Nature, Community, and Luxury: Living at Grand Palm in Venice (with Mary Quaid of Neal Communities)🌴 Nature, Community, and Luxury: Living at Grand Palm in Venice ft. Mary Quaid of Neal Communities)

In this episode of Jim Sells the Suncoast, Jim welcomes Mary Quaid from Grand Palm by Neal Communities to showcase one of Venice’s most beloved—and nearly complete—master-planned neighborhoods. With just 60 homes left, Grand Palm blends resort-style living, lush green space, and community connection like no other spot on the Suncoast.

Mary shares what makes Grand Palm truly unique, from its 40-acre lake and 19 miles of walking trails to its variety of home types, pricing, and a lifestyle that balances nature with luxury.

🔑 Key Highlights

🏘️ Community Overview & Final Phase Details

• Established Neighborhood: Over 1,700 homes on 1,000 acres, with only ~60 remaining in the final buildout.
• Eclectic Home Styles: Villas, single-family homes, and customizable floorplans ranging from 2,300–3,000+ sq ft.
• Quick Move-In or Build Options: 10+ homesites left for ground-up builds; most inventory homes ready within 2 weeks to 12 months.

📍 Prime Venice Location

• Minutes from Everything: Close to downtown Venice, River Road, I-75, and top-rated Gulf Coast beaches like Nokomis and Venice Beach.
• Airport Access: 35–45 mins to SRQ or Fort Myers, ideal for snowbirds and full-time residents alike.

💰 Pricing & Value

• Price Range: $450K (villas) up to $1.1M (luxury single-family homes), including lot and upgrade estimates.
• All-In-One Process: Financing, title, and mortgage available in-house through Neal Communities’ family of services for a smoother experience.

🏊‍♀️ Amenities That Stand Out

• Resort Lifestyle: 3 pools (2 with lap lanes), a state-of-the-art fitness center, yoga studio, and full event calendar.
• Outdoor Fun: Tennis, volleyball, bocce ball, pickleball, basketball, plus a 40-acre kayak/canoe lake and over 19 miles of trails.
• Pet-Friendly Living: 2 dog parks and no breed or weight restrictions.

🌿 Natural Beauty & Green Space

• Lush Landscaping: 33% of the entire community is preserved green space.
• Customizable Yards: Homeowners can choose from 4+ pages of pre-approved Florida-native plants to personalize landscaping.

🛠️ Warranty & Support

• Buyer Support Program: 10-year structural, 2-year mechanical, and 1-year workmanship warranties with built-in check-ins at 30 days, 6 months, and 11 months post-move-in.

🏡 HOA & Rental Policies

• HOA Fees: $307 (villas) to $512/month (single-family), includes lawn care and full amenity access.
• Rental Limits: Minimum 6-month lease, 2x per year—preserves residential feel and neighborly vibes.

💬 Testimonials & Community Vibe

• Resident Loyalty: Many buyers return to upsize or stay full-time after snowbirding.
• Friendly Faces: A warm, active community that appeals to first-time buyers, retirees, and everyone in between.

📩 What’s Next?

Curious about Grand Palm before it’s fully sold out? Connect with Jim at jim.ahear

A Personal Note from Jim:

Hey there, I’m Jim Ahearn, your go-to real estate guide and host of Jim Sells The Suncoast podcast! 🎙️✨ Dreaming of Florida life? I’ve got you covered! As your dedicated buyer's agent, I’ll handle everything from walk-throughs to closing, making your home-buying journey as smooth as a Florida breeze.

Whether you're local or tuning in from afar, I’ll bring the Suncoast to you with virtual tours and expert advice. Let’s chat about your dream home and I'll connect you with all the right people to make it happen.

Ready to move to paradise? Drop me a line – I can’t wait to help! 🌴🏡

Transcript

Jim: 0:52

So welcome to Jim Sales of Suncoast. Today I am very happy to have Mary Quaid with us. She's with grand Palm by Neil Communities and, down in Venice. So welcome.

Mary: 1:03

Thank you so much.

Jim: 1:04

Fantastic. I was hoping we could talk a little bit about Grand Palm and it's location in Venice. What you have going on down there. I know it is, maybe let's call it a little more in our, Developed, it's got some about 60 homes left to go. how big is the community? How many homes, and then where are we in? Its build out.

Mary: 1:22

So Grand Palm, we are about a thousand acres. Just over 1700 homes and just like you said, okay. Jim moved out to our last 60. So we are truly at the end, which is a little bittersweet.'cause Grand Palm, we've been building in there for 13 years this upcoming September. We are centrally located in Venice, so we're very close to downtown Venice and we're also, park adjacent. We're about two miles off of 75, coming in from River Road, so we're right in the thick of it and close to all that Venice has to offer.

Jim: 1:54

Yeah, I really like the locations that are, slightly west of the interstate because you have all of the access to everything, but you don't have the traffic or crowds that you might have downtown. As you start getting out by the water, You can get to it all pretty quick, but you don't have to live through it.

Mary: 2:10

Exactly. That's what makes Grand Palm such a gem. Venice in general is such a gem in and of itself. But Grand Palm is so fantastically located because again, and Park is a five to eight minute drive. You're maybe 20, 25 minutes from Sarasota. And then just down the way is, downtown Venice, which is historic. And has great shopping and dining as well.

Jim: 2:30

And for those who are Snowbirding or who are traveling, you've got SRQ Sarasota, which is probably 35, 45 minutes away, and you might even go down to, the Fort Myers Southwest Florida airport, which is probably about the same distance.

Mary: 2:45

Exactly. I was gonna say, it's a great location for either or, so it makes it a pretty big destination for snowbirds

Jim: 2:52

Perfect. So it's been there for, a couple of years you said like 17 in homes. Is it single family, town, home, villa? Some combination of each.

Mary: 3:01

So we've got quite an eclectic, grouping of homes down there in Grand Palm. We have some of our smaller series homes. We have several variations of our Villa Floor plans, which we're still actively selling. And then we have a range of floor plans from, anywhere from 2300 square feet to just about up and over 3000. So we've got a lot to offer, different types of buyers.

Jim: 3:26

And what's the price point? What are we looking at from the very entry level, to going expansive.

Mary: 3:32

Yeah. So when I describe pricing, I include the base price, a good estimate Of what upgrades would be, and then the home site premium. So with that, I would say realistically our starting point is gonna be four 50, which would be our villas. And then you'd be just a little over a million, maybe just not touching 1.1 million for our single family.

Jim: 3:52

Okay. That's a really big spread. That means you have everybody looking from snowbirds, first time move up to those who are ready for that kind of luxury lifestyle to be able to step in there.

Mary: 4:05

Absolutely. We see all different types of buyer profiles. Exactly what you just said. First time home buyers to, Hey, I wanna test the waters down here in Florida as a snowbird. To, I'm ready to make the permanent jump and I don't wanna go back up north anymore. I wanna stay right down here. Yeah, we see a lot of different walks of life.

Jim: 4:23

When we're looking at what we're building, are most of these gonna be, inventory or spec homes, or is it custom from the beginning? What are the options available for a potential buyer?

Mary: 4:34

So with being down into the last 60 homes, we do have a majority of what we have remaining is inventory homes. But we do have like just about 10 remaining opportunities to build and personalize from the ground up.

Jim: 4:51

Okay. So inventory homes, meaning that there's a home kind of designated for that particular lot already. They could come in, they may not be able to call it a custom home, but they can certainly personalize it with, some of the options or upgrades that are available within it.

Mary: 5:06

So a lot of our inventory has been designed by our interior design team. We've got a lot of great variations amongst our inventory to fit a lot of different styles that buyers are trending towards right now.

Jim: 5:21

Okay. And then that gives them the option. If they want a particular lot, that's what it's gonna be. But if they want a particular house, they may have some options as to where it's gonna be located and can choose that way.

Mary: 5:32

Or we have some great opportunities in inventory where we've done the hard part for you and you don't have to make all those choices, which some people really appreciate as well.

Jim: 5:43

Can you have'em? I'm gonna assume probably in various stages. So if somebody says, Hey, listen, I need a home in two months, or I need a home, in two weeks, or I need a home in six months, you've got'em staged along that way so they can pick. Which one's gonna work for their timeframe?

Mary: 5:58

Yeah, exactly. It would be rare that we don't have an opportunity that fits right now, if somebody wanted to build from the ground up, we're anywhere from 10 to 12 months. Which does fit a lot of people's expectations, They're planning on a year from now, or we have something that's move and ready. We definitely have opportunities there too. And of course, the inbetweens.

Jim: 6:19

Good. So tell me a little bit, what are the amenities available What are people utilizing?

Mary: 6:24

Grand Palm, we're a really amenity rich community. We have, what I would say, we've really built a resort style feel in our community. we have the big items that everybody wants and dreams of. Like we have three resort style pools, including two That have, fitness lap lanes.

Jim: 6:42

Okay.

Mary: 6:44

we do have three community pools, and within those three community pools, two of them have lap lanes for exercise. We also have a lifestyle director who puts on events. We have a fitness center that includes four different rooms for cardio group fitness, weightlifting, and then a yoga studio. And then we have some that really set us apart like we do have. Tennis, volleyball and basketball courts. We're also gonna feature bocce ball and of course pickleball. You can't have a community in Florida without pickleball courts. I think my personal favorite that I love talking about and I like, Showing to our homeowners, our potential homeowners, I should say, is we have a 40 acre lake in Grand Palm, right in the center of the community, and there on that lake you can kayak, canoe, catch and release fish. There's this beautiful little enclave island that we feature within our 19 miles worth of walking trails. I think that's so unique to Grand Palm because going back to the size of it being a thousand acres, 33% of it is going to be dedicated green space, and it's so large and peaceful and beautiful to walk through I think that's also part of what stands out about Grand Palm, and it's almost like an amenity as well.

Jim: 7:59

I think that's huge. the water activities that you can do on something like that, you're not having to go down to the beach. You're not having to go to, someplace where you're paying additional fees to go in and do that.

Mary: 8:10

Yeah. It's all right there in your community. why leave?

Jim: 8:13

So what is the HOA, and CDD that would go into something we're buying there?

Mary: 8:20

So the HOA for grand palm ranges from 3 0 7 per month in our villas and can go up to five 12 per month for this HOA year of 2025 for the single family homes for the majority of grand Palm, where we're still building and selling. That HOA fee will include the lawn maintenance assistance. So somebody coming in and taking care of the basic necessities that not everybody wants to do. Especially this time of year. So mowing your lawn once a year. REM mulch and then a general weeding and trimming. And then, the HOA overall for throughout the community covers the use and the access of all the amenities.

Jim: 9:02

That's pretty good because when you're looking at lawn care, that's probably, if you can find it, 200 a month right there. You're getting a lot for what's left over, coming out of there.

Mary: 9:12

Absolutely that

Jim: 9:13

you said it's covering the maintenance of, outside. What about, landscaping, and how much freedom does a homeowner have? Are there certain things that have to be in there or is the maintenance gonna cover that?

Mary: 9:25

So the HOA fee does cover the maintenance assistance of it. So just the general care for the lawn, but then Grand Palm's, HOA, we are well established as a community. We actually have. Four pages of pre-approved plants, shrubs, and trees that homeowners can add to their landscaping. To really customize and have their home stand out, show off their personality a little bit, and that's something that homeowners are welcome to add to their landscaping.

Jim: 9:56

Oh, that's good. I like to get in front of that, when you know what you can put in your yard.

Mary: 10:00

Exactly.

Jim: 10:01

Then they're planned for, the Florida weather and the out scaping of what we've got going on, and then the maintenance, taking care of it. That goes a long way.

Mary: 10:09

Oh, it's huge. Especially this time of year. I'm not really looking to aside for that reason.

Jim: 10:14

You know what, I can watch somebody else mow my lawn all day long. I don't wanna do it.

Mary: 10:18

don't need to.

Jim: 10:18

Yep. So what other, policies are in place? the big ones typically are pet policy. Is there any kind of limitation on that?

Mary: 10:26

So we do have a pet policy only in the sense of we ask that it is a standard number of pets per home and the typical pets that you would see in a home. But we don't have any breed restrictions. We don't have any weight limits, and we don't have, anything that stands out in that regard. We do have the two dog parks in the community, and grandpa is a huge animal loving community. There's several residents that. Their animals are just a big part of their lifestyle.

Jim: 10:56

What rental limitations or restrictions in the neighborhood?

Mary: 10:59

Yes, we do have those because at the end of the day, we want this to be a community that's not turned into an Airbnb hotspot. We want this to primarily be residents of Grand Palm. So you can rent out your home, I believe it's twice per year at a six month minimum. We would, of course, prefer year long leases. Because that tends to draw in tenants who want to be a part of the grand community and, wanna enjoy it respectfully.

Jim: 11:28

right. It makes it less of a transient feel. You get to know your neighbor, you have that kind of lifestyle.

Mary: 11:33

Exactly.

Jim: 11:35

So are there any current incentives, or special offers that prospective buyers should be aware of?

Mary: 11:41

Absolutely. Meal communities, we, in response to the market and where buyers are at with interest rates and that being a massive conversation. We do have two loan programs that we're currently running, which that's across all of meals communities. And with Neo communities funding, I also love to mention too, because I think sometimes buyers don't think to use us. We do offer both VA options and conventional loan options.

Jim: 12:11

Okay.

Mary: 12:11

So we do offer both. We can cater to both of those. the red tag sale is still going. So definitely ask once you come in, but

Jim: 12:19

Right.

Mary: 12:19

We a lot going on all the time.

Jim: 12:22

so it sounds like it's vertically integrated, right? That you have, a mortgage company or something within their title company. So they really can do a one-stop shop, come in, talk to you and everybody involved, and then that kind of synergy will help.

Mary: 12:36

That, and I think it just streamlines the process for buyers. I think when you can one stop shop exactly what you said, where you purchased the home with us, but then on top of that, you're also financing. So you have this whole family of companies That are geared towards helping your buyers, or buyers in general make this as smooth of a transition as possible. And then that is really, that's part of the deal difference.

Jim: 13:01

So what kind of warranty comes with a home purchase in there?

Mary: 13:05

So I am a new homeowner so I can speak to this a little more personally. We have a 10 year structural warranty, and then we're gonna have a two year mechanical, and throughout your first year as a homeowner, we meet with you 30 days after you close, six months after you close, and then 11 months after you close as well. So throughout your first year of being a homeowner, we are consistently talking to you. We want to know how your experience is going, living in your community and your home. And I think that has always been something that really Makes Neil community stand out as a company as opposed to some of the other options that buyers have.

Jim: 13:42

So you've been there for, you said about six years. Yes. Tell me about some of the people that have moved in I guess you'd call it testimonial, stories of who's come in and what done or what they've come back and told you about their experience.

Mary: 13:55

I have had a fantastic experience. I always feel really lucky. Everybody's always gonna say how much they love their buyers, but I think grandpa really does attract some fantastic people because being how long we've been building in grand, we're 13 years old. I can't tell you, Jim. I have so many repeat buyers and they just tell me how much they love it. In Grandpa, they might have started off as second time home buyers, and now they're like. This is where I wanna be. I don't need to go back. And that's always fantastic to hear and see their journey of what product line they started with, where are they now? And then recently we've had a lot of first time home buyers coming in, which is always so exciting because they're either just starting their family or they're moving and they're getting ready for a brand new chapter. being able to be a part of that is always so thrilling.

Jim: 14:46

What do you think is your favorite or even the community's favorite thing to do in that area?

Mary: 14:52

I. So favorite thing to do around Grand Palm right now? A lot of people have been enjoying downtown well and Park because downtown Park has a lot of dining shopping, especially here in the summertime. They do these great, right. Movies on the lawn and all these really fun events, farmer's markets of course. And then we're just seven miles from some of the best beaches that this west coast has to offer, The Comas Beach is maybe a 15 minute drive from us. Venice Beach is just over seven miles. It's a fantastic location.

Jim: 15:27

What would you want to tell anybody that's listening, why they should come down to Grand Paul?

Mary: 15:34

Grand Palm is a unique property. I've lived in Florida for essentially my whole life. I was born in Lakewood Ranch. I'm from this area and I've never seen a community quite like Grand Palm. Truly, driving down. Our main drag through our community, just the old Florida feel, the taking a step out of the hustle and bustle of. The rest of Florida and this area. And just really getting to immerse yourself in the nature. I can personally tell you're just not gonna find that anywhere else. It's such a unique feature, especially when you know there are some new communities in the area that are just getting started and they don't have the maturity that we have and just the fantastic amount of green. I can't tell you enough how green and lush it is in Grand Palm, and that's truly unique to us.

Jim: 16:25

That's awesome. Mary, I want to thank you for coming on here with me to talk about Grand Palm. It is, a great location, a little bit of the South County. It's really, mid-county because of the way, the shape of it is, but we hear a lot about everything going on in Lakewood Ranch, the hustle and bustle to be able to be close to that, but a step away and enjoy, the, countryside of Florida. That's awesome. Thank you for joining me. We'll have show notes, contact information, anybody wants to find out more about it, reach out, talk to Mary. here's your opportunity to get into a fantastic location.

Mary: 17:01

Thank you so much, Jim.