Lakewood Ranch continues to be the best-selling community for all ages in the U.S., according to national real estate consulting firm RCLCO’s 2023 mid-year survey. The Ranch secured 1,227 new home sales through the end of June of 2023, beating last year’s numbers by 20% percent, and keeping it in the No. 1 position for more than five consecutive years. Lakewood Ranch also distanced itself from other regional master-planned communities (MPCs), with more than two- and-a-half times the sales of Babcock Ranch, and almost three times as many sales as Wellen Park, the only other two MPCs in Southwest Florida to rank in the top 15 positions on the list. “Post pandemic, we continue to see buyers attracted to Lakewood Ranch because of our lifestyle, multi-generational appeal, and diversity of neighborhoods,” said Laura Cole, senior vice president of LWR Communities, LLC. “In 2023 we introduced three new entry-level villages and two new luxury villages to round-out our segmentation. This provided a boost to sales. “The move-up and active adult markets continue to perform exceedingly well even in this high-interest rate environment,” Cole continued. “Builders have helped buyers get across the finish line by assisting with closing costs.” There is no question that the new home market has benefited from low inventories in the resale market, Cole pointed out, but she doesn’t feel that this advantage will be dampened when interest rates drop. “There is great pent-up demand within Lakewood Ranch for new homes.” Lakewood Ranch also benefitted from being in the nation’s fastest growing state as well as in the Sarasota/Bradenton area, which continually appears in national and international rankings for its high quality of life. RCLCO has been ranking master-planned communities since 1994; for more information, visit www.rclco.com.