North of the River
Parrish
Manatee County, Florida
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Parrish is the fastest growing part of Manatee County and where most of its new construction inventory currently sits. It was farmland and small holdings until recently, and it is now a corridor of master planned communities running north from the Manatee River toward the Hillsborough county line.
Buying here mostly means buying new. That comes with the advantages of current codes and builder warranties, and the complications that come with buying from a builder rather than an owner.
- To the Beach
- About 40 to 50 minutes
- What Was Built Here
- New construction, single family, villas, townhomes
The Details
What defines Parrish.
- The largest concentration of new construction inventory in the county
- Master planned communities along US 301 and Fort Hamer Road
- The Fort Hamer Bridge connecting across the river toward Lakewood Ranch
- A commute north toward Tampa that many residents make
- CDD assessments on most of the newer communities
Questions
What people ask me about Parrish.
What should I know about buying from a builder here?
That the builder contract is not the standard Florida contract and it is written to favor the builder. Completion dates are often not firm, the deposit terms differ, and the ability to walk away is more limited than in a resale. Having representation at the model home matters, and in most cases the builder pays for it, but you generally have to register me on your first visit rather than after.
Why are prices lower here than closer to the water?
The main reason is distance. Parrish is forty to fifty minutes from the Gulf beaches, and that drive is the tradeoff for newer construction at a lower price per square foot. For buyers who work from home or commute north toward Tampa, it can be the right trade. For buyers who came for the beach, it often is not.
Is the growth here a problem?
It is a real consideration rather than a problem exactly. Road capacity, school capacity, and construction traffic are all following rather than leading the housing. If you buy into an early phase of a community you should expect construction around you for years. I would rather you know that going in.
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