentive to return and stay.
Lakewood Ranch "continues to remain the premier new-home destination on Florida's West Coast," Jensen said.
Janelle O'Dea, Herald business reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7095. Follow her on Twitter@jayohday.
This story was originally published January 12, 2016 at 3:24 PM with the headline "Lakewood Ranch ranked in top 10 master planned communities in U.S. ."