Community leads nation in housing starts for third quarter

LAKEWOOD RANCH — The master-planned community of Lakewood Ranch led the nation in annual housing starts for the third quarter of 2019, according to Metrostudy, a research and consulting firm specializing in U.S. residential markets.

Lakewood Ranch is a 31,000-acre community in Sarasota and Manatee counties.

The community's 1,467 new home starts exceeded those of other top-selling communities in Florida, including The Villages and communities in Las Vegas, Arizona and California.

“This is the second quarter in a row that LWR has claimed the top spot," says David Cobb, region director for the South Florida, Sarasota and Jacksonville regions of Metrostudy. 

The Ranch has 17 actively selling villages, including the three newest additions — Kolter’s Cresswind, The Palisades from Freedom Homes by D.R. Horton and Woodleaf Hammock, featuring M/I Homes and Meritage Homes.

Prices in The Ranch range from $200,000 to more than $1 million. Options for buyers include condominiums, paired villas and single-family homes.

“Our multi-generational approach and diversity of neighborhoods, as well as an ever-growing list of daily conveniences and social engagement opportunities, put us above and beyond other communities,” says Laura Cole, senior vice president of LWR Communities LLC, in a statement.