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COPYRIGHT 2005 Ocala Star-Banner
Byline: Ryan Conley
Aug. 21--OCALA, Fla. -- Property appraiser Ronnie Hawkins says it only takes three words to sum up the direction land values have gone in his once-sleepy home of Sumter County: "Out the roof," said the county native who has toiled at his position for 29 years. "It's just crazy."
Land prices have escalated dramatically since mega-community The Villages decided to set up shop in the northeast corner of Sumter County.
And developers, investors and even communities are trying to position themselves best in the midst of a sizzling real estate market.
Bushnell, Sumter County's seat, is about 60 miles northeast of Tampa.
The U.S. Census Bureau estimated the county's population in 2003 at 58,875, a 10 percent increase over its population of 53,345 in 2000.
Not surprisingly, the saltiest price tags are found on land near The Villages, which has all but built out in neighboring Lake and Marion counties and is now zeroed in on its Sumter County holdings. The developer has pulled 6,671 new construction permits in the last...
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