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  • Lakewood Ranch Community Fund Launches its Builders Give Back Program

    LAKEWOOD RANCH, Fla. (May 16, 2023) – The Lakewood Ranch Community Fund (LWRCF) is pleased to announce the launch of its Builders Give Back program, through which builders make a $100 donation per closing to the LWRCF in the name of the new homeowner. The builders currently participating are Anchor Builders, AR Homes, Homes By Towne, John Cannon Homes, Lee Wetherington Homes, Pulte Homes, and Stock Luxury Homes. The program is further supported by Lakewood Ranch Communities, which will donate a matching $100 per closing to the LWRCF.

    The new program benefits the LWRCF by both developing engagement with homeowners in their community and introducing them to local philanthropy, which in turn will help create support for the LWRCF into the future.

    “This program allows new residents to experience the welcoming and giving culture of Lakewood Ranch right when they move in,” said Adrienne Bookhamer, executive director of the LWRCF. “Our builders understand that the lifestyle in Lakewood Ranch is unique, and they are supporting that by participating in Builders Give Back. There is no better way to thank new residents than by contributing to the community and helping the LWRCF make an impact here.”

    The Lakewood Ranch Community Fund has a “live here, give here” approach, Bookhamer explained. “We are supporting local life-changing nonprofit organizations and causes embedded in the area. This program brings new residents into the fold when they move in and provides them with an opportunity to give back themselves. By engaging our new residents early, we are hoping for more involvement from the community to make an even bigger impact locally.”

    The mission of the LWRCF, which is financed fully by residents and businesses, is to support the nonprofits that are doing impactful work in Lakewood Ranch and the surrounding areas in Manatee and Sarasota counties. As Lakewood Ranch continues to grow, the needs of the community – including human services, education, animal services, and arts and culture – will also grow.

    Bookhamer added, “During COVID, we gave out more than $75,000 in grants to help nonprofits that were directly impacted by the pandemic, and after Hurricane Ian, we partnered with Lakewood Ranch Communities and Lakewood Ranch Community Activities and raised $10,000 to grant to nonprofits affected by the hurricane.”

    For more information, visit lwrfund.org or call (941) 208-6799.

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    The Lakewood Ranch Community Fund is a 501(c)3 nonprofit devoted to enhancing the quality of life in and near the Lakewood Ranch, Florida community by promoting philanthropy, responding to community needs, and granting funds. Since its founding in 2000, the fund has granted over $1.5 million to more than 100 nonprofit organizations to directly improve the lives of Lakewood Ranch residents.

    LAKEWOOD RANCH REPORTS ROBUST FIRST QUARTER SALES

    LAKEWOOD RANCH REPORTS ROBUST FIRST QUARTER SALES

    Lakewood Ranch closed the first quarter of 2023 with 580 sales, a 17% increase over the same quarter in 2022. In March alone, builders reported 236 sales, which was a 33% increase over the same month in 2022, as well as a 33% gain over the previous month (February of 2023).

    Sales have been climbing month over month since September of 2022, but March represented the largest jump in sales since the pandemic housing boom occurred, in late 2020/early 2021.

    The growth in sales was attributable, in part, to builders doing a good job in “finding the market” in the more challenging entry-level and family move-up villages, by offering special financing, flex cash and closing cost contributions.

    The luxury market also saw increases, including the opening of Wild Blue, a new luxury home neighborhood in Waterside.

    Laura Cole, senior vice president of LWR Communities, LLC, said that Florida is still seeing a great deal of in-migration from other states, but more recently, the Ranch has been experiencing increasing moves from within Florida, mostly from high-priced, congested regions.  The Ranch’s ongoing sales successes are due to the variety of neighborhoods, home styles, and price points that continue to be offered to various buying segments. The introduction of neighborhoods with more attainable price points in 2023 will round-out and drive additional sales.

    Also, rentals have become a major source of new home buyers – a number of new apartment and build-for-rent communities have opened or are nearing completion. “Many people want to move to Lakewood Ranch but haven’t made a final purchase decision,” Cole said, “or want to give Lakewood Ranch living a test drive. We are able to offer options for potential buyers, no matter where they are in their decision making.”

    About Lakewood Ranch

    Lakewood Ranch is the 33,000+-acre award-winning master-planned community in Sarasota and Manatee counties on the West Coast of Florida. Just minutes from the Gulf Coast beaches and cultural assets in Sarasota, Lakewood Ranch is already home to more than 63,000 residents and features top-rated schools, the Lakewood Ranch Medical Center, the Sarasota Polo Club, the 75-acre Premier Sports Campus, and three town centers that include theaters, shopping and dining. For more information, visit lakewoodranch.com.