Babcock Ranch Telegraph

BABCOCK SOARS TO NUMBER 5

AMONG AMERICA’S TOP-SELLING MASTER-PLANNED COMMUNITIES



ABOVE: The sky seems to be the limit for Babcock Ranch home sales. TOP PHOTO: Babcock Ranch is on the cutting edge, especially Trail’s Edge. COURTESY PHOTO

Babcock Ranch has risen all the way to the fifth best-selling master-planned community in the United States.

The town ranks that high in the standings for America’s 50 fastest-selling master-planned communities in two prominent rankings by leading national real estate consulting firms RCLCO and John Burns, based on the number of homes sold in 2022.

Babcock Ranch was also spotlighted by RCLCO researchers for bucking the nationwide trend of declining home sales, placing in the “top 5 for the first time with a 31% increase in sales, despite regional impacts related to Hurricane Ian.”

“This is a significant achievement for Babcock Ranch, its residents, and builders,” said Syd Kitson, chairman, and CEO of developer Kitson & Partners. “We had another record-breaking year even with the many challenges we faced as a region. Babcock Ranch joins an elite group of communities throughout the country that has been at the top of the best-selling lists for years and years.” While sales activity declined 20% overall in the nation’s top 50 communities, Babcock Ranch was among a handful reporting increases — hovering at a steady 31% to 32% in 2021 and 2022. The town sold 934 homes in 2022, pushing the total number of homes sold since 2017 to nearly 2,700 and closing sales of over 2,200.

Homes see their lake reflection in Trail’s Edge. STEVE MITSKAVICH/BABCOCK RANCH TELEGRAPH

Homes see their lake reflection in Trail’s Edge. STEVE MITSKAVICH/BABCOCK RANCH TELEGRAPH

As a young town just entering its seventh sales year, Babcock Ranch ranks among perennial 50-best chart toppers double and triple its acreage with decades of sales history, including No. 1 The Villages near Ocala and No. 2 Lakewood Ranch, north of Sarasota. Its meteoric rise spans only three short years when Babcock Ranch made its first appearance on both lists in the No. 34 slot for 2020 sales. In 2021 it climbed to No. 16 and was in 10th place midway through 2022.

It’s taken a team of innovators, dreamers, and go-getters that Mr. Kitson credits for Babcock Ranch’s success along with the town’s builders who committed to building certifiable energy and water-conserving green homes from the getgo. And, of course, those pioneering homebuyers who back in 2017 with only model homes and the lakefront Founder’s Square understood the town’s vision of sustainability and smart growth with nature as its guide.

“We couldn’t have achieved this milestone without the unwavering commitment of the entire Babcock Ranch team in creating a hometown unlike any other,” said Mr. Kitson, who describes his staffers’ dedication as relentless. “They’re constantly exploring new ideas and never say, ‘No, it can’t be done’ or ‘This isn’t how it’s been done in the past.’ We’re always exploring exciting new concepts, emerging technologies, and best practices.”

From its inception, Babcock Ranch has proved that sustainability and building in harmony with the natural environment are not only possible and worth any extra costs, but also marketable.

“More homebuyers today are driven by sustainability. They’re aware of the impact of their decisions — that it’s more than buying green products in the store or recycling at home,” said Mr. Kitson. “They understand their home and the community they live in will have more impact than any other purchase, and they’re doing their research to find the best options.”

When Kitson & Partners first presented the idea of a town powered by the sun, with the natural environment at the forefront and development taking a secondary role, others were likely calculating the extra costs of those additional layers — hundreds of precious buildable acres delegated not to homes but a solar field to power every building; an entire town elevated high above sea level to minimize potential flooding risks; and networks of lakes and restored waterways that on the surface provide coveted water views for homes and public gathering spaces while working behind the scenes to retain and filter water, protect watersheds and restore wildlife habitat.

Kitson & Partners got to know the land first, studying its natural hydrology, modeling water flow, assessing environmental impacts from prior agricultural and mining operations, and expanding on the successes of other smart cities. Half of the town’s 18,000-acre footprint is dedicated to greenways, parks, and lakes.

2023 already shows promise of another banner year at Babcock Ranch, with sales starting later this year in Midtown, its newest development phase, which brings new builders, an initial offering of six new neighborhoods, and more outdoor recreation with parks, expanded trails, and a 3.5-mile stretch of green space.

“We look forward to introducing this next chapter at Babcock Ranch and its exciting possibilities,” said Mr. Kitson. “It’s sometimes difficult to believe we welcomed our first residents only five years ago.”

 

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