A Tampa Area Master-Planned Community

Starkey Ranch District Park (Photo by Starkey Ranch / Facebook)

Starkey Ranch is a planned Tampa area community in Odessa, FL.

This new residential development has homes to buy with prices ranging from $ 200k to over $ 900,000 and offers many amenities such as a community pool, clubhouse and walking trails.

In 2020, Starkey Ranch sold 535 new homes, ranking them 35th on the list of best-selling master planned communities in the country.

This video provides a pretty good overview:

As you may see in that video, Starkey Ranch is a multi-generational community, but there is a neighborhood geared towards retirees and active adults.

More on that below.


Where is Starkey Ranch?

Starkey Ranch is located in Pasco County, offering easy access to some of the best beaches in the world, year-round fun and relaxation activities, and, of course, warm, sunny weather.

Starkey Ranch is just 25 minutes from Tampa International Airport and an easy drive to downtown Tampa.

Starkey Ranch spans approximately 2,400 acres, half of which are dedicated to lakes, ponds, wetlands, and parks.

What Makes Starkey Ranch Unique?

Starkey Ranch places a great emphasis on integrating and preserving the local environment.

The 18,000 acres Jay B. Starkey Nature Reserve It borders Starkey Ranch to the north and east, making the community feel more like a bird sanctuary than a residential development.

The reclaimed water is used for irrigation in parks, common areas and individual yards, and Starkey Ranch uses state-of-the-art stormwater management techniques to protect the quality of its groundwater.


Starkey Ranch Services

Starkey Ranch Business Park and Publix (Photo by Starkey Ranch / Facebook)

Today there are more than 12 miles of wide paved trails, part of the planned 20-mile trail system within the community. Soon these trails will connect to the nature trails at Jay B. Starkey Wilderness Preserve, as well as its 6.7-mile paved trail that connects to the 42-mile Suncoast Trail.

Starkey Ranch is home to several parks, including four dog parks.

The Starkey Ranch Town Square includes Publix, shops, restaurants and apartments. The Starkey Ranch Business Park has sites for medical and Class A offices, hotels, and supporting retail stores.

Starkey Ranch Houses

Photo by Starkey Ranch / Facebook

Like most masterplanned communities here in Florida, Starkey Ranch is made up of several different neighborhoods, and there are a few different constructors building homes here, including Taylor Morrison, M / I Homes, and Homes by West Bay.

As mentioned above, the houses begin in the $ 200k and range in the $ 800- $ 900k range.

The hottest thing for retiring baby boomers is probably the Esplanade at Starkey Ranch, which is being developed by Taylor Morrison.

“Esplanade” is Taylor Morrison’s brand of active adult communities, and they are developing them in many parts of the state.


Starkey Ranch Fees and Fees

Most communities here in Florida are quite secretive when it comes to disclosing all the fees and fees you will have to pay, they want you to call and speak to a salesperson before you provide that information.

But that’s not the case at Starkey Ranch, where you’ll find HOA dues, master association dues, and detailed CDD dues. directly on your website.

Everyone who lives at Starkey Ranch pays a $ 75 fee to the Teachers Association each year. This covers architectural control and enforcement of write restrictions.

Next, some neighborhoods within Starkey Ranch have monthly or quarterly association dues ranging from $ 167 / month to over $ 1,000 / quarter.

The scope of services those fees provide to you varies, but in the case of Esplanade at Starkey Ranch, where the fee is currently $ 1,050.50 per quarter, you cover all your lawn / garden maintenance and common area maintenance.

In addition, Esplanade has private services only for its residents and their use / maintenance is included in this rate.

Last but not least, Starkey Ranch is part of the TSR Community Development District (CDD), a special-purpose form of local government created to serve the specific long-term needs of the community.

CDD’s primary powers are planning, financing (through the issuance of tax-exempt bonds), construction, operation, and maintenance of various public improvements and community facilities within Starkey Ranch.

CDD makes it possible for Starkey Ranch to offer the most desirable elements of a planned community. Residents enjoy high-quality facilities and services with the assurance that community standards will be maintained even after the developer has completed the community.

The CDD fees you will pay range from $ 2,300 to $ 3,400 per year, depending on where in the community you end up.

For your information, these CDD rates are added to your tax bill.

Is Starkey Ranch Right For You?

It’s not hard to see why Starkey Ranch is gaining popularity.

But due to some of the fees and the fact that it is not a community of 55+, it will not be for all readers.

However, if those things don’t scare you and you want more information, you can visit their website. here.