Market Update : Q&A with Keith Sonenson

By Nick Rees
BlockShopper.com

International buyers can find Keith Sonenson on the Internet with ease. And that's especially helpful now, as prices in West Boynton continue to drop and more international buyers are scouring the area online in search of a sun splashed second place to call home.

Sonenson spoke with BlockShopper.com about what's drawing both international and domestic clients to West Boynton, how prices are below what developers expected and the myriad of amenities of the Valencia communities.

BS: Do gated communities make up a big part of the West Boynton real estate scene?

KS: West Boynton has a lot of single-family home communities, both all ages and active adult communities. They really cater to a certain lifestyle of taking it easy and taking advantage of what Florida has to offer. If somebody has paid their dues, it's a great place for a second home or even a primary residence. People are taking advantage now of being offered the opportunity to buy these homes at a discount. They're basically buying these homes at below developer's prices.

BS: What's the average price for a home in the area?

KS: On average, they're paying $250,000 for a nice three-bedroom family house in one of these exclusive communities. Sales have absolutely turned a corner lately, and activity is way up while people see the deals and know that they can make their ultimate migration down to Florida a reality. People are coming down here from all over the United States and even from out of the country. We're seeing people from all over Europe, especially Great Britain, and from Canada.

BS: Why are people coming to West Boynton from overseas?

KS: It's the lifestyle and a nice comfortable house to go with it. For many people, it's a place where you're going to run into an old friend of yours that you haven't seen in a long time, or they're buying to be near their friends from their primary residence. When I get calls for Boynton Beach, quite often the people know which community they want to be in, whether it's the newer Valencia communities or the more established communities that have been around.

BS: What are the Valencia communities like?

KS: The Valencia communities were built by GL Homes and include Greystone, Canyon, Valencia Reserve and Valencia Pointe in the Boynton area. They all boast beautiful club houses and a ton of amenities from full basketball courts to jogging paths to resort-style pools. Valencia Pointe has lakes and walking paths, a 35,000-square-foot clubhouse, a ballroom and a fitness center. Ninety percent of the homes there are already sold. Valencia Reserve is the absolute newest. It's an active adult community and offers two-, three- or four-bedroom homes, some that are on the waterfront.

BS: What else do people like about the Valencia communities?

KS: They're newer communities that are really just built for pure luxury. The communities themselves are just opulent. They have a great reputation of building a good product with a real focal point of giving every last amenity. They're offering everything that people want for that price point. They also have affordable monthly maintenance fees that are very reasonable for what you get.