An estimated 150 new residents are expected to call the development home in the first year.
While the flurry of construction activity continues in the Farm at Varrea, a 1,008-acre community located just off Midway Rd., dozens of homes are either nearing completion or ready for new owners.
In fact, several families now call the master-planned community home, including Jennifer Rimes, who was the first of several people to close on a new home in a single day last month. She purchased the Cali model, a 1,828 square-foot single-story home with four bedrooms, two baths and a two-car garage on a 50-foot wide lot.
“I signed the closing documents on a Friday afternoon and officially moved in the following Tuesday after Spectrum hooked up my Internet,” she said.
Her favorite aspects of the home are its open floor plan, a coat closet near the front door and the double closets in the master bedroom. “I grew up in the ’80’s when houses had extra closets and I love this home for all the closet space,” she said.
Riimes, who works from home, started house hunting in January after the owner of her Walden Lake rental home told her she was planning to put the house on the market when her lease ended in May.
“At that point I had to make a decision to possibly buy her home or look around,” said Rimes.
She visited D.R. Horton’s model home in North Park Isle and met salesperson Karen Larsen, who told her about inventory homes under construction in Farm at Varrea (its model home wasn’t open yet) that were projected to be completed before her lease ended. She put a deposit on one of the inventory homes within a week.
“I drove through Farm at Varrea and loved the aesthetics, the outdoor lights, just the way the whole community is set up,” she said. “I could tell D.R. Horton put a lot of thought into this community and I was told this is going to be the next Walden Lake.”
Rimes was the community’s only resident until other families started moving in a few weeks later. She now has neighbors to her left and across the street. Being the first homeowner has come with an unexpected hiccup. “I’ve been the guinea pig with the mail,” she said. “The community has a centralized mailbox system and the post office doesn’t have the key to get into the boxes yet so getting mail has been a challenge.”
Living in a brand-new community also means commercial infrastructure won’t be in place until more homes are occupied. “In Walden Lake I was so close to shopping and my gym but with this being a new development the area is just going to start expanding, I even heard there’s a Publix coming in,” she said.
The Farm at Varrea is expected to welcome more than 150 new residents in the first year and currently has more than 130 new homes under construction. The community plan consists of 1,940 homesites with housing options for every stage of life including single-family detached homes, townhomes and twin villas. Community amenities include a resort-style pool, fitness center, sports courts, dog parks, playgrounds and a trail system. Prices start in the upper $200s.
“We’re honored to support the massive population growth in Florida with quality homes in the Farm at Varrea,” said Rick Harcrow, Vice President, Asset Management for Florida at Walton Global, a real estate investment and land management company. “The significant influx of potential homebuyers and expected home sales in this community has confirmed that the U.S. housing market remains strong and the need for new home development is prominent.”
The Farm at Varrea sales center is open Monday and Tuesday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Wednesday 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., Thursday thru Saturday 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Sunday 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
For more information about the community contact its sales center at 813-257-0224.
