Only Five Ready-To-Move-In Homes Remain for Sale at Las Calinas in St. Augustine

Only Five Ready-To-Move-In Homes Remain for Sale at Las Calinas in St. Augustine

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. - Only five ready-to-move-in homes remain for sale at Las Calinas, located off U.S. 1 south of Pine Island Rd. on Palomino Way in St. Augustine.

Theresa Tilton, vice president of sales and marketing for Beazer Homes of Florida, said one and two-story single-family homes at Las Calinas offer three, four and five bedrooms with three-car garages priced from $299,990.

New single-family homes at Las Colinas range in size from 2,475 square feet of living space to 3,432 square feet with a distinct Spanish Mediterranean theme.

Situated within a magnificent hardwood preserve, all new homes at Las Calinas offer private nature preserve or pond views, Tilton said.

Beazer Homes, which builds single-family and town homes priced from the $130s to the $300s in seven communities in the Jacksonville region is one of the country’s 10 largest single-family homebuilders with operations in 17 states. Headquartered in Atlanta, Beazer Homes is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “BZH.”

For more information, contact:
Dan Gregory, General Sales Manager, Beazer Homes/Jacksonville 407-484-0166 ext. 227; dgregory@beazer.com

Theresa Tilton, Vice President Sales & Marketing, Beazer Homes/Florida 407-339-4114; ttilton@beazer.com

David Byrnes, President Beazer Homes/Florida 407-339-4114; dbyrnes@beazer.com

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

Beazer Homes Offers Town Homes Priced From Mid $130s in Newest Phase at Verano in the Mandarin Area

Beazer Homes Offers Town Homes Priced From Mid $130s in Newest Phase at Verano in the Mandarin Area

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Beazer Homes is offering two and three bedroom town homes priced from the mid $130s in the second phase at Verano, a town home community located off Bartram Park Rd. in the Mandarin area.

David Byrnes, president of Beazer Homes in Florida, said 10 ready-to-move-in town homes are available in the second phase, where 50 town homes are planned ranging in size from 1,400 square feet of living space to 1,500 square feet with one-car garages.

Beazer Homes is also offering to pay closing costs up to 3.5 percent of the sale price, Byrnes said.

Beazer Homes is one of the country's 10 largest single-family homebuilders with operations in 17 states. Headquartered in Atlanta, Beazer Homes is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "BZH."

For more information, contact:
Theresa Tilton, Vice President of Sales Beazer Homes/Florida, 407-339-4114, ttilton@beazer.com
David Byrnes, President/Beazer Homes Florida, 407-339-4114, dbyrnes@beazer.com
Brooke Keysor-Edge, SE Regional Marketing Specialist Beazer Homes/ SE Region, 407-339-4114, bkeysor@beazer.com
Larry Vershel or Beth Payan, Larry Vershel Communications, 407-644-4142

ICI Homes to Donate Trees to Elementary Schools in Volusia, Flagler and Jacksonville April 22 to Honor Earth Day

ICI Homes to Donate Trees to Elementary Schools in Volusia, Flagler and Jacksonville April 22 to Honor Earth Day

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Elementary schools in the Volusia-Flagler and Jacksonville areas will get a boost when ICI Homes and Land Care Management, Inc. donate trees on April 22 to honor Earth Day.

Rosemary Messina, vice president of sales and marketing at ICI Homes, said the home builder plans to deliver more than 15 young oak trees to 15 elementary schools in Volusia, Flagler and Jacksonville school districts that surround the homebuilder’s communities.

Messina said students will be invited to help plant the trees around the schools.

“We learned that due to budget cutbacks, schools have few dollars left to pay for trees on elementary school campuses,” Messina said. “Earth Day seems like a perfect time for us to help solve that problem and to just give more back to the communities where we build EFACTOR homes with high energy efficiency and environmental quality standards.”

For more information, please contact:
Lisa A. Egle, Marketing Manager ICI Homes-Daytona Beach, 386-236-4273
Rosemary Messina, VP Sales & Marketing ICI Homes, 386-236-4231
Larry Vershel or Beth Payan, LV Communications, 407-644-4142

About ICI Homes:
ICI homes, ranks among the top 100 Builders by Builder magazine and is one of the largest privately owned homebuilder in the US. The 30-year-old firm builds new homes and resort facilities in the Volusia-Flagler region as well as Northeast Florida, Orlando and Tampa.

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

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.

Plantation Bay Golf & Country Club in Ormond Beach Appoints Dave Brown Tennis Director

Plantation Bay Golf & Country Club in Ormond Beach Appoints Dave Brown Tennis Director

ORLANDO, Fla. - ICI Homes has appointed Dave Brown tennis director at Plantation Bay Golf & Country Club in Ormond Beach.

Rosemary Messina, vice president of ICI Homes, said Brown is a USPTA Master Professional with 25 years of experience managing tennis facilities at resorts, commercial and private clubs, major colleges and municipal tennis centers.

He formerly served as Director of Tennis for the Florida Tennis Center in Daytona Beach. Brown was high school and college standout tennis player who graduated from St. Mary’s College of California. He has held USPTA national rankings in both singles and doubles.

As a tennis teaching professional, Dave served as head coach for Colorado State University’s men’s team, and he has coached numerous sectional and nationally ranked players over the past 20 years in Colorado and Florida.

From 1998-2002 he served as USTA Florida’s Community Coordinator for South Florida.

For more information, contact.

Lisa Egle, Marketing Manager, ICI Homes 386-236-4273 legle@icihomes.com

Maria Tuohy, Plantation Bay Golf & Country Club 386-437-4844 Ext. 304

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

About ICI Homes

ICI homes, ranks among the top 100 Builders by Builder magazine and is one of the largest privately owned homebuilders in the nation. The 28-year-old firm builds new homes and resort facilities in the Volusia-Flagler region as well as in Jacksonville, Orlando, Melbourne and Tampa.

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

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