Rising ahead of Denver at No. 10 on the 2020 Local Leaders list, the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Fla., market posted 12,306 closings in 2019, with 618 of those closings from local builder Homes by WestBay.
The market’s No. 1 private builder established its business in the Tampa Bay area in 2009. Since then, the firm has grown from its initial 63 delivered homes in its first year of production to over 600 this past year.
Courtesy Homes by WestBay
In the company’s Innovation series, designers developed home layouts that aim to balance luxury and value. Homes start from $275,990 and offer roughly 2,001 to 3,381 square feet on 50- to 55-foot homesites. The Sandpiper at Waterset model, in particular, is a well-liked choice in the collection that starts at $295,990 with 2,101 square feet.
The one-story plan includes four bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a two-car garage. It’s a front-loaded layout with the bedrooms off the main foyer and the open-concept living area and owner’s retreat in the back. Like many Florida-based plans, the combined kitchen, living, and dining area opens directly to a covered lanai for outdoor living and dining.
“Sandpiper was a hit since the day we started building it,” says Dee Crescini, design studio director at Homes by WestBay. “It’s a very flexible plan, as far as it can have a den or a bedroom. When you walk in, you have this long hall with very high ceilings, archways, and a visual of the backyard.”
Project Details
Location: Tampa, Fla.
Local Leaders Market Rank: No. 10
Builder: Homes by WestBay
Project Size: 2,101 square feet
Starting Price: $295,990
Additional add-ons include an optional garden tub in the master bath and a third bathroom off the fourth bedroom. Although pools do not come standard in the Innovation series, the builder’s Inspiration and Artisan series allow homeowners to add a larger lanai with a pool and accordion-style sliders that enhance the indoor-outdoor connection.
Potential Sandpiper homeowners have the option of five different exterior styles. According to Crescini, some of the elevations feature up to four paint colors, adding more differentiation among the exteriors.
“We are currently working on some more regional modernist plans, which is where design is going,” says Crescini. “But, the Mediterranean style is still very popular in Florida, and it’s very popular within our lineup. We are known for that, and we pay a lot of attention to those details.”
