A brand new vacation home community has opened in Haines City, off of U.S. Highway 27.

  • Planned community will have 245 homes
  • Units primarily being purchased by out-of-state, international buyers
  • Community will have soccer academy, boarding school in 2018

Irish-owned developer Feltrim Group is the group behind the $125 million Balmoral Resort Project. The resort community includes three to eight-bedroom vacation homes that come furnished and with a pool.
 
"The first phase is completely sold out. It's 102 homes altogether,” said Marketing Manager Christopher Follenus.
 
Construction on the second phase has begun. In total, 245 homes will be built over three separate phases of construction, according to Follenus.

He said mostly people from out-of-state and international visitors have been buying the homes, due to the resort’s location. Vacationers are also able to rent homes in the community for weeks at a time.

"There's a lot of potential for growth here in Haines City,” said Follenus. “Property prices are a little bit more expensive closer to Orlando, but we're still within a short distance of the theme parks."

Drawing more businesses to the area

Haines City's new Deputy City Manager Deric Feacher said the city hopes the development will entice restaurants and stores to open nearby.

"I was just amazed when I actually came on the property that all of this was behind there,” said Feacher. “You have homes that are $300,000 to $500,000 in the Haines City community.  That is something great for not only Polk County, but especially the residents of our community."

Feltrim Group also plans to turn the vacant land in the front of the property, facing US Highway 27, into a future R9 Soccer Academy franchise and an international baccalaureate boarding school.

This soccer academy, affiliated with legendary soccer star Ronaldo Luis Nazario de Lima, had its groundbreaking on March 31. Ronaldo himself was in attendance, and said he was thankful for the support.
 
"We are excited to move into the U.S. market, especially in Florida, where soccer has a great influence in the community,” said Ronaldo.
 
The R9 academy is expected to open in January.

The private boarding school, meanwhile, is scheduled to open in August 2018. It will be open to high school students in the beginning and have a sports complex.

Follenus said it will have 220 students to start and grow to 440 students over the next three years.