Work crews are putting the finishing touches on the first of 18 new Habitat for Humanity homes on Big Coppitt Key.

The new Bayside Landing neighborhood includes two- and three-bedroom, tropically colored townhouses for working families in the Lower Keys.

"The first homeowners will move in after the holidays, once cranes set the final few modular structures in place at the other end of the street," said Susan Miller, operations director for the Lower Keys chapter of Habitat.

But the new community is not yet filled, and Habitat is looking for additional families or couples to buy the five remaining two-bedroom homes, she said.

When the project began nearly three years ago, all 18 homes were claimed.

The Monroe County Land Trust bought the 1.25 acres from local Habitat founder Bill Loewy for about $548,000 in 2005. Loewy had purchased the land with his own money years prior to ensure that no one else developed it. After buying it from Loewy, the land trust deeded the parcel to Habitat, Executive Director Bob Calhoun said.

The group's Family Selection Committee interviewed and selected 18 families, who then had to wait more than three years for the financing and permitting to be put in place.

But as the economy worsened, people lost their jobs and left the Keys.

"We lost a hospital worker, a condominium worker and an insurance agent," Miller said. "They were all part of our work force, which is leaving."

But the new neighborhood will welcome a nurse, a county court employee, a construction worker, two fishermen and Margaritaville associate, Miller said.

"These are all professional, working people," she said, adding that home ownership is still possible for five more families. "People have lost hope and they're not confident in the economy. But we can explain to them how doable it is."

The three-bedroom homes sell for about $180,000 and the two-bedroom houses go for about $150,000. Monthly mortgage and insurance payments will range from $1,150 to $1,300.

Habitat will host an open house at the new neighborhood from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday.

Volunteers will provide tours of the homes on what will be called Opal Lane, which fits in well with the surrounding gemstone streets, such as Emerald Drive and Sapphire Drive.

Opal also is the name of Calhoun's elderly mother in Orlando, who was a founding board member of the Habitat organization in that region, Calhoun said.

"A lot of people drive by and see it from the road, but they don't know exactly what it is or who we are," he said, inviting homeowners as well as the residents in the surrounding neighborhoods and potential homeowners to come out this weekend and have a look.

For more information, or to see financial guidelines for homeownership, visit http://www.habitatlowerkeys.org.

mbolen@keysnews.com