University Pines

University Pines Homes for Sale – Sarasota, Florida 34243

University Pines is a residential development located in the northwest quadrant of University Parkway and Country Park Way in the southern boundary of Bradenton with Sarasota. With its first homes built in the 1980s, this community is witness to the growth of the real estate fortunes around University Parkway. Its first homes were notably built well ahead of the original builds in the nearby master-planned community of University Park developed starting in 1990 as well as those in Lakewood Ranch which began its development in 1994.

University Pines is a quiet neighborhood of just 78 residences with Sarasota addresses but are actually under the administrative jurisdiction of Manatee County. The community has just one street entrance and exit—Ithaca Lane—which is less than 100 feet north from the University Parkway corridor. Although ungated, the community is bordered by concrete walls on its Country Park Way frontage as well as along the community’s southern border with the University Parkway corridor.

A Close-knit Neighborhood

Despite the tremendous growth of residential and commercial real estate development around this community, it has retained much of its countryside, hometown feel. Many of the community’s homeowners are long-time residents. The ideal location and superb development of University Pines encouraged them to set up roots in the community.

University Pines is a close-knit community where neighborhood affairs are handled quite well by the homeowners’ association. One of the association’s major accomplishments was its successful lobbying with the city government of Bradenton to install traffic lights at the junction of University Parkway and Country Park Way.

There are no common recreational facilities at University Pines. This being so, the annual HOA dues its homeowners pay are relatively low. The fees are mainly used for maintenance of the community’s landscaping and internal streets. Like the Ithaca main road of the property, these streets go by names such as Vassar, Brandeis, and Sylvan that all suggest a home base truly unique and pleasant to be identified with.

Mid-priced Home Choices

Available properties in University Pines are rare finds in the MLS of Sarasota homes for sale, as its homeowners tend to keep their dwellings for the long term. Sales listings in the community also don’t last long on the market, as these are typically attractively priced starting from around the mid-$200s up to the $300s.

The typical floor areas of market-listed properties in University Pines measure between 1,500 and 2,100 square feet. These layouts often come with three bedrooms and two baths, with choice units having private pools, lanais, and two-car garages. The most prized among University Pines homes for sale are those which have been fully updated and serenely sit in one of the community’s cul-de-sacs with lush woodlands on their periphery.

Owning a home in University Pines still provides much of the countryside character that was dominant in its area at the time it was first developed in the 1980s. A generous sampling of the rustic charm of its University Parkway locale can still be enjoyed at the Conservatory Park a short distance northeast of the community.

This park spreads over 55 acres and provides outdoor and nature-based recreation including a walking trail with exercise stations. The expansive golf links of two semi-private country clubs—Palm Aire and University Park—are also refreshing points of interest near the homes for sale at University Pines.