Metro Development Group
Headquartered in Tampa, FL
About Metro Development Group
Metro Development Group is a Tampa-based real estate development company that's carved out a specific niche in the local market — master-planned communities. Unlike production builders who focus primarily on the homes themselves, Metro Development Group operates as the land developer and community creator behind some of Tampa Bay's larger mixed-use and residential projects. They're the team that designs the infrastructure, amenities, and overall vision for a community before builders ever break ground on individual homes. That distinction matters when you're evaluating who's responsible for what in the communities they create. In Tampa Bay, Metro Development Group is best known for their work on large-scale master-planned communities across Hillsborough, Pasco, and surrounding counties. Projects like Mirada in San Antonio (Pasco County) and Epperson — the community that introduced the first Crystal Lagoon in the U.S. — are Metro Development Group projects. If you've driven up I-75 toward Wesley Chapel and seen signs for communities with resort-style lagoons and elaborate amenity campuses, there's a reasonable chance Metro Development Group had a hand in planning and developing that land. They don't build the homes — they build the stage on which other builders construct homes. Because Metro Development Group functions as a master developer, the homes in their communities are built by a rotating cast of production and semi-custom builders depending on the project. In Epperson, for example, you'll find builders like DR Horton, Lennar, and others constructing homes at various price points. The product lines, floor plans, included features, and quality levels are going to vary depending on which builder you're buying from within the community — not from Metro Development Group directly. What Metro controls is the community amenities, the CDD structure, the commercial components, and the overall feel of the neighborhood. The buyer experience in a Metro Development Group community is really two separate tracks. One involves the builder you select for your specific home — that's where you'll deal with a sales team, design center, construction timeline, and warranty process. The other track involves the community itself — the lagoon access, the amenity programming, the CDD fees, and how the overall master plan develops over time. Understanding that distinction before you sign anything is critical, because you're not just buying a house, you're buying into a long-range development vision that may still have years of construction and commercial buildout ahead of it.
Barrett's Take on Metro Development Group
Here's what I tell my buyers about Metro Development Group communities: know what you're actually buying. The lagoon or the amenity campus is the headline, and it's genuinely impressive — the Epperson Crystal Lagoon is a real differentiator and people love it. But you're also signing up for a CDD, and in some of these communities the CDD debt assessment is significant. Before you fall in love with the lifestyle, pull the CDD disclosure documents and understand the annual CDD fee, what portion of that is debt service versus maintenance, and how many years of debt repayment are left. That fee doesn't disappear — it follows the land, not the owner, and it will affect your carrying costs and your resale pricing down the road. On the builder side, my advice is the same as it would be for any home purchase within one of these communities: you're negotiating with the builder, not with Metro Development Group. DR Horton, Lennar, or whoever's building your specific home will have their own contract terms, deposit structures, preferred lenders, and upgrade pricing. Get a competing Loan Estimate from an independent lender before you commit to whoever the builder is pushing — builder lending incentives can look attractive upfront but cost you more over the life of the loan. Read the completion timeline language carefully. In a large master-planned community that's still mid-buildout, delays are common and the contract language around them typically favors the builder. The broader reputation question with Metro Development Group communities is really about long-term execution. The concepts are ambitious and the amenities are legitimate draws. The risk is that you're buying into a vision that's partly built and partly promised. If the commercial components, additional phases, or amenity expansions don't materialize on the timeline you were shown in the sales presentation, that affects your daily life and your property value. I'm not saying don't buy in these communities — plenty of my clients are happy there. I'm saying go in with clear eyes about what's finished, what's under construction, and what's still on a rendering.
Barrett Henry, REALTOR®
Broker Associate at REMAX Collective · 23+ years of real estate experience
Metro Development Group at a Glance
Tampa, FL
Headquarters
11
Communities
Communities by Metro Development Group
Metro Development Group currently has 11 communities listed across Tampa Bay. Click any community for full details, pricing, and incentives.
Hillsborough County
(1 community)Pasco County
(1 community)Polk County
(5 communities)Ashton Covey
Winter Haven, Polk
$327K – $387K
Lake Mattie Preserve Estates
Auburndale, Polk
$350K – $413K
Pine Pointe
Davenport, Polk
$280K – $320K
Poinciana Nbrhd 02 Village 08
Poinciana, Polk
$290K – $310K
Woodland Ranch Estates Phase One
Dundee, Polk
$274K – $339K
Manatee County
(3 communities)Cresswind Lakewood Ranch
Lakewood Ranch, Manatee
$500K – $1.1M
Hillwood Preserve
Bradenton, Manatee
$330K – $395K
Woodland Preserve
Parrish, Manatee
$500K – $670K
New Construction Buyer Resources
Buying new construction is different from resale. These guides cover what you need to know before signing a builder contract.
Thinking About Metro Development Group? Bring Your Own Agent.
The sales team at any model home works for the builder. Their job is to sell you the home at the best price for the builder — not for you. Barrett represents buyers exclusively in new-construction transactions. He knows the incentives, the upgrade traps, and the contract clauses that catch first-time buyers off guard. His representation is free to you because the builder pays the commission. Call (813) 692-9099 or fill out the form below.
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