If you want to take a break from the cookie-cutter look of gated communities across Southwest Florida, you might want to consider looking at the single-family residences in the Three Oaks neighborhood of Sarasota.

Located on Proctor Road near the ramp connecting to I-75, Three Oaks is a neighborhood that started development in the late 1990s; as a result, the homes in this residential community are mostly from this century. Instead of contracting a single home builder to design the entire neighborhood, the developers of Three Oaks decided to allow various contractors to build custom and spec homes.

The properties at Three Oaks have been developed by builders such as Coachman, Gulfpointe, Tivoli, and Vision Homes. Although some of the properties feature the familiar Mediterranean and Florida ranch styles, the diversity of architectural design makes Three Oaks a very attractive place to live.

The name of the neighborhood comes from a development clause, which requires builders to plant three oak trees for each home built on either side of Proctor Road. As a result, this neighborhood is quite leafy and refreshing; besides, the developers set aside some parcels as nature preserves.

Since most of the homes at Three Oaks are custom-built, there is great variety in terms of residential design and pricing. In the summer of 2015, a four-bedroom and three-bathroom home built on 2,247 square feet could be found listed for $345K. The home sites tend to be larger than other in other Sarasota neighborhoods, making Three Oaks ideal for families who want a house with a swimming pool or with a large backyard for children to enjoy.

Three Oaks is part of the Bee Ridge suburban district of Sarasota, which is bordered by family comforts such as the Twin Lakes and Urfer Family Park, a Wal-Mart Supercenter, churches, schools, and shopping centers. Getting to the beach is a matter of driving west on Proctor road for a few miles and choosing either Siesta Drive or the Stickney Point Bridge to access the beaches of Siesta Key.