The Partyka Group at NAI Realvest negotiates $2.1 Million Sale of International Drive Retail Building

ORLANDO, Fla., -- Paul P. Partyka and Juan Jimenez of the Partyka Group at NAI Realvest recently negotiated the sale of a 10,700 square foot free-standing retail building for $2,100,000.00. Specializing in Orlando’s International Drive tourist corridor, The Partyka Group sold the property known as the Hawaiian Plaza, located at 9901 Hawaiian Court. The property is across from the Orlando convention center, one of the nation’s most active and it’s surrounded by six hotels within walking distance. “The buyer obtained a great investment opportunity given the low inventory and high demand for prime real estate along International Drive,” Partyka said. Partyka and Jimenez represented the seller Pinnacle Bank, of Orange City. The buyer, Windermere-based VB Chocolate LLC purchased the building to expand its business – The Chocolate Factory – which has eight other locations in the U.S. Vincent Wolle of Results Real Estate Partners represented the buyer.

Lennar’s Central Florida Division to break ground on Rivercrest in December, 88 new homes planned.

TAMPA, Fla. – Lennar’s Central Florida Division will start construction in December at Rivercrest, the homebuilder’s newest community located on the east side of 301 just south of Symms Rd. in Riverview. Mark Metheny, division president, said Rivercrest will offer four to six-bedroom single-family homes ranging from 1,752 square feet of living area to 3,210 square feet, with prices starting from the $190s. Metheny said Lennar plans to build 88 single-family homes at Rivercrest. Two models will get underway in December – the Monte Carlo which will be Lennar’s Welcome Home Center at Rivercrest, and the Corsica, a “Quality You Can See” home. Lennar’s special “Quality You Can See” homes offer buyers a cutaway look at wall, window and roof construction, showing electrical, plumbing and air-conditioning work for homebuyers interested in the engineering and construction techniques that make Lennar homes more energy efficient, safe and comfortable, Metheny said. All new Lennar homes at Rivercrest will come with the homebuilder’s “Everything’s Included” pledge: a wide range of GE energy smart appliances, special features and luxury upgrades at one Lennar price.

Lennar to Host Grand Opening Nov 15 to Showcase a New Model Home at The Enclave at Moss Park in Southeast Orlando

ORLANDO, Fla. --- Lennar will host a grand opening Saturday, Nov. 15 to showcase a new model home at The Enclave at Moss Park, located off Moss Park Road in southeast Orlando near Lake Nona and Medical City. Mark Metheny, president of Lennar’s Central Florida Division, said the event is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will include refreshments and tours of the Provincetown model. The grand opening is free and the public is invited. Lennar is building 45 new homes at The Enclave at Moss Park that range in size from 1,736 square feet of living area to 3,773 square feet. Eight distinctive floor plans are available in one and two-story designs. The two-story Provincetown offers four bedrooms, two full baths and a half-bath in 2,919 square feet of living space with a game room, a family room, a dining room with breakfast nook, an upstairs laundry room, covered front entry and covered lanai at the rear of the home and a two-car garage priced from $310,990. All new Lennar homes at The Enclave at Moss Park come with Lennar’s Everything’s Included pledge: a wide range of appliances, special features and upgrades including the Lennar’s EcoSmart program, at one “everything’s included” price, The Enclave at Moss Park features a children’s playground, basketball court, community clubhouse, swimming pool and cabana.

Pulte Homes Starts Construction of 600 Luxury Vacation Homes and Townhomes at Windsor at Westside

ORLANDO, Fla. --- Pulte Homes plans to build 600 new luxury vacation homes and townhomes at Windsor at Westside, located on Westside Road at Florence Villa Grove Road off U.S. 192 near U.S. 27 just west of Disney World. Sean Strickler, vice president of sales and operations for Pulte Homes in the north Florida region, said Windsor at Westside will include 504 luxury single-family vacation homes on 40-foot and 50-foot home sites, along with 96 luxury town homes. Pricing has just been released for the first phase of the community. Windsor at Westside will offer four single-family designs priced from the high-$300’s to $400’s featuring 6-9 bedrooms and private heated pools. The townhome designs are priced from the high-$200’s to $300’s and feature 4-5 bedrooms with lofts and also have private heated pools. It has been confirmed that all homes will feature paver driveways, barrel tile roofs, tile floors, full open kitchens with stainless appliances and granite counters, and lush landscaping. Luxury amenities include an 8,000+ square foot community clubhouse with a resort-style swimming pool with lazy river, water slide, spa, Tiki Bar and state-of-the-art fitness center. The community opened for pre-sales on Oct. 22. Home construction is anticipated to begin in early 2015 and completion of model homes is estimated for April 2015. Major arterial highways are easily accessible from Windsor at Westside for convenient trips to shopping, dining, major attractions – even beaches – and the Orlando airport. For regular updates on vacation home opportunities at Windsor at Westside, visit www.pulte.com/Windsor or telephone 888-672-8177.

Ashton Woods Homes opens The Hamptons at Oviedo on the Park with 167 town homes

ORLANDO, Fla. – Ashton Woods Homes recently opened its newest townhome community – The Hamptons at Oviedo in the Park – with 167 townhomes located off Mitchell Hammock Road within the City of Oviedo’s unique planned development. Michael Roche, vice president of sales and marketing at Ashton Woods Homes, said the two and three-story townhomes with three bedrooms and two-and-a-half baths range from approximately 1,450 square feet of living area to 2,024 square feet, and prices start at $202,990. Roche said a new amenity center underway at the townhome community features a striking resort-style pool and cabana that will be completed in December. The Hamptons is within walking distance of restaurants, retail shops and offices in the pedestrian-friendly Oviedo on the Park development that features an amphitheater and lakefront central park.

Henin Homes opens “The Estate” Phase at Riviera Bella in DeBary

DeBary, Fla. --- Henin Homes recently opened “The Estate” phase at Riviera Bella the gated, luxury community overlooking the St. Johns River in DeBary. Jerome Henin, founder and president of Henin Homes, said there are 16 home sites in the new phase for the homebuilder’s new Signature Series of four, five and six bedroom homes starting from the mid $500,000s to well over a Million dollars. Henin also reported that the home builder has a new Signature Series home underway at Riviera Bella with five bedrooms, four baths and a three-car garage. The new two-story home, priced in the $580’s has five bedrooms, four baths and a loft in 4,040 square feet of living area featuring a spectacular cast stone finish that will be completed by early February of 2015. The community overlooks the St. Johns River off Fort Florida Road, west of the 17-92 and Highbanks Rd. intersection in DeBary.

Hold-Thyssen Negotiates Office Building Purchase for Leading On Line Car Rental provider at Lexington Professional Park

TAMPA, Fla. --- Hold-Thyssen, Inc., a commercial property firm based in Winter Park, with offices in Tampa, recently negotiated the purchase of a $350,000 office building at Lexington Professional Park. Theresa Margaris, transaction specialist in Hold-Thyssen’s Tampa office, negotiated the transaction representing the buyer. Sevy Group Real Estate, LLC purchased the 2,500 square foot office facility to house the customer service team of Car Rental 8, America Car Rental and National Travel Deals, an online service that provides car rentals and hotels in 125 countries and 17,000 locations worldwide. The local seller was Waterman Enterprises, Inc. Hold-Thyssen, Inc. provides commercial property and leasing and management services to institutional and private investor clients nationwide. The 40-year old firm’s current portfolio includes more that 100 commercial properties throughout the United States.

Blackton, Inc. Earns Contract from KB Home to Provide Roofing and Flooring for 85 New Homes Planned at Sawgrass Pointe

ORLANDO, Fla. --- Blackton, Inc. was recently awarded a contract from KB Home worth an estimated $1.275 million to provide roofing and flooring for 85 new homes planned at Sawgrass Pointe, located off Weatherbee Rd. near Lake Nona in southeast Orlando. Michael Blackton, whose father founded Blackton, Inc. more than 50 years ago, said the contract is one more example that Central Florida’s housing industry is growing again. Blackton, Inc., a leading supplier of wholesale materials and supplies to the home building industry, has reported new contracts totaling more than $12 million since June.

Dicapta Earns Major Grant from Colombia to Provide Aid for Children with Hearing Impairments

Winter Springs, Fla. --- Dicapta, the award-winning U.S. provider of digital media aids for people with visual or hearing limitations, was recently awarded a major grant from the Colombian Department of Communications and Information Technology and the Department of Culture. Maria Diaz, chief executive officer of Dicapta, said the grant award supports Comprendre, a major Dicapta project to develop a digital media library that includes video content with captions and audio description for children with hearing and visual disabilities. “Comprende was developed to support literacy of Spanish speaking students with visual and/or hearing disabilities living in Latin America,” Diaz said. “Comprendre provides tools for teachers, administrators, and parents, Diaz said. “Comprende’s team has designed a strategy to extend the benefits of this effort throughout the whole region,” she added. The grant---360,000 Colombian pesos---is equivalent to $174,355 U.S. dollars. Dicapta is a client company of the University of Central Florida Business Incubation Program in Winter Springs.

DiVosta Homes Starts Construction of Three New Model Homes at Veranda Gardens in Port St. Lucie

Port St. Lucie, Fla. --- DiVosta Homes has started construction of three new model homes at Veranda Gardens, the gated family community located on Southeast Becker Rd. one-half mile east of the Florida Turnpike. Scott Mairn, vice president of sales and marketing for DiVosta Homes in South Florida, said the new model homes will open in December priced from the high $200s to the $400s. Mairn said the Martin Ray model is one of DiVosta’s most popular designs. The 1,968 square foot home offers two bedrooms and two baths with a flex room and an optional loft, with a two-car garage with its own golf cart port. A view of the Martin Ray’s interior shows why this home has been so well-received: DiVosta Homes has extended its open floor plan to create a sweeping family living space that includes an island kitchen, café and gathering room that together measure almost 600 square feet of living space that opens onto an outdoor living lanai that adds another 128 square feet. “The design creates a transitional family space with multiple options for furnishings and media with a look and feel that’s quite spectacular,” Mairn said. The Pinnacle model home at Veranda Gardens offers three bedrooms and three baths in 2,488 square feet with a flex room and an optional upstairs loft. The Pinnacle model home features a two-car and a golf cart port. The Abbeyville model – with two bedrooms plus flex room and two baths in 1,673 square feet of living space – will showcase the optional sunroom and second-floor loft with bedroom and bathroom expanding the model to 2,404 square feet of living area with three bedrooms and three baths. The model will also showcase the optional den instead of the flex room. Mairn said a new sales center and state-of-the-art New Home Design Studio are also underway, nearing completion at Veranda Gardens. A resort-style swimming pool, state-of-the-art fitness center, community clubhouse, tennis courts, and a fire pit with an outdoor barefoot bar and barbeque grill are among the amenities planned, he added.

Vision Engineering Solutions Earns 2014 TechNovation Rising Star in Technology Award

ORLANDO, Fla. --- Vision Engineering Solutions, LLC (Vision) was recently awarded a Congressional Medal of Recognition from Congressman Bill Posey’s office as the Rising Star in Technology at the 2014 TechNovation Awards Banquet. The annual awards banquet is held in conjunction with the Melbourne Regional Chamber of Commerce’s technology and innovation exposition- Florida TechXpo. The Rising Star in Technology Award is presented to a new company or one that has made the most significant progress in the last 18 months. The award citation reads, “This company’s growth puts it on track to make a positive impact in their markets and on the region’s technology community.” Vision began operations in March 2012 at Kennedy Space Center providing engineering services in optics and photonics for aerospace applications primarily to Department of Defense (DoD) laser programs. Since April 2013, the company has grown from seven to its current staff of 17 specialized workers. Ed Logue, Chief Executive Officer at Vision, said the company designed, developed and integrated several subsystems into a Navy prototype laser system, and last month assisted the Navy in installing that laser system onboard a combatant ship, and performing the at-sea testing. Additionally, the company is building a transportable electro-optical tracking system of its own design to be delivered to the University of Central Florida by March 2015. Vision Engineering focuses on advanced imaging and sensing, modeling and simulation, pointing and tracking systems, and data collection and analysis. Its Predictive Avoidance and Safety System (PASS) is already used by defense agencies to protect satellites, personnel and assets from inadvertent illumination by lasers. Vision Engineering Solutions, a client company of the UCF Business Incubation Program at Central Florida Research Park in east Orange County, also has an office in Merritt Island and is a member of the Melbourne Regional Chamber of Commerce, as well as the East Orlando Chamber of Commerce.

Berkadia closes sale of 152-Unit Apartment Community in Lady Lake

ORLANDO, Fla. --- Berkadia Real Estate Advisors, one of the nation’s largest and most active multifamily investment banking and research companies, recently closed on sale of the 152-unit Carmendy Square Apartments in Lady Lake, Fla. Berkadia’s Southeast Partner, Cole Whitaker of Orlando, and Senior Vice Presidents, Hal Warren of Orlando and Jason Stanton of Tampa, negotiated the sale representing the seller Lady Lake Crossings, LLC of West Springfield, MA. Houston-based Apexone Investment Partners, LLC and Philadelphia-based Balfour Beatty Communities purchased the apartment community which was built in 2002 and is located off Hwy 441 at 367 Sunny Oaks Way in Lady Lake. Carmendy Square Apartments, which was 94.74 percent occupied at the time of the sale, is situated on approximately 13.13 acres of land. The two and three-bedroom units situated in 38 buildings comprise a total of 184,152 rentable square feet.