It’s no secret that new construction in Southwest Florida has been super hot in recent years. It’s hard to keep track of all the details related to specific new gated communities. Our goal is to simplify that process for you. Along with helping buyers and sellers with resale homes, we are new construction specialists who are very familiar with the features and pros/cons of different builders in SWFL from Naples up to Fort Myers. If you are looking for the best value on any home in SWFL we’ve found that buying in a new community BEFORE the amenities are completed is the way to go. We like to call that the “Dirt Discount,” where you get a lower price because of all the new construction aggravation and the fact that the amenities aren’t finished yet.
Real estate price increases have slowed down in Florida a bit, but most homes are still consistently rising in price when compared to last year’s numbers. So as always, if you are thinking of buying, the sooner the better for the lowest prices. Combine that historically true information with the fact that there are SIX hot communities right now offering “Dirt Discounts” and you could be on your way to living your best life in SWFL soon!
Here is a break down of the six SWFL gated communities we feel are worth exploring at this time if you want to buy a single family home at the best pricing:
- Verdana Village in Estero (map)
- RiverCreek in Estero (map)
- Timber Creek in Fort Myers (map)
- Seasons in Bonita Springs (map)
- Terreno in Naples (map)
- SkySail in Naples (map)
Let’s take a look at each one individually, there there will be a side-by-side comparison of the vital numbers at the end of this post.
Verdana Village in Estero
Since you contacted our team originally due to your interest in Verdana Village, you are probably relatively familiar with this community. It’s located on Corkscrew Road in Estero about 9 miles east of I-75 and the Miromar Outlets. It’s the largest of all the communities being discussed today with 2,400 single family homes ultimately. As of today, I would guess that there are about 300 homes completed and several years to go before all of the homes in this community are finished. The builders in Verdana are Pulte and Lennar only and as of today, pricing for the home and lot together falls between $475k – $950k on average.
What makes Verdana Village unique is it’s size – at 2,400 homes, it’s much larger than any other community in the area. It is also the only gated community in SWFL that I’m aware of that is providing residents with both outdoor and indoor tennis, pickleball and basketball courts! Primarily due to it’s size, there will be a master amenity center as well as a West and East amenity center. All of these will have resort pools and other amenities. In addition, Verdana will have a full restaurant, indoor/outdoor bar, beer craft lounge, cafe and ice cream shop, pro shop, and much more.
The icing on the Verdana cake is the new Publix shopping center (The Shoppes at Verdana) that are already under construction and expected to be completed in summer/fall 2023. This will be adjacent to Verdana for unbeatable convenience! It will include 78,000 square feet of grocery, liquor, retail, medical and restaurants.
If you are looking for a larger community with unbeatable amenities to offer, Verdana might be your best choice! My recommendation is to sign with them before the amenities are completed in summer/fall. Historically pricing rises significantly after amenities are in. If you are an investor, you should know that Verdana Village has moderate rental restrictions with a 30 day minimum and a 3 times a year maximum number of leases.
Most homes in Verdana Village range in price (with the lot) from $530 – $900k with some being higher or lower depending on the lot and options included. The HOA fees range from $352 – $372/month and there is a CDD added to your tax bill of $1,670 – $2,059 per year. If you have questions about this and what it includes, please contact us!
RiverCreek in Estero
GL Homes is the builder and developer of RiverCreek and construction is just getting rolling on this Corkscrew Road gated community. No one (even nosy realtors) is allowed on site because of the roads just being put in. Even without people getting on site, over 100 homes have already sold in RiverCreek at pre-sale pricing. People are buying homes they can’t even walk through because most of the 7 available models are new to GL Homes, so they are experiencing big savings as compensation. However, in late January that will all change when the roads and models are expected to open in RiverCreek. When that happens, I won’t be surprised if pricing goes up a bit. It will be easier for people to visit the community and actually walk through the homes, so demand will rise historically.
RiverCreek is an interesting option for many buyers because it is in a highly desirable area (Corkscrew Road in Estero) but it’s much closer to the action than Verdana Village and other communities further east. In fact, RiverCreek is just 2-1/2 miles east of the active I-75 area where there are loads of shops and restaurants. There will be 554 homes in RiverCreek when it’s finished and current pricing ranges from about $550k – $800k. Most of the homes are going to be built from scratch with a buyer’s choice of finishes and details, but there are some spec homes being built as well.
The amenities at RiverCreek will be more modest than at Verdana Village, but if you are looking for a smaller community without a lot of overhead, this might be the one for you. There will be a resort pool with integrated lap lanes, a splash park, playground, 4 tennis courts, 6 pickleball courts, 2 bocce ball courts, a half basketball court, fitness center with indoor sports complex, and outdoor pavilion.
The HOA fees in RiverCreek are set at $354/month and there is a CDD that adds $1,950 per year to your tax bill. If you are an investor, it’s important to know that there are very strict rental and flip rules in RiverCreek. Essentially, you can only rent out the home once every 7 months and there are restrictions on flipping homes for a profit. Contact us for more details on these restrictions or with general questions.
Timber Creek in Fort Myers
If you are looking for a community with the most bang for your buck and if you are interested in living a little further north than the communities mentioned so far, Timber Creek would be worth your consideration. Timber Creek will have 1,310 doors when completed along with very robust amenities on the way (not finished as of today’s date), with the lowest HOA fees of any community being discussed at just $282 – $297/mo for single family homes. Timber Creek is also the only community in this post that has multi-family homes for even lower pricing. There is a CDD in Timber Creek that adds $1,316 – $1,924 to your annual tax bill which is lower than most communities.
The amenity list for Timber Creek is long: resort, lap & kiddie pools, spa, 4 tennis courts, 4 pickleball courts, full basketball court, 2 bocce courts, sports field, playground, fitness center, putting green, indoor basketball, saunas, pool cafe & bar, and more! That’s why I’m saying you get the most bang for your buck in Timber Creek IF amenities are your priority.
Lennar is the only builder in Timber Creek and their single family homes come in their standard 3 series of homes for pricing between $530k – $700k on average including the lot. If you are an investor or if you think you might want to rent out your home at some point, Timber Creek also has the most liberal rental regulations out of the communities we’re talking about today. Residents can rent out their homes up to 12 times a year, with a 30 day minimum.
Seasons at Bonita in Bonita Springs
The Seasons is a bright and friendly community being built by D.R. Horton that is expected to be fully sold out by April 2023. Unlike the other communities we’re discussing today, the amenities at Seasons are complete. You still get a “Dirt Discount” for the homes still being constructed, and D.R. Horton has outstanding incentives still available in this community because they are trying to wrap up sales as quickly as they can. Maybe instead of a “Dirt Discount” we should call it a “Let’s Get ‘er Done Discount!”
There will be 659 single family homes when they are all done – a nice medium-sized gated community. On average, homes are selling for $540k – 900k in Seasons with most of the homes left being on the lower end of that range due to their size.
The fees are comparable to the lower cost Timber Creek mentioned earlier. The HOAs are $289 – $322/mo and the CDD is between $1,316 – $1,846 per year. So what do you get for those recurring fees? The Seasons has pickleball galore with 8 courts, plus 3 tennis courts, a resort pool, 6 bocce ball courts, fitness center and a community room for games.
The renting limitations are moderate in Seasons with a 30 day minimum and you can lease out your home up to 4 times a year.
Terreno in Naples
If you are a golfer or you like golf views, living in Terreno is your chance to have than without a golf membership fee. Terreno butts up to Valencia Golf & Country Club which is a public course so if you play, you can just pay as you go! It was newly renovated in 2018 and offers 18 holes, a driving range, pro shop and bar. Aside from having golf next door, Terreno residents will enjoy many amenities when they are complete including a resort pool and spa, 8 pickleball courts, 2 tennis courts, full service restaurant and bar, fitness center, multi-purpose rooms and more.
The builder in Terreno is Divosta, the luxury division of Pulte Homes. They include more upgrades in their base pricing than a typical Pulte home but the floorplans are the same. Home prices in Terreno start at $450k but most of the 2,000 sq ft homes start at $570k and go up to $825k on average. Of course if you are building your home from scratch it will depend upon the additional structural upgrades and design choices you make. There will be 680 homes in Terreno when construction is complete.
Construction on Terreno is just getting started, but have already helped buyers get in there at amazing prices. Their sales offices are expected to open in mid-January so we have helped customers get pre-sale pricing. In addition, our Terreno sales rep has included to a “Price Assurance Addendum” to compensate our buyers if pricing drops during the next year while their home is being built! This blew our minds and gave our buyers the confidence they needed to sign now. Let us know if you want more info on this!
The HOA fees in Terreno range from $393 – $415 a month. There is also a CDD added to your tax bill of $2,086 – $2,311 annually. The rental restrictions are moderate/typical at a 30 day minimum up to 3 leases per year.
SkySail in Naples
Our last community we want to share with you is SkySail by Neal Communities. However, it is by no means the least interesting of these communities. SkySail is the only community being discussed today with larger lakes that allow for kayaking and fishing. It also has a truly unique walking trail around the lake with covered fitness stations along the way. In addition, SkySail has 2 pools being constructed along with a spa, 8 pickleball courts, 2 tennis courts, dog park, fitness center, playground and multi-purpose rooms. When they are complete, residents will enjoy overlooking the large lake from nearly every amenity there. The lakes and coastal style of the homes in SkySail are what make it unique.
Homes in SkySail are selling for between $525k – $750k including the lot. The HOA fees are the same for everyone at $325 a month but the CDD ranges from $2,030 – $2,673 depending on the lot size. When it’s completed there will be 1,400 single family homes in SkySail.
If you are an investor, SkySail may not be for you because they have strict limitations only allowing 2 leases a year at 182 days minimum per lease. However, if you aren’t an investor, this community might be worth a look if you want to have bigger water views than most gated communities in Florida for non-water prices.
Summary
If you are a visual person like me, it might help to see all of this info side by side so here is is below. If you want a printable version of this or more information, please contact Dawn Krueger (me!) or Julie Borden today!
