After selling more than 200 homes in one project, in just 18 months, American Heritage Homes has nothing but praise for the traditional neighborhood design concept. In fact, American Heritage chief operations officer George O. Glance III believes bringing TND communities to entry-level and first move-up price points is a can''''t-miss proposition.
American Heritage, which builds in 33 Central Florida communities and sold more than 1400 single-family homes last year, has just opened another neighborhood of 200 home sites at Avalon Park on the eastern fringes of Orlando, the TND community where sales went wild in 1999. "Avalon Park is so well designed that the community is an attraction all by itself," says Glance. "Practically everyone who visits wants to live here."
When the development opened in April last year, with American Heritage (the only builder) selling a line of homes designed by Orlando-based architects The Evans Group, prices started at less than $130,000 and ran to just under $200,000. Even though American Heritage raised prices dramatically throughout the year, nothing stopped the flood of sales. (For a look at the homes, see the April, 2000, issue of Professional Builder, pages 137-140)
"Almost everyone has an idea of the perfect home in the perfect neighbor-hood," says Glance, "and home builders try to match that ideal every day. I think we came the closest ever at Avalon Park. Once the elementary school here opens, and classes begin at the new high school "once this community begins to mature, I think everyone in the (housing) industry will realize what some of us are already thinking-that we''''re building one of America''''s greatest communities here."
Count publicly-held housing Giant Ryland Homes among the believers. Ryland has just acquired its own 230-lot neighborhood in the latest phase of Avalon Park.
Construction will begin in August on ten new model homes, including four townhouse plans. The townhouses will be priced from just under $100,000, and the six single-family plans in Ryland''''s product line will range from about $135,000 to more than $190,000.
"We have watched Avalon Park evolve as a neotraditional community of exceptional high standards, and we want to be a major presence there," says Ryland vp of sales and marketing Ron Utterback.
Ryland will build 192 single-family homes and 43 townhouses in Avalon Park.
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Tradition at Avalon Park Attracts Buyers
