New York-based investment firm spends $5.49 million on 44 acres near The Villages

A New York-based investment group with over $4 billion in profits just spent $5.49 million to acquire over 44 acres near The Villages, right across from a massive residential development in Wildwood.

DW Partners, which manages billions of dollars worth of real estate assets, finalized the acquisition on March 2, according to a deed filed with the Sumter County Clerk of Courts.

The properties were purchased by DRP Greenbough 64 LLC, an entity that registers back to DW Partners, for $5,490,000 from ACM Orlando Properties LLC. 

The sale includes two parcels located at 8476 and 8600 County Road 209 in Wildwood. One of the parcels measure 25 acres in size (8476 CR 209), while the other measures approximately 19.75 acres (8600 CR 209).

Sumter County property records show that, outside of a single-family residence, each property is largely empty.

The site is situated a couple miles east of Interstate 75, just southwest of the large Twisted Oaks development in Wildwood.

When that residential community is built out, it will feature up to 1,210 homes across 400 acres and will represent the city of Wildwood’s second-largest residential development after the Villages of Southern Oaks.

DW Partners has not publicly announced plans for the property. Founded in 2009 by David Warren, a 40-year veteran of the real estate markets, DW Partners specializes in financing and investing in residential and commercial property.

Since its inception, the firm has produced more than $4 billion in gross profits for its investors, according to its website. 

The company currently focuses on a wide range of real estate debt and financing, including loans for domestic homebuilders and multifamily construction projects.

The multi-million dollar purchase by DW Partners follows other similar, high-profile real estate acquisitions that have taken place in and around The Villages in recent months. 

Blackstone, Inc., the world’s largest asset management group, acquired a 10.94-acre commercial property in Wildwood for $4.5 million in mid-February. That site, which houses the Sparr Building and Farm Supply, is situated just southwest of Brownwood at 6000 Signature Drive. 

In addition to the Blackstone and DW Partners deals, several other commercial properties have also changed hands recently, including The Spruce Creek Terrace Shoppes, Better Times RV Community, the Days Inn by Wyndham in Wildwood, and a site anchored by a 7-Eleven in Sumterville.

What are your thoughts on the recent trend of large investment firms acquiring land near The Villages? Share them in a comment or a letter to the editor.