Texas parrot heads may soon have a chance live like Jimmy Buffett.
A Florida developer that’s building Margaritaville-themed communities is expanding to Texas and scouting for locations in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Houston and Austin.
Tampa-based Minto Communities USA intends to build the residential projects for residents age 55 and older who want to spend their golden years “wasting away again in Margaritaville.”
“Latitude Margaritaville has redefined how pre-and-active retirement living is viewed forever with a combination of world-class amenities and island-inspired villa, single-family and cottage homes,” Scott Rogers, Minto’s vice president, said in a statement.
Based in Dallas, Rogers heads Minto under license for the Margaritaville brand. He’s looking for sites for the beach resort-themed projects.
“Locations are carefully considered and must meet specific criteria to be selected for a community, including sufficient land; a temperate climate; proximity to an airport; convenient retail and service businesses, and nearby medical offices and hospitals,” Rogers said. “Another very important factor is convenient access to outstanding leisure-time activities in the surrounding area. Dallas, Austin, and Houston definitely meet these criteria.”
So far three Latitude Margaritaville communities have been built near Daytona Beach and Panama City Beach, Fla and near Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.
The communities with single-family homes and smaller villas include resort-style pools, fitness centers, live entertainment, Margaritaville food and beverage outlets and offer residents arts and learning programs so residents can be “strummin’ my six-string, on my front porch swing.”
Most of the homes in the Florida communities are priced between $250,000 and $450,000, depending on the size and location.
The first community in Daytona Beach has sold more than 1,000 homes.
“The Margaritaville brand has a strong foundation in Texas,” Jim Wiseman, President of Development at Margaritaville, said in a statement. “The state represents tremendous opportunity as we expand the development of Latitude Margaritaville communities. We look forward to bringing our iconic lifestyle to the Southwest.”
Singer-song writer Buffett has inspired a generation of wannabe beach bums to emulate his laid back Key West lifestyle. Along with the communities, the Buffett mystic has spawned the Margaritaville Cafe restaurant chain and Margaritaville-themed video games.
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