Esplanade Azario: Luxury Living and Resort-Style Fun ft. Melanie Byrnes

In this episode of Jim Sells the Suncoast, Jim speaks with Melanie Byrnes from Esplanade Azario at Lakewood Ranch, a luxury, resort-style community built by Taylor Morrison. Melanie, with over 20 years of experience in real estate and four years with Taylor Morrison, shares everything that makes Esplanade Azario stand out in the North Lakewood Ranch area.

From high-end homes to world-class amenities, Esplanade Azario offers an unparalleled lifestyle. Melanie walks us through the different living options, the lush community landscape, and the amazing resort-style features like the 18-hole championship golf course, wellness center, pickleball courts, and multiple dining venues.

Key Takeaways:

• Esplanade Azario features 1,488 homes, ranging from twin villas starting in the $400,000s to luxurious homes priced over $2 million.
• Resort-style amenities include a golf course, multiple pools, tennis and pickleball courts, a wellness center with spa services, fitness facilities, and two on-site restaurants.
• HOA fees for non-golf members start at $370/month and golf members pay just over $600/month.
• The community is conveniently located near Waterside, downtown Sarasota, and major roadways for easy access to beaches and airports.
• Esplanade Azario prioritizes creating connections with a wide range of clubs, social events, and a full-time lifestyle team.
• CDD fees range from $1,900 to $2,200 annually, with taxes roughly 1.3% of the purchase price.

What’s Next?

Want to experience luxury resort living every day with Esplanade Azario? Reach out to Jim, and he'll connect you with Melanie!

Interested in buying or selling a home on the Suncoast? Reach out to Jim at jim.ahearn@gmail.com or visit his website, Jim Sells the Suncoast.

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

Good morning and welcome to Jim sells the Suncoast today. I have the pleasure of speaking with Melanie Burns. She's been in real estate since 2002 focused on new homes and custom homes and four years currently with Taylor Morrison, Esplanade Desario. So welcome. Thank you, Jim. I'm

Melanie: 0:16

glad to be here.

Jim: 0:18

Glad to have you here. I wanted to talk about Esplanade Zaria, which is a pretty good size development going on North Lakewood Ranch area as we expand out into Manatee County. One of the big features that we have out here, maybe you can give me a little overview about the new development and maybe what makes it unique compared to others in the area.

Melanie: 0:38

Would love to when you look at Taylor Morrison, which we are a fortune 500 company, we're based out of Scottsdale, Arizona Esplanade for us as a brand and in that brand, it's resort style living. We really want it to feel as though I've worked so hard and when I come home or where I'm living is truly a vacation. So there are various Levels of finishes to our Esplanade communities. You're going to find them throughout Florida. We're actually taking this brand nationally now because we're finding that's what people really want. They I don't know about you, but when I first moved to Florida, I was lucky to have a sidewalk and you never saw people outside, so it didn't feel like there was a sense of community and that's what this is all about. So Esplanade Azario is our highest level of finish for an Esplanade community. And that is 1, 488 homes total. When we're all said and done, and that's a broad range of twin villas priced in the high four hundreds, low five hundreds finished. To a Palazzo that could be 2 million on the golf. We're the only bundled golf community. We are a golf community that gives you or the buyer an option of. Being what we call a resort member who has access to all of the amenities that are vast or golf plus the resort. It's really fun to be able to offer that broad stroke activity in the community. In terms of amenities, it's just really a great fun place. And we are, we're very, I think a good developer in the terms of not waiting till the very end to put our amenities in place. So our first amenity campus is a pool area. There's dog parks, community garden, and a community fire table. And that fits 12 to 15 people. Cool night, bring a bottle of wine and have a nice chat. We have a full lifestyle team. They're constantly planning events. There's four, Signature events per year, and they're getting ready to do boots and barbecue, and that will be a community event. Amenity wise, we currently have open the wellness center and on one side that houses spa services. So you can get a facial, you can get full body massage, couples massage. There's a salon there as well for hair, nails, makeup. Then on the other side of the wellness center, you've got 24 hour fitness. Techno gym is the equipment we use. It actually tracks your workouts on your phone. We'll give you suggestions. There's classrooms as well. And then within that facility, there's the toasted cafe that's open for the mornings, coffee, smoothies, sandwiches, et cetera.

Jim: 3:23

Yeah, I'm familiar with an Esplanade live there a couple of years ago. So knowing the the amenities and the lifestyle a hundred percent dead on is to what people want, right? We walked in there and people are like, Hey, we have a club for this. We're playing board games or we have a book club or we have a wine club or we have whatever your, whatever striking your fancy, they had a group of people that had an interest. So you were able to go talk and enjoy it. And then you add in the signature events and the the program director who is scheduling all kinds of fun stuff. And it sounds like you've taken all those learnings from the other places. And brought it up to that next level here. And

Melanie: 3:59

we keep raising the bar for each new Esplanade. It's learning from what we've done in the past, what worked. It was a redesign of the culinary center, actually, that we do have in the Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club. That the Esplanade there, that will be opening by the end of this year. And it was listening to our members who are saying, Hey, we want to walk directly to the bar. For Yes, our walk to the bar. That's right. And it's listening to that and improving each and every time. And the new culinary center is really exciting. It's 30, 000 square feet under air. You've got the indoor outdoor bar area. There's a screen portion. There's an unscreened portion double sided fireplace. We have the barrel house room, which is an American bistro restaurant as well as the teaching kitchen that's run by our national culinary program. They'll teach you how to choose a scallop, how to sear it, what to pair it with. And then there's a wine tasting area and also the olive and vine, and that's an Italian cafe. So you can order pizzas, fire grilled pizza, sandwiches, salads, gelatos. When we're all said and done to sit down restaurants, as well as to cafes plus the concierge, the large event area where you can actually have those events catered.

Jim: 5:24

Yeah, it's between. All these things that you can do as a small group, your family, neighbors, whoever you're, you're meeting there and then the large events where you're pulling the entire community together, it's a full day, it's a full day.

Melanie: 5:37

Tell me this when you speak with people and you ask them and you're trying to determine what communities you're going to, do you ask them? What do they enjoy doing? What do they want to do?

Jim: 5:47

Oh, absolutely. I think that if somebody really wants to, to boat, they're big on the water, I don't really bring them east of 75. But if they want to golf, Hey, have you thought about a community that's got a golf course in it? So if you're that avid, do you want to jump and go through traffic and you're going to different spots or whatever? That option's always there, how nice is it to just, yeah. Literally walk over or take your golf cart over. Oh yeah,

Melanie: 6:12

that's when people love it here to get a golf cart and they get it all souped up and go, that's like a rite of passage for

Jim: 6:19

Florida. Now you have to have the golf cart.

Melanie: 6:22

I find when I ask people that question, what is it you like to do? So many times they're saying to me. I've been working so hard for so long. I don't know. And Esplanade is the opportunity to find out what it is you love to do. And there's as much as your feet at your fingertips as you want to do or you don't have to. We have 16 pickleball courts. We have six Harchu tennis courts, pros that will give clinics, individual lessons. Plus just tournaments and lots of fun activities, a glow in the dark event. We want to keep our strokes broad in terms of what we offer so that you can find what you love to do and might be something you never thought, Oh, I'm going to go up and play Mahjong. I never thought I would play Mahjong. And the golf course to that will eventually, it's currently private or I'm sorry, it's currently public. But we'll more than likely become private. It's a beautiful course. You've got an aqua range chipping area putting area. And then the course itself is phenomenal.

Jim: 7:32

So all of this obviously doesn't come. Free. What is the cost? What's the HOA? What are we paying to be able to access all of this within the community?

Melanie: 7:42

Sure. So it does depend on the lot size, but on average, when you're looking at the fees for a resort member, so our non golfers, that's around 370 a month. And what that is, including is the maintenance of the home site. So it is mowing, trimming, weeding, mulching, private gated community access to all of the amenities. And I'm hearing from other people, it's lower than what they're paying in communities that aren't amenitized the way that we are. Our golf members are going to pay just over 600 a month. Okay. About 250 dollars a month. For full access to an, a championship 18 hole golf course.

Jim: 8:25

You had me at, they're taking care of the lawn.

Melanie: 8:29

Forget it.

Jim: 8:30

Yeah. And when you add up all those individual costs, people go, Oh, an HOA. Yeah. But if you're not having to pay for lawn carrier, and they're replacing and making sure everything looks good, all those things add up. It's a push.

Melanie: 8:42

Saturday, pushing a mower around your yard. Hot Saturday. You don't want to do it. I out playing pickleball or golf.

Jim: 8:50

That's right. Jumping in the pool.

Melanie: 8:51

Yeah. Oh. And I didn't even mention the big resort pool lap lanes water aerobics. The Bahama bar is really fun to lunch, dinner, Friday evenings. They have live music. There's corn hole. You can watch all of your games. It's just, it's

Jim: 9:08

a

Melanie: 9:09

really fun

Jim: 9:10

regular point. I'm sure you can look out there on a Friday and know, all right, I see them every Friday. We know we're going to have a good time and hang out and whatever the event is that night.

Melanie: 9:19

Yes, I find that the people here, because, being Florida, we're going to get people from all over the world that decide to make Florida either a part time or full time home. And everyone wants to make friends and this isn't a community. You have to be concerned about whether or not you'll make friends. You will. You'll often have such a full social calendar. You will think, how do I hide a little bit?

Jim: 9:45

Yeah. I don't have time to go back north. I just have to stay here.

Melanie: 9:48

Yeah. And that's what we find happens, right? Because it's such a great lifestyle.

Jim: 9:52

So you talked a little bit 408 or 1, 488 homes total. How big as far as acreage and property and how is like any green area set up? What, how is that kind of spaced out through the through the property?

Melanie: 10:04

Sure when we take great pride in our green space and our landscaping, when we 1st develop the communities, we want to put in mature landscaping. So that when you come to our communities, you feel as though you've arrived. It doesn't feel sparse. We also concentrate on making curved streets. So it doesn't feel like an army barracks that you're through the community. We have a lot of natural areas. We're part of the national. Wildlife foundation, so we want to plant as many trees as maybe we take down. Across from the sales center, we actually have a beautiful butterfly garden and a little workout, outdoor workout area. There's natural bridges, large, wide, walking trails or paths through the community. And then just in terms of landscaping, we do a lot of berms. So you're building that dirt up and then bringing in some really beautiful plants to give you the privacy, but also the beauty.

Jim: 11:01

Yeah. I think when you drive through there and you see the colors and the different foliage as you go through, it's very distinctive, but it certainly stands out. It looks phenomenal as you're driving through and you feel like you're in someplace special as opposed to your own RV barracks.

Melanie: 11:16

Yes, exactly. We really want it too. I've gone to resorts. I'm sure you have as well. And having worked here, when I go now, I, Whoa the members in Esplanade, that's where they live. They can experience this every day. I had to pay this many, this much money to get here to spend four days. And they actually get to live it every single day.

Jim: 11:41

Yeah, and that's a great point. I hadn't thought about the straight lines. Yes. Yeah, that's okay. You're right there.

Melanie: 11:47

Isn't that someone pointed out to me and I went, yeah, that's the difference and you don't know it till,

Jim: 11:52

right, yeah. Now I'm going to be looking at it when I will be like, all right, this makes sense now.

Melanie: 11:57

It does. And what's fun about it too, is that when you're working with me in terms of finding the best lot for your home, I'm looking for certain things. Those curves in the street allow lots to pie out in the back. That gives you more privacy because I think, in Florida, we tend to not give you half acres or acres of land. There's quite a few homes and a lot. So how do you give it that feel?

Jim: 12:21

Yeah.

Melanie: 12:22

You want to look for those opportunities, right?

Jim: 12:24

Yeah, absolutely. What kind of customization or personalization options are available to buyers.

Melanie: 12:30

So I used to think it was a dirty word. It's not, we are a production builder. So we have limited choices that you can make, but in terms of a production builder, I think that we are giving you the most. So most in terms of selections and choices and chances to change your home and personalize it. Sure. Your lifestyle. For each of our plans, there are various changes you can make. Is it a tandem garage? Is it extending? Is it pushing out and adding square footage? How do you live in that home? Let's make it work for you. So within the means, within our means, we're able to make changes and we're allowing full design selections.

Jim: 13:11

Right.

Melanie: 13:12

You can go and make the fun choices of flooring and countertops and make sure that it's what you want and how you want to live.

Jim: 13:19

I, I heard someone tell me that it's about personalization rather than customization. I think that's a great way to, to brand it that, you're going in and it will have your flavor

Melanie: 13:30

on the

Jim: 13:30

house, you find a house,

Melanie: 13:32

you

Jim: 13:33

go, Hey, I like this style. I like the, like you look at the Lazio, it's open. It's all the way through. The living is fantastic. If you want to be able to go into the living room and to the outside and it's all in that triangle.

Melanie: 13:43

Yes.

Jim: 13:44

Now, what do we do? All right. We, the appliances, the countertops, the floors, columns on the wall. So that's where you're putting that flavor and making it yours.

Melanie: 13:52

Because quite honestly we have certain, just so many plans that you can build here. There's a total of six nine, nine total floor plans. And there's various front looks to those homes and the introduction of coastal elevations last year, as well as flat tile roof. Material that's helped to give us more variety within the community, but what you're also doing is within the home is you're personalizing it to you. And even if it's with us or you're choosing to wait till after to add those special touches, you could start with a blank slate if you want to, or you can have us do it all.

Jim: 14:32

Yeah. I do love the coastal look as we, as I drove through there with my wife the other day, right? Just the shutters. And I'm like, that is. That's a Florida lifestyle.

Melanie: 14:41

Yeah. It's what we always thought Florida would be.

Jim: 14:43

Yep. Yep. What can you tell me about the community in the area around Esplodan? I know it's growing out there, a new school going in right next door. The growth is. Almost exponential. And we're starting to see that come around in the area. Anything you think stands out or can highlight?

Melanie: 15:02

So many things. When you initially come to this area, if you're not familiar with it, you may feel as though we're out further than you would ever imagine. And I know when I first moved here, if you were just east of 41, you were too far east. So now we're obviously east of 75 and 1 of the things I think is brilliant about an esplanade is having so much activity. So many amenities within the community that you don't have to leave. If you don't want to, but then just. 7 to 10 minutes. We have the water side area, new shops and dining all focused around a large lake the pavilion, the what is it on Sundays? I can't even think of

Jim: 15:44

the farmer's market.

Melanie: 15:45

If the farmer's market on Sundays the rain goes down to Fruitville, head over to the beaches, downtown Sarasota, very easily. In addition that 44th.

Jim: 15:57

Yeah, the bridge coming from downtown out of connection. Yeah,

Melanie: 16:00

44th. Yeah, you can, you have another beach access and that 44th is right before the community. It's an entry into our community. You'll have easy access to those areas as well as Tampa, right? 3 hours to a scene, Augustine or Jacksonville area. So it's really easily easy to get around the entire state and it's such a friendly area. Yeah. With so much growth. You mentioned the school that's going to be K through eight. There's a new high school coming a public's on the corner. Just north of us.

Jim: 16:32

And line at 64 yeah,

Melanie: 16:34

growing exponentially out here, a new library. You've got, of course, the mall that's within 10 minutes of here. And yeah, the support.

Jim: 16:43

It's a nice option to be a little bit removed out of the center of the city with the traffic and then still be able to get to everything 15, 20 minutes. You're at most everything you can get all the way out to the beaches, probably in 30 Sarasota SRQ and TPA 30 to 60 minutes dependent on traffic. So access is there.

Melanie: 17:03

it's become a really special location, honestly. And as the areas grow just so much to do.

Jim: 17:16

We talked a little bit about some of what the HOA encompasses. So we've, that the the lawn care is in there, the service, what other. Things specifically, it's going to cover common area maintenance, obviously the amenity center all those things. Is that including all the the two restaurants and those kinds of things? Those are staffed. Is that included in what you're doing there? Access is, but paying for your meals and stuff would be on a individual basis.

Melanie: 17:42

That's correct. Thank you for bringing that up. So we do have a 500 per year minimum Non alcoholic beverage and that's charged in the beginning of the year to your account and then obviously you just feed you just right off of that. So Yes, we do have additional charges classrooms. We charge additionally for as well only to essentially pay for the instructors but that Fee, the three 70 or the low sixes is going to cover the 24 hour fitness, the, all of the facilities that are here. We're going to have the venue opening here. The first quarter of next year. That's where our lifestyle team will be held pool table, tables, card tables areas for clubs to meet. We have bocce ball here. You would have full access to all the pickleball courts and the tennis courts. You'd be paying additionally for the pros. Or for joining tournaments.

Jim: 18:39

Sure. But that's covering the bulk of everything's going to have access. And then if you want something above it, you'll pay for that, which is just

Melanie: 18:44

as you would in a resort.

Jim: 18:46

Yeah. Not unreasonable. What about CDD in Esplanade?

Melanie: 18:51

And it ranges from the around 1900 per year to 2200 per year. And that is a 30 year CDD.

Jim: 19:02

And that's usually on taxes. That's usually you pay, they usually pay it through their taxes together? Absolutely. Okay.

Melanie: 19:08

I generally give a range of a, roughly, if they're full-time resident here, I would say roughly 1.3% of your purchase price for taxes, including the stewardship fee.

Jim: 19:20

Yeah. That's about standard for the area, so that's not bad. Yeah. Yeah. Cool. Can you share any success stories or testimonials? from current residents, anybody that stands out, you go, that's exactly who we were looking for. And let me tell you what they found.

Melanie: 19:33

My covid buyers are the ones I always worry about the most because it was a challenge to say the least and to have them come in and say, despite what we went through, you guys did hang in there with us. We hung in there with you and we're getting through some of the trials and tribulations. But for them to come in and say, Melanie, I love it here. This is the best decision we ever made. And literally we could do something every single day with other people in the community. And that means the world. That's how we envisioned our retirement. And it doesn't have to be retirement. It's also the families that live in here as well, that they have true connections. And that's what it's about. It's about, obviously lifestyle. So you have a lot of things to do, but it's the true connection. And that's what I'm seeing. My, my members come back and tell me that they're finding those connections,

Jim: 20:29

right? All that's great. But if you don't have that personal connection on the end, you'll probably go somewhere else. So it's really facilitating that. And I have, Wonderful friends still from Esplanade different ones. Yeah, we loved it. Loved it. If we hadn't been transferred out of state for a job, we'd probably still be there.

Melanie: 20:51

It's true. Where else are you going to find that type of community and not where I live, it's not amenitized like that. It's nice. It's lovely. I have a different lifestyle. I guess

Jim: 21:02

it just gives you something to work towards, right?

Melanie: 21:08

Someday I'll be able to live here.

Jim: 21:10

That's right. Melanie, thank you so much for joining me today. Anything else that you want to say about Esplanade Zario? Just for our listeners and anything that you want to make sure that they know about it.

Melanie: 21:20

First, I just want to thank you for letting me be a part of your podcast and forgetting the word about out about Esplanade Desario love for you and the individuals listening to this to come and visit us, see what it's about, the Bahama bar and make sure that I'm telling the truth.

Jim: 21:38

Yeah. Perfect. Again. Thank you.