With 36 unique floorplans on the lineup, Homes by WestBay offers something for everyone at their Hawkstone community

By Hanna Heiss

It’s no secret that 2009 was an uncertain time, and as many other homebuilders were exiting the market, Homes by WestBay made their debut. In their first year of production, Homes by WestBay built and delivered 63 homes. Today, the builder is delivering more than 800 homes annually and has amassed 3,700 customers and counting.

With their mission of delivering a better way of life to homeowners in Tampa Bay, Florida, Homes by WestBay now stands among some of the nation’s largest homebuilders. The company has become Tampa Bay’s largest locally owned and operated homebuilder.

On occasion, Homes by WestBay will choose to serve as both developer and builder of a project if its a “hidden gem” or a large growth opportunity. Hawkstone, a masterplanned community, is an example of a project that checks all of those boxes.

Brought on alongside community builder/developer Homes by WestBay for the masterplan is new homebuilder Casa Fresca Homes.

A subsidiary of Homes by WestBay founded in 2019, Florida homebuilder Casa Fresca Homes offers homebuyers a fun, fresh alternative to the typical entry-level homes. Casa Fresca was created to capitalize on the growing opportunity of entry-level housing. 

In October 2023, the homebuilder announced the formation of two separate operating divisions, WestBay North, focusing on Hillsborough and Pasco counties, and WestBay South, focusing on Manatee and Sarasota counties. Hawkstone falls under WestBay North’s operations.

“This new organizational model reflects the consistent growth we have experienced since our inception and is the direct result of years of

focus on business development,” says Willy Nunn, Homes by WestBay president and chief executive officer. “It is an exciting time to be a home builder in Florida with a demand for housing that has not been seen in decades. We plan to capitalize on the opportunities to deliver exceptional design, quality and value to our customers.”

Located in Lithia, Florida, land development on the masterplanned community began in 2019 with the first new home sales launching in March 2020. Spanning 545 acres, Hawkstone is to consist of 1,047 homes at build-out. These units will come in 40-ft., 50-ft., 60-ft. and 70-ft homesite width options.

Hawkstone was built to offer residents all the pros of a new construction home while nearby top-rated schools, a wide variety of shopping and dining options, nature preserves and more. Additionally, Hawkstone residents enjoy water and wetland views throughout the community, with over 53 acres of the master plan being dedicated to protected wetland conservation.

Alongside its optimal location, all of the homes at Hawkstone are ENERGY STAR certified, built to meet or exceed Florida’s strict building

codes and come with energy-saving features to help homeowners save money and minimize their impact on the environment. Features include but are not to be limited to, high-efficiency air conditioning systems with SEER ratings that meet or exceed current building codes, low-E insulated and double-paned windows, programmable thermostats and ENERGY STAR appliances.

The Hawkstone community is specifically located within the Lithia suburb of Fish Hawk, zoned for top-rated schools and known for its young and growing families. As a local builder familiar with the area, Homes by WestBay is attuned to what buyers enjoy most in a new Florida home. Designed thoughtfully with this lifestyle in mind, the residences at Hawkstone feature bright, open floorplans with seamless indoor-outdoor living. Such floorplans are meant to flow uninterrupted and make efficient use of every square foot of the home.

At Hawkstone, Homes by WestBay has an extensive range of 36 unique plans available at varying price points, offering “something for everyone.” Homesites measure from 40 feet to 70 feet and floorplans come in  1,420 square feet to 4,848 square feet. Between the two brand builders, Homes by WestBay and Casa Fresca Homes, the single-family residences are priced starting in the $350,000s and can run up to over $1 million.

This impressive floorplan lineup has earned the builder recognition in the homebuilding industry. Homes by WestBay took home the Silver Award for the $650k to $699k category for

Hawkstone’s Pelican floorplan and the Grand Award for the $1.3m and up for Hawkstone’s Key Largo II at Tampa Bay Builders Association’s 2023 Parade of Homes. Standing alongside this is a previous achievement of earning the Tampa Bay Builders Association Best Detached Single-Family Home Community of the Year in both 2021 and 2022.

In addition to its award-winning designs, residents at Hawkstone have an abundance of resort-style amenities to enjoy, including a zero-entry lagoon pool with a splash pad, a lap pool, numerous playgrounds, dog parks and open-air poolside cabanas, winding trails and more.

Hanna Heiss is the senior editor for Green Home Builder.