Starkey Ranch, a 2,400-acre master-planned community in Odessa, received more recognition at the 2018 Parade of Homes in March than any other community in Tampa Bay.
Five model homes at Starkey Ranch took either a grand or silver award for their floor plans, interior design and outdoor areas, winning in categories with homes priced from $350,000 to $1.2 million.
“We are very proud of the recognition our homebuilders received in this year’s Parade of Homes,” said Matt Call, who leads the development team at Starkey Ranch. “We have five of the most successful builders in the Tampa Bay area, based on sales volume, customer satisfaction and awards. In fact, three of our builders—Pulte Homes, CalAtlantic Homes and Taylor Morrison—are in the top 10 of the national 2017 Builder 100 rankings.”
Buyers like what they see at Starkey Ranch, as evidenced by the volume of new home sales in the community. In just the first 11 weeks of 2018, Starkey Ranch builders have written 94 sales contracts, a 42% increase over the same period last year. Since sales began in May of 2015, 660 homes have been sold.
Starkey Ranch was initially approved for over 5,000 homes, but Call projects the actual number will be closer to 3,000, due to the high demand for single-family homes on larger homesites. Home prices currently range from the upper $200,000s to over $800,000 on lots that back onto Starkey Preserve.
In 2018, Starkey Ranch is introducing several new neighborhoods: Monroe Commons featuring Pulte Homes; Anclote Reserve featuring Homes by WestBay; Albritton Park featuring M/I Homes; and Whitfield Preserve featuring Taylor Morrison.
Starkey Ranch lives up to its motto, ‘Alive and Thriving,’ says Call. “In less than three years, we’ve gone from no residents to 435 families living in beautiful new homes, and enjoying all the community amenities and programs. More families are moving in each week as their homes are completed.”
Call credits the success of Starkey Ranch to three factors – the place, the product, and the people.
“The place itself is incomparable,” he says. “This is legacy Starkey family land, the last segment of what was once a 20,000-acre working ranch. Most of the ranch became the Jay B. Starkey Wilderness Preserve, and we enjoy this forever-wild neighbor along the community’s northeastern boundary. On the other hand, we have three miles of frontage on State Road 54, making access easy for our residents.”
As evidenced by the Parade of Homes awards, the home products are something special, too. Starkey Ranch has rigorous design guidelines that require builders to enhance the exteriors of each home with elements like stone, siding, shingles, porches, decorative trim and upgraded roofing materials.
They also must vary the home plans and color palettes on each block, creating a more interesting streetscape. “You won’t find any cookie-cutter stucco boxes here,” says Call. “It may cost a bit more to build in Starkey Ranch, but the community is looking great and we think it will stand the test of time.”
The last key to success is people. The builder sales counselors, the Welcome Center ambassadors and the community’s Lifestyle team members all recognize that a sense of community is more important than a floor plan to most people.
“Our primary goal is to help new neighbors become friends, and we do that through amenities and community activities that bring people together—with a big focus on nature and outdoor recreation,” said Call.
Of Starkey Ranch’s 2,400 acres, 800 will forever remain as open spaces, parks, lakes and preserved wetlands. More than 15 miles of the planned 20-mile paved trail system within the community is complete, and it will connect with trails in the Starkey Wilderness Preserve and the regional Suncoast Trail.
The newest amenity, Cunningham Park, includes a lake with canoes and kayaks for resident use, a community hall for classes and social events, and a community garden. Neighborhood pools, pavilions and parks are disbursed throughout the community.
The 80-acre Starkey Ranch District Park, Pasco County’s newest recreational complex, opened late last year in the community. Its first phase includes a lighted Little League baseball/softball field, three lighted multipurpose fields for soccer, lacrosse and football, six multipurpose practice fields, a playground and picnic pavilions.
Pasco County has announced plans for the 2021 completion of a K-8 school co-located with the District Park. A public library, community cultural center, and additional recreational facilities will be built with the school.
Coming soon to the intersection of State Road 54 and Gunn Highway is the Publix-anchored Starkey Ranch Town Square, which will also include shops, restaurants and apartments. A small business park is planned for the intersection of Heart Pine Avenue and State Road 54.
For more information, visit the Starkey Ranch Welcome Center at 2500 Heart Pine Ave, Odessa, FL 33556. You can also call (813) 925-9777, email or visit StarkeyRanch.com. Welcome Center hours are Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday noon to 6 p.m.
Recognized builders and their models are:
$350,000 to $399,000
M/I Homes – Grand Prize
Chatham Model
$400,000 to $449,000
M/I Homes – Silver Prize
Sheridan Model
$500,000 to $549,000
Homes by Westbay – Grand Prize
Ballast Point Model
$600,000 to $649,000
Taylor Morrison – Silver Prize
Farnese Model
$700,000 to $799,000
Pulte Homes – Grand Prize
Heatherton Model
Published March 28, 2018