New construction vs. established resale — same price range, same Lee County market, very different cost structures. Both have CDDs. Neither is obviously better. Here's the actual math.
This is the most active buyer decision in the Fort Myers 55+ market right now. A buyer with a $420K–$500K budget walks out of Del Webb Oak Creek's model center — brand new homes, impact glass, bundled lawn service, smart home tech — and then goes home and looks at Pelican Preserve resale listings at the same price. The Town Center. The 38-acre nature preserve. The private cinema. They're trying to figure out what's actually different and what it actually costs. Here's the honest comparison.
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Talk to a Specialist →Del Webb Oak Creek is new construction from a national builder (PulteGroup). You're buying a blank slate — new roof, new appliances, new systems — and customizing finishes through a design center. You'll be moving into a community that's still being built around you. The social fabric is forming.
Pelican Preserve is a fully built-out resale community. The Town Center has been operating for 20+ years. The clubs have hundreds of members. The social fabric is established. You're buying a used home in the $250K–$900K range depending on unit type and condition.
Both have CDDs. Both are gated. Both are 55+. The comparison is not as simple as "new vs. old" — it's about what each community actually delivers at a given price point and what it costs to own there month to month.
| Factor | Del Webb Oak Creek | Pelican Preserve |
|---|---|---|
| Location | North Fort Myers (Bayshore Rd / I-75) | Fort Myers (Colonial Blvd / Treeline) |
| Total homes | 821 (still selling, ~75% complete) | 2,498 (fully built out, resale only) |
| Construction | New — concrete block, impact glass standard | 2000s vintage, varies by section |
| HOA fee | ~$750–$1,000/mo (lawn + internet bundled) | ~$550–$750/mo (depends on unit type) |
| HOA includes lawn care | Yes — bundled in | No (single-family owners maintain own) |
| HOA includes internet | Yes — fiber gigabit bundled | No |
| CDD assessment | Active — full term ahead (~$2,000–$3,000/yr) | Active or partially paid (~$1,800–$3,200/yr) |
| Golf | None | Optional (27-hole, ~$300–$500/mo if joined) |
| Indoor pool | No | Yes (lap + resistance) |
| Private cinema | No | Yes (99 seats) |
| Nature preserve | 97-acre preserve (walking trails) | 38-acre boardwalk preserve |
| Clubhouse | Resort-style (Longleaf complex) | 70,000 sq ft Town Center |
| Home prices | $350K–$650K (new construction) | $250K–$900K+ (resale) |
The HOA gap looks like $200–$300/month in Del Webb's favor for Pelican Preserve. But that comparison is apples and oranges. Del Webb's fee includes: lawn care and landscaping for your individual home lot (~$150–$200/mo value), fiber gigabit internet (~$80–$120/mo value), exterior pest control (~$40–$60/mo value), and all amenity access.
Pelican Preserve single-family homeowners pay the HOA, then separately budget for lawn service ($120–$200/mo), internet ($80–$100/mo), and pest control ($40–$60/mo). Add those back and the true comparison narrows considerably — perhaps $50–$100/month difference at most for similar unit types.
For attached units at Pelican Preserve (carriage homes, condos), the sub-association often covers landscaping, so the bundling gap is smaller. But for single-family buyers comparing directly, the gap in headline HOA numbers is misleading without accounting for what each includes.
| Cost Item | Del Webb Mystique ($430K new) | Pelican Preserve Carriage ($450K resale) |
|---|---|---|
| HOA (monthly, all-in bundle) | ~$880 | ~$640 |
| Lawn care (separate) | $0 (bundled) | ~$160 |
| Internet (separate) | $0 (bundled) | ~$90 |
| Adjusted HOA (true comparison) | ~$880 | ~$890 |
| Property tax (homestead, monthly) | ~$413 | ~$432 |
| CDD assessment (monthly) | ~$208 ($2,500/yr est.) | ~$175 ($2,100/yr est., verify) |
| Wind + flood insurance (monthly) | ~$417 ($5,000/yr — new CBS, impact glass) | ~$583 ($7,000/yr — older construction) |
| True Monthly All-In | ~$1,918 | ~$2,080 |
Del Webb's new construction gives it a meaningful insurance advantage — newer CBS, hip roof, and impact glass standard produce better wind mitigation results. Over time this gap compounds. Neither total includes golf (Pelican Preserve optional) or mortgage.
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Del Webb Oak Creek has a solid resort-style amenity package: outdoor resort pool, pickleball courts, bocce, fitness center, fire pits, and 97 acres of nature preserve walking trails. It is well-designed for active outdoor living. What it does not have: indoor pool, private cinema, arts and crafts studios with ceramics and woodworking, or the scale of social programming that 20+ years of community maturity produces.
Pelican Preserve's Town Center is 70,000 square feet. The indoor lap pool and resistance pool mean year-round swimming regardless of weather. The 99-seat cinema has weekly programming. There are over 100 resident clubs. The social fabric is fully formed — you move in and the community exists around you. The 38-acre nature boardwalk with wildlife viewing is genuinely distinctive.
For buyers who would realistically use the indoor pool multiple times per week, or who want arts studio access, or who value the cinema and the scale of social programming — Pelican Preserve's amenity premium is real. For buyers who want outdoor living, pickleball, walking trails, and a lower-maintenance bundle, Del Webb delivers that efficiently.
New construction at Del Webb means: modern energy efficiency, no deferred maintenance in year one, builder warranty coverage (1-year workmanship, 2-year systems, 10-year structural), and the ability to choose your finishes. It also means: you're in a community that's still being built around you for the next 2–3 years, the social fabric is early-stage, and some amenities may not be at full programming capacity yet.
Pelican Preserve resale means: you inherit the home's age and condition. A pre-purchase inspection is essential. Roof age matters for insurance. But you're also buying into a community where the clubs are active, the events calendar is full, and the Town Center operates at capacity. The intangible value of an established community social life is real and not easily replicated in a new-build environment.
A specialist can run the numbers for specific homes you're considering, help you navigate the Del Webb builder process, and give you an honest read on which community fits how you actually want to live.
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