A longtime homebuilder focused entirely on 55-and-over developments is planning another one in a northeastern suburb of Columbus, Ohio.
Epcon Communities said it will build 151 ranch-style homes at The Courtyards at Haines Creek in New Albany, Ohio. Base prices have not yet been set, but the homes likely will range from the $500,000s to the $700,000s, said Sean Rauch, Epcon's director of sales in the Columbus region.
Sales will start this month, and the first homes are expected to be ready for occupancy by late spring 2026, he said. By year's end, Epcon plans to have seven active developments in central Ohio, with four more opening in 2026, Rauch said.
Epcon, founded and based in Dublin, Ohio, sold 1,154 homes last year and ranked as the 59th-largest U.S. homebuilder, according to Builder magazine. Ed Bacome and Phil Fankhauser founded the company in 1986 to address the 55-plus market they said other builders were ignoring.
The so-called "active adult" developments typically offer a resort lifestyle and an array of sports and social activities. They are a staple of Florida and other areas of the Sun Belt because they attract retiring baby boomers, but Epcon said the 55-plus projects also do well in the Midwest and other Northern climates.
"Buyers are moving back from Florida to be closer to their grandkids," Rauch told Homes.com.
Midwest markets surging
Housing markets in Ohio and across the Midwest that struggled during the pandemic are now seeing some of the largest annual home price increases, according to Erika Ludvigsen, national director of residential analytics at Homes.com.
Cleveland's median price rose 14.1% in July from a year earlier, marking the largest increase among the 40 largest U.S. markets, according to a Homes.com analysis. Cincinnati ranked fifth with a 6.4% jump.
"The Midwest did not experience the sharp home price increases as the South post-COVID and is now faring better with more stable pricing and market fundamentals," Ludvigsen said in a previous interview.
Active adult buyers typically prefer single-story floor plans, but The Courtyards at Haines Creek offers an option for a second story, Rauch said.
The homes will have two- to four bedrooms and range from about 1,500- to more than 4,000 square feet, according to Epcon. They also will feature private courtyards and 2-1/2- or three-car garages.
Epcon also builds in Indianapolis; Charlotte and Raleigh, North Carolina; Nashville, Tennessee, and Atlanta.
