Back in the top 10

It's no secret that residential construction has rebounded in a big way on the Gulf Coast.

But two Gulf Coast areas made Metrostudy's top 10 communities in the nation for new residential construction: Sarasota and Fort Myers-Naples. They join other communities that were beaten down during the downturn, including Reno, Nev., and Southern California.

Metrostudy tracks residential construction and move-ins by counting new homes built in master-planned communities all over the country.

In the Sarasota area, Metrostudy's chief economist, Brad Hunter, says retirees are driving demand for new homes. In the Fort Myers-Naples area, rising prices near the beach are pushing buyers and homebuilders further into the suburbs.

Clearly, the much-publicized downturn in housing starts in other parts of the country isn't happening on the Gulf Coast. The latest numbers prove otherwise.