For years now, affordable housing in Lakewood Ranch has been hard to come by. There were years, like when SMR first started developing here and then post recession years when there were many short sale & foreclosures available. However, now, SMR’s answer to affordable housing is more condominiums, townhouses and apartment dwellings. There is basically a home for every type of buyer, depending on what they need, want and can afford.
Like many resort areas throughout the country, Manatee & Sarasota counties’ beautiful beaches, art & culture, education system, retail and shopping centers and natural scenery has attracted retirees and various types of home buyers, driving up demand and home prices and spurring SMR to continue to venture out east with new developments.
Many buyers are snatching up homes for a higher median sale price than prices even a year ago, and due to lack of resale inventory, we see that trend continuing. We are also seeing an influx of buyers from Canada, the Mid West as well as New England and California.
The drive to suburbia, with outdoor recreational facilities, beaches, no state income tax and countless other reasons are behind the drive. While the area has always attracted retirees, we are seeing younger retirees and various other demographics of people whom can work remotely, others that may have friends, parents or grandparents in the area already. More young professionals and families are moving in, drawn to cultural amenities, sports training fields, the education system, maybe it’s how everything is new. I enjoy the set backs and wide roadways lined with palm trees. As far as our local history repeating itself, Ringling Brothers, of circus fame, called Sarasota home, attracted many to the area and still has a strong underlying influence on the area today.
Old and Young are flocking to suburban neighborhoods like Lakewood Ranch, an established master-planned community which boasts diverse housing options, schools, retail & shopping complexes, commercial space, entertainment venues and championship golf courses and then some.
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