Some of the most sought-after subdivisions in Southwest Florida are located to the west of US Highway 41, the Tamiami Trail. The neighborhoods located in Sarasota’s West of the Trail range from the historic to the upscale, and they are still undergoing development in some sections.

Emerald Homes, a luxury division of D.R. Horton, is currently revitalizing the West of the Trail communities with 10 spectacular floor plans, most of them based on the Mediterranean revival style of residential architecture with some details reminiscent of Old Florida homes.

The West of the Trail neighborhoods run from San Remo in the south all the way to Laurel Park, Downtown Sarasota and Gillespie Park. Emerald Homes is building its best-looking models at select sites across this prestigious section of Sarasota County. Each location is close to art galleries, boutiques, performance spaces, parks, historic districts, and the famous beaches of Siesta Key.

This new project by Emerald Homes is ideal for home buyers who wish to own large and luxurious estates such as the Weston, a floor plan that features four bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms and a two-car garage. This two-story home is painted in earth tones and evokes a feeling of an European country estate built on 2,276 square feet, which is larger than the typical West of the Trail homes. Depending on the location and nearby attractions, pricing for the Weston may start around $650K.

A more impressive floor plan being developed by Emerald Homes is the Venezia, which is a three-story home of four bedrooms and five bathrooms built on 3,791 square feet. This model is a classic Mediterranean villa with lots of curbside appeal. The Venezia homes built closer to the Gulf of Mexico can be negotiated for under a million dollars.

Prospective home buyers should keep in mind that these luxury homes are being developed in coveted neighborhoods, which means that property values are bound to increase very rapidly through 2016 and past 2017.