Under an archway, past art work on the wall into a courtyard landscaped with greenery is a gateway to the front doors of the unique villas of Venetian Pointe. Four models recently opened, all with front courtyards and all new designs for Zuckerman Homes.
"The product has never been done before. This has never been designed or built before," said Andy Zuckerman, who runs the business with his brothers, Steven and David, and his son, Ryan.
Zuckerman said there are a lot of other things that make the four floor plans unusual. Each plan has three flex options and three to four elevations.
"We try to design it with flexibility," he said. "People love flexibility. Our philosophy is we will make any changes you want. We will build it your way. We realize people want certain things in their homes and we are prepared to do it for them."
So models with two bedrooms can become three bedroom homes. The three-bedroom Dolce design can have up to five bedrooms. Bathrooms can be added or taken away and more.
Sizes range from 1,649 square feet under air to 2,850 square feet under air. All homes have a two-car garage. It is a natural gas community.
Venetian Pointe sits near the intersection of Summerlin and Winkler roads in South Fort Myers. That is what attracted Zuckerman Homes to the 50-acre property.
"The beach is literally five minutes from here," Zuckerman said. "There is the proximity to the hospital and you keep branching out you are close to downtown Fort Myers and the airport, but we are not in the flight pattern."
It was the location that first brought Ingrid and Andy Benjamin to explore the models on a recent afternoon.
"I have a little favorite beach on Sanibel and it is close," Ingrid Benjamin explained. "It is close to the beach and our son lives in Estero and that is close. It is nice to have property near a university because they offer classes, and it is close to the airport. It is a really great location. I do like it. I like it a lot."
It is more than the location that the Benjamin family likes.
"I really like the entryway," Ingrid Benjamin described. "You haven’t even entered the home and you fall in love with it. It’s unique."
"The low HOA fees — that is a big selling point," Andy Benjamin added.
The homeowner association fees are under $200 a month. Andy Zuckerman said today’s buyers want specific amenities and don’t want to pay for huge clubhouses and amenities they will rarely use. So the Venetian Club will have a pool, fitness center, bathrooms, meeting space and a large outdoor veranda. That keeps the HOA fees low. There are also no CDD (Community Development District, which finances and manages community developments ) fees. Villa prices range from $289,900 to $379,900.
"Price per foot, you can’t beat this anywhere," Zuckerman said. "We have an elevation above the flood plain so you don’t need flood insurance," he added.
Venetian Pointe was originally zoned for 300 residences. Zuckerman Homes lowered the density. They are building 100 paired villas. They sold 80 lots to D.R. Horton, who is building 80 single-family homes.
"It was approved for 300 town homes, we downsized to 180 units," Zuckerman explained. "I try to build something the market would want."
Besides the homes being built for customers, there are also 12 spec homes under construction. The first ones will be ready in about 90 days.
Zuckerman Homes was started by Andy Zuckerman’s grandfather Meyer Zuckerman in 1924. Now it is run by Andy Zuckerman, his brothers and his son. While headquarters are in Coconut Creek on the east coast of Florida, Zuckerman Homes has been in Southwest Florida since 2002 and has built about a dozen communities here. That includes the recently sold out Sienna Reserve on Livingston Road in North Naples, Tuscany Point and Hammock Cove at Gateway.
"Since 1924, four generations of the Zuckerman family have been dedicated to creating quality homes that meet the unique needs and styles of our clients," Zuckerman said.