July 28, 2015 0 Comment MasterKey
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Neal Communities’ second quarter sales surpass last year’s record

Neal Communities (NealCommunities.com), southwest Florida’s premier, private homebuilder, sold 89 homes in June, notching a new half-year record with 563 sales so far in 2015. This is an increase of more than 25 percent over this time last year.

“We remain firmly on target to sell more than 1,000 homes this year, which is an all-time record for the firm,” said Michael Storey, president of the Lakewood Ranch-based homebuilding company. “Our success is a testament to our team, who are the best in the business. We continually striving to provide superior customer service and improve people’s lives. Our core philosophy, set from the top, is to do the right things to get to where we need to be, and I could not be more proud of our entire staff,” said Storey.

June marked several additional milestones for Neal Communities, including its first home sold at Waterset in the Hillsborough County marketplace; a sold-out Sugar Mill Lakes, the popular family-oriented community in Palmetto; and record-breaking sales at Boca Royale Golf & Country Club in Englewood.

The opening of Waterset in Hillsborough County in June marked Neal Communities’ sixth new community opening this year, with continued plans for expansion throughout the remainder of the 2015.

Additionally, custom home division Neal Signature Homes has debuted four new neighborhoods in 2015, already surpassing its total year-end sales from 2014.

Notable neighborhoods for Neal Communities in June included its award-winning master-planned community Grand Palm in Venice with 15 sales, Boca Royale Golf & Country Club with 12 sales, Watermark with nine sales, Silverleaf with seven sales and Central Park, Indigo, Windwood and Canopy with six sales each.

About Neal Communities

Neal Communities was named one of 2012’s “America’s Best Builders” by BUILDER Magazine and voted the “2013 Best Residential Builder in Southwest Florida” in a readers’ poll sponsored by Gulfshore Business Magazine. The company is ranked No. 1 locally by Metrostudy and by Hanley Wood Market Intelligence based on number of home sales and ranked nationally among the top 50 builders by BUILDER Magazine. To date, Neal has built over 10,000 homes in southwest Florida. As the area’s largest and most established, locally owned and operated private builder, Neal Communities is continually striving for excellence in every aspect of the home building and development business. Neal Signature Homes, Neal Land Ventures, Charlene Neal PureStyle, Waterscapes Pools & Spas, Fiducia Insurance and Allegiant Title Professionals all contribute to the firm’s continued, record-setting local success. The company’s honors and accolades include 44 Parade of Homes 2015 awards, 50 Aurora Awards, 5 Best in American Living Awards and hundreds of local and regional industry awards.  For more information, please visit www.NealCommunities.com.

April 6, 2015 0 Comment MasterKey
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Neal Communities Donates to Boca Royale Semper Fi Fund Charity Fundraiser

Neal Communities (www.nealcommunities.com), the area’s largest and most established, locally owned and operated private builder, recently donated $10,000 to benefit the Boca Royale Semper Fi Fund Charity Fundraiser, a local nonprofit organization established by Boca Royale Golf and Country Club residents dedicated to helping its parent organization, the Semper Fi Fund, and its subsidiary, the America’s Fund.

This year’s Boca Royale Semper Fi Charity Golf Tournament raised an impressive $204,000. Neal Communities has been supporting the event since 2012 and joined this year’s Charity Golf Tournament as a co-sponsor.

The Semper Fi Fund and its program America’s Fund provide immediate financial assistance and lifetime support to post 9/11 wounded, critically ill and injured members of all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces and their families. This ensures that they have the resources they need during their recovery and transition back to their communities.

The 2015 tournament, which was held Saturday, March 28 at the Boca Royale Golf and Country Club, began at 11 a.m. with a shotgun start. Prior to the start of the golf game, attendees grabbed a pick-up lunch to go. At 4:30 p.m., participants returned to the country club for cocktails and dinner, a live auction, golf prizes and a 50/50 drawing.

“The residents of Boca Royale Golf and Country Club are honored to sponsor the sixth annual Charity Event to provide support to our injured heroes and their families,” said retired U.S. Navy Captain Frank Lugo, chairman of the Boca Royale Semper Fi Fund Charity Fundraiser. “We thank Neal Communities and all of our generous sponsors for supporting these heroes. They have given so much for us – now it is our turn.”

Established in 2010, the Boca Royale Semper Fi Fund Charity Fundraiser is an all-volunteer organization. The 501(c) 3 tax-exempt organization has raised and sent the parent organization over $500,000 since 2010.

Since establishing the Semper Fi Fund in 2004, the nonprofit has distributed over $102 million in grants and helped more than 13,500 heroes and their families. For more information, call 941-475-7025 or visit http://bocasemperfifund.org.

About Neal Communities

Neal Communities was named one of 2012’s “America’s Best Builders” by BUILDER Magazine and voted the “2013 Best Residential Builder in Southwest Florida” in a readers’ poll sponsored by Gulfshore Business Magazine. The company is ranked No. 1 locally by Metrostudy and by Hanley Wood Market Intelligence based on number of home sales and ranked nationally among the top 50 builders by BUILDER Magazine. To date, Neal has built over 10,000 homes in southwest Florida. As the area’s largest and most established, locally owned and operated private builder, Neal Communities is continually striving for excellence in every aspect of the home building and development business. Neal Signature Homes, Neal Land Ventures, Charlene Neal PureStyle, Waterscapes Pools & Spas, Fiducia Insurance and Allegiant Title Professionals all contribute to the firm’s continued, record-setting local success. The company’s honors and accolades include 42 Parade of Homes 2014 awards, 50 Aurora Awards, 5 Best in American Living Awards, and hundreds of local and regional industry awards.  For more information, please visit www.nealcommunities.com.

March 14, 2015 0 Comment MasterKey
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Neal sets a company record with 103 sales

Pat Neal, founder of Neal Communities, interviewed by SNN News 6 about the Florida real estate market.

 

Neal Communities set a company record for February with 103 new-home sales.

The development and building company has opened five communities so far this year: Windwood and Woodland Trace for Neal Communities, and Collingtree, Wildgrass and River Wind for Neal Signature Homes, which is Neal’s luxury home division.

Neal’s Leisa Weintraub called the region’s real estate market “robust.”

“Consumer confidence is reaching normal levels, and the winter in the north is driving more people to the area,” she said.

Neal Communities, approaching 10,000 home sales in its 40-plus years of operation, will open more communities later this year.

“Buyers have abundant choices,” Weintraub said, including the option to move into a “feature home,” a inventory house, that is professionally furnished and move-in ready.

Neal made its sales throughout Southwest Florida. Nineteen contracts were signed in Grand Palm in Venice. It made seven sales each in Eagle Trace in Bradenton, Reflection Lakes in Naples and Forest Creek in Parrish. Six sales were recorded at both Fairfield in Bradenton and Central Park in Lakewood Ranch.

December 15, 2014 0 Comment MasterKey
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A Holiday Message from Pat Neal

Holiday Greetings,

As 2014 draws to a close and we celebrate our 45th year building homes at Neal Communities, Charlene and I can reflect back on not only a year of milestones and achievements, but also on four decades filled with families putting their trust in our company and our team.

It is with heartfelt gratitude and appreciation that I thank you, our friends and customers, for your continued support and for allowing us to become an integral part of building communities in southwest Florida.

Our company’s 45th year has been marked by extraordinary expansion and the completion of our 10,000th home – accomplishments only made possible by your belief in our team who strives to make a positive difference. A major focus this year has been creating additional communities of distinction, adding new, dedicated team members, and a continued emphasis on giving back to the community that has given so much to us.

One key founding philosophy here at Neal Communities, stemming from my own long-standing family values, is the belief that the strength of a company comes from its collective ability to contribute to the greater good. This is why we will always strive to support community causes, programs and organizations that contribute to our quality lifestyle, help educate residents and support historic and environmental preservation.

For example, we recently celebrated the 16th anniversary of the “My Favorite Home” art contest with our local elementary schools. During this contest, we select a student’s home design for the Neal Communities’ holiday card while supporting art and teachers in our exemplary area schools.

As we entered new markets in 2014, we were humbled by your recognition of naming Neal Communities “Best Builder” in the Venice Gondolier’s Best of Venice, and as a finalist for “Best Builder” in the Sarasota Herald-Tribune’s 2014 Reader’s Choice Awards. We rejoiced in earning our 50th Aurora Award for the design of Grand Palm in Venice and broke into the top 50 national homebuilder-ranking list by BUILDER Magazine.

In 2014 and looking ahead to the future, we look back upon our rich history while embracing new traditions and milestones yet to come. We hope you’ll join us on this exciting journey and continue to embrace our family and our firm as you have done for more than 40 years. From our family to yours, we wish you happy holidays and a healthy and prosperous New Year. Here’s to 2015!

Sincerely,

Pat Neal

December 15, 2014 0 Comment MasterKey
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Neal Communities Heads Into December with 808 Sales

LAKEWOOD RANCH, Fla. – Southwest Florida’s prolific and rapidly expanding homebuilder Neal Communities, heads into December with 808 year-to-date homes sales, which breaks all prior company records.

With 85 new home sales in November alone, Neal Communities’ CEO and president Pat Neal attributes the trend to a continued increase of active adults moving within Florida and to the Sunshine State from the mid-Atlantic and upper Midwest portions of the nation.

“With the market strengthening in other parts of the nation, such as the Midwest and the ‘Rust Belt’, and homes there finally selling, buyers are free to purchase homes in Florida,” said Pat Neal. “That coupled with historically low mortgage rates and 60 percent of home buyers paying cash, equals a strong southwest Florida market,” said Neal.

Additionally, the Lakewood Ranch-based Neal Communities has expanded its home choices and options and grown into new markets in 2014, adding several new communities in Hillsborough, Manatee, Sarasota, Lee and Collier counties.

The 85 home sales in November span across 16 communities, with 18 sales at Grand Palm, Neal’s master-planned community in Venice, Fla. Other top-selling communities included River’s Reach in Parrish with nine sales, Central Park in Lakewood Ranch with eight sales and Reflection Lakes in Naples and Sugar Mill Lakes in Palmetto with six sales.

Neal unveiled its new Coastal Series at Boca Royale and Grand Palm last month, featuring larger homesites for buyers. New communities opening soon include Woodland Trace and Magnolia Point in Sarasota as well as Neal Signature Homes’ Wildgrass in Sarasota.

About Neal Communities

Neal Communities was named one of 2012’s “America’s Best Builders” by BUILDER Magazine and voted the “2013 Best Residential Builder in Southwest Florida” in a readers’ poll sponsored by Gulfshore Business Magazine. The company is ranked No.1 locally by Metrostudy and by Hanley Wood Market Intelligence based on number of home sales and ranked No.50 nationally among homebuilders by BUILDER Magazine. To date, Neal has built over 10,000 homes in Southwest Florida. As the area’s largest and most established, locally owned and operated private builder, Neal Communities is continually striving for excellence in every aspect of the home building and development business. Neal Signature Homes, Neal Land Ventures, Charlene Neal PureStyle, Waterscapes Pools & Spas and Allegiant Title Professionals all contribute to the firm’s continued, record-setting local success. The company’s honors and accolades include 42 Parade of Homes 2014 awards, 50 Aurora Awards, 5 Best in American Living Awards and hundreds of local and regional industry awards.  For more information, please visit www.nealcommunities.com.

December 1, 2014 0 Comment carlos
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Neal Communities hosts 19th annual art contest at Taylor Ranch Elementary School

During this year’s annual My Favorite Home art contest by Neal Communities, the top 10 student finalists in each grade level at Taylor Ranch Elementary School in Venice were recognized for their artistic abilities at the event on Friday, Nov. 14, which was attended by school officials and guest judges from around the community.

This year marks the 19th year that Neal Communities has held the My Favorite Home art contest, featuring a different community school each year in Manatee or Sarasota Counties.

“We had a great time working with a variety of art mediums in each grade level, and I know the students truly enjoyed the process,” said Robyn Ferraro, art teacher at Taylor Ranch Elementary School. “I am so proud of the creativity displayed by our students, and we thank Neal Communities for their generosity in supporting our art program.” 

Neal Communities donated $1,500 to the school’s art program at the event. 

“We are extremely thankful to Neal Communities for this contribution, which we will use toward the purchase of technology for the art department,” said Dr. William Bolander, principal at Taylor Ranch Elementary School.  

All students in grades kindergarten through fifth grade participated in the contest. The kindergarten students utilized markers and crayons while the first-grade students worked with construction paper to emphasize the landscaping and environment. Second graders applied shapes using stamping and print making, third graders used water color paints and fourth graders painted with metallic oil pastels. The fifth-grade students were able to use any medium of their choice. 

“I can speak for our entire team when I say that this is one of our favorite annual events,” said Pat Neal, CEO and chairman of the board at Neal Communities. “We are always inspired by the student artwork and commend the hard-working teachers and staff members who work tirelessly to educate our local students. Our teachers do a wonderful job, and it’s because of them that so many people seek out Sarasota County as a place to call home.” 

The students’ submissions were narrowed down to the top 60 entries – ten from each grade level. Six grade-level winners were chosen by a celebrity judging panel, including Sarasota County Commissioner Charles Hines, Sarasota County School Board members Eric Robinson and Jane Goodwin and Kathy Leon from SNN6. They were joined by Neal Communities’ team members from the company’s marketing, sales, purchasing and accounting departments. The homebuilder’s team will select two overall winners, whose artwork will adorn the cover of the 2018 holiday cards for Neal Communities and Neal Signature Homes.

Below are the grade-level winners listed in order:

  • Kindergarten – Meredith Liebeher
  • First grade – Lucy Vega
  • Second grade – Hampton William
  • Third grade – Mia Gadow
  • Fourth grade – Nevaeh Naberaall
  • Fifth grade – Dariana Colo’n

About Neal Communities

With over 40 years of building award-winning homes, Neal Communities has over 90 successful communities throughout southwest Florida. The Lakewood Ranch-based builder was named the Professional Builder 2015 “Builder of the Year” and was named one of 2012’s “America’s Best Builders” by BUILDER Magazine and voted the “2013 Best Residential Builder in Southwest Florida” in a readers’ poll sponsored by Gulfshore Business Magazine. The company is ranked No. 1 locally by Metrostudy and by Hanley Wood Market Intelligence based on number of home sales and ranked nationally among the top 50 builders by BUILDER Magazine.

To date, Neal has built over 13,000 homes in southwest Florida. As the area’s largest and most established, locally owned and operated private builder, Neal Communities is continually striving for excellence in every aspect of the home building and development business. Neal Signature Homes, Neal Land Ventures, Charlene Neal PureStyle, Waterscapes Pools & Spas, Neal Communities Funding, Fiducia Insurance and Allegiant Title Professionals all contribute to the firm’s continued, record-setting local success. The company’s honors and accolades include numerous Parade of Homes awards, 50 Aurora Awards, 5 Best in American Living Awards and hundreds of local and regional industry awards. For more information, please visit www.NealCommunities.com.

September 26, 2014 0 Comment MasterKey
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Neal Nature Preserve Unveiled in Manatee County

Bradenton, Fla. – Pat and Charlene Neal, together with Manatee County officials, unveiled the Neal Nature Preserve on April 9, 2014, a 120-acre parcel of land originally conveyed to Manatee County in 2005.

The Neal’s donated the land to the county at a significantly reduced price in order to preserve its pristine wetlands and create a protected preserve for the enjoyment and education of the community.

The park features a mix of recreational opportunities, including a bike trail, picnic pavilion, boardwalk, wildlife observation point, a launch for canoes and kayaks, on-site parking, kiosk and restrooms. The park also offers opportunities for environmental and archeological study.

“Charlene and I are thrilled that years of planning are finally coming to fruition,” said Pat Neal, president and CEO of Lakewood Ranch based Neal Communities. “We pride ourselves on being stewards of the land and hold high standards in our environmental commitment. We believe in protecting the land by leaving a ‘small footprint’, and we take that very seriously. We are proud and humbled that the Neal Preserve can maintain that legacy in some small way for years to come,” he said.

In 2005, the Neal’s decided to preserve the natural beauty of this unique property for the benefit of the community in lieu of pursuing development options. The land had been appraised at $15.9 million. The county purchased the land for $6.7 million and applied an additional $2.3 million in grant monies from the Florida Communities Trust Program. The Neal family then completed the transaction by gifting $6.9 million of the land’s value to the county. The piece of property is located just before the Anna Maria Island Bridge, on the southern tip of Perico Island.

The Neal Preserve is home to 106 acres of unspoiled Mangrove wetlands that support a rich and varied ecosystem. The remaining acreage is comprised of beautiful uplands dotted with native plants, trees and wildlife. The land is also the repository of significant archeological records and is part of an ongoing study of native tribes who occupied the area as early as 1000 BC. That history is honored with interpretive signage throughout the Preserve.

Neal Communities was named one of 2012’s “America’s Best Builders” by BUILDER Magazine and voted the “2013 Best Residential Builder in Southwest Florida” in a readers’ poll sponsored by Gulfshore Business Magazine. Neal Communities was also named 2014 “Best Builder” in the Best of Venice, awarded by the Venice Gondolier, and was a finalist in the Sarasota Herald Tribune’s 2014 Reader’s Choice Awards for “Best Builder”. The company is ranked #1 locally by Metrostudy and by Hanley Wood Market Intelligence based on number of home sales and ranked #64 nationally among homebuilders by BUILDER Magazine. To date, Neal has built over 9,000 homes in Southwest Florida. As the area’s largest and most established, locally owned and operated private builder, Neal Communities is continually striving for excellence in every aspect of the home building and development business. John Neal Homes, Neal Signature Homes, Charlene Neal PureStyle, Waterscapes Pools & Spas, and Allegiant Title Professionals all contribute to the firm’s continued, record-setting local success. The company’s honors and accolades include 49 Parade of Homes 2014 awards, 49 Aurora Awards, 5 Best in American Living Awards, and hundreds of local and regional industry awards. For more information, please visit www.nealcommunities.com.

August 11, 2014 0 Comment MasterKey
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Neal Breaks 500 Sales and Earns 50th AURORA Award in July

Neal Communities hit another milestone in July, winning its 50th AURORA Award. The record setting, prolific southwest Florida homebuilder also sold 64 homes last month, bringing its year to date total to 509.

Grand Palm – a unique, master-planned community appealing to a multigenerational demographic in Venice, Fla.— was honored with Neal’s 50th AURORA Award for best community over 500 acres in the southeast U.S. The Southeast Building Conference (SEBC) presents these prestigious awards annually.

“We are humbled and extremely proud to have received this recognition from the SEBC,” said Michael Storey, President of Neal Communities. “Grand Palm took seven years of diligent planning and utilized cooperative partnerships with public officials and environmental specialists to create. The result was a beautiful, master-planned community that is intertwined within the natural beauty of the region, and to be recognized for this accomplishment is a testament to our hard working team,” he said.

Grand Palm was also notable in July for 19 home sales. Other standout communities for sales in July include Sugar Mill Lakes in Palmetto with six sales, and Fairfield in Bradenton with five sales. The fast growing, Lakewood Ranch-based builder is gearing up for several new community openings over the next few months, including Silverleaf in Parrish, set to open next week.

Neal Communities was named one of 2012’s “America’s Best Builders” by BUILDER Magazine and voted the “2013 Best Residential Builder in Southwest Florida” in a readers’ poll sponsored by Gulfshore Business Magazine. The company is ranked No.1 locally by Metrostudy and by Hanley Wood Market Intelligence based on number of home sales and ranked No.50 nationally among homebuilders by BUILDER Magazine. To date, Neal has built over 9,000 homes in Southwest Florida. As the area’s largest and most established, locally owned and operated private builder, Neal Communities is continually striving for excellence in every aspect of the home building and development business. Neal Signature Homes, Neal Land Ventures, Charlene Neal PureStyle, Waterscapes Pools & Spas and Allegiant Title Professionals all contribute to the firm’s continued, record-setting local success. The company’s honors and accolades include 42 Parade of Homes 2014 awards, 50 Aurora Awards, 5 Best in American Living Awards and hundreds of local and regional industry awards.  For more information, please visit www.nealcommunities.com.

July 9, 2014 0 Comment MasterKey
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Builder Magazine Names Neal in Top 50

Neal Communities marks another milestone as it jumps up 14 spots on the BUILDER Magazine top national homebuilder rankings, from number 64 to number 50. In addition to moving up in the ranks on the acclaimed list, Neal Communities also cites a more than 100% increase in homes closed since 2011, further solidifying its place as a dominant builder in the region.

“The top 50 designation really sets Neal Communities apart because it goes to the core of who we are,” said Michael Storey, President of Neal Communities. “We’ve been through five downturns, grown tremendously in volume, but we haven’t lost sight of who we are. When you couple the financial performance of this company with our customer satisfaction, plus the personal pride we put into our homes, it’s easy to see why Neal Communities has the ranking it does,” he said.

Since Neal Communities began in 1970, the prolific Lakewood Ranch-based builder has created close to 10,000 homes. The growth in just three years, from 384 homes closed in 2011 to 769 homes closed last year, showcases the Neal staying power along with the company’s excellent track record, including the financial stability that Neal Communities is known for.

“We measure our success by the homes we’ve built and continue to build, the happiness and satisfaction of our customers, the communities that we’ve built from beginning to completion, along with our financial stability. We’ve never chased the numbers, because that’s not why we build. These rankings are a great byproduct of what we’ve set out to do, which is build great homes, great communities, and position ourselves as a company that is here for the long haul,” said Storey.

According to Hanley Wood, the publisher of BUILDER, the top 100 list is compiled from data collected by the magazine through direct survey of the builders. BUILDER Magazine’s top home builder rankings list is based on the number of home closings in the United States, and the list of 100 private and public companies is compiled by the Magazine yearly, since 1984.

Neal Communities was named one of 2012′s “America’s Best Builders” by BUILDER Magazine and voted the “2013 Best Residential Builder in Southwest Florida” in a readers’ poll sponsored by Gulfshore Business Magazine. The company is ranked #1 locally by Metrostudy and by Hanley Wood Market Intelligence based on number of home sales and ranked #50 nationally among homebuilders by BUILDER Magazine. To date, Neal has built over 9,000 homes in Southwest Florida. As the area’s largest and most established, locally owned and operated private builder, Neal Communities is continually striving for excellence in every aspect of the home building and development business. John Neal Homes, Neal Signature Homes, Charlene Neal PureStyle, Waterscapes Pools & Spas, and Allegiant Title Professionals all contribute to the firm’s continued, record-setting local success. The company’s honors and accolades include 42 Parade of Homes 2014 awards, 49 Aurora Awards, 5 Best in American Living Awards, and hundreds of local and regional industry awards.  For more information, please visitwww.nealcommunities.com.

December 15, 2013 0 Comment MasterKey
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Building Through the Bust

St. Petersburg Times, June 2011 — When the real estate market hit the skids, one of the region’s biggest developers adapted to keep growing. Read more.