Home / Blog / What is a Master Planned Community? An Amenity-filled Place to Call Home

Yogi Berra once said, “If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll end up someplace else.” This is often the case with metropolitan cities or neighborhoods comprised of individual sub-divisions. They may have a mish-mash of architectural styles, new construction interspersed with teardowns, lack of safe walking paths, and smattering of retail choices.

A master planned community, on the other hand has a vision, a theme and a plan for growth from ample amenities to meticulous design. According to the National Association of Home Builders(NAHB), master planned communities are wholly conceived from the outset. What this meansfor the homebuyer is you can rest assured that the place you call home will offer theconveniences you want now and in the future. Here are some of the features that define today’s
master planned communities:

  • Expansive size and amenity offering. The key characteristic of a master plannedcommunity is its expansive size and amenity offering  usually within walking or bikingdistance. A sub-division might have some shared facilities like a pool or park. But a masterplanned community will boast a robust number of recreational amenities such as parks, golfcourses, lakes, bike paths, jogging trails and more.
  • Location. A master planned community is usually constructed in a previously undevelopedarea. This provides developers with a blank canvass on which to build. It is usually closeenough to an urban area for residents to enjoy employment and entertainment options, but farenough away to feel like its own miniature city.
  • Planned retail. A master planned community is usually surrounded by general shoppingcenters offering a selection of retail and restaurant options. Rather than having builders andresidents hope retail will follow build-out, a master planned community includes retailbuilders in its planning, so you’re never far from all the things you need within a masterplanned area from after-school child care to grocery stores and fitness facilities.
  • Variety of home choices. Multiple builders offering a wide selection of new home designsand rental properties that fit every lifestyle and budget are a must within a master plannedcommunity. This makes it welcoming to a wide variety of residents, and allows homeownersto stay in the community as their families grow and their needs change.
  • Built in phases. Master planned communities are developed in phases around a pre-determined population. They work to carefully predict the right mix of supply versus demandto benefit the community and businesses that serve them.
  • Common areas. Gathering areas and places for community events are plentiful within mostmaster planned communities. They are typically kept up by a property management companythat maintains common areas, listens to residents’ needs and plans a range of events from funruns to concerts in the park.
  • Just plain pretty. If you’ve ever driven from one sub-division to another you may see a mixof architectural styles with an occasional pink house mixed in. While housing communitieswithin a master planned community may have different looks and feels, the greater masterplanned community will have a similar, inviting and well-kept theme throughout. Accordingto the NAHB, a planned community is often more aesthetically pleasing, following anarchitectural plan that results in orderly development, neighborhoods that age better overtime and property that continues to command high value.
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