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Tour of homes helps find address potential
By DAN DeWITT BROOKSVILLE -- Builders in Hernando Oaks, the county's newest subdivision, hope to appeal to buyers who want upscale living away from the crowding and sprawl of urban areas. That is certainly the draw for Dottie and Bob Brittain, though they are not trying to escape Tampa, but Pristine Place. Bob Brittain said that when the couple bought their home in 1998, the nearby corner of Barclay Avenue and Spring Hill Drive was undeveloped. Publix had built a supermarket by the time they returned the following year, he said. It has been followed by a Wendy's restaurant, a 7-Eleven and "now you've got the drugstore brothers there, Eckerd and Walgreens," Brittain said. The Brittains like that the land around Hernando Oaks, which is at the northwest corner of Powell Road and U.S. 41, is relatively rural. "We wanted to get a little farther away," Brittain said. The couple also like the smaller lot sizes in Hernando Oaks, he said, and what they and the developers call "the village concept," with paths that allow them to walk to commercial centers within the subdivision. The Brittains, who visited Hernando Oaks on the final weekend of the Hernando Builders Association's annual Parade of Homes, were already negotiating to buy a villa. While other prospective customers were just as enthusiastic, few of them had arrived before noon Saturday. Nancy Thomas, the manager of the welcome center for Hernando Oaks, said that was because of the early hour -- the parade began at 10 a.m. -- and the late date; this was the third weekend of the parade, which also featured houses in Pristine Place. Thomas said more customers had viewed the houses on the previous two weekends. Most were enthusiastic about the features Hernando Oaks has to offer: the walking paths and the self-contained commercial areas, the natural gas that will be piped into the homes and the golf course. "We have a spectacular golf course," she said. Hernando Oaks, which has room for 975 houses on 626 acres, is the first large subdivision to open in the county since Silverthorn opened nearly a decade ago. But several others are close on its heels, including Southern Hills Plantation, which may one day have 3,000 homes and is planned for the east side of U.S. 41, across from Hernando Oaks. A development backed by former mining engineer Tommy Bronson will include access to the Brooksville Golf and Country Club. Will this create a glut in the market? Thomas said she did not think so. And she thinks Hernando Oaks will be able to sell homes even with nearby competition because of all it has to offer. She said the Parade of Homes was a good way to introduce all of Hernando Oaks' amenities to prospective buyers. "It's given everybody a good overview of the community, what the builders can do and what the development is all about." -- Dan DeWitt covers the city of Brooksville, politics and the environment. He can be reached at 754-6116. Send e-mail to dewitt@sptimes.com
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 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
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