SARASOTA, FLORIDA, April 22nd, 2016 – The Islands on the Manatee River recently served notice of its strength amongst the newer destinations for upscale home buyers in Parrish. A pair of million-dollar, newly built model homes were sold here in the run-up to this year’s Parade of Homes wherein this neighborhood eventually emerged as one of the most outstanding entries.
A neighborhood in the River Wilderness Golf and Country Club, this development is definitely on a strong rebound from the housing downturn. Its first phase, called Rive Isle which was stalled by the last recession, has taken off anew and now nearly complete. The second phase of The Islands, dubbed as Harbourside, has already been platted and will be opened very soon.
Located directly on the Manatee River, The Islands is a gated, private community on 225 acres exquisitely developed amidst tranquil waterways and ancient moss-covered oaks. These hallmarks helped install this neighborhood as the 2016 Parade of Homes’ best overall for communities with 151‒200 home sites. In bagging this title, the community was also awarded the best in amenities and best entranceway in the annual showcase of Sarasota-Manatee homebuilders.
The homes of Rive Isle in The Islands are of Tuscan and Florida contemporary designs, while the architectural styles of future homes in its sister Harbourside will be choices on Spanish Colonial estates or British West Indies. Buyers of homes in The Islands can pick from amongst three custom builders: Arthur Rutenberg Homes, Javic Homes, and John Cannon Homes.
The Monaco model in The Islands built by Arthur Rutenberg in tandem with RW Wilson Homes won this year’s Best Curb Appeal and Best Kitchen in its Parade of Homes category. For Javic Homes, its Abaco model in this waterfront community also copped the Best Curb Appeal and the Best Floor Plan. This build, currently listed amongst Sarasota homes for sale (MLS No. R4703199), has three bedrooms and three baths within a floor area of 3,513 square feet and is sales-listed with a tag price of $1.15 million.
Many of the homes in this neighborhood formerly known as the Islands of River Wilderness provide picturesque waterfront views. Almost two-thirds of its 178 home sites have private docks and direct river access. For homes here with mortgages, no flood insurance is required as the neighborhood’s lots are above the flood plain.
There are no CDD fees too in The Islands where some 100 acres of its total acreage are conservation easements and nature preserves. Flocks of birds, as well as dolphins and manatees, are attracted to this development’s natural shore wetlands, man-made harbors, and islands.
Nature walks, scenic bridges, and fountains are not only the attractions within this community. Its other amenities also include the meeting place River House and a community dock with 10 boat slips. Likewise, all the facilities of the River Wilderness Golf and Country Club, including the clubhouse, golf course, tennis courts, and fitness center, are open to The Islands’ residents.
An added perk for Sarasota homes for sale in this community is the expected 2017 completion of the nearby Fort Hamer Bridge across the Manatee River. This span will provide a direct southern access to the life and leisure hubs at Lakewood Ranch and the Mall at University Town Center.
SARASOTA, FLORIDA, October 7, 2019 – Property values of communities in the Sarasota-Manatee region now face lesser threat from neighborhood eyesores brought about by abandoned, foreclosed homes. Known in the real estate trade as zombie foreclosures, these properties have shrunk significantly in the region. According to an August report of ATTOM Data Solutions, abandoned […] more>>