When a 91,000-acre piece of vacant land came up for sale in Southwest Florida about ten years ago, it attracted builders from across the country. After all, the chance to develop an area almost five times the size of Manhattan does not come frequently. But to everyone’s surprise, the owners did not auction the property that lies just 20 minutes from Fort Myers to the highest bidder. Instead, they sold it to Palm Beach-based Kitson & Partners who not only promised to preserve a bulk of the land, but also use the remaining acreage to build an environmentally friendly town.

True to their word, as soon as the sale closed, the developers parceled off 73,000 acres and sold it to the government of Florida as part of the largest single land preservation agreement in the state’s history. Over the last decade, the state and county officials have worked hard at restoring the wetlands and other waterways in what is now known as the Babcock Nature Preserve. Their efforts have resulted in the return of many native birds and plants that had disappeared from the region.

However, a decline in the real-estate market forced Kitson & Partners to postpone their vision of creating an environmentally friendly town until recently. While site preparations began in November 2015, it was not until Earth Day 2016 that the developers finally revealed their plans for America’s first “green” community.

On the surface, Babcock Ranch, which will be home to about 50,000 residents when complete, appears to be just like a typical small American town. It will have a bustling downtown, hiking trails, a wellness center, and even a man-made lake that residents can use for recreational activities like kayaking. However, this is where the similarities end.

Unlike most American cities, the homes in Babcock Ranch will not be powered by polluting fossil fuels like coal or oil. Instead, the residents will get their energy from a massive solar farm that is being constructed in partnership with Florida Power and Lightning. On cloudy days or at night, the grid powered by clean natural gas will take over. According to Kitson, “The combination of energy will be the greenest in the country.”

All homes and businesses will also have built-in Greywater recycling. This means gently used water from sinks, showers, tubs, and washing machines will be kept separate from the sewer system and automatically redirected to gardens and lawns. Tele-healthy systems will enable residents to get treated for minor medical issues without leaving the comfort of their home site. The houses will also be equipped with shelters where residents can take refuge during hurricanes.

To reduce the use of polluting gas vehicles, the homes will be clustered close to the town’s center. Pedestrian and bike-friendly streets will ensure that residents can walk or ride bikes to run errands or commute to work. For those that need to go further out, the developers envision a public transportation system that uses on-demand driverless electric cars.

The developers hope that Babcock Ranch will attract a diverse group of environmentally-friendly residents to fill their Florida home sites who are all passionate about reducing their ecological footprint. To accomplish this, they plan to offer a variety of housing options ranging from condominiums that cost about $200,000 USD to million-dollar single-family homes.

Kitson & Partners plans to begin construction of the first phase of 1,100 homes this summer. Once that is complete, the developers will start work on the shops, cafes, school, and office buildings that will populate the downtown area. If everything goes according to schedule, America’s greenest town will be ready to welcome its first residents in early 2017!

Looking to purchase a Babcock Ranch land lot for development or investment?  Contact a member of the 9 Core Team today to learn more about becoming a Babcock Ranch homeowner!

Shadow Lakes, Lehigh Acres, Florida’s newest community is bringing SWFL residents back to nature with a newly built community of homes throughout gorgeous, tranquil neighborhoods.  There are still many available Lehigh Acres land lots for sale in this up and coming community with all homes situated on the waterfront of lakes or canals or abutting a placid expansive nature refuge.  It’s not rare for residents of Shadow Lakes to see some of the best wildlife that Florida has to offer.  In fact, Shadow Lakes even includes a gopher tortoise preserve!

The amenities included with homeownership in Shadow Lakes include a playground, walking trails, clubhouse and much more.  Located with close access to State Road 82 and I-75, Shadow Lakes is a hop, skip and jump away from the hottest entertainment in SWFL, restauraunts, shopping and nightlife.  SWFL residents that are buying lots for sale in Florida enjoy life in a water wonderland, with access to some of the best beaches in the country including Fort Myers Beach and the amazing, world-renowned beaches of Sanibel and Captiva, know best for their outstanding shelling opportunities.

9 Core Realty’s team of land lot specialists knows Shadow Lakes like no other SWFL realtor and is ready to help you  find your dream Florida home site.  Give us a call today to get started finding your new home site!

Cascades at River Hall is a gated, master-planned community designed for active adult 55+ lifestyles located in Alva Florida on SR 80, 6.2 miles east of I-75 exit 141. This upscale 275-acre community will feature 575 homes when fully completed.  Cascades at River Hall features single-family homes ranging from 1,528 sq. ft. to over 2,635 sq. ft. with modern open floor plans.  Every land lot in the community is located on a lake with peaceful, year-round water views

Active adult communities have been a popular option in the Fort Myers area for both full-time residents as well as seasonal snowbirds.  Many of the regions 55+ developments offer a plethora of activities and amenities that allow new residents the opportunity to quickly acclimate into the social fabric of the community.

Southwest Florida builders are bullish on the demand for new home sites in their active adult communities and currently are building spec homes in their communities.  Cascades at River Hall, features 7 new models starting at $144,900.

• Harwich: 3 BR | 2 BA | 1 story | 2 car | 1,542 square feet
• Aria: 3 BR | 2 BA | 1 story | 2 car | 1,672 square feet
• Eastham: 3 BR | 2 BA | 1 story | 2 car | 1,753 square feet
• Cali: 3 BR | 2 BA | 1 story | 2 car |1,828 square feet
• Booth: 4 BR |2 BA | 1 story | 2 car | 1,954 square feet
• Cairn: 3 BR | 2 BA | 1 story | 2 car | 2,090 square feet
• Denton: 3 BR | 2 BA | 1 story | 2 car | 2,319 square feet

River Hall amenities include a community center with pool, fitness tennis and cafe.  River Hall features a Davis love III designed championship golf course and the community offers extensive walkways and trails surrounded by environmentally protected land and waterways.

If you are ready to build and call Cascades at River Hall home, contact a member of the 9 Core Realty team today!

Babcock Ranch is SWFL’s newest community and a pioneer is sustainable communities.  The first eco-city of its kind in Florida, Babcock Ranch will include 19,500 residential land lots for sale over a 17,000 acre parcel fully powered by solar.  This will make Babcock Ranch the solar powered city in the country.  In fact, it is predicted that the community will make so much energy soaking up that famous Florida sunshine, that it will be able to sell energy back to Florida Light and Power.

Located in Lee and Charlotte counties, Phase one of the Babcock Ranch sustainable community development includes a plethora of green, earth friendly options for residents.  Of course, the solar power is one major selling point of home lots in the Babcock Ranch development, but these homes will also be Florida green-build certified and include eco-friendly options including native landscaping and gray water irrigation systems in their home sites. The community will also be breaking technology barriers introducing 1 gigabyte fiberoptic cable capacity to every home, a health center with telehealth services and automated cars for shared, driverless transport within the community.  Healthy living will also be front and center at Babcock Ranch!  From locally grown produce, community garden areas and walkable schools, the residents will surely be fit and happy!   The developers of Babcock Ranch are not only creating an eco-friendly city but a place with front porch culture with no gates and mixed price ranges in each neighborhood creating a range of diversity.

Babcock Ranch has been designed with drawing in high tech firms in research and development in mind.  The development includes for commercial and office areas in the hopes of housing major national firms in these fields.  It is planned that a total of 20,000 permanent jobs would be added from business opportunities in Babcock Ranch that would sustain up to 50,000 residents.

If you are interested in land lots for sale in Babcock Ranch, contact a member of the 9 Core Realty Team today!