What $400,000 Buys in Sarasota County New Construction

What Does $400,000 Actually Get You Right Now?

As of November 13, 2026, six new-construction homes in Sarasota County sit in the $375,000 to $425,000 band, and every single one of them is in North Port. That's not a coincidence. The average size across these six is 2,474 square feet, and you can get anywhere from 3 to 4 bedrooms depending on which builder and which lot you pick. Adams Homes has five of the six listings. Maronda Homes has the other.

Here's the actual lineup, not a rounded-off estimate:

• 5929 Hornbuckle Boulevard, $416,300, 4 bed / 3 bath, 3,000 sq ft, $139/sq ft, built by Adams Homes of NW Florida, 191 days on market, cut $5,000 from its original $421,300 ask.
• 8151 Bristol Ave., $422,000, 4 bed / 2 bath, 2,557 sq ft, $165/sq ft, Adams Homes, 151 days on market.
• 4210 Scottish Terrace, $399,900, 4 bed / 3 bath, 2,437 sq ft, $164/sq ft, Maronda Homes, 109 days on market, cut $50,000 (11%) from $449,900.
• 5301 Abdella Ln., $381,400, 3 bed / 2 bath, 2,320 sq ft, $164/sq ft, Adams Homes, 207 days on market.
• 3832 S Haberland Boulevard, $408,100, 4 bed / 3 bath, 2,265 sq ft, $180/sq ft, Adams Homes, 187 days on market.
• 5800 Shaffer Avenue, $391,300, 4 bed / 3 bath, 2,265 sq ft, $173/sq ft, Adams Homes, 202 days on market, cut $5,000 from $396,300.

If you want the most square footage for the dollar, Hornbuckle Boulevard at $139 per square foot is the clear outlier on this list, running well below everything else. If you want the newest-looking cut, Scottish Terrace's $50,000 price drop is the one worth a phone call before anything else.

Why Are All Six Homes in North Port?

Because that's where the dirt is. Sarasota County's new-construction pipeline under $425,000 is concentrated almost entirely in North Port's Port Charlotte subdivisions, specifically Sub 18, 22, 27, 28, 30, and 34. These are large platted communities that have been building out in phases for years, which is exactly why you see listings sitting on market for 150 to 200+ days. These aren't homes nobody wants. They're homes that keep getting replaced by new inventory from the same builder a few lots over, so buyers have options and no urgency to jump on the first one they see.

That dynamic cuts both ways. It's good for negotiating leverage, bad if you're hoping for a seller who feels pressure to move fast.

What Does the Sticker Price Leave Out?

The list price is the easy part. Three things don't show up on the MLS sheet and will show up on your monthly payment or your closing statement.

CDD fees. Not every North Port community carries a Community Development District assessment, but plenty of newer Sarasota County subdivisions do, and it's a separate line item from your property tax bill, not folded into it. Before you fall for a floor plan, find out whether that specific subdivision has a CDD and what the annual number actually is. This guide walks through how CDD fees work in Tampa Bay and what to ask the builder's sales office directly.

HOA dues. Port Charlotte Sub 18, 22, 27, 28, 30, and 34 may each handle this differently. Get the HOA budget and rules in writing before you sign, not after.

The reassessment. This is the one that catches new-construction buyers off guard every single time. Sarasota County taxes the land at its current assessed value until the home is built and the county reassesses the parcel as a finished house. That means your first-year tax bill, based on a bare or partially improved lot, can look nothing like your second-year bill once the county catches up to what you actually built. On a $400,000 home, that jump is real money, and it's not a builder markup or a mistake on your statement, it's just how Florida's assessment calendar works. This breakdown of how property taxes work on new construction in Florida explains the timeline so the second-year bill isn't a surprise.

Run the real numbers, CDD included, before you commit to a monthly payment you can live with. Barrett's affordability calculator is a reasonable starting point, and a conversation about new-construction financing will catch builder-specific lender incentives that a generic rate quote won't.

Is a Big Price Cut a Red Flag?

No, not on its own. Scottish Terrace's $50,000 cut and the smaller $5,000 trims on Hornbuckle and Shaffer are more often a builder clearing inventory or adjusting to what the market will actually pay than a sign something's wrong with the house. Still, ask why the cut happened, how long the home sat before the price moved, and whether a second cut is likely if it sits longer. Builders rarely explain this upfront. You have to ask.

FAQ

Is $400,000 enough to buy new construction in Sarasota County right now? Yes, as of this writing there are six active new-construction listings between $375,000 and $425,000, all in North Port, ranging from 2,265 to 3,000 square feet. Inventory and pricing shift week to week, so confirm current availability before you plan around a specific address.

Why are all the options in North Port instead of closer to Sarasota or Venice? Land costs closer to the coast push new-construction pricing well above $425,000, while North Port's Port Charlotte subdivisions still have buildable lots at this price point. If you want new construction closer to downtown Sarasota at this budget, you likely won't find it right now.

Do these homes have CDD fees? It depends on the specific subdivision, and that information isn't always obvious from the listing sheet. Ask the builder's sales office for the exact CDD assessment, if any, before you write an offer.

Will my tax bill really go up after I close? In most cases, yes, because the county reassesses the parcel once the home is finished rather than leaving it valued as a vacant or partially built lot. Budget for a second-year increase rather than assuming your first tax bill is the permanent number.

Which of these six is the best value? 5929 Hornbuckle Boulevard has the lowest price per square foot on the list at $139, but "best value" depends on your priorities, whether that's square footage, bedroom count, lot location, or HOA terms. Browsing the full current Sarasota County inventory is worth doing before narrowing to one address.

Prices, cuts, and day-on-market counts change by the week in this price band. Call Barrett Henry at (813) 692-9099 to confirm what's still available and get the real CDD and HOA numbers on any of these six before you make a decision. Barrett Henry is a Licensed Florida Real Estate Broker at REMAX Collective (license BK3313308), holds the e-PRO, MRP, and SRS designations, and has spent over 23 years in real estate with over a decade as a longtime local in the Tampa Bay market.