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Esplanade at Lakewood Ranch: Pros You Know, Cons Nobody Mentions

An 18-hole course included in the HOA, not optional. That's the defining fact of Taylor Morrison's flagship 55+ community in Lakewood Ranch — and it's exactly why the HOA runs $1,100–$1,400/month, the highest of any major community in the Sarasota market.

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What the Tour Already Shows You

Esplanade at Lakewood Ranch is the largest and most amenity-rich of the three major 55+ communities in the Lakewood Ranch cluster — approximately 1,250 homes, fully built out, all resale. The 18-hole Esplanade Golf Course is included in HOA membership with no separate greens fee (cart fees apply, roughly $25/round). The Amenity Campus — Bella Spa, culinary center, resort pool, resistance pool, pickleball, tennis, bocce, dog parks, a full-time lifestyle team — is genuinely more comprehensive than any other 55+ community in the Sarasota metro.

What The Sticker Price Doesn't Show

  • Golf membership alone at a private club runs $10,000–$25,000/year in initiation plus $500–$800/month dues elsewhere — here it's inside the HOA
  • Cable and internet bundled in (~$150/month of value)
  • Lawn care included (~$150/month of value)
  • The true premium over Del Webb's $350–$450/month HOA for an active golfer is closer to $400–$600/month, not the full $700–$1,000 gap the sticker suggests

What Nobody Puts in the Brochure

  • Non-golfers pay the same HOA and are effectively subsidizing a course they don't use — unlike Azario's optional-golf structure nearby
  • The HOA has a track record of 3–7% annual increases; a $1,250/month fee compounds toward ~$2,050/month within 10 years
  • CDD fees ($1,500–$3,500/year) show up on your property tax bill, not your HOA statement — an extra $125–$290/month buyers often miss when comparing to non-CDD communities
  • Golf course maintenance ($800K–$1.5M/year community-wide) is the single biggest driver of future HOA increases
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All-In Monthly Cost — $600K Home, Active Golfer

Cost ItemMonthly Estimate
HOA Fee (mid-range)~$1,250
CDD Fee (annualized)~$208
Property Tax (Manatee Co. ~0.90%)~$450
Homeowners Insurance (CBS construction)~$400
Golf Cart Fees (3x/week)~$300
Electric~$175
Total Non-Mortgage Monthly~$2,783

Non-golfers subtract roughly $300/month. Verify current HOA and CDD figures directly — this table is a planning estimate, not a quote.

Who The $1,100+ HOA Is Actually Worth It For

If you golf two or more times a week and would otherwise be paying private-club dues elsewhere, Esplanade's included-golf math is genuinely competitive, not just expensive for its own sake. If you golf occasionally or not at all, Esplanade at Azario's optional-golf model down the road or a non-golf community entirely will cost meaningfully less for a comparable non-golf amenity set. Model the 5-year and 10-year HOA trajectory, not today's number, before deciding.

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