Landsea Homes is an award-winning national public homebuilder that is recognized for its High Performance Homes® and the lifestyles its master-planned communities provide for local markets across the country.
Selected as the 2023 Green Home Builder of the Year, Landsea Homes’ communities can be found in Arizona, Texas, Colorado, New York, California, and Florida, where the company goes far beyond simply homebuilding to offer support to homeowners as they embark on what will surely be one of the greatest decisions and investments of their lives.
The Landsea Homes story
Founded in California with the goal of bringing innovation to the public home building space, it has taken only 11 years for Landsea Homes’ footprint to span the United States from coast to coast and it is the mission and vision of the company that drives this growth and expansion.
“We aspire to have spaces that connect seamlessly with their surroundings; we’re very big into that ‘live in your element’ focus which you’ve probably seen with our High Performance Homes®. We’re big into sustainability and pioneering in that way, especially with technology,” explains Megan Bakel, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for the Florida division.
This is achieved through the High Performance Homes program that was launched in 2020 and continues to set the standard for what is possible in the market. One of the company’s mantras is, “You can’t just focus on the results: We’re here to make sure that we’re doing it the right way,” a philosophy that starts at the top and works its way through the company culture.
Bakel credits CEO John Ho, President and Chief Operating Officer Michael Forsum, and Vice President of Corporate Marketing Michelle Byrge, who “realized that it was important that we aligned around that one common goal. And so what comes included with it is home automation technology.”
Through that technology, Landsea Homes aims “to provide healthy, comfortable, seamless living for our homeowners in that lifestyle setting. We believe that your home is really where your family and your memories are made—where you’re building that life. It’s so important today; it’s always been important, but I think it is a place that is even more important than it has been in the past, with the new technological aspects.”
Indeed, Landsea Homes’ High Performance Homes are designed with cost-saving innovations for healthier outcomes for both people and the environment. The goal is to optimize comfort through the use of home automation technology supported by Apple® and smart home activation services provided by Best Buy® to make people’s homeownership dreams a reality.
These built-in capabilities promote optimal connectivity and function for homeowners, but also energy savings, heating and cooling efficiencies, reduced energy waste, and overall healthier homes.
The inclusion of state-of-the-art REME HALO® air purifiers offers cleaner air, which is especially important in humid markets like Florida, where mold can be an issue, or dry markets like Arizona, where dust can be problematic. According to Bakel, “It’s not something we’re doing because it’s popular; it’s something that we were founded on. Our homes are built using environmentally conscious building materials, we’ve got eco-friendly and energy-efficient technologies, and then we’re really focused on the greater comfort, less maintenance, lower utility bills,” she explains.
“There are a lot of builders stripping out options, which can be valuable because you can get a home that is more affordable. But we’re saying this is something you need to have in your home, these options and sustainability are things that will make your home better for you in how you live but also for the future and sustainability, so it’s worth it,” says Bakel.
Building communities that create lifestyles
At Landsea Homes, its High Performance Homes are a component of living high performance lives. This is the essence of the ‘live in your element’ philosophy that drives the company culture and the work that is being done.
More than building and selling homes, the team at Landsea Homes is providing an exceptional buying experience. From ensuring it has the right loan programs on offer to bringing the right product to the various local markets it serves, Landsea Homes and its partners work together to make the buying process as seamless as possible.
“We have a lot of great aspects to provide a great customer experience and customer journey and make sure, whether somebody is buying a built-to-order or a quick move-in home, that we have a strong process for them throughout that journey and a great closing experience,” says Bakel. “We also have phenomenal partners that we work with.”
Homebuyers can lean on Landsea Mortgage on the front end of the process and Landsea Title can provide help with closing, while Westwood Insurance can be relied on to offer a full and complementary suite of services beyond homebuilding. All of this is aligned through a strong corporate structure that works with Landsea Homes partners and vendors to ensure the best products are available in the individual markets it serves through the provision of High Performance Homes® that meet its customers’ varied price points and needs.
Regardless of which community is right for the homeowner, Bakel notes, “We’ve got 35 communities in Florida —and more coming—and if a homeowner doesn’t find what they need at one community, we have a sales team trained to help them find what they need at another community,” all of which are as vibrant as the next.
A spotlight on Florida
Landsea Homes first entered the Florida market a few years ago, but it has already made a major impact with its communities, particularly as residents continue to flock to the area in search of the Florida lifestyle.
“You’re seeing a wide array of people who are looking for that ideal work-life balance and great job opportunities. They want our weather, our beaches, our recreation, our parks, but you’re going to see some people going to certain areas to make sure that it’s comfortable and affordable for them and their lifestyle, and then you see others who want to build their dream home,” Bakel says.
One of the communities where dream homes come to life is Harrell Oaks, located just a few miles from Landsea Homes’ main office in Central Florida’s Baldwin Park in beautiful Orange County, which boasts walkability and proximity to desirable dining options, historic areas, dog parks, and downtown Orlando and all that the city has to offer.
According to Bakel, the 63-home community is intimate and “really unique. There are very few new home communities in this market as a whole and we have A-rated schools. We’re starting in the high $500ks. We’re featuring homes that are one-story and two-story ranging from 1,900 to 3,198 square feet, all with open layouts, spacious family rooms, outdoor lanais, and great outdoor space for entertaining or a future pool, which is desirable in this market.”
Trinity Place, a community in St. Cloud, is another project that is gaining attention. It was featured as part of the Greater Orlando Builders Association’s (GOBA) Parade of Homes this year and offers both quick move-in homes and built-to-order options to choose from.
“Those are also beautiful one- and two-story single-family homes, nice home sites, great amenities, great location, and very easy access to Lake Nona, which is a very popular area. And of course, people can also get to Disney and all the popular theme parks, so we’re very excited to be in that corridor and we’re seeing a lot of interest there too,” Bakel shares.
The newest community, which recently opened, is Eagle Tail Landings in Lake County, an expanding market in the Orlando area that Landsea Homes is excited to be a part of and is seeing a positive response to early on.
“We have two models in that community with one other builder and it’s going to have beautiful amenities. That is a place where people can find more affordability while still getting that space and that high performance home,” says Bakel, who expects that area to continue to experience growth over the next several years as its infrastructure continues to see investment.
More to come
All three of these communities have distinct features that meet a variety of needs and price points, but all have one thing in common: a commitment to High Performance Homes and the ability to ‘live in your element,’ which is the standard for the integration of technology, sustainability, and livability that Landsea Homes has set.
“We’re expanding across all of Central Florida,” Bakel says. “We have something for everybody.” And with more communities expected in December and January, there is lots to be excited about, so stay tuned for much more to come!
