Homebuilder ends summer on hot streak

LAKEWOOD RANCH — Neal Communities sold 73 new homes in September and closed on 101 — a new record of monthly closings for the prolific homebuilder.

In the month, 14 of the 73 sales were inventory homes, ready for immediate occupancy, according to a release. Officials project the strong numbers to continue the rest of the year, including at least 50 more inventory home sales.

“We experienced a great month to round out an overall strong summer season, and as we head into the end of the year, we expect to exceed 1,000 home sales for 2015,” Neal Communities President Michael Storey says in a statement.

Lakewood Ranch-based Neal Communities also launched Neal Communities Funding, an in-house mortgage company, in September. The new division closed on its first home in September and expects to close 10 more this month.

Neal Communities is ranked nationally among the top 50 builders, according to Builder Magazine. The firm has built more than 10,000 homes, with markets along the Gulf Coast.