Friday, April 16, 2010

Etowah to Host Grand Opening May 6 with Special Incentives for Medical Staff at Florida Hospital Waterman

TAVARES - Etowah, the gated community on the south shore of Lake Eustis that is literally walking distance from Florida Hospital Waterman, will host a grand opening from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday May 6 to showcase 13 ready-to-move-in homes and a host of incentives for doctors, nurses and administrators who work at the hospital.

Jeff Kaizer, vice president of sales and marketing for M/I Homes in the Central Florida region, said Etowah offers a special appeal for medical staff at Florida Hospital Waterman.

“Etowah is the perfect neighborhood for Florida Hospital Waterman staff,” Kaizer said. “It’s so close to the hospital and features amazing lifestyle amenities.”

New M/I homes at Etowah priced from the $150s range from quaint Key West and Craftsmen styles to lakefront estates.

Visit www.MIHomes.com.

For media information contact:
Jeff Kaizer, MIRM, MCSP, VP of Sales & Marketing, M/I Homes, 407-531-5121; Tim Hall, Division President, M/I Homes Central Florida, 407-531-5100; Larry Vershel or Beth Payan, Larry Vershel Communications, 407-644-4142
About M/I Homes: M/I Homes (NYSE: MHO), based in Columbus, Ohio, has built and sold more than 78,000 new homes since 1976 and ranks as one of America’s most active homebuilders. M/I Homes builds single-family homes and town homes in 23 communities in Orange, Seminole and Lake Counties, and won the prestigious Grand Award in the Central Florida Parade of Homes four times within five years. To learn more, visit www.mihomes.com.

Mattamy Homes to Start Construction of 10 City Homes in New Phase by May 1 at Baldwin Park City Homes

ORLANDO - Mattamy Homes will start construction of a second phase with 10 new city homes at Baldwin Park City Homes before May 1.

Steve Parker, president of Mattamy Homes U.S. Group, the U.S. division of Canada’s largest home builder, said the three-story city homes boast 2,000 square feet of living space with three bedrooms and ground-floor garages.

Parker said half of the city homes in the first phase at Baldwin Park City Homes have been sold.

For more information, contact:
Steve Parker, President Mattamy Homes U.S. Group 407-599-9994; Larry Vershel or Beth Payan, Larry Vershel Communications 407-644-4142

About Mattamy Homes U.S. Group:
Mattamy Homes www.mattamyhomes.com expanded into the U.S. in 2003 and is headquartered in Winter Park, Fla. with divisions in Orlando, Jacksonville Phoenix, Minneapolis and Charlotte. The homebuilder, the largest and most active in Canada with annual revenues exceeding $1.3 billion was ranked among the highest of all homebuilders in the greater Toronto and Ottawa areas in a nationwide customer satisfaction survey conducted by J.D. Power Associates.

Crossman & Company to Moderate Panel Discussion on Real Estate Opportunities at Lake Nona

ORLANDO - John Crossman, president of Crossman & Company, the Orlando-based commercial property company that ranks as one of the largest third-party retail leasing and management firms in the Southeast, will moderate a panel discussion on Real Estate Development Opportunities at Lake Nona on Thursday, April 29, at the Eagle Creek Golf Club, 10359 Emerson Lake Blvd. in Orlando.

The program, sponsored by the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), will feature Ray Gilley, president and CEO of the Economic Development Commission of Mid-Florida, Dean Grandin, City of Orlando Planning Director, and Ryan Stahl, president of Equinox Development.

“Over the last decade, the Lake Nona area east of Orlando International Airport has seen significant growth,” Crossman said. “Lake Nona Country Club and several high end residential neighborhoods have anchored the area, and significant new commercial development such as Orlando’s Medical City, the University of Central Florida’s new Medical School, Nemours Children’s Hospital, a new Veterans Hospital and the Sanford Burnham Institute for Medical Research have changed the nature of the region,” Crossman said.

A new S.R. 417 interchange nearing completion at Moss Park Road will substantially improve access to the area, Crossman added.
The program is open to the public.

Earlier in the month Crossman participated in a panel on real estate careers at the University of Central Florida. Crossman emphasized the increased importance of specialization in commercial real estate and ongoing education and training.

“Commercial real estate is a complex industry and specialization is becoming an increasingly prevalent component,” Crossman said.

He advised students to focus early on leasing, development, institutional real estate, accounting, analysis or property management.

“Find out what you like and pursue it with passion,” Crossman told the students.

For more information, contact:
John Crossman, CCIM, President, Crossman & Company, 407-581-6218, jcrossman@crossmanco.com; Molly Delahunty, Crossman & Company, 407-581-6220 mdelahunty@crossmanco.com; Larry Vershel or Beth Payan, Larry Vershel Communications, 407-644-4142, lvershelco@aol.com

About Crossman & Company:
Crossman & Company is one of the largest third-party retail leasing and management companies in the Southeast with over 16 million square feet under leasing and/or management. Founded in Orlando in 1990, Crossman & Company is a full service commercial real estate firm that advises its clients in leasing, management, development and investment sales of retail and office properties and serves clients including Publix Super Markets, Inc., Lake Nona, PREIT, and LaSalle Investment Management. Please visit www.crossmanco.com, or call 407-423-5400 for more information.

Lavista Associates, Inc. Reports Four Recent Sales of REO Properties

NORCROSS - Lavista Associates, the Atlanta firm that ranks as one of the top commercial brokerage companies in the southeast, recently closed on four REO property sales in Dawsonville, Cumming, Suwanee and Alpharetta.

Lavista associate Scott Clayton represented State Bank & Trust in the sale of a 20,000 square foot industrial building at 243 Stowers Rd. in Dawsonville.

Associate Austin Chase sold a 17,280 square foot freestanding office building at 101 Colony Park Drive in Cumming representing Excel Federal Credit Union and also brokered the sale of a 5,900 square foot office building at 41 Milton Ave. in Alpharetta, for State Bank & Trust.

Associates John Cape and Kirven Brantley represented Westside Bank in the disposition of a 9,000 square foot office building in Satellite Park at Huntcrest in Suwanee.

Tom Davenport, President of Lavista Associates, said 2010 marks the year when lender-controlled commercial properties have begun to sell again.

“Lavista projects this activity will steadily continue as users recognize unprecedented opportunities to acquire properties at historically low prices,” Davenport said.

For more information, contact:
Kimberly Steele, Lavista Associates, Inc. 770-729-2824; ksteele@lavista.com; Larry Vershel or Beth Payan, Larry Vershel Communications 407-644-4142 lvershelco@aol.com

About Lavista Associates, Inc.:
Serving Atlanta for over 37 years, Lavista Associates, Inc. is one of metro Atlanta’s leading commercial real estate companies, representing clients in the sale and leasing of a broad spectrum of commercial, industrial, office and retail properties. The firm’s goal is excellence of service to its clients resulting in the highest value for their real estate holdings.

UCF, St. Cloud, Osceola County to Host Grand Opening April 28 for New Business Incubator

ST. CLOUD, Fla. - University of Central Florida, The City of St. Cloud and Osceola County officials will participate in the grand opening of the new UCF Business Incubator–St. Cloud facility at 3201 Budinger Ave. in St Cloud on April 28 from 4 to 6 p.m.

Gordon Hogan, director of operations for the UCF Business Incubation Program, said the new 14,000 square foot facility will launch an exciting new addition to economic development activity in Osceola County.

Four incubation client companies plan to locate offices in the new facility immediately, Hogan said, and the UCF Business Incubation Program expects to name a full time site manager within the next 30 days.

Eventually, the UCF Business Incubator-St. Cloud could accommodate as many as 20 client companies.

“We provide a wide range of services that accelerate the growth of promising young companies so they can play a greater role in economic expansion in the local area,” Hogan explained.

The UCF Business Incubation Program currently supports nearly 90 full-time client companies, Hogan said, and ranks as one of the premier university-based incubation programs in the U.S.

Since 1999, the UCF Business Incubation Program has helped more than 140 emerging companies generate more than $800 million in annual revenues and more than 1,600 new jobs with an average salary of $59,000,” Dr. Tom O’Neal, founder of the UCF Business Incubation Program, said.

Incubators are a great place to start a new company. They significantly increase your chances of success. In fact, research has shown that 87 percent of incubator graduates are still in business five years after graduating from an incubation program.

“In these tough economic times, it is essential to grow our own companies. The new UCF St. Cloud incubator is not only a great resource for our entrepreneurs, but also a great tool to add to our economic development tool box,” said Maria Grulich Toumazos, Osceola County Economic Development Administrator.

“St. Cloud is very excited to have one of the premiere incubation programs in the country in St. Cloud. The UCF Business Incubator-St. Cloud will not only assist in growing our own companies, but will help to achieve the long-time goal of diversification in the local job markets and the overall economy,” said Ernie Gearhart, Economic Development Consultant for the City of St. Cloud.

The St. Cloud incubator facility is one of seven in the University of Central Florida’s Business Incubation program. Additional incubator facilities are located at UCF Campus, Research Park in east Orlando, and in Orlando, Sanford, Winter Springs and Leesburg.
* * *

For more information about this release, contact:Gordon Hogan, Director of Operations, UCF Business Incubation Program, 407-882-1577, ghogan@mail.ucf.edu; Dr. Tom O’Neal, Executive Director, UCF Business Incubation Program, 407 882-1120, oneal@mail.ucf.edu;Larry Vershel or Beth Payan, Larry Vershel Communications, 407-644-4142 or LvershelCo@aol.com.

About the UCF Business Incubation Program:Since its founding in 1999, the UCF Business Incubation Program has helped more than 140 emerging companies (including more than 90 current clients) create over $800 million in annual revenue and more than 1600 new jobs with an average salary of $59,000. With seven 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, The City of Sanford, Lake County, the City of Leesburg, Osceola County and the City of St. Cloud, and the Florida High Tech Corridor Council. For more information, please visit www.incubator.ucf.edu.

Volusia County Law Firm Employees Participate in American Cancer Society's Annual Relay for Life Walk

PORT ORANGE – Nearly a dozen employees from the personal-injury law firm of Rue & Ziffra will take part in the 2010 “Relay for Life of Port Orange” on April 30.

The walk, an annual event to raise funds and awareness for the American Cancer Society, will begin at 5 p.m. at the City Center Complex, 1000 City Center Circle.

The 18-hour relay – one of many being held throughout the state – consists of those who have cancer, those who are remembering loved ones and others who are fighting back against the disease.

Other highlights of the event will be the inspirational Survivors’ Lap and a candlelight ceremony.
Lynne Cheekv, a case manager for the Port Orange-based firm, will serve as captain for the Rue & Ziffra team.

“We’re honored to have Lynne lead our group this year,” firm President Allan Ziffra said.
“Community service is no stranger to her as she’s chaired other service committees and received a community leadership award from the Volusia Council of Governments for her work.”
Ziffra said his firm raised around $4,000 last year for the American Cancer Society. “We hope to top that this year.”

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 30 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, Rue & Ziffra has recovered millions of dollars for injured clients and their families. With a staff of nine attorneys, the firm 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 allanz@rueziffra.com; Shane Snipes, Promotions/Advertising Director, Rue & Ziffra, 386-788-7700 or shanes@rueziffra.com; Charlene Hager-Van Dyke, Larry Vershel Communications, 386-532-8862, 407-644-4142 or chagervandyke@yahoo.com

Lennar Starts Construction of New Model Home At Riverhall Country Club, Completion Scheduled in Record 14 Days

FORT MYERS - Lennar started construction of a new four-bedroom, three-bath model home at Riverhall Country Club off Palm Beach Boulevard in Alva on Monday, April 12 with plans to open the new model home---complete with all furnishings and interior décor---by April 25.

Matt Devereaux, director of sales for Lennar’s Southwest Florida Division, said the record 14-day construction event has everyone excited.

“We planned the construction schedule down to the hour, and our crews are committed to completing the new home in record time,” Devereaux said.

The 2,433 square foot model home with swimming pool will offer a three-car garage and an eye-popping low price.

“We wanted to demonstrate Lennar’s commitment to this community in a way that would generate attention,” Devereaux said. “We want our customers to have a chance to see the quality of our construction and what a beautiful home they can get for such an unbelievable price.”

Lennar is building new single-family homes priced from the mid $100s at Hampton Lakes at Riverhall and within the community’s Country Club section, Devereaux said. Lennar offers a variety of floor plans that range in size from 1,677 square feet of living space to 3,283 square feet.

Lennar is providing free Riverhall Country Club golf membership with all new homes in the community’s country club section, Devereaux said, including member privileges at the 20,000 square foot town hall amenity center that includes a lagoon style swimming pool, private fitness facility, billiards room and full time activities director.
* * *
For more information, contact:
Matt Devereaux, Director of Sales, Lennar-Southwest Florida 239-278-1177; Larry Vershel or Beth Payan, Larry Vershel Communications 407-644-4142

Mattamy Homes Reports Sales of 90 Homes in March

ORLANDO - Mattamy Homes U.S. Group, the U.S. arm of Canada’s largest home builder, reported it sold 90 new homes in March at communities in Orlando, Jacksonville, Charlotte, Phoenix and Minneapolis-St. Paul areas.

Steve Parker, president of Mattamy Homes U.S. Group, headquartered in Winter Park, said the past month ranks as the homebuilder’s second best month for new home sales in the U.S. after January of 2009, when the company posted 92 sales.

Parker said the average sale price of a Mattamy-built home in March was $240,000.
Mattamy’s Jacksonville division posted sales of 31 new homes at an average sale price of $237,000, Parker said. Mattamy Homes U.S. Group builds new single-family homes in nine Jacksonville-area communities.

For more information, contact:
Steve Parker, President Mattamy Homes U.S. Group 407-599-9994; Larry Vershel or Beth Payan, Larry Vershel Communications 407-644-4142

About Mattamy Homes U.S. Group:
Mattamy Homes www.mattamyhomes.com expanded into the U.S. in 2003 and is headquartered in Winter Park, Fla. with divisions in Orlando, Jacksonville Phoenix, Minneapolis and Charlotte. The homebuilder, the largest and most active in Canada with annual revenues exceeding $1.3 billion was ranked among the highest of all homebuilders in the greater Toronto and Ottawa areas in a nationwide customer satisfaction survey conducted by J.D. Power Associates.