Journey to a Handshake
Silverwood
Silverwood, at the Country Club in Lakewood Ranch is very special to Pat Neal, owner of Neal Communities. After a journey of 38 years with many twists and turns, Silverwood features the 7,000th home he has built. You're invited to take the journey with this renowned local builder and developer, meet the 7,000th homeowner, and find out how two journeys ended at a home with a smile and a handshake.
The Builder
The early morning fog parted like a curtain silently opening for a play. In his imagination, Pat saw the broad avenue that would be the main entrance to this new community. The meandering lake on his right would provide a perfect natural border to frame half of the boulevard. Allowing nature to be the star, he envisioned jeweled palms making a statement that would be simple yet dramatic. He saw oaks as well as sabal palms mixed with natural ornamental grasses. Then, long sweeping beds dotted with Iris, variegated Ginger, and Bird-of-Paradise adding texture and complementing colors to the endless variety of green provided by nature.
On his left, Pat, the Land Baron, saw neighborhood after neighborhood opening onto the grand boulevard. Each neighborhood would be an oasis and the crown jewel would be a beautiful pool and spa surrounded by tropical, flowing queen palms that complement the architecture of the pool house and the community. Flowering plants like oleander and variegated Ginger would be added to the pool surround.
Neighborhood streets could be lined with oaks and Chinese fan palms. Pat knew he didn’t have to go to such lengths to create a tropical environment. And, yet, he knew he would.
He remembered his childhood days in Des Moines. He had always loved being in nature. How vividly he remembered camping with his family along the Des Moines River. They had fished the river in the summer and skated on its ice in the winter. He felt the cold water all over again as he recalled the time he had broken through the ice. It was scary for a moment, yet it never dampened his enthusiasm for his love of nature. Years later when he became a father, he took his kids camping along the Little Manatee River.
Once more he was back on this piece of land that was to become a nature sanctuary for plants, wildlife, and people. Moving his SUV farther down the path that would become the main entrance called Balmoral Woods Boulevard after a famous golf course in Wales with the word Woods added just because he loves the woods, he saw a break in some of the plant life and stopped. The trees here were overwhelmingly mature silver oaks. And now, being spring, the wetlands were awash with color from stunning purple violet Iris. The wetlands on this property have some of the most beautiful, pristine wetlands Pat has seen in a long time. Taking in the beauty and smiling to himself, he knows some homeowners will get to see this view and others just like it every day from their homes. Silverwood will be a good name for this community he decides as he urges the Jeep forward.
The Buyer
Meanwhile, at about the same time in Westchester, NY, a successful car dealership owner is about to open his office to begin his day before the phones start ringing and various employees will need his guidance on business issues of the day. After several hours of paperwork, Lou looked up to see Geri walking toward his office. After all these years of marriage, he still felt a thrill when he saw her enter a room. He remembered the first time he saw her. It was in this dealership. Lou had been standing in the showroom looking across the street when she pulled up and parked. She sat in the car putting on lipstick. Lou was watching everything about her. Over his shoulder he told the other salespeople that he’d take care of this one. Geri had told Lou that she was checking him out too that day. She thought he was very cute and very nice. Lou was leaving for Club Med the next day so he told Geri and told her he would call when he returned. Geri thought he would meet someone at Club Med so she was pleasantly surprised when he called and asked her for a date. After the first few dates, Geri was still a little uncertain. Her mom said, "He seems like a nice guy and he has his own business." She encouraged Geri to give him a second or third chance. Lou had always been glad Geri had listened to her mother.
In 1990, Lou sold his automobile dealership. It was a huge decision because his grandfather had started the company in 1915. Lou was a junior in college when his dad asked him to make a decision about joining the family’s Pontiac dealership. His dad was ill. He called Lou one day and confided, “If you don’t want the car business, I’m going to sell it. And if you do want it, I’ll keep it.” Lou had two weeks to decide. Should he go to law school? Should he join the family’s car dealership? Now, it was 20 years later. Parting with a business he had nurtured and grown into something uniquely his was a major step in a new direction. Enter the sister-in-law in Longboat Key. While visiting her, she talked Lou and Geri into looking at a small house as a vacation home. “I have no desire whatsoever to have a place in Florida,” declared Lou.
This account of three people's journey to a handshake is the first in a series of three. Please read next month's issue of SCENE to learn how the builder and the buyer discover each other. For more information about Neal Communities, log onto nealcommunities.com.