Chile-based Crystal Lagoons made its U.S. debut earlier this year, igniting a frenzy among developers eager to add the amenity.

Metro Development Group was the first to break ground on the patented artificial waterway. Residents at the Epperson community in Wesley Chapel, Fla. were the first to test the waters of the 7-acre lagoon, which will be the centerpiece of a planned ammentiy village and beachfront area, reports Builder, a sister publication to PSN.

"While the man-made lagoon from Chile-based Crystal Lagoons is a new concept to American home buyers, it won’t be for long. The Epperson project represents the tip of the tidal wave in the trend toward massive water-based amenities: It is one of 140 such aquatic amenities in the U.S. currently in the planning, design, or construction phase," reports Builder's Mary Salmonsen.

She notes: "The Epperson lagoon is the first of five Crystal Lagoons projects in progress for Tampa-based Metro Development Group, and more are slated to open over the next year in several Florida and Texas communities that feature a range of developers and builders, including D.R. Horton, Lennar, M/I, Pulte, Tavistock Development, and Turnberry Associates.

"The lagoons’ main appeal is their ability to transform any land asset, even lots in the middle of the desert, into valuable beachfront property, according to Kevin P. Morgan, executive vice president of Crystal Lagoons U.S. This allows developers to create desirable resorts or communities on less-than-desirable tracts of land."

Read More