Del Webb can drive 55+ market

As Joann and Steve Bishop perused options at the design center for the new Del Webb community, they couldn’t wait to see the end product.

Construction on their 2,000-square-foot home, one of the first in the development, began Jan. 8 and is expected to be completed by mid-May.

“I think we were the first people to sign a contract,” said Steve Bishop, noting he and his wife have looked at Del Webb communities across the country.

Now, at 69 and 72, respectively, the husband-wife team is eager to downsize and enjoy the benefits of a lifestyle community restricted to owners 55 years old and up.

Others feel the same way.

Although pre-sales started in November, Del Webb at Lakewood Ranch opened Jan. 16 with more than 900 visitors in a four-hour period for the grand opening celebration. Blake Lapinsky, the Del Webb at Lakewood Ranch general sales manager, said the community had 4,500 prospective buyers before sales started. The sales center is receiving more than 175 prospective buyers per week.

Contracts have been signed for 35 homes, a figure that’s more than 250% ahead of projections by Pulte Homes, a subsidiary of Pulte Group that develops under the Del Webb brand.

Lakewood Ranch’s opening has been the most successful of any Del Webb community opening in its division, which runs roughly from Lakewood Ranch south to Marco Island. The division has about 16 Del Webb communities under development.

One reason for the success may be that Del Webb is Lakewood Ranch’s first age-restricted community.

“There’s a very large void in the market,” Lapinsky said.

Lapinsky also attributes the success to the power of combining two successful brands, Del Webb as an age-targeted development and Lakewood Ranch as a nationally recognized master-planned community.

Pulte has started infrastructure work for the remaining half of the first phase, composed of about 300 homes. That’s ahead of schedule because of the demand, Lapinsky said.

Pulte will start construction on the community’s 28,000-square-foot amenity center in the second quarter. The facility, which will include a restaurant, a fitness center, a banquet hall and other facilities, will be completed in summer 2017.