Epperson Home Sales Grew 82% In 2021 Due To strong In-migration

WESLEY CHAPEL, FL — Epperson ranked among the nation’s top 30 master-planned communities in new-home sales in 2021, with heavy homebuyer demand coming both from other Florida cities and from outside the state.

The survey by the RCLCO real estate research firm ranked Epperson at No. 27 on its list, with 638
sales last year, an 82 percent increase from the 350 sales posted in 2020.

Epperson, a master-planned community in Wesley Chapel, was developed by Tampa-based Metro Places.Epperson’s suburban location is convenient to the entire Tampa Bay area, and the community has the region’s first MetroLagoon, a 7.5-acre aquatic amenity.

Epperson’s popularity was part of an overall trend of people from around the U.S. moving to Florida, with many able to work remotely and move to a place with a good quality of life, balmy weather and a favorable cost of living. In fact, 13 of the top 30 master-planned communities on the RCLCO list are in Florida, including The Villages and Lakewood Ranch in the top two spots.

“Epperson and all of our Metro communities are tremendously popular with homebuyers from around Florida and from around the country,” said Vaike O’Grady, vice president of marketing &
communications for Metro Development Group, which markets its 11 Florida master-planned
communities under the Metro Places brand. “We foresee 2022 to be another strong year for us, with buyers looking for a place that provides value, a sense of community and great amenities.”

A survey conducted by Tampa-based Walker Brands of Epperson residents in October/November
showed a number of interesting facts about the people living there.

Among them:

• 53 percent of the residents moved to Epperson from out of state, compared to 47 percent from other
Florida locations. (The top five states in the 28 out-of-state sources of residents were New York, New Jersey, Michigan, Ohio, and Georgia.)

• The top three reasons residents had decided to look for a new home include wanting to live in a
community that fit their lifestyle (35 percent); wanting a new home (31 percent) and relocating to the area (30 percent).

• The top reasons residents picked Epperson: proximity to nearby Innovation Preparatory
Academy; gated entries; the MetroLagoon, and the community’s high-speed ULTRAFi internet
service.

• While a significant number of people moving to Epperson are retirees, most (72 percent) are still
working full-time.

Every year since 1994, RCLCO has conducted a national survey identifying the top-selling master-
planned communities through a rigorous search of high-performing communities in each state. This initiative exists not only as a way to commend the most successful communities in the country, but also as a tool for monitoring the overall health of the for-sale housing industry.

"The results of this year's Top-Selling MPC Report confirm that demand for new single-family homes within MPCs remains high, with favorable demographic tailwinds suggesting this strong demand will continue in 2022,” said RCLCO Managing Director Gregg Logan. “However, supply chain disruptions and the lingering impacts of COVID-19 have prevented many MPCs from fully capitalizing on the growth in demand seen over the past year. As these challenges are resolved in the coming months, we are optimistic for the success of master-planned communities in 2022."

Epperson offers new homes from the high $200s to $1 million. Residents enjoy a wide range of amenities, from the nation’s first MetroLagoon to super-fast ULTRAFi internet, dog parks, tot lots, play fields and miles of trails. The community is close to good schools, quality shopping and all the Tampa Bay area has to offer. The current family of builders includes Biscayne Homes, DR Horton, Lennar, Pulte Homes, M/I Homes and Maronda Homes.

A Tampa-based company founded in 2003, Metro Development Group is the largest privately held residential developer in Florida. The company’s communities, under the Metro Places brand, are known for innovative technologies and high-impact amenities like its popular MetroLagoons. For more information, visit MetroDevelopmentGroup.com.