Builder sales surge in 2012

LAKEWOOD RANCH — The sales records continue to stack up at Neal Communities, one of the region's most prolific homebuilders.

The latest news: The firm reported 442 sales in 2012 through September — a figure that beats its 2011 tally of 403 sales. In September, meanwhile, the firm sold 62 homes, up 59% from the 39 sales it had in September 2011, according to a release.

A key community in the company's sales surge, according to the release, has been Central Park in Lakewood Ranch, just east of Intestate 75. Neal sold 17 homes in the community in September, and has sold 314 homes there in two years.

River's Reach, a newly opened community in Parrish, has also contributed to the sales growth, according to a separate news statement. That community has reported 19 sales since June 1.

“We are off to a very fast start at this unique and scenic community,” Neal Communities Sales Director David Hunihan says in the release. “We took strategic steps as the growth went north over the past few years to re-ignite this community with great pricing, home sites and amenities and it's paying off during a typically slower time of the year in Florida.”

Prominent local businessman Pat Neal is the president of Neal Communities. The Business Review named Neal Entrepreneur of the Year for the Sarasota-Bradenton region in May.