Luxury home tour attracts record number of builders

COURTESY PHOTO Aubuchon Homes Model Casa Del Anno A record-breaking 16 elite custom home builders have signed up to participate in the 2008 Southwest Florida Luxury Home Tour.

The annual event takes place during the first three weekends of February. Participating homebuilders include Arthur Rutenberg Homes, Aubuchon Homes, Bordeaux Homes, Coastal Breeze Homes, Distinctive Communities, Divco Construction, Frey & Son Homes, Granite Development, Grosse Pointe Development, Harbourside Custom Homes, Kingon Homes, Landmark Development Group, London Bay Homes, Lundstrom Development, Southern Bay Homes and The Vintage Group.

During the public event, thousands of passport ticket holders step behind the gates of some of the area's most prestigious communities across Lee and Collier Counties - including Lely Resort, Mediterra, Renaissance, Tarpon Point, Twin Eagles, The Quarry, and Tiburon - where they can explore 25 different custom luxury estate homes, each of which carries a price tag between $1.5 and $4.5 million.

"We were thrilled that the Luxury Home Tour 2007 provided the vehicle for thousands of people from around the state to see our amazing luxury, waterfront home, and the many exciting things happening on this side of the bridge in Cape Coral," said Gary Aubuchon, president of Aubuchon Homes. "This year promises to be even better."

Brianne Bauer, spokesperson for Luxury Home Tour, agreed.

"We are pleased to welcome so many homebuilders in so many different communities to the tour this year," he said. "Each participating builder brings something truly unique to the show, and together they embody the very finest in Southwest Florida living."

The self-guided tour is open to the public from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, Feb. 1-3, Feb. 8-10 and Feb. 15-17. Passport tickets can be purchased in advance for $20 at area Albertson's grocery stores and Robb and Stucky locations. During tour dates, passport tickets may be purchased at participating model homes for $25, or $5 for single-site access. For more information, visit www.luxuryhometour.net.