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s the Northeast cools down, Behind The Hedges is shifting its focus to Palm Beach, where luxury homebuilding is thriving. We spoke with Jill DiDonna, chief marketing officer at GL Homes, one of Florida's largest luxury homebuilders.

    With over 45 years of experience, GL Homes has created residential communities and built quality residences for more than 100,000 people in South Florida. Based in Sunrise, FL, the company has several luxury communities under construction or completed in Boca Raton, Palm Beach Gardens, and other parts of South Florida.

    The demand for luxury homes remains strong throughout South Florida, with a brisk pace of sales in prime locations like Palm Beach County. Boca Raton stands out as a market that's seen a resurgence of high-end homebuyers, particularly young families from the Northeast and California. The area's A+ location, proximity to international airports, top-rated schools, and Fortune 500 employers make it an attractive choice.

    GL Homes' Lotus Palm community in Boca Raton has sold over 500 homes since 2022, with prices starting at $1.4 million. The company's newly launched neighboring community, Lotus Edge, is also moving quickly. Despite lower mortgage interest rates, GL Homes' affluent buyers are less rate-sensitive, and the limited supply of high-quality existing home inventory continues to drive sales.

    For the rest of 2024, GL Homes anticipates a very active home-buying season, with consistent sales activity throughout the year. The company is noting two trends: a westward migration of wealth in Palm Beach County, where affluent buyers are choosing more suburban locations for their new homes; and a shift from condos to single-family communities due to concerns about association fees and special assessments.

    In response to these trends, GL Homes has seen strong sales at its APEX at Avenir community in Palm Beach Gardens, which offers exceptional location, quality amenities, and proximity to world-class golf courses. The company's Valencia Grand community in Boynton Beach is also attracting buyers looking for single-family homes with lower association fees and social programming.