Real Estate Sales Picking Up in Ave Maria

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Published on Wednesday, 10 October 2012 19:14

Ave Maria residents are noticing a welcome sight in the town -- a lot more homes under construction.

Developers are selling more homes than they have since the initial burst of construction when the town of Ave Maria opened in 2007-08, Barron Collier President Blake Gable said.

"We are pleased to see increased traffic and home sales during what are traditionally slow months in Southwest Florida," Mr. Gable said, noting that Ave Maria Development, Pulte Homes and Lennar Homes have sold 30 new residences in the months of August and September. Above right, three new Lennar houses under construction in the Emerson Park neighborhood of Ave Maria.

Interest remained strong in early October, according to Lennar sales representative Paul Pelak, who said he has sold nine houses in the last 40 days. "And that's without our model finished," he added.

Lennar began selling houses in the Emerson Park neighborhood of Ave Maria earlier this year, and Mr. Gable said he expects to be able to announce a third major homebuilder in Ave Maria within the next month or so.

"Our hope is to have three strong builders focusing on different areas of Ave Maria," Mr. Gable said, while declining to name to prospective homebuilder.

Until this year, Pulte Homes was the exclusive builder of houses in Ave Maria's three main residential neighborhoods of Del Webb, Hampton Village and Emerson Park, but has focused its sales efforts almost exclusively on Del Webb for the last few years.

"Del Webb sales are picking up now that people can see the first-class amenities center nearing completion," Mr. Gable said. That project, the Oasis Club (left), is scheduled to open early in 2013.

The resale market in Ave Maria has also improved, according to Bob Campbell who, along with his wife, Erin, opened an office of the John R. Wood Real Estate firm earlier this year in downtown Ave Maria after working out of their home for several years before that. "It's my busiest year," he said. "We opened at a good time."

Lennar also is bringing a new level of enthusiasm to its home sales efforts in Emerson Park, including sponsoring a contest awarding prizes to the best-looking yard in the neighborhood. Right, the first-prize winner, Ann Hunt Brefka's home at 4128 Lexington St. in Emerson Park.

Although Del Webb's neighborhood of people aged 55 and over is attracting many buyers from out of state, Mr. Pelak said his customers for the Emerson Park neighborhood are coming from Southwest Florida and other parts of the state, drawn by the family friendliness of the community.

"For families, there is no better place in Florida," he said.