National builder enters local luxury market

A luxury homebuilding division of national firm D.R. Horton, Emerald Homes, has entered the Gulf Coast market with new projects in Sarasota and Tampa.

In Sarasota, according to a release, the company is building in what's commonly called the West of the Trail neighborhood, near downtown. It has three homes ready for move in, another eight under construction and nine available lots. Prices start from the mid-$500s, according to the firm's website.

In Tampa meanwhile, the firm has a presence in the Bayshore and South Tampa neighborhoods. It has three homes under construction in that market, with five more to start in the next 30 days.

Longtime homebuilder Brian Pruett, formerly of Pruett Builders, was named operations manager for Emerald Homes in Tampa/Sarasota. Pruett Builders was one of the largest locally based homebuilding firms in the early 2000s, with more than $30 million in annual sales.

“We are very pleased to have high quality options for the region's luxury homebuyers offering larger homes with additional choices,” Emerald Homes and D.R. Horton City Manager Darren Saltzberg says in a release. “(Pruett) has a long-standing reputation as a highly respected custom homebuilder in Sarasota County. We believe his local perspective will help us better meet the needs and wants of our potential homebuyers.”

Emerald Homes, which builds in North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas, in addition to areas around Jacksonville and West Palm Beach, became part of D.R. Horton in 2001. D.R. Horton operates in 78 markets across 27 states.