Royal Oak Homes to Open Baldwin Model Home in December at Vista Grande in Clermont

CLERMONT, Fla. -- Royal Oak Homes will open the 3,000 square foot Baldwin model home in December at its newest community of Vista Grande, located off Lakeshore Rd. in Clermont. The four-bedroom, three-and-a-half bath Baldwin model home features a bonus room and a optional three-car garage. New homes by Royal Oak at Vista Grande range in size from 2,200 square feet of living space to 4,700 square feet. Matt Orosz, vice president of operations, said Royal Oak Homes is building 88 four, five and six-bedroom homes at Vista Grande priced from the high $100s. Vista Grande is three miles away from Royal Oak’s successful Hammock Reserve project.

Local Personal-Injury Law Firm to Help Out with Motorcycle Run for Holiday Food and Longtime Christmas Parade

PORT ORANGE – Staffers from the Port Orange-based law firm of Rue, Ziffra & Caldwell will get into the holiday spirit early this year as they kick off a motorcycle run for holiday food on Dec. 1 and offer free food at a popular Christmas parade on Dec. 2. “We always look forward to these holiday events, but we’re less than two weeks away from them and we need lots of help to collect canned and boxed food for those in need,” said Jessica Eckelbarger, marketing director for the personal-injury firm. The “2nd Annual Volusia County Grub Run” – an escorted motorcycle tour along scenic Volusia roadways – will begin with registration at 10 a.m. Saturday Dec. 1 in the firm’s parking lot at 640 Dunlawton Ave. and end at the First Turn Steakhouse & Sports Lounge, 5236 S. Ridgewood Ave. in Port Orange. The cost is $10 or the donation of non-perishable food. The “36th annual Port Orange Christmas Parade” – a two-hour, 1.5-mile-long event with floats, marching bands, horses, fire trucks, dancers, beauty queens and Santa Claus – will begin at 2 p.m. Dec. 2 at Nova Road and Dunlawton Avenue. Several Rue, Ziffra & Caldwell employees will be on hand at each event by assisting with food collection or riding in the bike run on Saturday, or giving away hot dogs and hamburgers along the parade route on Sunday, Eckelbarger said. Along with other bike run sponsors – Thunder Roads Magazine and First Turn Steakhouse – Rue, Ziffra & Caldwell is encouraging bikers to sign up early to participate in this year’s event. Highlights will be live bands, raffles, food and giveaways, including $100 prizes for the most pounds of food collected, according to firm partner David Sweat, an avid motorcyclist, who will ride in the Grub Run to help collect food and cash for the Second Harvest Food Bank and the Children’s Home Society. “For anyone who can’t make it to the Grub Run, we’ll also have donation boxes set up at both of our Port Orange offices at 632 and 640 Dunlawton Avenue,” he said. “We know that people are in need all year long, but, we especially want to make someone’s holidays brighter by donating food for their Holiday dinner.” For details or to register for the ride, visit www.rueziffra.com/volusia.county.grub.run or call 386-788-7700. For parade information, call 386-506-5936.

Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty Named Marketing Agents for $2.75 Million Lakefront Estate in Windermere

LAKE MARY / HEATHROW, Fla. --- Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty has been named exclusive sales and marketing agents for a unique $2.75 million lakefront estate at 9575 Westover Roberts Rd. in Windermere. Roger Soderstrom, founder and owner of Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty, said the estate overlooks Lake Olivia in Windermere. Soderstrom said International Luxury Homes Specialists Sally Andy and David Warren—Stirling Stars who recently sold two luxury estate homes on Millionaire Row in Windermere that involved clients from China and France—are representing the Lake Olivia estate. The 5.44 acres of property which is privately gated and secured has an 8,690 square foot estate home with nine bedrooms including two master suites and eight bathrooms plus two separate guest quarters apartments, Warren explained. The home also boasts a private theater with stadium seating and a unique outdoor living area with custom infinity edge pool and spa, he said. “The estate was completely rebuilt from the ground up in 2008 with master craftsmanship, detailing and millwork, and is in like new condition,” Andy said. Polished marble floors, professional kitchen with marble counters, custom-crafted cabinetry and state-of-the-art high end appliances are among the home’s many detailed features, she added. The property also comes with its own private boathouse and dock with boatlift, Warren said.

NAI Realvest Negotiates New Office Lease in Longwood for Intervention Services Fourth Central Florida Location

MAITLAND, Fla. – NAI Realvest recently negotiated a new lease agreement for 5,277 square feet of office space at 587 East S.R. 434 in the Longwood Office Park. Juan Jimenez sales associate at NAI Realvest and Paul P. Partyka, managing partner, negotiated the transaction representing the new tenant Intervention Services, Inc., the largest independent family intervention service provider in North America. Intervention Services, which has been in business for 10 years, has other offices in Kissimmee, Orlando and Maitland. The local landlord, Longwood Office Park, LLC was represented in the transaction by Nicholas Fouraker of Bishop Beale.

Signs Point to Florida’s Economic Recovery: Tourism, Retirement, Technology, Population Growth

MAITLAND, Fla. --- A robust economic recovery in Florida is already under way, and that’s good news for the rest of the U.S.--- the Sunshine State will play a lead role in America’s economic rebound, according to longtime Florida investment analyst George Livingston. Livingston, chairman of NAI Realvest in Maitland, said a recent report from Jones Lang LaSalle shows that Florida’s year-over-year economic growth is outpacing most of the nation. “Florida’s population growth is expanding at an estimated 1.5 percent per year. That’s high, and that’s good news for our economy,” Livingston said. Population growth fuels Florida’s economic engine, Livingston explained. “Senior citizens moving to Florida and minorities---especially Hispanics---are leading our economic recovery,” Livingston said. “As the economy expands, workers will move to Florida to fill the new jobs,” he said. Key growth industries are healthcare, life sciences, bio-tech, aerospace, simulation, gaming, software and IT and clean tech, Livingston said. “Florida has significant assets in science, technology, engineering and mathematics that support high value economic growth,” Livingston said. The state continues to provide launch services to the space industry, and emerging medical and bio-tech clusters such as Lake Nona in Orlando attract new technology. “Florida’s universities aggressively license their intellectual research properties to support new company start-ups and technologies,” Livingston added. International trade is likewise important. Florida is the fourth largest exporting state in the U.S., with major ports at Jacksonville, Canaveral, Everglades, Miami, and Tampa and many regional cargo ports. But tourism remains Florida’s number one industry. “We host about 86 million visitors a year, roughly 1.5 million every day, and they spend $67 billion here annually. That is a huge economic driver,” Livingston said. Florida’s housing industry is starting to recover, fueled in part by Latin American buyers, Asians and Europeans. “Florida is renowned as a retirement destination, it is international in scope and historically ingrained,” Livingston said. “Warm weather, beaches, affordability, and our low tax environment are our primary assets and they are proving invaluable as our economy recovers,” he said. Florida historically has been a fast growing economic driver for America. The new emerging technology, agriculture, and logistic components will assist the state in recovering its dynamics and contribute to national growth, Livingston said.

Integrity Home Loan of Central Florida sees a challenging 2013 ahead

LAKE MARY, Fla. --- With Integrity Home Loan of Central Florida, Inc. averaging a 30 percent increase in mortgage transactions thus far this year compared to 2011, Matt Malloy, president, sees a “challenging” 2013 ahead. Malloy said 2013 will be challenging with interest rates going higher and many government participation programs due to expire at the end of next year. “Right now,” Malloy said, “the government is helping homeowners who are under water. That’s a government sponsored program through Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, due to expire the end of next year and it makes up about 20 percent of our business,” he said. Thus far this year Integrity Home Loan of Central Florida has been handling more than 3,000 mortgage transactions. “With rates going higher, and with the government cutting back on programs, it could be a little challenging.” However, Malloy said, the purchase market is now starting to turn around and that should help. “It should be a very interesting year for our industry,” he said. Integrity Home Loan currently has locations throughout Florida in Coral Springs, West Palm Beach, Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa, and in the Detroit suburb of Southfield, Mich.

PulteGroup promotes Blake Lapinsky to General Sales Manager in Sarasota Area

SARASOTA, Fla. --- The South Florida division of PulteGroup, Inc. recently promoted Blake Lapinsky to general sales manager in the Sarasota region, which includes five communities located between Sarasota and Port Charlotte. Lapinsky joined PulteGroup six years ago as a sales consultant. Just prior to his promotion to general sales manager, Lapinsky served for three months as a selling sales manager for three Sarasota area communities where PulteGroup’s Centex and DiVosta brands are sold. Scott Mairn, vice president of sales and marketing for PulteGroup, Inc. in South Florida said in his new role Lapinsky will be overseeing sales of new DiVosta homes at The Isles on Palmer Ranch in Sarasota and IslandWalk at the West Villages in North Port and for new Centex homes at Venetian Falls in Venice, Cypress Falls at The Woodlands in North Port and Riverwood in Port Charlotte. Lapinsky will also be managing The Reserve at Crossing Creek in Bradenton, a new Centex community opening for sales this summer. A Gainesville native, Lapinsky holds a degree in economics from the University of Florida and is currently working on his MBA at University of South Florida in St. Petersburg. He has lived in Florida 28 years. “We expect Blake to continue his superlative career and play a major role in the growth and development of our south Florida division,” Mairn said.

ICI Homes Names Brent Seaman New Home Sales Associate at Greenleaf Preserve at Nocatee in St. Johns County

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. --- ICI Homes has named Brent Seaman Sales Associate at Greenleaf Preserve at Nocatee in St. Johns County. Seaman has more than five years of experience in residential real estate sales and was formerly with Richmond American Homes in Jacksonville where he was ranked as a top 10 percent sales person, said Don Wilford, North Florida division president for ICI Homes. Seaman attended Tusculum College in Tennessee prior to moving to Ponte Vedra where he has been a resident for 10 years. Wilford said Seaman will be assisting new homebuyers at ICI Homes' newest neighborhood, Greenleaf Preserve at Nocatee, where ICI is building luxury estate style homes priced from the $400s to the $600s. “Brent is an outgoing professional and we’re excited that he’s joined our sales team at Greenleaf Preserve,” Wilford said.

Mercantile Capital Corporation Names Veteran Banker Penny Brake Portfolio Manager

ORLANDO, Fla. --- Mercantile Capital Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Old Florida National Bank, that ranks as one of the nation’s largest providers of U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) 504 loans for small business owners who want to acquire or develop their own facilities, has appointed Penny Brake as portfolio manager. Geof Longstaff, chairman at Mercantile Capital Corporation, said Brake has more than 26 years of experience in the banking industry, including a fifteen (15) year tenure with Florida Community Bank, formerly First National Bank of Central Florida.