Minto Communities has launched the second phase of development at Harbour Isle on Anna Maria Sound with the release of 12 buildings with 36 coach homes.
Harbour Isle is the only development on an island facing Palma Sola Bay and Perico Bayou, off State Road 64 west of Bradenton.
William Bullock is vice president of Minto Communities (MintoFla.com). He said phase two of the Mangrove Walk neighborhood will have homes built to the United States Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards for sustainable construction.
Features include:
-GE Energy Star-certified products and appliances.
-10-foot tray ceilings.
-18-inch ceramic floor tiles
-Private elevators for second-floor units.
-Granite counter tops in the kitchen, baths and laundry rooms.
-Low-e double-pane insulated impact-resistant windows.
-Upgraded wood kitchen cabinets.
Mangrove Walk's first phase was built between a mile-long lake and a mangrove preserve. It has 32 buildings with 96 residences, a community pool with cabanas and outdoor fire pit, kayak launch and six furnished models. The second phase will be a continuation of the first phase.
The development has "Southern coastal" architecture. The new coach homes are priced from the $370,000s, with six floor plans from 1,621 to 2,960 square feet.
MODERN MATTERS IN APRIL
The preservation of modern architecture is the theme of "Modern Matters," the annual symposium of Docomomo US, to be held April 18-20 in Sarasota.
Docomomo is an acronym for "Documentation and Conservation of the Modern Movement."
The conference will focus on Sarasota's much-respected midcentury modern architecture, including Sarasota High School, the Umbrella House and other buildings designed by Paul Rudolph, Victor Lundy, Tim Seibert and others.
REMODELING MARKET STRONG
LAS VEGAS — Even as new-home building is expected to jump by 20 percent this year, remodelers are optimistic.
They expect "slow and steady" market growth, said Bill Shaw, a remodeling contractor from Houston and 2013 chair of the National Association of Home Builders' Remodelers Council.
The Remodeling Market Index reached 55 in the fourth quarter of 2012, an increase of 5 points from the previous quarter. This is the highest the index has been since the first quarter of 2004. An RMI of 51 or more indicates that more remodelers report that market activity is higher, compared to the previous quarter, than report it is lower.
"Remodelers reported more work from large and small projects, as well as overall home repair," said Shaw, speaking at the International Builders Show here.
NAHB Chief Economist David Crowe said the higher index reflects remodeling projects taken on when existing homes change hands. Home sales are up.
