Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Winston James Development Offering Special Realtor Incentive for Home Sales in August at The Villages of Royal Palm

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. --- Winston James Development, Inc. is offering a special Realtor inventive to close on new home sales in August at The Villages of Royal Palm, the luxury active adult community it’s developing in Port Orange.

Winston Schwartz, president of Winston-James Development, Inc., said the Villages of Royal Palm will pay an added generous commission bonus and award a free 52 inch flat screen TV for all new home sales that close before Aug. 31.

The Villages of Royal Palm currently has seven ready-to-move-in homes available and 70 home sites, including 20 waterfront home sites and 30 that front on conservation areas.

Winter Garden Chick-Fil-A, Yard Sale Fundraisers to Benefit Susan G. Komen 3-Day Walk for the Cure

ORLANDO, Fla. – Pinkie Promise, a southwest Orlando based team participating in the renowned Susan G. Komen 3-Day Walk for the Cure, will host “Spirit Night” from 5-8 p.m. Aug. 11 at Chick-fil-A on Daniels Rd. in Winter Garden.

Up to 15 percent of the identified sales during the three-hour period of 5-8 p.m. will be donated to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, according to team member Susan Breding.

Chick-Fil-A in Winter Garden will also provide a “prize wheel” patrons can spin to win food items. At $1 a spin every spin is a winner and 100 percent of the wheel proceeds will also go toward the $2,300 minimum donation to Susan G. Komen for the Cure Breding needs to collect to be eligible to participate in the famous 60 mile Walk for the Cure in Tampa Oct. 28-30.

Saturday, Aug. 13 at 331 Windford Court in Park Avenue Estates in Winter Garden, Breding is also hosting a yard sale to raise funds for Susan G. Komen for the Cure. All the proceeds from the sale will be applied towards Breding’s efforts to meet or exceed the goal that will qualify her to join thousands of fundraisers across the nation who walk 60 miles every year. Items at the Windford Court yard sale include tools, Christmas decorations, household items and knick knacks and a special feature-- a “Books for Breasts” table with a selection of used books in good condition.

The Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure is a 60 mile walk over the course of three days. Net proceeds from the event are invested in breast cancer research and community programs to raise awareness.

For more information on these fundraising events email Breding at susanj@larryvershel.com. If you would like to make a donation to Breding or one of the Pinkie Promise team members, visit www.The3Day.org/goto/PinkiePromise and click on a member’s name.

Monday, August 1, 2011

Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty to Host Open House at 20 Acre Hillside Estate in Auburndale Aug. 13

ORLANDO, Fla. --- Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty will host an Open House from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 13 at 5880 Berkley Rd., a unique 20-acre hillside estate in Auburndale.

Roger Soderstrom, founder and owner of Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty, said the property is zoned LR-2, which would allow a density of two to five units per acre if the new owner decides to develop the property.

The estate overlooks a large pristine lake and private picturesque spring fed pond, and features a 4,400 square foot Arthur Rutenberg luxury home with four bedrooms, three baths, a game room, screen enclosed swimming pool and spa and three-car garage.

The property, which is listed for sale for $1,295,000, also includes a 5,000 square foot detached custom built metal building with an air-conditioned office that can be used as a shop or for vehicle or RV storage. To see a brochure of the property, visit http://www.stirlingsir.com/eflyers/oldberkeleyrd/cwilson.html.), view a video http://youtube/p2xYqLPBya4

Chris Wilson, International Luxury Home Specialist with Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty will be hosting the open house and can be contacted at 321-289-8787 or chriswilson@stirlingsir.com.

Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty Selected to Market 20-Acre $1.295 Million Hillside Estate near Disney in Auburndale

ORLANDO, Fla. --- Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty has been selected to market a unique 20 acre hillside estate overlooking a large pristine lake plus a private picturesque spring fed pond on Berkley Road in Auburndale south of Walt Disney World.

Roger Soderstrom, founder and owner of Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty said the property is also minutes from the new USF Polytechnic campus where a new Wellness and Excellence Center will be underway soon.

RL-2 zoning allows for a density of two to five units per acre if the new owner decides to develop the property, which is listed for sale at $1,295.000. (See property brochure at http://www.stirlingsir.com/eflyers/oldberkeleyrd/cwilson.html.)

Soderstrom said the property is being represented by Stirling Sotheby’s International Luxury Home Specialists Erin Wanner and Chris Wilson.

Completely fenced with an electronic gated entry, the hillside estate features a 4,400 square foot Arthur Rutenberg luxury home with four bedrooms, three baths, a game room, screen- enclosed swimming pool, a spa and a three-car garage.

The property also includes a 5,000 square foot detached custom built metal building with an air-conditioned office, one-and-a-half baths, auto-lift and 18-foot doors that can be used as a shop or for vehicle and RV storage.

Visit http://youtu.be/p2xYqLPBya4 to see a video of the property.

About Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty:
Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty is affiliated with Sotheby’s International Realty, the largest luxury real estate brand in the world. Stirling Sotheby’s exclusive services include luxury residential, new homes, commercial, property management, in addition to supporting builders, developers, lenders, and asset managers. The company operates three performance zones which serve all of Central Florida. Visit www.StirlingSIR.com.

Postal Uniform Company Tapped for State’s GrowFL Economic Gardening Program

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The number 13 is proving to be a lucky one for A.M.E.’s Uniforms, an award-winning uniform manufacturer that has been selected to receive free technical assistance through the state-funded GrowFL program.

As A.M.E.’s 27 employees observed the company’s 13th anniversary last month (July), they’ve also been celebrating the assistance being given them by the Florida Economic Gardening Institute.

“So far, the designation means an opportunity to learn from some experienced members from many different professions,” said company President Mark Forst, who founded the company with his father Melvin Forst in 1998.

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 the institute looks for companies that have the potential to be successful, according to Dr. Tom O’Neal, executive director of the Florida Economic Gardening Institute.

“A.M.E.’s Uniforms is ideal for the program as it has shown that it has that potential,” said Dr. O’Neal, who also is associate vice president for the University of Central Florida’s Office of Research and Commercialization.

GrowFL is assisting A.M.E.’s Uniforms through a number of free services, including access to market research and technology, strategy analysis, CEO roundtables and forums, database research and website optimization.

“The help from GrowFL may help us continue our growth within our industry and perhaps expand into related industries,” Mark Forst said.

About A.M.E.’s Uniforms:
The family-owned company has received numerous awards, including being named twice to the Inc. 500 (2003-2004) as one of the 500 fastest-growing, privately-held companies in America by Inc. Magazine, and as one of the 100 fastest-growing inner city of America companies six times (2005-2010) by the ICIC [Initiative for a Competitive Inner City] in conjunction with Bloomberg BusinessWeek.. The ICIC recognizes successful inner city companies and their CEOs as role models for entrepreneurship, innovative business practices and job creation. For more information, visit www.amesuniforms.com or www.wassermanuniform.com

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.

Beazer Homes Announces the Get More Save More Sales Event August 1-15

Orlando, Fla. -- Beazer Homes USA, Inc. (NYSE: BZH), one of the country’s top 10 homebuilders, is giving homebuyers a chance to pack on extra savings with its Get More Save More Sales Event, August 1-15. During the two-week nationwide promotion, Beazer is offering incentives on quick move-in and to-be-built eSMART homes that have earned the ENERGY STAR® seal of approval.

Beazer research shows that prospective homebuyers value the energy-saving benefits of its eSMART homes. Beazer’s signature eSMART homes exceed ENERGY STAR® qualifications and allow homeowners to get more out of their home – more ways to conserve water, more ways to improve indoor air and more energy-efficiencies to lower the ongoing cost of ownership.

The Get More Save More Sales Event will allow those in the market for a new home to get a great deal that will lower their monthly utility bills.

David Byrnes, Division President of Beazer’s Orlando Division, said you can’t buy a home at a better time. “It’s still a buyer’s market,” he said, adding “Low interest rates and affordability make this a great time to buy a home. And with our quick move-in homes, buyers can get into their homes even sooner and start experiencing the energy efficiency of our eSMART homes.”

Every Beazer home comes equipped with energy-efficient features such as a home energy monitor, programmable thermostat, compact fluorescent light bulbs and an ENERGY STAR® dishwasher – all at no additional cost to the buyer.

Research also shows that homebuyers enjoy the ability to personalize a new home and make it their own. “That’s a huge advantage of buying a new home,” Byrnes said.

During the Get More Save More Sales Event, prospective homebuyers will truly be able to capitalize on buying a new home and making it their own through options such as flooring, lighting and appliances. They can go even further by selecting cabinetry, fixtures and finishes.

Beazer is inviting prospective homebuyers who want to get more out of a home and save more to come out during the Get More Save More sales event, August 1-15, with special incentives in a variety of single family, town home and condominium home communities in 22 metropolitan areas across the country. For more information, visit www.beazer.com.

Beazer Homes USA Inc.
Beazer Homes USA Inc., headquartered in Atlanta, is one of the country’s 10 largest single-family homebuilders, with operations in Arizona, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. Beazer Homes is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “BZH”.

Friday, July 29, 2011

WeinPlus Real Estate Advisory Services Names Michael Allison Associate

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. --- WeinPlus Real Estate Advisory Services in St. Petersburg has appointed Michael Allison an associate.

Rachel Elias Wein, AIA, principal of WeinPlus Real Estate Advisory Services, said Allison earned his B.S. Degree from the University of South Carolina and is a recent graduate of the Master of Science in Real Estate program at the University of Florida.

Allison has more than four years of experience in process improvement, development and financial analysis and worked as a development analyst with Kimley Horn and Associates in Sarasota. He is a licensed civil engineer and a LEED accredited professional.

WeinPlus Real Estate Advisory Services works with real estate owners, developers, lenders and management companies to regenerate income streams; expedite tenant openings; recover lost profits; resolve construction disputes, schedule over runs, change orders, bankruptcies and liens; and improve development and management processes.

Jacksonville IT Company Selected to Participate in State’s GrowFL Economic Gardening Program

JACKSONVILLE, Fla.-- Pragmatic Works – a four-year-old Internet technology company that provides business-intelligence solutions as well as software and training for more than 4,000 customers – has been selected to receive free technical assistance through the state funded GrowFL program.

Founded in 2007 by Brian Knight, Pragmatic Works currently has 46 employees; nearly double the number of workers he employed this past December. Headquartered in Jacksonville, the company also has offices in Boston, Atlanta and South Africa.

“We’re excited about the level of growth we’ve seen at Pragmatic Works over the past four years,” Knight said. “The GrowFL program offers a way for us to gain insight on how we can take our company even further in the industry with fantastic market research, SEO analysis, competitive analysis and strategic brainstorming.”

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 the institute looks for ones that have the potential to be successful, according to Dr. Tom O’Neal, executive director of the Florida Economic Gardening Institute.

“Pragmatic Works is ideal for the program as it has continued to more than double its growth every year of its operation,” said Dr. O’Neal, who also is associate vice president for the University of Central Florida’s Office of Research and Commercialization.

Knight said the research provided by the GrowFL program will help give his company “the insight to more strategically go after key market segments that we did not understand fully before.”

About Pragmatic Works:
Pragmatic Works is a privately held technology company headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla. The company has a sales office near Boston, and a technology center in Atlanta; as well as an office in South Africa. Pragmatic Works’ goal and purpose is to democratize technology by focusing on making technology easier and more accessible to everyone, by developing applications to increase productivity and maintaining the Pragmatic Works Foundation to increase access to technology. For more information about Pragmatic Works and the services it offers, please visit www.pragmaticworks.com.

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.

HOMETOWN HEALTH TV, LLC LAUNCHES SISTER- COMPANY TO COMPLEMENT ITS VIDEO PRODUCTION BUSINESS

LEESBURG, Fla., – Hometown Health TV LLC, an award-winning Lake County health and medical-oriented TV production company, has created Apple Seed Marketing to provide a broader range of clients with more extensive, affordable marketing services.

A client of the University of Central Florida’s Business Incubation Program in Leesburg – Hometown Health TV launched in 2009 with the goals of developing cost-effective video and web platforms for physicians and healthcare professionals while creating a valuable waiting room experience for patients by educating, informing and entertaining, according to company President Marc Robertz-Schwartz√.

The creation of Apple Seed Marketing, according to Robertz-Schwartz, was driven by the market’s demand for multimedia marketing, production, branding and consulting services beyond the monthly “Hometown Health” video program.

“More than anything, Apple Seed Marketing lets people know that we bring deep marketing roots and extensive experience in helping small and medium businesses grow their brand and loyalty from the ground up,” he said.

One of Apple Seed’s unique services is the DRIP Marketing Boot Camp; a high-energy, day-long session designed to help businesses and organizations define who they are in the marketplace. DRIP is a proprietary curriculum that focuses on Differentiation, Relationships, Innovation and Proof of success.

Apple Seed also provides project management of logo/image development, product/service launch, media/public relations outreach, web site development and other consulting services through a network of highly-skilled specialists. For more information about Apple Seed Marketing, visit www.AppleSeedMarketing.com

About Hometown Health TV LLC:
Hometown Health TV was launched in 2009 with the goals of creating a valuable and dynamic waiting room experience for patients by educating, informing and entertaining; and developing cost-effective video and web platforms for physicians and healthcare professionals. Hometown Health TV is complimented by its website www.YourHometownHealth.com, and a YouTube channel, both of which include access to the most recent content featured in the video program, as well as profiles of the participating medical professionals and support content. Hometown Health recently expanded its marketing resources and offerings with the launch of its sister-company, Apple Seed Marketing.

About the UCF Business Incubation Program
Since its founding in 1999, the UCF Business Incubation Program has helped more than 160 emerging companies (including more than 100 current clients) create over $800 million in annual revenue and more than 1,600 new jobs with an average salary of $59,000. With nine facilities across the Greater Orlando community, the Business 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, the City of Kissimmee, City of St. Cloud, Volusia County and the Florida High Tech Corridor Council. For more information, please visit www.incubator.ucf.edu.

Huge Investment at Bartram Park Marks Mattamy Homes U.S. Group as one of Region’s Top Home Builders

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. --- Mattamy Homes U.S. Group, the U.S. division of Canada’s largest home builder, reported it has acquired 430 single-family homesites at Bartram Park, the 2,600-acre mixed use development located off I-95 in south Duval County.

The acquisition, together with sites Mattamy has acquired in 13 other communities in the Jacksonville area gives the home builder one of the largest stakes in northeast Florida’s future.

Steve Parker, president of Mattamy Homes U.S. Group, said the home builder also recently acquired 31 single-family home sites at RiverTown, developed by the St. Joe Company near Racetrack Rd. in St. Johns County, and 30 single-family home sites at Durbin Crossing, also located in St. Johns County. The RiverTown transaction includes an option to acquire additional home sites in future phases, Parker said.

Mattamy Homes already builds single-family homes at Cedar Bay and Covenant Cove in Jacksonville; Forest Hammock at Oakleaf Plantation in Orange Park; Greenleaf Village at Nocatee and Austin Park at Nocatee in Ponte Vedra; Old Sebastian Point, Sevilla and Kings Trace in St. Augustine, and Durbin Crossing and The Colony at Greenbriar in St. Johns County. Mattamy offers multifamily living at Cornerstone at Watermill Townhomes.

In June, Mattamy Homes U.S. Group reported record sales of 203 new homes for more than $48 million in its Orlando, Jacksonville, Charlotte, Phoenix and Minneapolis-St. Paul regions during its fourth quarter, which ended May 31.

In July, Metrostudy, Inc. ranked Mattamy Homes the top-selling homebuilder in the Minneapolis-St. Paul market, Parker added.

“We have planned our growth very conservatively in the U.S. and we have been very selective in our acquisitions,” Parker said. “We are now prepared to grow with our markets as the U.S. economy recovers,” he said.

About Mattamy Homes
Mattamy Homes expanded into the U.S. in 2003 and has divisions in Jacksonville, Orlando, Charlotte, Phoenix and Minneapolis. The homebuilder is the largest and most active in Canada with annual revenues exceeding $1.3 billion.