Home sales by Neal Communities in Bradenton are up 25 percent from last year.
Neal Communities signed 41 home sales contracts in August, the most of any month so far in 2010.
Neal builds homes in 14 communities and 18 of the August contracts were in the Central Park Community of Lakewood Ranch in Bradenton. Lakewood Ranch, one of the Tampa Bay region's largest real estate developments, straddles Sarasota and Manatee counties east of the cities of Sarasota and Bradenton.
The Central Park Community had its grand opening on July 17. It features homes that are priced starting in the mid-$100,000s and range in size from 1,040 to 2,442 square feet. This community has 40 contracts signed so far, 38 on homes built by Neal Communities and two by Bruce Williams Homes.
The other communities with signed contracts include: eight in Forest Creek, six in River Sound, five in the Country Club at Lakewood Ranch, two in Wisteria Park, and one each in Harborage on Braden River and Mandalay.
According to Maryann Grgic of Neal Communities, the company hired a dozen people in the first quarter of the year and have hired several people since then.
"Our traffic is very strong and steady and we plan on selling more houses next month," Grgic says, adding that the company will add more jobs if business stays steady.
Neal Communities is the largest locally and privately owned home builder in the Bradenton area. The company was ranked number one locally by
Hanley Wood Market based on the number of homes sold.
Neal Communities has won 24 2010 Parade of Homes awards, 44 Aurora Awards, five Best in American Living Awards and hundreds of local and regional industry awards.
"We're optimistic about what's to come," Grgic says.
Writer:
Mandy ErfourthSource: Maryann Grgic, Neal Communities
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