Real estate: Shoreview development part of Lakewood Ranch’s Waterside village, first in Sarasota County

Elizabeth Djinis
·4 min read

One of the few cons of living in Lakewood Ranch can be the distance from other parts of Sarasota. It may be minutes from the highway, but University Parkway gridlock can make a trip to downtown Sarasota or Lido Key take as long as an hour.

That’s why Lakewood Ranch’s Waterside village, its first neighborhood in Sarasota County, was a true revelation for some prospective owners. Situated east of Interstate 75 and between University Parkway and Fruitville Road, these neighborhoods occupy the most southern stretches of Lakewood Ranch’s constellation of villages, which go as far north as State Road 64.

Pulte Homes touts its new house designs in Shoreview neighborhood of Lakewood Ranch, noting the subdivision is “centered around the sparkling 144-acre expanse of the Teal lakes,” and “offers a fun, fresh-air lifestyle steeped in nature.”
Pulte Homes touts its new house designs in Shoreview neighborhood of Lakewood Ranch, noting the subdivision is “centered around the sparkling 144-acre expanse of the Teal lakes,” and “offers a fun, fresh-air lifestyle steeped in nature.”

Pulte Homes’ Shoreview development is just one of the lakefront neighborhoods that make up Waterside. Bordered by the Sarasota Polo Club and the newly opened Waterside Place, the community is billed as a place for easy living in nature and culture with nearby entertainment and shops.

Pulte started selling Shoreview in the summer of 2017 with an initial offering of 247 single-family homes. The builder has sold nearly all of those, according to Jessica Edwards, Pulte Group’s director of marketing. This month, the builder was scheduled to start selling a slate of 54 additional lakefront homes ranging from almost 2,500 to 3,900 square feet. Homes start at $800,000 to $1 million, according to Edwards.

“We’ve had steady interest since the community opening,” Edwards said. “Waterside is the first area of Lakewood Ranch that’s in Sarasota County, so that’s always been an exciting new thing for that area.”

Flexible floor plans

One of the factors that sets Shoreview apart from other developments is Pulte Homes’ flexible floor plans, which can be tailored to homebuyers’ needs. Depending on size, available homes can have from two to four bedrooms and up to 4.5 bathrooms. Layouts are designed around open gathering spaces and kitchens with “expansive islands.” Homes can either be one- or two-stories with two- or three-car garages. Buyers can choose to add more outdoor living space, garages, lofts, media rooms or guest rooms, based on their desires.

Pulte Homes’ Stonewater model includes nearly 3,900 square feet of living space. It overlooks a lake with a custom pool and spa. It has four bedrooms, four full-baths, a pool bath, a den, a dining room and a three-car garage.
Pulte Homes’ Stonewater model includes nearly 3,900 square feet of living space. It overlooks a lake with a custom pool and spa. It has four bedrooms, four full-baths, a pool bath, a den, a dining room and a three-car garage.

“Homebuyers and residents are loving the private, resort-inspired amenities and living that’s offered within Shoreview,” Edwards said. “They also love the expansive lake views and the ability to personalize their homes inside and out.”

For those who want entertainment off the premises, that’s certainly on the table. The new Waterside Place at Lakewood Ranch shopping center opened in the fall of 2021. The complex includes boutiques, restaurants, coffee shops and gyms. For buyers who entered Shoreview at its start, Waterside Place was just a glimmer on the horizon. But for buyers coming in now, it’s a selling point.

‘Cool new thing’

Lakewood Ranch-based Realtor Beth Pratt, who works with Fine Properties, has sold clients on Shoreview, including a couple moving from California. They already want to buy another lot.

“It’s a cool new thing on the water,” Pratt said. “They have that new look that everybody is going for.”

When Pratt works with out-of-town buyers, they tend to seek “easy, maintenance-free living and amenities” out of their Florida home. Shoreview boasts a fitness center, a community pool, a clubhouse and courts for tennis and pickleball.

Shoreview boasts a fitness center, a community pool, a clubhouse and courts for tennis and pickleball.
Shoreview boasts a fitness center, a community pool, a clubhouse and courts for tennis and pickleball.

Some Shoreview residents, like Hollie Parks and her husband, came to the neighborhood after spending years in other parts of Lakewood Ranch that were closer to downtown Bradenton than downtown Sarasota. Now that their daughter is in college and their son is soon to be, the Parks family wanted to downsize.

They were attracted to Shoreview by its amenities and the ability to walk and ride bikes to nearby spots. So in March 2020, they purchased a roughly 3,900-square-foot home with four bedrooms and more than four baths, according to Sarasota County property records. That was a departure from the five bedroom and more than 6,000-square-foot home they left.

Of course, March 2020 wasn’t the perfect time to move. They joke that they may have gotten movers the last weekend anyone could. But over the last two years, they’ve managed to enjoy their Shoreview home. Their son goes to Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School – taking the back roads rather than the highway to commute makes all the difference. His friends drive up from Sarasota to go to the Wednesday farmers market. It feels like a unique place.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Pulte Homes’ Shoreview development takes off in Lakewood Ranch’s Waterside village