Robert Charles Lesser & Co. Announces Top 15 U.S. Master-Planned Communities for 2000

Robert Charles Lesser & Co.

For the 4th straight year, Summerlin in Las Vegas is the best selling master-planned community (MPC) in the U.S., according to Robert Charles Lesser & Co., a leading independent real estate advisory firm.

This is the first year that a large number of MPCs sold over 700 homes, motivating Robert Charles Lesser & Co. to enlarge its annual list to 15 communities, up from its traditional top ten.

What's the formula for success? Most of these communities are in areas with rapid population growth, strong employment growth, abundant affordable housing, large tracts of available land, and plenty of sunshine.

Rank--MPC Name--MPC Metro Area--2000 Sales

1--Summerlin--Las Vegas--3,173

2--Irvine Ranch--Orange County, CA--2,377

3--The Villages--Orlando/Ocala--1,849

4--Weston--Ft. Lauderdale--1,728

5--The Woodlands--Houston--1,679

6--Anthem Las Vegas--Las Vegas--1,446

7--Anthem Phoenix--Phoenix--1,190

8--Aliso/Mission Viejo--Orange County, CA--1,181

9--Highlands Ranch--Denver--1,180

10--Sun City Grand--Phoenix--1,061

11--Sun City Lincoln Hills--Sacramento--937

12--Ladera Ranch--Orange County, CA--835

13--Cinco Ranch--Houston--779

14--The Brooks--Naples/Ft. Myers, FL--764

15--South Riding--Washington, D.C.--749

With reported annual sales of almost 3,200 homes in 2000, Summerlin sold more homes last year than in the combined communities of 70% of the metropolitan areas in the U.S.

"Summerlin has defended its position as the MVP of master-planned communities," remarked Gadi Kaufmann, Managing Director and CEO of Robert Charles Lesser & Co. (RCLCo). "The community continues to reap the benefits of both an insightful master plan and the staggering growth of the Las Vegas area over the past few years."

To compile the list, RCLCo surveyed the largest MPCs in the country based upon historical rankings as well as new sales information. The list was verified by the Top 15 MPC developers.

RCLCo has released its top MPC rankings since 1994, when it first undertook this effort in partnership with the Urban Land Institute to gain greater insight into the master-planned community industry.