Why I've Called Wellen Park Home Since 2017 — and How to Find Your Place Here

By Scott Swonger, HomeSmart Realtor

I've saved the most personal post for last. After a week of sharing the restaurants, trails, events, beaches, and history that make our area so wonderful, I want to step back and tell you why, of all the places I could live, I've called Wellen Park home since 2017 — and how I help newcomers find the right fit here.

Getting In Early — and Never Looking Back

When I settled here in 2017, Wellen Park (then still known as West Villages) was early in its story. A lot of what you see today — the bustling Downtown Wellen, the 40-plus miles of trails, the packed events calendar — was still on the drawing board. I took a chance on the vision, and watching it come to life around me has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I didn't just buy a house; I got to grow up alongside a community.

That long view is something I bring to every client. I don't know Wellen Park from a brochure. I know it from living here — from walking the trails, eating at the restaurants, attending the events, and watching neighborhood after neighborhood take shape.

A Community That Keeps Earning Its Reputation

I'm not the only one who noticed what a special place this is. Wellen Park has ranked among the top-selling master-planned communities in the entire country year after year — it landed at No. 8 nationally for 2025, marking a full decade of appearing on that prestigious list. Today the community is home to around 10,000 residents, and at full buildout it's planned for more than 50,000 residents and 22,500 homes. Our home city of North Port has been one of the fastest-growing cities in the nation. People are voting with their moving trucks, and I understand why.

Something for Every Stage of Life

One of the things I love most as a Realtor here is the sheer variety of homes and neighborhoods. Wellen Park was designed to fit people at every stage of life:

• Young professionals and first-time buyers love the low-maintenance villas, townhomes, and condos.
• Families are drawn to the spacious single-family neighborhoods, the parks, and the new schools being built right in the community.
• Active adults and retirees have wonderful options too, including 55+ lifestyle neighborhoods built around resort-style amenities.

With more than a dozen actively selling neighborhoods and homes ranging from cozy to custom, there's truly something for everyone — and that's before you even get to gated enclaves, golf communities, and lakefront settings.

More Than a House — A Way of Life

Here's what I've learned in my years here: choosing a home in Wellen Park isn't just about square footage and floor plans. It's about the life that surrounds it. It's morning coffee by the lake, sunset walks on the trail, live music on a Friday night, a Braves game in the spring, and beaches just minutes away. It's a genuine sense of community in a place that, not long ago, was open ranchland.

That's the story I get to share every day, and it never gets old.

Let's Find Your Place

If this week's posts have you dreaming about life in Wellen Park or the greater Venice area, I'd be honored to help you make it happen. As a resident since 2017 and a local Realtor, I can help you cut through the options, understand the neighborhoods, weigh the details (yes, including things like CDDs and HOA structures), and find the home that fits not just your budget, but your life.

This community changed mine for the better. I'd love to help it do the same for you. Reach out anytime — let's find your place here.

— Scott Swonger, HomeSmart Realtor