A major U.S. homebuilder is launching another neighborhood within southwest Florida's Lakewood Ranch, one of the best-selling master-planned communities in the country.
Lennar plans 105 single-family homes at Stillwater, a gated development just south of State Road 70 on Bourneside Boulevard in Sarasota, a spokesperson confirmed. The builder has not yet released prices, but it said construction is set to begin this winter.
The company already sells homes at Calusa Country Club, Lorraine Lakes and Aurora within Lakewood Ranch. Sarasota is about 60 miles south of Tampa, Florida.
Lakewood recorded 2,210 home sales last year, ranking it No. 2 among master-planned communities nationwide, according to consulting firm RCLCO.
The Villages, a 55-and-over development in Central Florida, ranked as the top-selling master-planned community with 3,208 sales. Both projects are again leading in sales for 2025, RCLCO said in a midyear update.
Sales so far this year are down at Lakewood Ranch and other developments across the country compared to the same period of 2024. But since the Great Recession, consumers have "noticeably sought safety in master-planned community environments," believing their homes would better hold value against broad economic uncertainty, RCLCO said in its update.
Single-family and multifamily builders are bullish on the Sarasota region, especially Lakewood Ranch, as they tap into its expanding population base, said Michelle Rumore, a senior director of market analytics for CoStar and Homes.com.
"Overall, the region has grown by nearly 95,000 new residents since the 2020 census and is expected to grow by an additional 50,000 people over the next five years, further fueling the demand for housing," Rumore said.
The Stillwater homes will range from 1,850 to about 2,500 square feet and feature two, three and four bedrooms, according to Lennar. Some of the homes will have three-bay garages, the builder said.
According to Builder magazine, Miami-based Lennar sold 80,210 homes last year and generated revenue of $33.78 billion, ranking second behind D.R. Horton in both categories.
