Dave Brewer Inc. earns first place Parade of Homes Award in $1.5 million-plus category

SANFORD, Fla. --- Dave Brewer, Inc., which ranks as one of the top custom home builders in the Central Florida region, was awarded first place for the $1.5 million category in the recent Central Florida Parade of Homes.

Matt Trask, vice president of Dave Brewer, Inc., said the French country style home offers four bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths with a four-car garage and 6,200 square feet of living space.

Trask said Dave Brewer, Inc. plans to enter the home in the upcoming Aurora Awards competition for design excellence.

The luxury home is located on Markham Woods Road in Longwood.

Volusia County-based Company Selected to Participate in State’s GrowFL Economic Gardening Program

HOLLY HILL, Fla. – Mediatech, a manufacturer of all-wood workstations, podiums, desks and presentation control systems, has been accepted into GrowFL, a state-funded program that provides free technical assistance to small businesses.

Founder and Chief Technology Officer Lou Gallo started the Holly Hill-based company in 1990 to sell products to the federal government through contracts with large defense contractors.

Today, with 24 employees in Holly Hill, Maryland, Virginia, Ohio and Texas, Mediatech designs, manufactures and integrates advanced presentation systems primarily for higher education, as well as governmental agencies.

Gallo said the affiliation with GrowFL should help accelerate his company’s growth tremendously.

“It will give our company the infrastructure and professional support it needs to reach the next level,” he said.

A part of the Florida Economic Gardening Institute, GrowFL was created in 2009 by the Florida Legislature and is based at the University of Central Florida in Orlando. When selecting businesses to participate, the institute looks for ones that have potential, according to Dr. Tom O’Neal, executive director of the Florida Economic Gardening Institute.

“Mediatech has shown that it has the potential to grow and be successful, but just needs a little assistance,” said O’Neal, who also is associate vice president for the University of Central Florida’s Office of Research and Commercialization.

GrowFL will support Mediatech through a number of services, including access to market research and technology, strategy analysis, CEO roundtables and forums, database research and website optimization.

For more information about Mediatech, visit www.gomediatech.com

About Mediatech:
Founded in 1990 by Lou Gallo, Mediatech develops integrated all-wood workstations, podiums, desks and advanced presentation control systems for colleges and university classrooms, as well as for the federal government.

About the Florida Economic Gardening Institute:
The Florida Economic Gardening Institute was created by the 2009 Florida Legislature as the Economic Gardening Technical Assistance Program to stimulate investment in Florida’s economy by providing technical assistance for expanding businesses in the state. Qualified companies must be engaged in the following sectors to receive no-cost technical assistance: Manufacturing; Finance & Insurance Services; Wholesale Trade; Information Industries; Professional, Scientific & Technical Services; Management Services; and, Administrative & Support Services. Additional information is available at www.GrowFL.com.

UCF Business Incubation Program Identifies More Than 1,600 Area Jobs it helped to create with Earnings of More than $70 Million

UCF Business Incubation Program Identifies More Than 1,600 Area Jobs it helped to create with Earnings of More than $70 Million

ORLANDO, Fla. - The University of Central Florida Business Incubation Program, which currently supports nearly 70 startup companies at five Central Florida incubation sites in downtown Orlando, east Orlando, Winter Springs and the UCF campus, reports its efforts have helped to generate more than 1,600 new jobs in the Central Florida region with combined earnings of more than $70 million.

Dr. Tom O’Neal, founder and executive director of the UCF Business Incubation Program, said that’s just a start. “Currently, client companies of the UCF Business Incubation Program employ 340 professionals,” O’Neal said.

Thirty-one Central Florida companies that have graduated from the program currently employ 490 individuals, O’Neal added.

The net effect of that job growth creates almost the same number of “ripple” jobs to support these new businesses, O’Neal said.

Orlando-based Real Estate Research Consultants, Inc. conducted a study of the economic impact of the UCF Business Incubation Program job growth in the region, O’Neal said, and used an industry standard calculation known as RIMS II multipliers to determine the number of “ripple” jobs created.

The UCF Business Incubation Program’s area economic impact goes beyond job growth, O’Neal explained.

“The job growth we helped to create here will generate as much as $14 million in new ad valorem revenues over the next 20 years in Orange County alone,” O’Neal said. In Seminole County, new ad valorem revenues resulting from the UCF Business Incubation Program are estimated at almost $4 million.

In addition, Orange and Seminole County schools will collect more than $28 million from the new job growth, O’Neal said.

The UCF Business Incubation Program, which initially focused on emerging technology companies, has expanded to include startup businesses of almost every stripe except retail and lifestyle.

“Most startup companies can benefit from a successful incubation program, but not all,” O’Neal said. “We aren’t equipped to adequately serve consumer product retail or lifestyle companies because the dynamics of those businesses don’t fit well in an incubator environment,” he said.

The award-winning UCF Business Incubation Program, which opened its doors 10 years ago, now ranks as one of the most successful incubation programs in the U.S.

For more information, contact:

Tom O’Neal. Ph.D, UCF Associate Vice President for Research and Commercialization and Incubation Program Executive Director, 407-882-1120, oneal@mail.ucf.edu

Larry Vershel or Beth Payan, Larry Vershel Communications 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 metro Orlando community, the Incubation Program is a collaboration in economic development between UCF, 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/.

Lennar Sets - Zero Says A Lot - Buyer Incentive Weekend of April 18-19 in the Central Florida Region

Lennar Sets - Zero Says A Lot - Buyer Incentive Weekend of April 18-19 in the Central Florida Region: Zero Money Down and Zero Closing Costs or Zero Interest Payments for up to Six Months

ORLANDO, Fla. - Lennar’s Central Florida Division has a big offer for Central Florida families who might be in the market for a new home.

Mark Metheny, president of Lennar’s Central Florida Division, said the “Zero Says a Lot” incentive is available in all 31 Lennar communities in Hillsborough, Pasco, Hernando, Polk, Osceola, Orange, Lake, Seminole and Brevard counties during the weekend of April 18-19.

“Select new homes sold during the weekend of April 18-19 will require zero money down and zero closing costs or zero interest payments for up to six months,” Metheny said.

For more information, please contact:
Elizabeth Hill, Sales and Marketing Administrator – Central Florida, 407 654-4862 x113, Elizabeth.Hill@lennar.com
Paul V. Brooks, Lennar Director of Sales & Marketing-Central Florida, 407-654-4862, Paul.Brooks@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

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

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

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

ABD Development introduces new affordable floor plans at Wyndham Lakes Estates

ABD Development introduces new affordable floor plans at Wyndham Lakes Estates

ORLANDO, Fla. - ABD Development Company has introduced new affordable floor plans at Windsor Landing at Wyndham Lakes Estates, located off Town Center and Landstar Blvds. in southeast Orlando.

David Kohn, president of ABD Development Company, said one new floor plan offers three bedrooms with 3,000 square feet of living space priced from the mid $300s.

A second, two-story floor plan offers three bedrooms in 2,500 square feet.

Kohn said 20 home sites remain for sale at Windsor Landing at Wyndham Lakes Estates, including 15 lakefront home sites on Lake Wyndham.

New four, five and six-bedroom homes at Windsor Landing are priced from $499,900 to more than $1 million and range in size from 2,900 square feet to 5,000 square feet.

For more information, contact:

Sofi Coffey, Marketing Manager, ABD Development Company, 407-370-6400

David Kohn, President ABD Development Company, 407-370-6400

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

Home-Building Recovery Will Start This Year And Active Adults Will Lead The Way

Home-Building Recovery Will Start This Year And Active Adults Will Lead The Way

Central Florida homebuilders could see the start of a dramatic recovery as early as this summer, and retirement-aged adults will lead the way.

Despite seemingly endless news cycles devoted to our national economic ailments, we forget the enormous size and scope of the fabled “baby boom” generation.

I don’t mean to discount our national economic cycle. But we shouldn’t discount our active adults either. Most of them are pretty smart, after all, and many of them saw this coming.

As a real estate developer who focuses on superior lifestyles for active adults at Providence Golf and Country Club community in the Loughman-Davenport area of Polk County and Wyndham Lakes Estates in south Orlando, I’m very familiar with the lifestyle preferences, spending habits and financial acumen most retirement-aged adults possess.

We anticipate the net in-migration of active adults will increase substantially starting this summer, and we expect the active adult market will lead a major recovery of the home building industry in Florida---especially Central Florida---that will hit its stride in 2010.

The recovery will be more measured than the recent housing boom, and that’s a good thing. We won’t see a return to 2005 levels of sales and construction, but we won’t see the subsequent ballooning of materials costs, pricing, taxes, insurance and accompanying expenses either.

What we will see is a return to strong, sustainable levels of activity the Central Florida region is known for.

Economic analysts at ABD Development Company anticipate a rebound in the U.S. securities markets resulting from economic stimulus programs the new presidential administration has already announced.

The securities markets---stocks and bonds---are usually referred to as ‘leading indicators’ of economic health. In this case, they are a sign of better times to come.

The President’s emphasis on tax cuts for the middle class are particularly promising.

Once our immediate crisis begins to wane, lower interest rates and exceptional values that are evident in almost every Florida market will generate sustainable growth rates led by the active adult segment.

Typically, when an economic cycle starts to improve, it gathers steam rapidly. Adults who may have postponed their retirement a year or two will join adults who are just now reaching retirement age to produce what builders and developers call ‘pent-up demand.’

As much as we might worry about the national economy, the baby boom generation represents enormous financial depth. Active adults are still retiring---you can’t stop the clock---and for a significant proportion of them, Florida’s warm climate and relatively affordable lifestyle opportunities are just the ticket.

Certainly baby boomers have more opportunities than ever before, and for some, North Carolina, Arizona, and other parts of the country are appealing. But Florida’s century-old heritage as a retirement mecca is still a compelling factor we sometimes overlook in our spates of hand-wringing.

For Florida homebuilders, the market cycle has been particularly painful. But builders and developers who took measures to prepare for the inevitable market slowdown are surviving, if not thriving.

Before we know it---before the end of 2009, to be sure---the housing market will come back wiser, healthier, and more sustainable than before.

Builders and developers are looking forward to it. But the biggest beneficiaries are home buyers.

Providence Golf and Country Club community will accommodate some 4,800 new homes when the community is completed in 2018. Some 500 new homes have been sold at Providence and 1,700 new homes are planned in 20 different neighborhoods in the first phase of the development.

For More Information Contact:

David Kohn, President ABD Development Company, 407-370-6400

Seminole County Commissioner Brenda Carey to join Kolter Homes for VIP Preview/Reception at Grande Oaks at Heathrow

Seminole County Commissioner Brenda Carey to join Kolter Homes for VIP Preview/Reception Feb. 19 to Showcase New Luxury Townhomes at Grande Oaks at Heathrow

Lake Mary, Fla. - Kolter Homes, which is developing luxury townhomes at Grande Oaks at Heathrow on H.E. Thomas, Jr. Parkway at Orange Blvd. in north Seminole County, will host a VIP preview/reception Feb. 19 to showcase new townhomes in the community and a public grand opening on Feb. 21.

Steven Bovio, senior project manager for Kolter Homes in the Orlando region, said the preview and reception will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Grande Oaks at Heathrow sales and preview center said Seminole County Commissioner Brenda Carey will be one of the honored guests.

Bovio said the community’s newest building features eight luxury three and four-bedroom townhomes that range from 1,857 square feet of living space priced from $305,000.

Bovio said he expects to host crowds at both the VIP preview and the grand opening as buyer interest has been brisk.

Refreshments will be served and Bovio plans to give away a special prize.

“We have been entertaining more than 30 prospective buyers almost every week here,” Bovio said.

For more information about this press release,contact:

Mary Kay Willson Marketing Group 561-471-8887; marykay@mkmarketinggroup.com

Steven V. Bovio, Senior Project Manager, Kolter Homes, 407-333-1733 sbovio@kolter.com;

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

Kolter Homes Expects Big Showing at Public Grand Opening at Grande Oaks at Heathrow

Kolter Homes Expects Big Showing at Public Grand Opening of New Townhome Designs at Grande Oaks at Heathrow Feb. 21

LAKE MARY, Fla. - Kolter Homes, which is readying new luxury townhome designs inspired by extensive input from potential townhome buyers, expects a big showing when it unveils the new townhomes at a public grand opening during the weekend of Feb. 21-22.

“We conducted detailed interviews with about a hundred clients and potential townhome buyers before we began the design of the new townhomes,” said Steven Bovio, project director for Kolter Homes at Grande Oaks at Heathrow.

“The new townhomes are based on their input, and their ideas were truly enlightening. We’ve created a brand new product,” Bovio said.

An invitation-only preview and reception for VIPs, including elected officials, civic leaders, partners and local news media is slated for Feb. 19, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Grande Oaks at Heathrow Sales and Preview Center, Bovio said. Kolter expects an overflow crowd to attend the event.

“Interest has been high among potential buyers and among area Realtors as well,” Bovio said.

Eight new three and four-bedroom, two-story townhomes priced from $305,000 will be unveiled that range from 1,857 to 2,138 square feet of air-conditioned living space.

For more information about this press release, contact:

Mary Kay Willson Marketing Group 561-471-8887; marykay@mkmarketinggroup.com

Steven V. Bovio, Senior Project Manager, Kolter Homes, 407-333-1733 sbovio@kolter.com;

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

Lennar Launches Home Buyer Economic Stimulus Program Feb. 13 Through President’s Day

Lennar Launches Home Buyer Economic Stimulus Program Feb. 13 Through President’s Day With 3.875 Percent Fixed-Rate Mortgage, Discounted Pricing In 14 Orlando-Area Communities

ORLANDO, Fla. - Lennar’s Central Florida Division has launched a President’s Day Home Buyer Economic Stimulus Program that offers a 3.875 percent fixed-rate mortgage with discounted pricing in 14 Orlando-area neighborhoods.

Paul V. Brooks, director of sales and marketing for Lennar’s Central Florida Division in Orlando, said the President’s Day Home Buyer Economic Stimulus Program also offers a mortgage insurance program that is free for the first six months.

Brooks said Lennar will launch its President’s Day Home Buyer Economic Stimulus Program Feb. 6 through Feb. 16.

For more information, contact

Paul V. Brooks, Lennar Director of Sales & Marketing-Central Florida 407-475-6621

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

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

Lennar is Hosting Month-Long Grand Opening at Wekiva Landing in Longwood

Lennar is Hosting Month-Long Grand Opening at Wekiva Landing in Longwood with three bedroom town homes priced from $210s

ORLANDO, Fla. - Lennar’s Central Florida Division is hosting a month-long grand opening to showcase new three-bedroom town homes priced from the $210s at Wekiva Landing, located on Hunt Club Rd. in Longwood.

Paul V. Brooks, director of sales and marketing for Lennar’s Central Florida Division in Orlando, said new town homes at Wekiva Landing range in size from 1,484 square feet of living space to 1,775 square feet.

Brooks said Lennar has opened one fully-furnished model home at Wekiva Landing.

For more information, contact

Paul V. Brooks, Lennar Director of Sales & Marketing-Central Florida 407-475-6621

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

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