Lakewood Ranch Named in Top 10 U.S. Master Planned Home Rankings

LAKEWOOD RANCH – A California-based consulting firm has ranked Lakewood Ranch as one of the top selling master planned communities in the United States. The community reported 391 new-home sales in 2011, putting them at number 9, and ahead of some marquee developments.

“With our new sports campus, new commercial construction this year totaling upwards of $150 million, and new rental projects springing up, we’re proud that Lakewood Ranch has become the premier new-home destination on Florida’s West Coast,” said Rex Jensen, president and CEO of Schroeder-Manatee Ranch, Inc., the developer of Lakewood Ranch. “That is definitely translating into more visitors, which in turn means more sales.”

Lakewood Ranch saw record-breaking numbers of visitors to its information centers and models during the fourth quarter of 2011, indicating strong interest from potential buyers. In that quarter alone, nearly 7,000 people visited Lakewood Ranch models and information centers.

“We have something truly special here. We have taken bold steps to drive the economy, which has in turn driven home sales, job creation and has helped us remain a small market leader in residential and commercial projects,” said Jensen.

Last year, Lakewood Ranch was ranked number 14 on John Burns Real Estate Consulting's ranking of top-selling U.S. master plans. More than 130 communities across the U.S. were included in the study, representing nearly 23,000 new home sales during 2011, or nearly 7.6 percent of the estimated 300,000 new U.S. home sales in 2011.