On
the Waterfront
There’s
just something about water — people are
irresistibly drawn to it, like iron to a magnet.
Waterfront property is the most prized real
estate on earth, and in Florida, a home with water views
is the ultimate dream home. Though there is clearly a limit to land at
water’s edge, area developers are
maximizing every square foot of waterfront property to
offer homebuyers a smorgasbord of choices in homes
with a view — everything from top-of-the-line estate
homes to no-maintenance villas to state-of-the-art condominiums. While
a home on the water will never
be inexpensive, there are some great opportunities and
surprisingly reasonable options out there. No matter the
market, buyers are reassured in knowing that very little
appreciates in value like waterfront property.
The
Asfur brothers, Sam and Tony, are local investors, developers and principals
of Lifestyle Realty Group, a
firm that specializes in waterfront properties, hard at
work scouring out the next opportunity for new
waterfront development. “Riviera Dunes is a prime
example of what’s possible in waterfront lifestyles right
now,” says Sam Asfur. This 288-acre resort and yacht
club is a self-contained resort-style community on the north shore of
the Manatee River in Palmetto. Its central
location is just a short drive from Sarasota and less than
half an hour to St. Petersburg and Tampa.
The
centerpiece of Riviera Dunes, an 88-acre protected marina — one
of only four such safe harbors in all of Florida — features slips
for 225 boats and an 18-foot depth and offers true deep-water access
to the
Manatee River and the Gulf of Mexico. The mixed-use
development offers restaurants, boutiques, galleries and
markets for a truly all-inclusive lifestyle.
“This
kind of development is what we are seeing tremendous demand for,” says Tony Asfur. “Baby
Boomers, nearing retirement, want to live this dream. And they want the
whole active lifestyle package.” The
crown jewel of Rivera Dunes is Bel Mare, an exclusive,
gated condominium community developed by the
renowned Corvus team featuring three luxury 15-story
towers offering residences ranging in size from 1,850 to
4,000 square feet, all with breathtaking water views. This
community is fully loaded with lifestyle amenities from
recreational opportunities like tennis, swimming, jogging
and short-game golf to full amenities in each tower,
featuring a game room, business center, salon and
guest suites.
Also
in the works at Riviera Dunes is a gated community of no-maintenance
villas. Harborside Villas is planned as a 33-unit neighborhood of California
Mission-style residences ranging from 1,800 to 3,500
square feet. With four choices in floorplans (both
one-and two-story ) and a variety of trim packages,
exterior maintenance will be a part of the package at
Harborside Villas. “We expect this community, in
particular, to be very popular as a second-home choice,”
comments Sam Asfur.
Early
next year the Corvus team plans to begin work on a new 200-plus-acre
community just east of Riviera
Dunes. Sanctuary Cove is designed for 1,200 units in a
mix of single-family estate homes and midrise towers.
Like
its sister, Riviera Dunes, Sanctuary Cove will feature a lifestyle package
that includes the latest amenities and a blend of retail and commercial
space (some 250,000
square feet) within this resort-style community. The
community will feature the area's best builders and will
be marketed by Lifestyle Realty Group.
In
northwest Bradenton, on Palma Sola Bay, Lifestyle Realty Group is developing
Palma Sola Pointe, an
exclusive enclave of nine world-class estate homes — ranging
in size from 3,000 to over 9,000 square feet on oversized waterfront
lots.
Also
on the drawing board is a new Sarasota waterfront development, tentatively
named “Bayou Bay”,
comprised of 61 homesites.The community west of the
Tamiami Trail will offer townhomes and condos with
deepwater boat slips.
“We’re
very bullish on waterfront property in this area,” says Sam Asfur. “There
are properties purchased in Riviera Dunes that have more than tripled
in value in
less than two years.” And with the variety of homes
available, from condos, to townhomes to villas to
estates, there something for everyone who just has to
be on the waterfront.
LIFESTYLE
REALTY GROUP
130 Rivera Dunes Way, Palmetto FL 34221
941 721-6055
www.LSRealty.us
Written by Kinsey Chaplin
