Neal Communities offers mortgages

It wasn't too long ago that the Sarasota-Bradenton market was inundated with mortgage firms, the obvious response to the residential real estate boom.

The bust, of course, all but wiped out the marketplace of local independent mortgage brokers. And the all-or-nothing swing has become quite a headache for homebuilders and Realtors who rely on timely mortgage approvals.

But Lakewood Ranch-based homebuilder Pat Neal, something of a trendsetter among his peers, believes he has found his aspirin. Neal recently entered into a joint venture with a Houston-based firm to run a mortgage business directly affiliated with Neal Communities. The firm has been one of the most prolific builders in the region the past five years.