Lakewood Ranch just ranked No. 2 in the nation for new-home sales—but the bigger story may be where all that growth is heading next.
Lakewood Ranch recorded 1,064 new-home contracts during the first half of 2026. It also remains the country’s top-selling multigenerational master-planned community.
If you have driven around Waterside, Shellstone or farther east along University Parkway, you have probably noticed how much construction is underway.
The next major wave of development is moving south and southeast:
- Lakewood Ranch Southeast encompasses approximately 4,120 acres and is approved for up to 5,000 homes.
- The expansion could eventually include as many as seven new villages.
- EverCreek is planned for 1,000 homes across 464 acres.
- Esplanade at Cammaray is expected to introduce another 1,200 homes, with sales anticipated to begin in 2027.
- Bourneside Boulevard is being extended as a four-lane roadway between University Parkway and Fruitville Road.
- New utilities, sidewalks, trails and roundabouts are being constructed before many of the homes arrive.
Waterside and Shellstone are filling in, but Lakewood Ranch is far from finished. The center of new-construction activity is continuing to move farther southeast.
The important question for buyers isn’t simply whether to purchase in Lakewood Ranch—it’s whether to choose an established village today or position themselves near the next growth corridor.
Thinking about a move in Sarasota or Manatee County?
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