by Michele Gillis
Staff Writer
Amenities are important to selling homes in communities and there’s more to it than that: having certain types of amenities can give you an advantage over the competition.
Twenty years ago, only the upscale country club style communities provided amenities. Today, most developers include them automatically to stay competitive.
“Developers are leaning toward more versus less in this endeavor to attract a large variety of homebuyers,” said Janna Thomas of LMH Solutions. “They want to provide something for everyone that is convenient, practical and purposeful. Developers understand the ‘my town’ mentality of most homeowners in that fact that closer to home is better.”
Amenities can be defined as any feature that provides comfort, convenience or pleasure to a community. These can include clubhouses, swimming pools, tennis courts, play areas, soccer fields, hiking trails, nature areas and activity coordinators.
With gas prices soaring, developers want to attract potential homebuyers to their communities with the promise of indoor and outdoor activities for the whole family within the community.
“Our feedback tells us that homebuyers prefer walking trails, ball fields, swimming pools, passive parks and an A-plus location,” said Richard Ray, managing partner of The PARC Group, the Nocatee developer. “Amenities are very important to homebuyers and it is often times the primary differentiator between one community and another.”
Judy Hicks of Re/Max Coastal Realty said she thinks builders and developers understand the importance of providing amenities in their communities.
“Amenities are especially important to families,” said Hicks. “Moms and dads like to have a place where their kids can play and interact with other kids. Most like having them in a central area where they are cared for by the homeowners association and are not their individual responsibility.”
In some cases, buyers are still just looking for a deal on their new home.
“Customers I work with are interested in pools, manned gates or remote entry gates, docks and golf courses,” said Eden Jordan of Coldwell Banker Vanguard Realty. “But, I’ve found that many buyers just want a good deal on a house. If it has amenities, that’s great. But it is not a deal breaker if they do not have them.”
We surveyed five random communities to see how the amenities in their communities have changed in the current economy or not.
Eagle Landing
Eagle Landing, on the western edge of Duval County, is an established community of seven years and about 500 homes.
It has an abundance of amenities: a tennis complex with eight clay courts and stadium seating for tournaments; an indoor gymnasium with full court basketball and a full workout facility; an amphitheatre for movies on the lawn or other events; a golf clubhouse with a sports bar, a restaurant, an 18-hole course; a heated year-round adult pool with a cabana bar, a family pool with slide, high and low diving boards, lap lanes, a kiddie pool and snack bar: a residents club, general store, a nine-hole garden golf course, canoes, playgrounds throughout, kids club, tree house and a full-time activities staff that plans resident events.
The community provides things for families to do without leaving the community, which is what they are looking for in this economy.
“The economy has made the industry as a whole challenging and folks are certainly looking for the best home value they can obtain but realize the added benefit to having all they need in our communities,” said Kelly Touhey of East West Realty/Eagle Landing. “We, as a developer, have not changed our philosophy as far as providing lifestyles. We know that folks want the best value and in our communities they not only get a great home but the get life the way it should be lived.”
Villages of Westport
Villages of Westport, a Mercedes Homes community in Northwest Jacksonville is five years old and has about 70 homes.
Amenities, scheduled to be completed this year, will include a community center with basketball court, swimming pool, playground, playing field and a clubhouse.
“Amenities are very important to potential buyers because they want to move in an area that has recreation for their growing families and the potential to draw other great home owners as themselves which will take pride in the community,” said Andrea Thorton, outside sales agent at The Villages of Westport and Watson Realty agent. “Not to mention it is a great selling tool.”
Thorton said buyers seem to show interest in pools, playgrounds and fitness centers.
“I think that the economy has affected the buyer by lowering their expectations somewhat, but buyers are more informed today concerning the economy and how it affects their buying power verses things they expect from a community,” said Thorton. “As far as builders are concerned, I do think that some have cut back on these expenditures and they have had to make adjustments and re-evaluate funding for these projects. I do anticipate that things will start to gradually move in a more positive upward motion in the up and coming future.”
Wynnfield Lakes
Wynnfield Lakes, a Lennar Homes community in the Intracoastal West area, is five years old and has about 370 homes.
Amenities include a resort-style pool with kid’s splash fun zone, playground tennis courts and basketball courts and a clubhouse.
“Our amenities are very important,” said Jason Brooks, an agent with Wynnfield Lakes. “I think builders have scaled back a bit and I think the willingness for buyers to pay for amenities has also scaled back.”
Nocatee
Nocatee, a master-planned community by The PARC Group, has been open about five years and has over 700 homes in seven different communities.
Amenities include the Splash Water Park, a community park, a dog park, Greenway Trails, Nocatee Preserve, fitness club, a network of roads for electric carts and a conference center.
Though Ray understands some developers have decided to cut back, he is not one of them.
“Nocatee is one community that has not cut back in providing amenities for residents,” said Ray. “As a master-planned community with a long-term plan, amenities and recreation are basic cornerstones to our community and continued investment is considered to be a priority.”
RiverTown
A Northern St. Johns County community, RiverTown, developed by the St. Joe Company, is about three years old and has 14 homes so far.
The amenities will include a riverfront park, a fitness center, a club facility, two pools, tennis courts, a play park, and numerous trails.
“Buyers want to live an active and social lifestyle and be able to get outside and enjoy the great weather and beautiful natural setting that Northeast Florida has to offer,” said project manager Stephen Power. “We recognize the quality of life value amenities add to a neighborhood and are commencing construction of a set of amenities right now.”
Power said buyers looking at his community are interested in enjoying the Florida lifestyle.
“At a minimum, buyers are looking for a way to get outside and have places that they can connect with their neighbors,” said Power. “We think that amenities such as fitness facilities and pools are wonderful, too, but the ability to get outside and enjoy nature is hard to beat.”
While the market is seeing a trend towards smaller, more energy efficient homes, he has also seen a trend towards more new homebuyers buying in highly amenitized master-planned communities.
“I think that homebuyers are looking to make smart choices with new homes by downsizing slightly and cutting back on wasted space, but they are also looking for communities that they know they can live in for a long time,” he said. “The days of buying and selling a home every few years are gone, and new homebuyers are gravitating towards amenitized master-planned communities where they know they can live the lifestyle they want for a long time.”
A big change is that developers are building more fitness centers and walking trails, allowing buyers to cancel their gym membership and be able to enjoy a scenic walk on a nature trail.
And as for convenience...
Location, location, location is another very important selling tool for Realtors when selling in communities.
Of course, location is an “amenity.”
Access to grocery stores, schools, basic neighborhood services, shopping and restaurants and are all among the first questions Realtors and site agents are asked when buyers are looking at a home.
“It’s very important to be near local conveniences,” said Power. “The first question we always get is, ‘how far is it to Publix?’ It’s less than 10 minutes. We have a rule called the ‘Ice Cream Rule’. We cannot be any more than 10 minutes to the grocery store or your ice cream will melt. RiverTown has three grocery stores that meet that rule.
“With gas prices where they are, buyers don’t want to drive any farther than they have to. Proximity to schools is usually the next question, as the top-rated school system in Northern St. Johns County is one of the main attractions to the area. Having great schools close by is also a huge plus.”
Even though those conveniences are important, some developers have taken the chance that retail will follow rooftops.
“Generally, the rooftops come before retail, especially in periods of economic uncertainty,” said Ray. “We have seen retailers at all levels requiring a higher level of traffic and more homes in the immediate area before deciding to open new locations. The basic neighborhood services, such as grocery stores, pharmacies and restaurants, are usually considered the most important by homebuyers.”
In Villages of Westport, rooftops have come before retail.
“Because this subdivision is essentially located in what is considered a rural area and is relatively new, it has taken some time for retailers to recognize the demand for the area,” said Thorton. “With that being said, we are currently experiencing a boost of growth in that area.”
Eagle Landing took that chance and it paid off.
“In the beginning, we began selling with photos and promises and have exceeded the expectations of our residents,” said Touhey. “The growth has come in around us and continues to grow as we do in the residential end.”