By Robert Plunket

 

Finding a brand-new, single-family house in Sarasota at the moment isn’t all that easy. I got a preview look at this year’s Parade of Homes list – that’s where the local builders showcase their models – and in years past there would be as many as 175 homes to tour. This year there are about 20. Yikes.

 

There is still a reasonable amount of new construction up in the Ellenton/Parrish area. But that’s a commute for many of us. Is there anything new in Sarasota County, well located, and well priced? Say, under $300,000?

 

Consider Callista Village, right off University Parkway in the Longwood Run area. The location is great – the middle of the University Parkway corridor, ten minutes from downtown yet far west enough to avoid most of the Lakewood Ranch traffic. The enormous new mall with Neimans and Nordstrom – on hold for now but hopefully going to happen when things pick up – is a couple of miles away.

 

And the Callista Village homes are terrific. They’re built in the Key West cottage style, a nice change from the over-worked Spanish Med look, and there’s a heavy commitment to “green building.” That’s very nice for the environment, of course, but it’s also nice for the homeowner, who will save money with a solar hot water heater (panels on the roof) and a foam-insulated attic that helps cool the house significantly – in addition to double paned windows, a metal roof, concrete block construction (with fiber concrete siding) and those premium organic paints that don’t give off noxious gasses.

 

 

Even though Callista Village is at the entry level price of new construction, the homes have a lot of luxury features that add an enormous amount to livability. I particularly liked the giant living area and the extra-large kitchen with its own dinning area. The master bath deserves mention, too. There’s a large walk- in shower – in addition to the tub – and of course, double sinks. The whole house has lots of windows and the ceilings are an impressive 9-feet, four-inches tall.

 

 

They have several different floor plans, with two or three bedrooms, from around 1,660 to 2,000 square feet. Prices start at $253,000 and go up to just under $300,000. Call Jim Clarke at 941-356-9538. Or check out the model – turn south at the University Park Country Club light and look for the sign.