Prospective Homebuyers Enthusiastic About Beazer Homes Smartdesign® Eco Promotion

Prospective Homebuyers Enthusiastic About Beazer Homes Smartdesign® Eco Promotion

30,000 Consumers Participate in Eco-Themed Sweepstakes Leading to 500 Net New Home Orders in February

ATLANTA -Beazer Homes USA, Inc. (NYSE: BZH), one of the nation’s top 10 homebuilders, recently announced an overwhelming response to its recent eco-themed sales promotion.

Approximately 30,000 prospective homebuyers participated in Beazer’s eco-themed sweepstakes, which launched early in the first quarter and gave participants a chance to instantly win one of 350 environmentally-friendly prizes. The grand prize of a 2009 Toyota Prius was won by Catherine Deppa of Pasadena, Md., who said the eco theme caught her attention and drove her to explore Beazer’s website for more information.

The sweepstakes culminated with a national sales event, in February, which offered buyers limited-time special incentives on new eco-friendly homes that included features aimed at reducing the cost of homeowners’ monthly energy bills.

“Even in this very challenging housing environment, the appeal of ecologically-friendly homes seemed to overcome the gloom in the economy. Our eco-promotion resonated strongly with consumers and drove more qualified traffic to our sales centers,” said Kathi James, senior vice president and chief marketing officer for Beazer Homes. “This led to over 500 net new home orders in the month of February.”

As part of Beazer’s SMARTDESIGN initiative, the builder includes up to 10 eco-friendly features in every home it builds, including CFL bulbs, programmable thermostats and EnergyStar® dishwashers. Other standard features include water-saving faucets and showerheads, as well as MERV-8 air filters and low-VOC paints and carpet that contribute to healthier indoor air quality.

According to James, as more Americans look for ways to live an eco-friendly and energy efficient lifestyle, those considering the purchase of a new home are evaluating the many benefits of new construction. Indeed, research by Better Homes & Gardens* found that interest in green elements in the home is on the rise, with some 90 percent of survey respondents saying they plan to have energy-efficient heating and cooling systems in their next home.

In response to this trend, Beazer offers standard eco-friendly features in all homes plus market-specific energy-efficient options. For example, buyers in Beazer’s Indianapolis communities can select from a range of energy-saving upgrades—including low-emissivity windows, hybrid heat pumps and variable speed air handlers— to further personalize their home. Additionally, Beazer is testing LED recessed lighting, the newest generation of high-efficiency lighting, in its Las Vegas and Phoenix divisions.

“It is clear that despite the difficult economic climate, the potential homebuyer is looking long-term, and an eco-friendly home has great appeal. Beazer will continue to highlight the eco-friendly aspects of our homes,” James said. “Look for enhancements to our standard offering and the addition of new eco-friendly optional features through our design studios later this year.”

Beazer Homes is one of the country's largest single-family homebuilders with operations in 17 states. For more information on Beazer’s homes, communities and eco-friendly features visit Beazer.com.

Contact:
Mandy Brooks, 770-829-3755, mbrooks@beazer.com

* Source: Amy Hoak, At Annual Builder’s Show, Small Is In, MarketWatch, available at http://realestate.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=17092507

Datanautix, Inc. goes Global and Delivers its Intelligent Interaction Analytics Solution to One of Australia’s Largest Call Center Providers

Datanautix, Inc. goes Global and Delivers its Intelligent Interaction Analytics Solution to One of Australia’s Largest Call Center Providers

Winter Springs, Fla. – Datanautix, Inc., an innovative technology firm based in Winter Springs, was awarded a major international contract to deploy its signature Intelligent Interaction Analytics solution to improve contact center operations for Stellar Asia Pacific, one of Australia’s leading call center and business process outsourcing providers.

Stellar engaged Datanautix to work on streamlining contact center operations for one of Australia’s leading retail energy providers in South Australia and Victoria. Upon recent completion of the project, Datanautix recommended process changes that will eventually drive an overall reduction in call center expenses by 25-35 percent while improving overall customer satisfaction scores by over 20 percent.

Sanjay Patel, chief executive officer of Datanautix, Inc., said the project is the firm’s largest international contract for its Intelligent Interaction Analytics solution.

Stellar Asia Pacific, a leading global call center provider based in Melbourne, Australia, employs more than 6,000 workers in 19 centers across Australia, the U.K., the U.S., Canada and the Philippines, and provides call center services in South Australia and Victoria to one of Australia’s major energy retailers.

“We have been impressed with the depth and sophistication behind the Datanautix methodology as well as the overall results they delivered for us,” said John Hollingsworth, chief executive officer of Stellar Asia Pacific. “The final results were very actionable and they were able to identify process improvement opportunities very early in the process. Applying the Datanautix capabilities to our customer service calls has yielded insight and information that is driving changes well beyond the call center operation for our client. Their findings are going to help streamline their marketing campaigns, focus on ways in which they can improve their billing statements and also lead to the development of an ongoing quality assurance process that’s more customer centric.”

“We are currently in discussions with Datanautix to determine how we can bring this capability to the Australian market and help our clients reduce operational costs as well as drive long term customer loyalty and advocacy,” said John Hollingsworth. “We are confident this will give our clients a competitive advantage with a very high ROI.”

Developed over the past three years, Patel explained that Datanautix’ proprietary conversation-mapping technology is designed to leverage the science of consumer behavior and operational analysis to help companies drive breakthrough change in how they manage contact center interactions with their customers.

“Our innovative new technology has been developed at the UCF Technology Incubator,” said Patel, “and has leveraged grants from sources such as the National Science Foundation and Enterprise Florida. Having one of Australia’s largest call center providers come halfway around the world to pilot our solution is strong proof that we have a unique and innovative capability that is competitively strategic in a global environment.”

The Datanautix Intelligent Interaction Analytics technology can track more than 200 possible customer experience indicators to capture the context of agent/customer interactions in a call center. “By combining our proprietary measurement toolkit with our data analytics and predictive modeling technology, we are able to pinpoint specific areas of process change and improvement that typically yields a 20-30 percent savings with an overall improvement in customer satisfaction of 15-25 percent,” Patel said.

“In the current economic environment, it is critical for companies to ensure that they are driving a customer experience that results in loyalty and customer wallet share,” said Patel.

“The post-sales service experience is one of the most important factors consumers use to determine whether to continue to do business with a company in the future. For retail providers that have thousands of customers and many competitors, driving optimal customer service transactions are absolutely critical to survival today,” he said.

“We found several ways Stellar and their clients can transform their customer’s experience while reducing costs,” Patel said. “That quickly translates into higher customer loyalty and shareholder value, which is more critical today than it has been in the last 50 years,” he added.

Datanautix is a client company of the University of Central Florida’s Seminole County Incubator site at 1511 E. S.R. 434 in Winter Springs.

For more information please contact:
Sanjay Patel, Founder & President, Datanautix, 407-349-5330, sanjay@datanautix.com
Esther Vargas-Davis, Site Manager, UCF Incubator-Seminole County, 407-278-4881
Tom O’Neal, Ph.D., Executive Director, UCF Business Incubation Program, 407-882-1102
Larry Vershel or Beth Payan, Larry Vershel Communications, 407-644-4142

About Datanautix:
Datanautix Inc. specializes in helping companies drive key business process improvements in the contact center/customer management market. The Datanautix Intelligent Interaction Analytics and “active listening” approach not only improves on traditional QA and CSAT measurement challenges, but goes beyond the ‘traditional’ to uncover customer expectations to help drive process changes to improve customer loyalty and operating efficiencies. Typical results from Datanautix’ business process reengineering deployment yield 20-30 percent in savings while driving overall customer satisfaction scores up by 10-20 percent. For more information, please visit http://www.datanautix.com/.

About Stellar:
Stellar is a leading global call center and business process outsourcing provider, with over 6,000 employees across 19 centers in Australia, UK, USA, Canada and the Philippines. Stellar’s innovative solutions help clients reduce operating costs, improve quality levels and increase revenue and profitability. The company serves a range of clients in the telecommunications, utilities, transport, finance, government and manufacturing industries. In addition to call center outsourcing, Stellar specializes in document management, workflow automation technology and process outsourcing solutions. For more information, visit http://www.stellarbpo.com/.

About the UCF Incubation Program:
Since its founding in 1999, the UCF Incubation Program has helped more than 100 emerging companies (including nearly 70 current clients) create over $500 million in annual revenue and more than 900 new jobs with an average salary of $59,000. With five facilities across the Greater Orlando community, the Incubation Program is a collaboration in economic development between the University of Central Florida, Orange County, the City of Orlando, Seminole County, the City of Winter Springs, and the Florida High Tech Corridor Council. For more information, please visit http://www.incubator.ucf.edu/.

Upcoming Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty–HBA Worldwide Auction March 28

Two Luxury Homes in the Windermere Area could bring Million-Dollar Bids at Upcoming Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty–HBA Worldwide Auction March 28

ORLANDO, Fla. - Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty and the Home Builders Association of Mid Florida have joined forces to produce a unique event scheduled for March 28 in Orlando http://www.hbaauction.com/ – a worldwide auction of custom homes that could generate millions of dollars worth of sales from buyers all around the world.

Two Windermere-area properties slated for the auction block could bring bids of more than $1 million, said Roger Soderstrom, founder and principal of Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty.

A 5,268 square foot luxury home at 9730 Lake Hugh Drive, (Photos, www.obeo.com/520337), in Gotha previously listed for sale at $1.65 million will be offered with a starting bid of $890,000, Soderstrom said.

The four-bedroom, five-and-one-half bath luxury home, built in 2007 with its own security gates, boasts a three-car garage and a master suite with its own morning bar, coffee maker and refrigerator, a home theater that rivals the local cineplex, a gourmet kitchen worthy of its own TV show and a resort-style swimming pool with a rock waterfall.

A lakefront estate home on Lake Hancock at 14616 Avenue of the Rushes, (Photos, www.obeo.com/523350), in Winter Garden will be offered with a starting bid of $788,000, Soderstrom said. The 4,340 square foot luxury home, recently listed for sale at $1.98 million, offers four bedrooms, four-and-one-half baths, a three-car garage and gourmet kitchen, along with a huge outdoor entertainment area with a swimming pool, two fountains and two-level terraced deck.

“There are several remarkable properties scheduled for auction and we anticipate the winning bids will represent both substantial bargains and high prices,” Soderstrom said.

“I can’t remember when we have had so many fabulous custom and estate homes for sale in a single auction,” he said.

Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty’s Worldwide Auction Group will accept bids online at http://www.auctionsbystirling.com/ or bidders can register to bid in person via telephone at 407-588-1260, Soderstrom said.

For more information contact:

Roger Soderstrom, Founder/Owner Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty, 407-588-1260

Larry Vershel or Beth Payan, Larry Vershel Communications, 407-644-4142

Entrust Administrative Services Names Jason DeBono Business Development Director

Entrust Administrative Services Names Jason DeBono Business Development Director

LAKE MARY, Fla. - Entrust Administrative Services, which provides IRA administrative services to over 2,000 account holders of self-directed IRA funds in Florida, has appointed Jason DeBono as business development director.

Glen Mather, president of Entrust Administrative Services, Inc., based in Lake Mary, said DeBono attended the University of Central Florida and has more than three years of experience.

DeBono joined Entrust Administrative Services two years ago as an intern, Mather said.

For more information, contact:

Glen Mather, President Entrust Administrative Services, Inc., 407-367-3472

Larry Vershel, Larry Vershel Communications, 407-644-4142, lvershelco@aol.com

Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty sees big opportunities for “Green” homes, properties

Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty sees big opportunities for “Green” homes, properties

ORLANDO, Fla. - Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty, ranks as one of the most innovative real estate firms in Florida, and is mounting a major campaign to convince home owners to “green up” their homes for resale.

Roger Soderstrom, founder and owner of Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty http://www.stirlingsir.com/, said efforts to increase a home’s energy efficiency ranks as one of the most cost-effective improvements an owner can consider.

“The real estate market is changing, and especially among younger buyers, energy efficiency is a critical feature in a home,” said Soderstrom. “Cost savings is an important factor, but there’s also a moral factor---people want to live responsibly, and that means better sustainability and a smaller carbon footprint,” Soderstrom said.

Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty is partnering with several “green” firms to offer home owners advice on how to green up their homes, Soderstrom said.

“Major improvements such as solar panels or even solar hot water heaters make a big difference to many home buyers, especially younger families and European and Asian buyers,” Soderstrom said.

But even minor improvements can make for a faster sale. Energy-efficient appliances, recycling facilities, double-paned windows and solar screens can translate into more dollars at the time of sale.

And Stirling isn’t confining its new “green” advice to existing home owners.
“We are constantly advising new home builders and developers to go green,” Soderstrom said. “With the new U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) architectural protocols and LEED (Leadership in Energy Efficient Design) credentials, there is no shortage of expertise in how to make homes safer, more economical and more sustainable,” Soderstrom said.

Even small measures---using durable materials manufactured efficiently with little waste product---help the environment, Soderstrom said.

For more information contact:

Roger Soderstrom, Founder/Owner Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty, 407-588-1260

Larry Vershel or Beth Payan, Larry Vershel Communications, 407-644-4142

Hal Warren elected Vice-Chairman of Orlando Historic Preservation Board

Hal Warren elected Vice-Chairman of Orlando Historic Preservation Board

ORLANDO, Fla. - Hal Warren, a veteran commercial broker in Central Florida and associate partner at Hendricks & Partners in Orlando, was recently elected vice-chairman of the Orlando Historic Preservation Board.

Warren was appointed to the Orlando Historic Preservation Board in December, 2007 by Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer.

A graduate of Florida State University in Tallahassee, Warren earned his MBA Degree from the University of Central Florida. He has more than 20 years of experience in commercial real estate, including positions as southeast acquisitions director for United Dominion Realty Trust, Inc. and senior director with Cushman & Wakefield's Apartment Brokerage Services.

Last year he joined Hendricks & Partners, the nation's largest private capital network of advisors and systems, as associate partner in the firm's southeast regional division headquartered in downtown Orlando.

"The Orlando Historic Preservation Board plays an important role in maintaining and protecting those elements of architecture and infrastructure that make Orlando a unique place with a vivid connection to its past," Warren said.

For more information, please contact:

Hal Warren, Associate Partner, Hendricks & Partners, 407-218-8881

Larry Vershel or Beth Payan, Larry Vershel Communications, 407-644-4142

PowerfulEducation Technology, LLC Launches Statewide Program with Life Skills Centers of Florida

PowerfulEducation Technology, LLC Launches Statewide Program with Life Skills Centers of Florida

ORLANDO, Fla. - PowerfulEducation Technologies, LLC, a client company at the University of Central Florida's Downtown Orlando Incubator that provides educational enhancement for young people, has launched a statewide pilot study to teach underprivileged and troubled youngsters employment skills.

Dr. Lesia Crumpton-Young, president and chief executive officer of PowerfulEducation Technologies, LLC, said the firm is conducting the study program in conjunction with Life Skills Centers of Florida, which operates six alternative high schools for underprivileged and troubled youngsters in Orlando, Tallahassee, Opa Locka (Dade County), and Polk County.

Dr. Young said more than 100 students are participating in the program, which involves a daily workbook that guides them through exercises of participation and concentration on important life skills such as problem solving and personal integrity that are essential to productive and responsible citizenship.

"Our purpose is to use new concepts and technology to help turn troubled youth into productive, progressive members of society," said Dr. Young.

Programs and protocols PowerfulEducation Technologies has developed can reduce school dropouts, teen violence, teen pregnancies and suicides, said Dr. Young, who is also a human factors engineering professor at UCF.

Contacts:

Dr. Lesia L. Crumpton-Young, President/CEO PowerfulEducation Technologies, 407-649-6702, dryoung@powerfuleducation.com

Gordon Hogan, Site Manager, UCF Incubation Program-Downtown, 407-882-1577, bizdev@mail.ucf.edu

Larry Vershel or Beth Payan, Larry Vershel Communications Inc., 407-644-4142, lvershelco@aol.com

About the UCF Incubation Program:

Since its founding in 1999, the UCF Incubation Program has helped more than 100 emerging companies (including nearly 70 current clients) create over $500 million in annual revenue and more than 900 new jobs with an average salary of $59,000. With five facilities across the Greater Orlando community, the Incubation Program is a collaboration in economic development between the University of Central Florida, Orange County, the City of Orlando, Seminole County, the City of Winter Springs, and the Florida High Tech Corridor Council. For more information, please visit http://www.incubator.ucf.edu/.

Former Rotary International Director is Keynote Speaker at Central Florida Rotary District Conference April 27-May 4

Former Rotary International Director is Keynote Speaker at Central Florida Rotary District Conference April 27-May 4

ORLANDO, Fla. - Former Rotary International Director Don Mebus will serve as keynote speaker during Rotary International’s Central Florida District 6980 Annual Conference April 27 – May 4 in Orlando.

Carlos Giraldo, Central Florida district governor for Rotary International, said 2,300 Rotary International members representing 44 Rotary Clubs in the Orlando district are expected to participate in the conference, along with some 3,000 guests, sponsors and supporters.

Mebus, who joined Rotary International in 1974, is a third generation Rotary leader who divides his time between service at his local Rotary Club in Arlington, Texas and work on Rotary-sponsored school and health care clinics in the remote Moskita area of Honduras.

Mebus’ service work with Rotary International has included extended projects in Russia, India, Nepal and Germany.

“Don Mebus and his wife Carolyn represent the highest ideals of Rotary International’s service and community enrichment,” said Giraldo. “They have traveled the world, and they have contributed greatly to improving local communities and networks in order to make a better world. Thousands of Rotarians are engaged in this work all across the planet,” he said.

Orlando Rotary International District 6980 represents 44 Rotary Clubs with more than 2,300 members in Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Lake and Sumter Counties. Its Annual Conference and Cruise will take place from Monday, Apr. 27 through Monday May 4.

For more information, please contact:

Carlos H. Giraldo, District Governor Rotary International 407.376.5368; carlos@crshotels.com

Larry Vershel or Beth Payan Larry Vershel Communications 407.644.4142; lvershelco@aol.com

Emerson International to lease luxury condominiums overlooking Cranes Roost Lake at Emerson Plaza in Altamonte Springs

Emerson International to lease luxury condominiums overlooking Cranes Roost Lake at Emerson Plaza in Altamonte Springs

ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. - Emerson International reported it will lease select two and three-bedroom luxury condominiums at Emerson Plaza, overlooking Cranes Roost Lake in Uptown Altamonte Springs at I-4 and S.R. 436 in Altamonte Springs.

Eric J. Emerson, vice president and general manager of the development firm, said 31 of 54 luxury condominiums in Tower One at Emerson Plaza have been sold at prices ranging from the $300s to $1 million plus.

Emerson said Emerson International will lease 20 select two and three-bedroom condominiums that range in size from 1,400 square feet of living space to 3,000 square feet.

Rentals in Tower One start from $1,795 per month, Emerson said.

For sales or lease information on Emerson Plaza please call 407-834-5516 or visit http://www.emersonplaza.com/.

For more information about this press release contact:

Eric J. Emerson, Vice President and General Manager Emerson International, Inc., 407-834-9560, ejemerson@emerson-us.com

Larry Vershel or Beth Payan, Larry Vershel Communications, 407-644-4142

Veteran Malpractice Lawyer Named Partner in Volusia County Personal-Injury Firm

Veteran Malpractice Lawyer Named Partner in Volusia County Personal-Injury Firm

PORT ORANGE, Fla. – Attorney Kim E. Bouck has been made a partner at Rue & Ziffra, a 25-year-old Volusia County law firm with offices in Orange City and Port Orange.

Bouck specialized in medical malpractice cases for more than 20 years before joining the personal injury firm in 2005, according to firm President Allan L. Ziffra.

But, her previous expertise was in representing health care providers and insurance companies instead of injured plaintiffs, he said.

“Kim’s knowledge and experience from the opposite side of the courtroom – as well as her understanding of both side’s strategies – have proved invaluable to our firm and to our clients these past three-and-a-half years,” Ziffra said.

With a bachelor’s degree from University of West Florida and a juris doctor degree from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law, Bouck is a member of the Volusia County Bar Association, the Florida Bar and the Florida Justice Association.

About Rue & Ziffra:

Founded by John D. Rue and Allan L. Ziffra, the personal-injury law firm of Rue & Ziffra has served the Central Florida community for more than 25 years. The firm’s commitment to its profession and its clients has earned it a reputation as one of the top personal-injury law firms in Central Florida. Known for handling everything from automobile and motorcycle accidents to medical malpractice, wrongful death, and social security and disability cases, the firm has recovered millions of dollars for injured clients and their families. With a staff of eight attorneys, Rue & Ziffra maintains offices in Port Orange and Orange City.

For more information about this release, please contact:

Allan L. Ziffra, President, Rue & Ziffra, 386-788-7700 or aziffra@rueziffra.com

Shane Snipes, Marketing & Advertising Director, Rue & Ziffra, 386-788-7700 or shanes@rueziffra.com

Charlene Hager-Van Dyke, Larry Vershel Communications, 386-837-8780, 407-644-4142 or chagervandyke@yahoo.com

Centex Homes Announces Statewide Realtor Incentive with Three, Four and Five Percent Commissions in 31 Communities

Centex Homes Announces Statewide Realtor Incentive with Three, Four and Five Percent Commissions in 31 Communities

ORLANDO, Fla. - Centex Homes, which ranks as one of Florida’s most active homebuilders, announced it is offering a new “super-powered” Realtor sales commission in 31 Centex Homes communities located throughout Florida.

Carol-Ann Barody, director of operational marketing for Centex Homes’ East Florida Division, said new co-broker commissions for area Realtors include a full three percent on the first house sold, four percent for the second home, five percent for the third and every additional home sold thereafter.

Barody said the super-powered sales commission is available through July 31.

“Local area Realtors typically account for about half of all new home sales,” Barody said. “We instituted a new super-powered commission structure to reward local area Realtors and to super-charge our own new home sales throughout the state,” she said.

For more information, contact:

Carol-Ann Barody, Director of Marketing, Centex Homes, 407-661-1416

Larry Vershel or Beth Payan, Larry Vershel Communications, Inc., 407-644-4142

About Centex Homes:

Dallas-based Centex (NYSE: CTX), founded in 1950, is one of the nation’s leading home building companies. Centex operates in major U.S. markets in 25 states and delivered more than 35,000 homes in the United States in its most recent fiscal year ended March 31, 2007. Its leading brands include Centex Homes, Fox & Jacobs Homes, CityHomes and Centex Destination Properties.

Shredder Express Launches Shred-A-Thon Earth Day Fundraiser to Benefit five Seminole County Elementary Schools

Shredder Express Launches Shred-A-Thon Earth Day Fundraiser to Benefit five Seminole County Elementary Schools

ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. - Shredder Express, the Altamonte Springs retail firm that provides secure shredding of documents and files, has announced it is sponsoring the Planet Pals Earth Day Fundraiser Shred-A-Thon to benefit five Seminole County Elementary Schools.

Joe Hursh, partner and co-founder of Shredder Express, said 20 percent of the proceeds generated by each school through April 22 will be donated back to the elementary schools.

Altogether, five elementary schools in Seminole County are participating in the Planet Pals Earth Day Fundraiser – Sabal Point Elementary and Woodlands Elementary in Longwood, Lake Mary Elementary, Annunciation Catholic Academy in Altamonte Springs and Bear Lake Elementary in Apopka.

Hursh said all shredding provided at Shredder Express is “green.”

“Our end products are all recycled to help keep America green,” Hursh said. “For every ton of paper recycled, 17 trees are saved,” he added.

Shredder Express is located at 620 Douglas Ave. in Altamonte Springs.

For more information, contact:

Joe Hursh, Owner/Partner, Shredder Express 620 Douglas Avenue, Altamonte Springs, Fla., 407-388-2800

Larry Vershel or Beth Payan, Larry Vershel Communications, 407-644-4142

Lennars Central Florida Division sets Special Pricing for 53 remaining Ready-to-Move-in Homes opening in March in Tampa

Lennar's Central Florida Division sets Special Pricing for 53 remaining Ready-to-Move-in Homes opening in March in Tampa

TAMPA, Fla. - Lennar's Central Florida Division has established special incentive pricing starting from the low $100s for 53 Ready-to-Move-in homes located in 17 different communities in the Tampa Bay Region.

Mark Metheny, president of Lennar's Central Florida division, said the special pricing is available only through March. All 53 homes are ready to close in March.

Metheny said the three, four and five bedroom homes are priced from the low $100s to the high $200s and range in size from 1,300 square feet of living space to 3,200 square feet.

For more information, contact:

Jassy Friddle, Marketing Manager Lennar, 813-769-5277, jassyfriddle@Zadv.com

Robert Jesski, Vice President of Sales, Lennar-Central Florida, 813-769-5277, Robert.Jesski@lennar.com

Mark Metheny, Lennar Division President-Central Florida, 813-769-5277, Mark.Metheny@Lennar.com

Larry Vershel or Beth Payan, Larry Vershel Communications, 407-644-4142, lvershelco@aol.com

President Obama’s Housing Recovery Plan deserves a chance to Succeed---and it might, says leading Realtor Roger Soderstrom

President Obama’s Housing Recovery Plan deserves a chance to Succeed---and it might, says leading Realtor Roger Soderstrom

ORLANDO, Fla. - President Obama’s recently announced housing recovery plan may succeed in stabilizing the U.S. housing market and re-energizing the home building industry, says one of Central Florida’s leading real estate analysts.

Roger Soderstrom, founder and owner of Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty, one of the area’s largest real estate companies, said he thinks Americans may be surprised at how quickly the housing market returns.

“We won’t ever see a return to 2005 levels of activity,” Soderstrom cautioned. “That was a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon and we’re paying for it now,” he said.

But, Soderstrom said, both housing values and new home construction are likely to see upswings as a result of President Obama’s recovery plan. And the whole world is waiting for it.

“Housing is the key to U.S. economic recovery and the U.S. is the lynchpin of the global economy,” Soderstrom said. “We have extensive contacts with international investors and vacation home buyers awaiting the U.S. recovery so they can get back into the market here,” he said.

President Obama announced plans to allocate $75 billion in TARP funds to help lenders modify distressed mortgage loans.

“That’s a good first step,” Soderstrom said. “If it is applied conscientiously it could prove a major shot in the arm for the housing market by encouraging home owners when they need it,” he said.

An additional $200 billion---from funding previously authorized by Congress---will spur Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to move in the same direction.

“By any measure, $275 billion is a substantial effort,” Soderstrom said.

“Past policies---in the context of all the other financial shortfalls---have been disastrous and the sooner we can refocus on sound business policies that include both public and private sectors, the sooner we will encourage Americans to renew their faith in American real estate as a sound investment for the future,” Soderstrom said.

The key, Soderstrom said, will be to reshape the housing industry as a secure long-term investment.

“We shouldn’t look at housing as an investment commodity to earn short-term profits,” Soderstrom said. “That’s an abuse of the system and it’s the reason we’re in this mess.”

“For more than half a century, American real estate has stood as the most reliable long-term security a family could invest in,” Soderstrom said. “That’s what’s made this country such a financial powerhouse, and that’s what will lead the world economic recovery in the years ahead,” he added.

For more information contact

Roger Soderstrom, Founder/Owner Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty 407-588-1260

Larry Vershel or Beth Payan, Larry Vershel Communications 407-644-4142