Pulte Homes Purchases 332 Acres from Pasco County’s DePue Ranch
By Post
Tampa Bay Newswire
Published: Aug 7, 2023

(Wesley Chapel, Florida) – Pulte Homes has purchased more than 332 acres of land from one of Pasco County’s oldest families. The parcel is part of 1,800-acres of land that has been owned by the DePue family since the late 1800s and is one of the largest undeveloped tracts of land in Pasco County.

The land is currently home to the family-run cattle and ranch operation. Pulte Homes has acquired the northeast corner of the ranch for more than 700 homes for its first phase of construction.

The new-construction, single-family home community will be known as Vida’s Way, paying homage to late family matriarch, Vida Claire Barnes DePue. Born in 1922, Mrs. DePue was instrumental in managing the ranch through the 1900s and transitioning it into the cattle operation it is today. Mrs. DePue was revered in the Wesley Chapel area for her grit, hard work, and tenacity. She passed away in 2010 at age 88.

The DePue Ranch has long been an acquisition target of multiple builders and developers. Pulte Group’s West Florida Division began speaking with the family in early 2020 after the family expressed interest in selling a portion of the ranch.

“Many developers have reached out to us over the years, but we were impressed with the extensive time and effort the Pulte team took to learn about and understand our rich family history,” said Michael Nutt, grandson of Vida DePue. “We believe Vida’s Way will be a lasting tribute to her life. We hope this community provides many years of memories for the families who live there.”

“Over the last three years, I’ve had the privilege of getting to know the Nutt family and visiting their ranch” said Sean Strickler, West Florida Division President. “The result has been a highly collaborative working relationship and the development of a community that not only honors their decades of hard work, but also looks to the future with additional residential and commercial development. We are incredibly honored and excited to bring Vida’s Way to the market.”