There is a neighborhood located just south of the Urfer Family Park Playground that features two pristine lakes and quiet streets. This is Villa Rosa in Sarasota, a collection of 177 single-family residences that offer a maintenance-free lifestyle for a very affordable price.

Villa Rosa is a gated community in the Bee Ridge section of Sarasota County. The neighborhood can be entered from either Honore Avenue or Wilkinson Road. The scenery changes once inside Villa Rosa; this is a neighborhood where birds happily chirp and wildlife feels at home thanks to Urfer Park, the two lakes and small nature areas.

The Villa Rosa neighborhood was developed at the turn of the century, which means that all single-family homes have energy-efficient features. The architectural style is pure Southwest Florida: Mediterranean-style lines mixed with high ceilings and bay windows. Prices here are very affordable and homes tend to sell very fast. A three-bedroom and two-bathroom home on a generous 6,084 square feet lot can be negotiated for under $350,000. Smaller, two-bedroom homes are usually listed around $280,000, which is a great value for the area.

Many families in Villa Rosa spend quite a bit of time in Urfer Family Park and Playground, although the community has its own swimming pool, spa, fitness room, and clubhouse. The main commercial strip is on Bee Ridge Road, where residents will find grocery stores, banks, cafes, and more. Big stores such as Wal Mart and Home Depot are just two minutes away.

The maintenance-free lifestyle at Villa Rosa is made possible by a very reasonable homeowners’ association fee, which is collected quarterly. School-age residents can attend Ashton Elementary, YMCA Triad, Sarasota Middle, and the Suncoast Polytechnical High Schools.