North Port's Hottest New Neighborhood, Watercress Cove ft. Teri Barbee

In this episode of Jim Sells the Suncoast, host Jim Ahearn introduces Teri Barbee from Watercress Cove, a charming gated community in North Port near Warm Mineral Springs. Teri shares valuable insights into what makes Watercress Cove a desirable place to live, from its 67 single-family homes with diverse floor plans to its low HOA fees and absence of CDD fees.

Listeners will learn about the benefits of living in a community that offers city water and sewer services, pet-friendly policies, and convenient access to I-75, top shopping spots, and Florida beaches. Despite the lack of shared amenities, Watercress Cove is known for its high-quality finishes and tranquil environment. Teri also covers important details about the home construction process, available warranties, starting prices, and the latest community events and developments. This episode offers a thorough overview of why Watercress Cove is an appealing option for homebuyers.

Key Takeaways:

• Overview of Watercress Cove's floor plans and home sizes
• Benefits of low HOA fees, no CDD fees, and city water and sewer services
• Pet-friendly policies and convenient access to major highways and beaches
• Insights into the home construction process, warranty details, and starting prices
• Discussion of ongoing community events and developments

Follow Jim Sells the Suncoast to discover more about the best communities and real estate opportunities in Florida's Suncoast region.

Looking to buy or sell a home on the Suncoast? Reach out to Jim at jim.ahearn@gmail.com or visit his website, Jim Sells the Suncoast

Learn more about Watercress in North Port |  Or Call (941) 300-1145 and ask for Teri!

A Personal Note from Jim:

Hey there, I’m Jim Ahearn, your go-to real estate guide and host of Jim Sells The Suncoast podcast! 🎙️✨ Dreaming of Florida life? I’ve got you covered! As your dedicated buyer's agent, I’ll handle everything from walk-throughs to closing, making your home-buying journey as smooth as a Florida breeze.

Whether you're local or tuning in from afar, I’ll bring the Suncoast to you with virtual tours and expert advice. Let’s chat about your dream home and I'll connect you with all the right people to make it happen.

Ready to move to paradise? Drop me a line – I can’t wait to help! 🌴🏡

Transcript

Jim: 0:00

Hey, Suncoast Seekers. Welcome back to Jim Sells of Suncoast, where we bring you the inside scoop on the best spots to live from Tampa to Port Charlotte. Today, we're shining the spotlight on a new gem in North Port, Watercrest Cove. I'm excited to have Terry Barbee from Watercrest Cove join us. Terry's got the 411 on this fantastic gated community near Warm Mineral Springs. She'll fill us in on what's, what makes Watercrest Cove a standout. 67 beautiful single family homes with a variety of floor plans, all nestled in a prime location with quick access to I 75, top shopping spots, and those gorgeous Florida beaches. We'll dive into why this community is a must see, from the low HOA fees and no CD fees, to the gated entrances, city water, and sewer services. Terry will also share what makes Watercress Cove so inviting. Think peaceful surroundings, pet friendly vibes, and homes with high quality finishes, even with minimal customization. Plus, you'll update us on the development's progress, warranty details, and why Watercress Cove could be your next perfect place to call home. So grab a seat, tune in, and let's explore Watercress Cove with Terry Barbee on today's episode. Hey, good morning. And today I am speaking with Terry Barbie. She is representing Watercress Cove, a gated community down in North Port near Warm Mineral Springs down here in Florida. Welcome Terry.

Teri: 1:20

Thank you for having me, Jim. I appreciate it.

Jim: 1:22

my pleasure. I was hoping we could talk a little bit about the Watercress Cove. I know it's a gated community down there by Warm Mineral Springs. So right in the heart of North Port really access to everything. You're close to. I 75 major quarter running up and down the coast, 41. You've got Venice growing like crazy. So tons of shops and restaurants and things to go to not far from Sarasota airport, probably equal to this maybe a little further down to Fort Myers airport. So tell me a little bit about yourself and about Watercress Cove as an overview.

Teri: 1:52

Okay. I work directly for Adams homes. I used to be a resale agent with Remax, and then I was a sitter at that time for a while for Adams homes and switched over to Adams probably about a year and a half ago. Fairly familiar with the product. I learned a lot about new construction while I'm here and we put out a nice home. I've had some experience previously with other builders and it's just nice to add to my experience and really be able to know the nuts and bolts of what we do here. Watercress Cove is a 67 home gated community. It's our first community here in the Sarasota we're really proud of it. We've done a lot of nice upgrades, a lot of nice features.

Jim: 2:36

Okay. What makes it maybe unique to others in the area? I know it is one of the few communities like in that area.

Teri: 2:43

It is. It's nice. We're really centrally located. We're a couple blocks away from 41. So it's a straight shot up to either Venice or the North Port area. It's a really nice location. The unique aspect of that community is because it's a very tiny community there aren't any amenities. The planned footprint is for the 67 homes surrounding a retention pond it'll be gated at two entrances, we'll have two entrances and exits. The HOA that's there are only 500 a year. So you've got your city water and sewer, you've got your gate and everything else. You'd be responsible for your own property, but have the security without all of the added expense of the community.

Jim: 3:24

And I guess we'll get into it here in a second too, but the fact that it's not on septic is huge in that area.

Teri: 3:29

Yes. And there also are no CDD fees. We've already absorbed the cost of what it takes to put those services in.

Jim: 3:35

Nice. So what type of properties are available in here?

Teri: 3:38

They are all single family homes. My smallest floor plan is about a 1485, a three bedroom, two bath. My largest is a 2200. Really nice feature of that 2200 is, it's great for multi-generational living. It has two master suites, so each has their own en suite bathroom also has an additional third bath. For the other bedrooms to use. So it's a really nice layout. And they range from, again, I've got the 1485, I've got a 1512, a 1635, and 1820 and 1970 and my 2200,

Jim: 4:11

so just kinda up between the two so you're covering really a little bit of everything within those. Five or six different styles.

Teri: 4:18

Yeah. And they don't look, the homes themselves don't look cookie cutter. So we have different facades for each of them. So even if you have two identical homes next to each other, they don't look like they're identical.

Jim: 4:29

That's good. What are the starting prices for those?

Teri: 4:32

Right now we're looking at about 341. They range from 341 to about 408. They all have granite in the kitchens and baths. They all have ceramic tile floor throughout except for the bedrooms.

Jim: 4:44

Oh, that's a really good price. And when you're looking at a starter home for a young family or people starting off, that's an exceptional value to jump in here on the coast with access to everything and being able to get into a community for that price.

Teri: 4:58

And so that's one of the things that Adams Homes is known for really is our value. We don't have the higher end finishes that some of the builders do, but it's a solid build. You're going to really get your money's worth.

Jim: 5:08

Nice. Are there any additional costs or fees associated with it? You said HOA of only 500. So that's only a little over 40 a month.

Teri: 5:16

Correct. Nope, that's it. No CDD fees. No, no other fees above and beyond that. And again, in theory, because there are no shared amenities and no room for them to be built, the only thing you'll ever be paying for is maintenance of the gates and the common area.

Jim: 5:32

Okay. Upon

Teri: 5:33

control.

Jim: 5:34

Any landscaping of those around the main areas, you're still responsible for your own yard. Correct.

Teri: 5:40

Correct. We are a pet friendly community. So we do allow, there are no breed restrictions. you can have up to three animals, no more than two of them can be dogs. But other than that, there aren't any animal restrictions. And we don't have a lot of onerous restrictions other than your normal feed.

Jim: 5:55

And then, so fencing would be allowed.

Teri: 5:57

Correct. Fencing would be allowed. Pools are allowed on your property.

Jim: 6:01

Okay. I know that was one of the things my wife and I looked at is buying a house is we've got dogs, where are we going to go with them? And is the fence going to work to hold them in? And set it up that way.

Teri: 6:12

That's a big concern of a lot of animal lovers down here in Florida. Yeah,

Jim: 6:15

absolutely. And being able to get out in our mornings and evenings with the weather, that's a big part of it. So you said 67 units and how close are you to being complete?

Teri: 6:25

We're probably about a third of the way done now it's taking us about six months to build from the time we break ground to get the homes and we're building them in blocks of three to five homes at a time.

Jim: 6:35

Is it set for a certain home on a certain lot or they get to pick on the lot?

Teri: 6:38

No, there is no customization. So they're all spec homes. I can know what the color choices will be. So I can let people know what they're going to have.

Jim: 6:46

So if they're looking for the 2200 square foot, it'll be on a specific lot and they'll know where it's going to be. And so they can target that way.

Teri: 6:52

Yes.

Jim: 6:53

All right. You said about six months from breaking ground to being able to move in.

Teri: 6:57

I've got about a dozen homes available right now. We've got another dozen that are in process. So there are always a roll coming up.

Jim: 7:05

Good. And obviously as we speak now, we're looking at the rates and things changing. So there's a lot of opportunity to step in if you're ready for a house now and you don't want to wait six months, you've got it available and can move quickly.

Teri: 7:17

Yes, absolutely. And in order to do that, it would only be 1000 to get under contract. There wouldn't be any other fees until closing. We do have a couple as the homes age out and they've been, we want to make room for more in our inventory. We usually offer financing incentives. So I've got several homes right now that I've got at 4. 99 percent financing and we've covered.

Jim: 7:38

What kind of landscaping and finishing? I know you started talking about some of the finishings inside.

Teri: 7:43

What do we have

Jim: 7:43

on the outside landscaping?

Teri: 7:45

Outside landscaping, we generally put one little palm tree in the front and a bunch of the mammies, the colorful plants around the front, there is sod goes down, obviously, of course, we plant three trees in the back Just for some green space. And then the entire property will eventually, as we get closer to completion, the entire property will be landscaped around the edge. So there's a landscape easement around the backside of all the properties where that's all going to fill in as time goes on. Right now, Adams is maintaining the HOA, but that'll be turned over. When we're about 90 percent complete, that'll be turned over to the residents to determine if they want to continue to use the management company or manage themselves interior. We have ceramic tile, plank tile floors throughout, except for the bedrooms. I've got granite in the kitchens and baths. Stainless steel appliances in the kitchen. We do include a dishwasher, microwave, and range. We don't include the refrigerator just because that's a little bit more personal for people.

Jim: 8:47

Yeah. And in keeping up with them now, it might have the whole computer front on the front. You never know if somebody's going to want to set that up.

Teri: 8:52

Yeah.

Jim: 8:54

So how does the development fit into the local community and what kind of ties or what kind of things do we have going on in that area?

Teri: 9:01

We've been trying to actually incorporate a little bit more of the community in the area. We're scheduling a food truck rally where we'll have The local churches involved. I've been involved with that community since it started about a year and a half ago. So it's been nice to see it grow in the different people moving in. We've got a wide range of, from young families to retirees. So it hasn't been pigeonholed into, a certain type of lifestyle. It's nice to see people walking around the lake at night with their animals. It's got a community feel to it.

Jim: 9:32

Do you know off the top of your head ballpark about how far to the beaches

Teri: 9:36

probably about 20 minutes from there to Venice beach.

Jim: 9:40

Okay. And then I know there's boating docks and all that's out right along Venice beach. So you're still with under a half hour, you're going to be able to do all your water activities. Yeah. Along the coast.

Teri: 9:50

You're a few minutes away from all the shopping in north port.

Jim: 9:53

Okay, what kind of Warranty and post sale support is there for the homeowner?

Teri: 9:57

On paper what we have is a one year complete warranty So anything at all that goes wrong with the house for a year, we will fix. You've got a two year mechanical. So your Air conditioning your water heater things of that nature and then a 10 year structural You any sort of cracks or settling in the walls or the floors, we take care of that. My experience has been that that Adams does a really nice job with their warranty and they make sure that they follow up with the customers. One of the nice things about this community in particular is we have the superintendents that are building there in the community every single day. So they're in the neighborhood. If you have any problems, you can always just look out the door and peek out to see who's available to help.

Jim: 10:37

They're hearing it firsthand.

Teri: 10:39

Yes.

Jim: 10:39

Okay. How does the developer manage ongoing maintenance and upkeep of those common areas? You said right now, obviously, as we're building, we'll have it set up. The H. O. A. Is going to oversee it and then it'll transition at the 90 percent range. So maybe somewhere in that 50 to 55 homes out of 67.

Teri: 10:57

That's our thinking right now. It's a moving target as, sales shift around and inventory changes. Right now we've got landscapers coming in and maintaining all of the, cutting all the grass around the pond. We've got the sprinklers going to make sure that all the trees that we've planted, we've got some really beautiful palm trees and a nice, beautiful brick wall at the entrance way. So we've got all the irrigation over there, making sure that everything is being fed and watered and growing properly.

Jim: 11:24

Okay. What else can you tell me about the community? What's your favorite part about that community and its location there in Northport?

Teri: 11:33

Really, my favorite part is just how socially located it's nice that it feels like the minute you go through those gates you're just in a quiet space. Everything's green. Everybody's smiling. Everyone's happy. And you're 5 minutes away from 41 and all your shopping. For me, I'm, I grew up in the city. I'm a city girl. So having that, this feels like you're in the suburbs. It feels like you're an hour away from anything. But, you forget milk you're 10 minutes down the road.

Jim: 11:59

It's got that Florida country style feel inside the community, but everything you need is 15, 20 minutes away.

Teri: 12:06

Yeah.

Jim: 12:06

Terry, what else can you tell me about the area? Anything that people need to know that this is why the community is for them.

Teri: 12:13

It's really it, For me, it provides all the benefits of a community without any, one of the biggest complaints that I would hear as a resale agent was people would move into Florida and they wanted to get into these big communities because there's a million things to do, right? Everything is like a resort. You've got your pool, you've got your activities, but I think that gets to be a little bit much sometimes when you're just looking to come home and be quiet and have your own living space. For me, the nicest thing about this is just having that community feel where you've got neighbors around, but you're not paying the fees for things that you're not going to use,

Jim: 12:47

So that's what I have today, folks. Thanks for listening. We were talking about watercress Cove here with Terry Barbie information will be in the show notes. So please reach out to Terry or myself for any information. And we look forward to seeing you join us down here.