Author: Jasmine

This April, SRQ Magazine released its Best of SRQ issue which named Neal Communities in several top honors.

The media company hosts an annual people’s choice awards program in which nominations are collected from the public in a variety of categories. Voting by the public takes place online over the course of about four weeks in January and February.

Best New Home Neighborhood
Neal Communities was named a platinum winner in several categories, including Best New Home Neighborhood for its Windward at Lakewood Ranch community that includes attached villas and single-family homes. Windward residents enjoy a resort-style swimming pool, separate children’s pool, pickleball and tennis courts, a dog park, a clubhouse with gathering spaces, a state-of-the-art fitness center and on-site activities director. Residents of the Windward community can easily access Waterside, a mixed-use community with a vibrant downtown area located just northwest of Windward. (Waterside received the gold in the same category.)

In the same category, North River Ranch received a silver recognition.  Neal Communities recently celebrated the grand opening of Wildleaf at North River Ranch, which offers single family homes and villas. Spread over 2,600 acres, North River Ranch is situated at the apex of Manatee, Pinellas and Hillsborough Counties and offers easy access to Interstate 75. The growing area includes both residential and commercial amenities. Wildleaf residents will have access to a variety of amenities throughout North River Ranch, including parks and playgrounds, a 26-mile greenway trails system and fitness pods, clubhouses, multiple swimming pools, fitness centers and a dog park. Neal Communities also built Riverfield in North River Ranch, which is nearing sellout.

Named Among Best of Venice
Within SRQ Magazine’s Best of Venice categories, Neal Communities received several accolades. Overall, Neal Communities received the platinum level Best Venice New Home Builder. Additionally, one of Neal Communities’ newest neighborhoods in Wellen Park, Avelina, was recognized. The community received platinum status for both Best Venice New Home Community and Best Venice Home Model for the home builder’s Sea Spray model. Avelina is a 96-home community that offers five stunning floorplans ranging from 2,327 square feet to 2,762 square feet. Eight homes were sold in Avelina within the first 30 days of its opening. Avelina is located in the Playmore District of Wellen Park, a growing area of South Sarasota County.

Neal Communities also was recognized at the bronze level in the category of Best Venice Home Model for a model within the Boca Royale Golf and Country Club. Set beneath a canopy of mature oaks and tropical palm trees, Boca Royale Golf and Country Club is situated in the Englewood community. Homes range from villas to estate homes with a variety of amenities, including an 18-hole golf course with new Champion Ultradwarf greens, five tee box locations and scenic views with low home visibility from the fairways.

Best Pool Contractor
In addition, one of Neal Communities’ brands, Waterscapes Pools and Spas, received a platinum recognition for Best Pool Contractor. A custom pool builder, Waterscapes Pools and Spas uses only the finest materials and products and offers pools equipped with a variety of specialty features to ultimately create a personal oasis for homeowners. Much like its parent company, Waterscapes Pools and Spas prides itself on being customer focused, award winning and community serving.

Top 10 Best Local Places to Work
Neal Communities was listed among the Top 10 Best Local Places to Work in the SRQ people’s choice award. Employees nominated the company and provided testimonials. This is not the first time Neal Communities’ workplace culture has been recognized by its employee base. The home builder has received the Best Places to Work award from the Herald-Tribune Media Group each year since 2019. The company attributes this to a united goal of helping people improve their lives throughout Southwest Florida and the communities it builds.

To read more about the Best of SRQ, visit www.SRQMagazine.com/2023/bestof. For more information about Neal Communities, visit nealcommunities.com/.

Neal Communities, Southwest Florida’s largest private homebuilder, will host both virtual and in-person grand openings of Wildleaf, a new community of single-family homes and villas within North River Ranch.

An initial virtual grand opening event will be held at 12 p.m. on Friday, March 31. Viewers will see a live broadcast on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube of Neal Communities staff revealing details of the newest North River Ranch community, including tours of the model homes. Viewers are encouraged to RSVP through the company’s Events tab on Facebook or at https://on.nealcommunities.com/wildleaf-go/.

An in-person grand opening celebration will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 1, at 10025 Hammock Brook Drive in Parrish. At the event, attendees will be invited to enter a prize drawing, enjoy lunch from Nas Philly Steaks (while supplies last) and tour the new single-family and villa model homes in Wildleaf.

Wildleaf is the newest Neal Communities neighborhood in the Parrish area. The community will include an estimated 378 units built in two separate phases in North River Ranch. The maintenance-assisted paired villas include 1,433-square-foot and 1,530-foot options. Single-family home options include those in the builder’s Cruise Series, which range from 1,533 to 2,428 square feet, the Celebration Series, which range from 2,014 and 2,110 square feet, and the Cove Series, which range from 1,904 to 2,427 square feet. Some of the floor plans allow for additional options, including second floor elevations, so the home size can reach up to 3,156 square feet.

“We look forward to opening our second neighborhood inside this vibrant and growing area of Southwest Florida,” said Pat Neal, founder and president of Neal Communities. “Our first community in North River Ranch was Riverfield, which features townhomes and is now almost sold out. With both villas and single-family homes, we are excited that Wildleaf will offer a wide variety of housing options in this beautiful, master-planned community.”

Wildleaf residents will have access to a variety of amenities throughout North River Ranch, including parks and playgrounds, a 26-mile greenway trails system and fitness pods, clubhouses, multiple swimming pools, fitness centers and a dog park. Residents will have easy access to Camp Creek, a 12-plus acre recreation spot with a social facility, pool, game room, café, individual workspaces, relaxation areas, open spaces and more.

Spread over 2,600 acres, North River Ranch is situated at the apex of Manatee, Pinellas and Hillsborough Counties and offers easy access to Interstate 75. The growing area includes both residential and commercial amenities. A future Publix and Market Walk will soon provide grocery and lifestyle options for North River Ranch residents. In addition, the community will soon have a new 150-bed hospital from HCA Florida Healthcare at the North River Ranch Village Center.

Schools near the new Wildleaf community include the new Barbara Harvey Elementary, Buffalo Creek Middle School and the new Parrish Community High School.

For more information about Wildleaf or the upcoming grand opening celebrations, visit https://on.nealcommunities.com/wildleaf-go/.

Neal Communities, Southwest Florida’s largest private home builder, sold its 20,000th home last week.

The milestone moment took place on March 21st inside a community sales office for a home in the award-winning Windward at Lakewood Ranch. Boca Raton resident Sylvia Fiammetta purchased a 1,530-square-foot Tidewater villa, one of Neal Communities’ best-selling plans, currently under construction inside the vibrant Lakewood Ranch neighborhood.

Fiammetta told staff she is looking forward to relocating to the Sarasota area, making new friends, being closer to current ones and enjoying all of the amenities at Windward. Homes at Windward are known for their British West Indies and Dutch Colonial architecture, and the community includes a 9,600-square-foot clubhouse with a fitness center, two resort-style pools, several sports courts and fields, playground and miles of trails that connect to parks and dog parks.

To commemorate the occasion, Neal Communities’ staff celebrated Fiammetta’s purchase by presenting her with a cake and champagne gift basket. Neal Communities also surprised her with a $500 gift card.

“Wow, Neal Communities is a class act,” she said in a conversation thanking staff later that day.

Neal Communities, headquartered in Lakewood Ranch, is Southwest Florida’s largest and most established locally owned and operated private builder. During the company’s 50-year history, it has built more than 90 acclaimed communities from Tampa to Naples. Company sales in fiscal year 2022 were $600 million.

The company consistently ranks among the nation’s top 100 home builders and has earned numerous awards including the prestigious Builder of the Year from Professional Builder in 2015 and America’s Best Builder in 2012 from BUILDER Magazine.

For more information about Neal Communities, visit NealCommunities.com.

Neal Communities, Southwest Florida’s premier, private homebuilder, has made a $10,000 donation to Healthy Teens. This is the second consecutive year that Neal Communities has donated $10,000 to assist the youth program in helping local teens flourish.

Healthy Teens provides vital health and life skills education and mentoring to hundreds of local youth between the ages of 11 and 25 each year. The organization is dedicated to empowering youth to make positive, healthy decisions for their success and wellbeing, providing them with the knowledge and skills needed to make informed choices about their physical, mental and emotional health.

“We strongly believe in investing in future generations and helping our local youth gain the skills they need to lead successful adult lives,” said Pat Neal, founder and president of Neal Communities. “We are happy to support Healthy Teens and the positive impact they are making in our local community.”

With a core belief that “Where You Live Matters,” Neal Communities has given more than $7.75 million to local charities throughout Southwest Florida and is committed to the communities where they live, work and build.

Healthy Teens’ flagship Teen Health Educator Program trains local youth ages 14 to 18 to serve as peer educators and mentors to help empower at-risk youth in the community. Previously trained teen educators over the age of 18 serve as Young Adult Leaders and support the current Teen Health Educators.

The funding from Neal Communities will be used to help expand the program into Sarasota County, building on the existing work developed in Manatee County over the past decade, said Jonathan Evans, executive director of Healthy Teens.

“We are thrilled to once again partner with Neal Communities in this critical work” Evans said. “The incredible commitment of Neal Communities to the health and wellbeing of our youth is needed now more than ever, and we are proud to work together to empower youth to make positive, healthy decisions every day.”

For more information about Neal Communities visit NealCommunities.com. For more information about Healthy Teens, visit healthyteens.org.

After more than 40 years in the building industry and 13 years as president of Neal Communities, Mike Storey retired on January 6, 2023. His warm smile, strong leadership skills and history of success have left a legacy that will long be remembered.

Mike is a Florida Certified Building Contractor with a BS in Building Construction from the University of Florida. Storey joined Neal Communities in 2010 and helped the company focus on steady growth and customer service, becoming the largest locally owned homebuilder in the region. Pat Neal was able to recruit Mike to Neal Communities based on their shared philosophies, industry views and leadership styles. For both, customers come first, and details matter. One example is the curving entrance of Grand Palm in Venice, a detail that added considerable beauty to the project. In a Business Observer article, Storey explained he fought for the stately drive simply because, “It’s a much more beautiful entry.”

More than a hundred colleagues wrote messages for Mike to celebrate his retirement. The following are just a few that represent the inspiration and impact he had on the employees of Neal Communities during his time with the company.

“I am truly honored to have worked with you and professionally grown with your guidance. You have an amazing ability as a strong and steady leader that helped us thrive these past 12 or so years.” – Janet Ladwig, Director of Community Design and Product Development

“Thank you for your years of commitment to Neal Communities. You have left a great mark on this company.” – Max Good, Staff Accountant II – Land

“Your daily presence in the office, your guidance, inspiration, sense of humor and just down-to-earth good advice will be greatly missed.” – George Lamirata, CAD Draftsman

“It has been such a pleasure learning the home building industry through your eyes. Your insights and perspectives have been instrumental in who I am today and what I do at Neal Signature.” – Valerie Fox, New Home Sales Associate, Neal Signature Homes

“Your knowledge, thoughtfulness, patience, business acumen and overall demeanor are unrivaled. Your positive impact on this business as well as the people involved is immeasurable and you will be greatly missed.” – Rob Kozlowski, Business Insights and Analytics Manager

“What I am most thankful for is the subtle mentorship that you always made sure to provide, sometimes without even having to say or do anything at all. Your ability to convey your thoughts, vision, wisdom and expectations is unmatched, both in words and on paper. While you will no longer be here, in person, leading the enterprise, I am confident that the honesty, care and determination which you instilled in us all will successfully persist for years to come.” – Carlos Puente, Vice President of Sales and Marketing

Pat, Charlene and everyone at Neal Communities wish Mike a happy retirement as he enjoys more time to fish and travel with his family.

Neal Communities was a $5,000 gold sponsor of the Venice YMCA’s 35th Annual Black Tie Gala. The homebuilder also is a bronze sponsor of the upcoming Suncoast Foundation for Handicapped Children’s 3rd Annual BBQ & Bluegrass Hoot ’n’ Annie.

Neal Communities has a philanthropic culture and a core belief that “Where You Live Matters.” The latest giving is part of more than $7.75 million that Neal Communities has donated to local charities and causes throughout Southwest Florida.

The formal Black Tie Gala, hosted inside Venice YMCA’s gymnasium off Center Road, raised money on Feb. 4 to provide scholarship assistance for children, families and seniors and expand programming and services for everyone in the Venice community.

“We are proud to sponsor Venice YMCA’s annual gala and help them to continue the work that they are doing within the Venice community,” said Pat Neal, founder and chairman of Neal Communities.

Venice YMCA is part of YMCA of Southwest Florida, an organization that includes Ys throughout the region and strategically focuses on youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. It’s regular programing concentrates on wellness, aquatics, youth and family, sports and recreation and childcare.

“Our annual Black Tie Gala sponsors, such as Neal Communities, help support our cause-driven programs and ensure that people have access to YMCA programs regardless of inability to pay,” said Jamie Browning, vice president of development for YMCA of Southwest Florida. “YMCA of Southwest Florida serves over 60,000 individuals each year; many families and individuals need financial assistance. Everyone deserves to participate in Y programs and this is made possible because of the support of our partners. We could not do it without them.”

For more information about Venice YMCA, visit www.ymcaswfl.org.

In addition to the YMCA Black Tie Gala, Neal Communities also is a $1,000 bronze sponsor this year of the Suncoast Foundation for Handicapped Children’s 3rd Annual BBQ & Bluegrass Hoot ’n’ Annie, which will be held on April 15, 2023 at Fox Lea Farm in Venice.

The event will feature a three-course BBQ dinner prepared by national champion pitmaster Dana Hills and entertainment by the five-time IBMA Banjo Player of the Year and winner of the Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass, Sammy Shelor of the Lonesome River Band.

The Suncoast Foundation for Handicapped Children’s primary purpose is to facilitate the construction or acquisition of facilities and/or equipment for handicapped children and young adults to assist them in reaching independence and enhance their ability to enter and participate in society.

“The Suncoast Foundation for Handicapped Children does important work in our community to assist our youth and those in need so that they can have happy, healthy and independent lives,” Neal said. “We are proud to be a sponsor of this event.”

For more information about the Suncoast Foundation for Handicapped Children, visit SuncoastFoundation.org. For more information about Neal Communities, visit NealCommunities.com.