Homebuilder ends summer on hot streak

LAKEWOOD RANCH — Neal Communities sold 73 new homes in September and closed on 101 — a new record of monthly closings for the prolific homebuilder.

In the month, 14 of the 73 sales were inventory homes, ready for immediate occupancy, according to a release. Officials project the strong numbers to continue the rest of the year, including at least 50 more inventory home sales.

“We experienced a great month to round out an overall strong summer season, and as we head into the end of the year, we expect to exceed 1,000 home sales for 2015,” Neal Communities President Michael Storey says in a statement.