House hunters in search of a placid suburban setting that offers quality construction as well as quality of life should put Del Tierra in Bradenton high on their lists. Del Tierra is a large gated community located in the eastern section of Manatee County, just southwest of Rye Preserve and about 13 miles east of Downtown Bradenton. Development of Del Tierra started in 2014 and continued through 2017, which means that you can still find properties covered by the builder’s warranty, in this case by D.R. Horton.

You can get a sense of Del Tierra’s architectural style when you approach the gate, which is adorned with a bell tower reminiscent of Spanish Colonial design. Once inside, you will notice that the properties in this neighborhood have considerable curb appeal; they feature a stylized version of the Mediterranean revival design commonly seen in Southwest Florida, and many of the homes are arranged around lakes and nature preserves. Starter floor plans with three bedrooms and two full bathrooms typically are typically built on 1,700 square feet of interior, but you can also find five-bedroom homes with four full bathrooms offering 4,392 square feet of living space.

The 600 single-family homes in this gated community have attracted plenty of interest from buyers. As of September 2019, only a handful of listings were on the market, including a couple of homes built in late 2017. You can expect a three-bedroom property to be offered for about $250K. Even the five-bedroom estates are reasonably priced at $439K because they tend to include extras such as granite countertops, breakfast bars, media rooms, and walk-in closets. Some properties have private swimming pools, but you can always enjoy the community pool and its elegant clubhouse.

As you can expect from a family-friendly neighborhood, Del Tierra features playgrounds and green areas ideal for picnics. Nearby attractions include Lake Manatee State Park and Rye Preserve, but you can always drive to Holmes Beach for weekend trips since it will take you less than 40 minutes. The Lakewood Ranch Gateway shopping center is where you will find the nearest Publix supermarket, about 10 minutes away.