Thursday, May 20, 2021

Dream Finders Homes Now Selling at Summerdale Park in Lake Nona

ORLANDO – Prospective homebuyers who want to live, work and play right in their own community will be delighted by what Dream Finders Homes’ Summerdale Park in Lake Nona has to offer.

Located off County Road 530 and North Narcoossee Road in the region’s fastest growing community, Lake Nona, the 65-acre single-family home community is just minutes away from Lake Nona Town Center, Nemours Children’s Hospital, Nona Adventure Park and Boxi Park, a one-of-a-kind open-air venue that features bars and restaurants, live entertainment, kids play area and beach volleyball.

Summerdale Park is the definition of a live, work, play community,” said Gerry Boeneman, president of Dream Finders Homes’ Central Florida division. “A-rated elementary, middle and high schools in the Orange County school system are nearby along with SR 417 providing easy access to everything around Greater Orlando.”

Featuring some of Dream Finders’ most popular open floor plans with four or five bedrooms and from two-and-a-half to four baths, Summerdale Park will have several, new larger plans like the Ellington, as well as the popular Anna Maria with Bonus and the Tidewater with Bonus. While all designs have two-car garages, some also will offer tandem parking or a workspace area.

With prices starting in the low $­­­­400,000s, Boeneman said the spacious one- and two-story homes, which range in size from 2,235 to 3,628 square feet, can be built on 50- or 60-foot-wide lots.

“Several of our plans in this community include an airy upstairs loft area.  All have been designed for the way we live today with upscale finishes and fixtures.  Stone exteriors and numerous other upgrades are available as well as plenty of options to personalize the home,” Boeneman said.

For more information about homes at Summerdale Park, please call 888-214-1164 or visit www.dreamfindershomes.com

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Photo caption:   The Tidewater With Bonus _C is one of several plans at Summerdale Park with an airy upstairs loft area.

Monday, May 10, 2021

Dream Finders Homes Now Selling on Deer Island in Lake County


TAVARES
 – Did you ever dream of owning your own little slice of island paradise, but don’t want to break the bank or leave Central Florida?  You can now turn that dream into a reality with a new home built by Dream Finders Homes on secluded Deer Island in Tavares.

The national home builder is offering 28 estate- and 22 villa-sized lots on the lakefront peninsula near Mount Dora, according to Gerry Boeneman, President of Dream Finders Homes’ Central Florida division.

“We’re excited to offer several of our popular luxury and signature series floor plans in this unique community,” he said.

Priced from the high $200,000's, plans range from 1,850 to 3,628 square feet and offer three to five bedrooms and two to three-and-a-half baths. Several plans have side-entry or tandem garages.

In addition to new one- and two-story homes by Dream Finders Homes, the 400-acre peninsula, which is surrounded by Lake Dora and Lake Beauclair, is home to the Deer Island Country Club and privately-owned championship golf course designed by Joe Lee. Other amenities include a resort-style pool, tennis and pickleball courts, and a boat dock.

Convenient to shopping and dining in historic Mount Dora, Deer Island offers beautiful lakefront properties with views of horse farms and citrus groves, as well as sailboats, pontoon boats and seaplanes, Boeneman said.

A new Dream Finders Homes’ model – The Lexington – is expected to open this summer, he said. During construction, sales are being conducted at the Deer Island clubhouse, 18000 Eagles Way, Tavares.

For more information about Dream Finders’ homes at Deer Island, please call 888-214-1164.

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Blackton Inc to Supply Flooring Products for D.R. Horton’s Latest Community in East Polk County

2020-2021 contracts from D.R. Horton alone worth over $4.3 Million  

 

ORLANDO --  Blackton, Inc., a leading Central Florida supplier of wholesale materials and supplies to the home building industry, was  awarded a contract from D.R. Horton to provide flooring for 112 townhomes including models planned at Atria at Ridgewood Lakes in Davenport.

 

Michael “Micky” Blackton, chief executive officer, said his firm will provide an estimated $500,000 worth of ceramic tile, hardwood and carpet in the construction of Atria at Ridgewood Lakes Townhomes that will range from 1,673 to 1,758 square feet of living area. 

 

Blackton has already been providing its timeless flooring in the nearby D.R. Horton East Polk communities of Meadowwalk in Davenport, and Haines City communities of Orchid Terrace, Grace Ranch and Feltrim Reserve.

 

Atria at Ridgewood Lakes Townhomes are located on Sand Hill Road, adjacent to D.R. Horton’s newest single-family “Express Community,” Atria at Ridgewood Lakes that feature energy saving homes in a convenient location at an affordable price. 

 

Since the first quarter of 2020 through March of 2021, D.R. Horton has awarded Blackton more than $4.3 million in contracts for flooring materials.

Blackton, Inc., a family owned business headquartered on Alden Street near Ivanhoe Row north of downtown Orlando, has been supplying the homebuilding industry from

Jacksonville to Tampa for six decades.   Last year Blackton opened a 15,000 square foot location in Leesburg.

Hold-Thyssen’s Class A Office Leasing Still Steady in 2021


WINTER
 PARK --- Hold-Thyssen, Inc., a full service commercial property firm based in Winter Park, negotiated three professional office lease agreements in the first 90 days of the year with businesses getting back to normal in Class A buildings at locations in Orange County.

Darby Hold, Senior Director at Hold-Thyssen, Inc. represented the landlords in each of the following lease transactions.


Arrowsmith Realty, 1,360 square feet at the 175 E. Main Street Building in Apopka where NMR, LLC is the landlord.  The tenant provides residential real estate expertise.    American Concept & Design, 515 square feet at 7575 Dr. Phillips Blvd. in Southwest Orlando where Financial Way Realty, Inc. is the landlord.  The tenant is an interior design firm focusing on design of healthcare institutions, professional offices and residential;   The law firm of Marshall S. Adler, P.A., 469 square feet at 1031 W. Morse Blvd. in Winter Park, where Morse Boulevard Development Associates, LLC. is the landlord.  The tenant specializes in Workers’ Compensation law. 


Hold-Thyssen, Inc. provides commercial property brokerage 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.

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Dream Finders Homes Opens Five-Bedroom Anna Maria Model to Enthusiastic Buyers at DeBary’s Rivington Community

DEBARY  Dream Finders Homes just opened its first model and already has sold more than a dozen new homes in the new master-planned community of Rivington, along the St. Johns River in DeBary.

The Anna Maria with Bonus model is one of six spacious floorplans Dream Finders Homes’ designers created for “how people live today,” according to Gerry Boeneman, president of the company’s Central Florida division.

He said the 3,076-square-foot Anna Maria offers a mix of modern and traditional elements.   “Our talented design team used lighter colors like aqua and white, along with white and silver painted pieces to create a cohesive design with a coastal vibe,” he said.

The five-bedroom, three-and-a-half bath model – which includes an oversized loft, a first-floor owner’s suite with bay windows and beautiful exterior stone work – encompasses all of the features, additions and modifications offered at Rivington, Boeneman added.

The company’s prices in the 296-acre community start in the low $300,000s, where only 30 Dream Finders Homes’ 50-foot wide lots remain.

Based on the theme of “It’s All Near to Here,” Rivington is only a quarter of a mile from the DeBary SunRail station and convenient to more than a dozen popular destinations including SanfordLake Mary, Winter Springs, Altamonte Springs, and Orlando.

For more information about homes at Rivington, please call 888-214-1164.

Tuesday, March 23, 2021

Developer Seeks Approval of a $400 Million Project in Osceola County

Plan calls for construction of more than 1,200 single and multi-family homes and allows for sizeable amounts of commercial and civic space at Roan Bridge

ST. CLOUD – DIX Developments is looking for approval of a plan that would bring both home buyers and business owners to Roan Bridge, a 276-acre mixed-use development off Old Hickory Tree Road.

The 17-parcel tract – which was annexed into the city of St. Cloud in 2017 – is partially cleared and has been permitted for 625 single-family homes and 599 multi-family units, according to James Dicks, president of DIX Development LLC in Lake Mary.

Dicks said he named Javier Omana of CPH Inc., a Sanford-based engineering firm, as manager and land planner for the Roan Bridge project. The environmental consulting is being done by Young Bear Environmental of Edgewater, and Johnston’s Surveying Inc. in Kissimmee is conducting the survey of the property.

The Roan Bridge project also provides for a gathering area with retail and office space topped with 96 condos “along four city blocks in the heart of the project,” Dicks said.  

“There will be 1.5 million square feet of civic space,” Dicks said, adding that 26 acres have been set aside for a K-8 school with additional acreage for a new city fire station.

The $400 million development – which is one-half mile from U.S. Highway 192 and 25 miles from the attractions – is in the direct path of growth with property developing all around.

“The original goal of the Roan Bridge conceptual master plan – to balance social, environmental and economic sustainability – can be achieved by using long-range, large-scale planning,” Dicks said. “This plan will provide sustainable economic development, a sound tax base, ease the pressure for urban sprawl and reduce vehicle miles traveled by linking with road and transit networks,” he explained.

“When Roan Bridge is complete, this truly will be a great place to live in Florida.”

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About DIX Developments LLC: DIX Developments – an award-winning firm that focuses on land acquisition, real estate development and investment – has been developing Central Florida real estate for seven generations with creative vision, acquisition strategy, expert due diligence, and superior results.


Saturday, March 20, 2021

New UF Warrington, FAMU partnership to address diversity in real estate





GAINESVILLE / WINTER PARK – The University of Florida Warrington College of Business is proud to announce a new scholarship for students who attended Florida A&M University (FAMU) or other Historically Black Colleges or Universities (HBCU) and are interested in studying real estate. The Bergstrom-Crossman Real Estate Scholarship will be awarded annually through the Kelley A. Bergstrom Real Estate Center to support students qualified for the Nathan S. Collier Master of Science in Real Estate (MSRE) program with undergraduate degrees from Florida A&M University or another HBCU.

The scholarship will cover all costs of attendance, including tuition, fees, books and supplies, a computer, a room and board stipend and a professional development supplement.

The Bergstrom-Crossman Real Estate Scholarship aims to address the lack of diversity in the real estate industry in addition to making a real estate education more equitable and accessible to exceptional students.

This scholarship is available thanks to the efforts of John Crossman, Founder of Winter Park-based Crossman Career Builders and UF Real Estate Advisory Board Member, in partnership with Kelley Bergstrom, namesake of the Center and longtime Chairman’s Circle member of the Bergstrom Center. Crossman and Bergstrom have long been passionate about supporting real estate programs at HBCUs and are excited to expand opportunities for students interested in studying at the University of Florida.

“The partnership of FAMU, UF and Kelley Bergstrom is an outstanding example of leaders providing actionable steps with measurable results to deal with systemic issues,” Crossman said.

Bergstrom added, “This is an example of Florida’s two Land Grant Universities, Florida A&M University and the University of Florida, joining together to increase talented professionals in the real estate industry.”

Like Bergstrom and Crossman, the Warrington College of Business is committed to increasing and expanding the pool of talented professionals in the real estate industry by supporting opportunities for students in the MSRE program across all aspects of diversity, including ethnicity, gender, race, socioeconomic status, professional experience, geography, class and other characteristics.

“Increasing the diversity of the real estate industry is critical to its future,” said Tim Becker, Executive Director of the Kelley A. Bergstrom Real Estate Center. “Partnering with FAMU on this scholarship is a first step in providing more opportunity for a diverse group of students to access a career in real estate. Through the leadership of Kelley and John, the Bergstrom Center and the No. 1 ranked Collier MSRE program will strive to continue providing exceptional, diverse talent to the real estate industry.”

Florida A&M University is equally as proud to offer this opportunity to students who are interested in pursuing a career in real estate after their time at the highest-ranking public HBCU in the nation.

“We are honored to partner with our good friend, John Crossman and Kelley Bergstrom along with the University of Florida in providing this outstanding resource to our students,” said Larry Robinson, Ph.D., President of Florida A&M University. “John Crossman is a long-term member of our Foundation Board of Directors and is constantly pursuing opportunities such as this to support this institution.”

Learn more about the Bergstrom-Crossman Real Estate Scholarship and pursuing a real estate education through the MSRE program.

Friday, March 19, 2021

Dream Finders Homes’ Cambridge II Model Now Open at Dunns Crossing

 


JACKSONVILLE – Dream Finders Homes has opened for sales at Dunns Crossing with the premiere of their 2,188-square-foot, two-story Cambridge II model at the Duval County community off of Dunn Avenue.

The spacious home has three bedrooms and two baths downstairs and a generously-sized upstairs bonus room complete with a walk-in closet and full bath. The home’s large kitchen, expansive great room and cheery café overlook an airy lanai, according to Brad Muston, Dream Finders Homes’ Jacksonville Division President.

Muston said there are approximately 235 single-family homesites in this phase of Dunns Crossing with prices from the $230,000s for homes ranging in size from 1,657 to 2,500 square feet.

“By offering eight very diverse floor plans in one- or two-story models and either three or four bedrooms, we believe one of these will be just what prospective homebuyers are looking for,” he said.

Located off of Interstate 295 and Dunn Avenue, Muston said Dunns Crossing offers quick access to Interstate 295 and is just a short drive to downtown Jacksonville, historic Riverside, the massive River City Marketplace, Jacksonville International Airport and the Jacksonville Zoo.

“Between its central location and affordability, these homesites will not be available for very long.”

For more information about Dunn’s Crossing, please visit www.dreamfindershomes.com or call 888-214-1164.

Sunday, February 28, 2021

INNOVATUS CAPITAL PARTNERS TEAMS WITH VERDIGRIS TECHNOLOGIES TO REDUCE ENERGY COSTS THROUGH BRINGING ENERGY INTELLIGENCE TO ITS BUILDINGS


Nationwide building portfolio leverages real-time energy and AI for deep insights and autonomous facility operations


DALLAS / ORLANDO -- New York based Innovatus Capital Partners (“Innovatus”) a boutique specialty finance firm with over $1.5 billion in assets under management, is deploying Verdigris’ artificial intelligence (AI) technology across its national commercial building portfolio.   With a diversified portfolio of U.S. commercial office properties located in emergent top-tier markets, Innovatus is focused on creating value in special situations, emergent asset classes and asset-based investments.


Verdigris, a global leader in real-time responsive energy intelligence, combines its IoT energy sensors and adaptive and autonomous building solutions to cost-effectively manage energy consumption and optimize operations in smart buildings.


“Innovatus has seen tangible reductions in our energy costs, along with other unexpected benefits such as identifying equipment scheduling issues at several of our buildings. The Verdigris deployment model, analytics and automation are extremely valuable to our investment strategy for identifying disruptive growth opportunities,” said Bradley Seiden, Managing Director at Innovatus Capital Partners. “Verdigris is a tested and proven energy management solution, delivering real-time insights and automatic optimization that are ahead of other solutions in the marketplace and are adaptive to the needs of our buildings in each market.”


In the first phase of energy-saving automation, Innovatus has deployed Verdigris’ Adaptive AutomationTM at the Westwood Corporate Center, a premier five-story, 120,000 square foot, Class A office building on Forum Drive in south Orlando. During this phase, Verdigris AI has already identified measurable annual savings in both baseload and peak demand optimization. These savings are achieved automatically, with no additional effort or attention by the facility engineering team, freeing them up to focus on other projects. To expand on the success of this first phase, savings can be further enhanced by automating additional HVAC equipment. Innovatus and Verdigris look forward to creating a truly “self-driving” building. Westwood Corporate Center is managed by Lincoln Property Company.


“Lincoln Property Company is very excited to be working with Innovatus Capital Partners and Verdigris on these very unique AI enhanced energy initiatives that we truly believe sets on a unique path to maximizing energy conservation while effectively maintaining tenant comfort within our office building,” said Edward J. Price, Senior Vice President for Lincoln Property Company Southeast. 

By applying AI and machine learning in real-time to the precision data that Verdigris sensors capture, Verdigris delivers insights on granular energy issues that other systems miss. Facility and property managers can act at optimal times or implement automated responses to improve energy efficiency, address potentially critical issues, and reduce downtime.


Commercial real estate owners increase net operating income by cutting energy costs. Meanwhile, occupants enjoy an optimized environment enabled by AI-enhanced building controls. Verdigris' non-intrusive IoT sensors work alone or in synergy with building management systems. Customers have achieved fast ROI, often within months, by decreasing energy costs 20 percent or more.


“We’re helping companies survive and thrive in a dynamic period of digital transformation while navigating Covid, economic turbulence, the increasing impact of climate change, and sustainability legislation. To do that, buildings and industry need cost-effective and scalable data and AI solutions that enable intelligent environments to align the interests of building owners, operators and occupants,” said Thomas Chung, Head of Growth at Verdigris.


Verdigris’ patented technology monitors granular energy consumption and power quality details for individual devices at thousands of times per second, detecting hidden issues that most other systems miss and automating responses for optimized “driverless” buildings. 


About Innovatus

Innovatus Capital Partners, LLC is a boutique specialty finance firm focused on creating value for investors in emergent asset classes, private credit and asset-based investments, based in New York.  Innovatus has assets under management in excess of $1.5 billion. Innovatus has a dedicated team of real estate investment professionals with deep experience in commercial real estate acquisitions, recapitalizations and asset management across core-plus and opportunistic real estate investments amongst all property types including office, retail, hotel, medical, industrial and warehouse. Innovatus and its principals have significant real estate experience with ventures that range from the creation of a CMBS lending group and servicing platform to making equity investments in developments and single asset purchases. Further information can be found at www.innovatuscp.com  


About Verdigris

Verdigris Technologies is a leading AI company that empowers the world’s smartest buildings with data, insights and automation. Through artificial intelligence and IoT-enabled sensors, Verdigris ‘learns’ and distinguishes the equipment components of commercial buildings, providing rich data streams about critical equipment. Powerful analytics constantly scan this data to find hidden inefficiencies, produce actionable reports and empower building managers to optimize facilities management. Among other honors, Verdigris was named one of the top ten Most Innovative Companies in Energy

 

 by Fast Company and selected as the Frost and Sullivan Technology Innovation Leader in the North American AI-based Energy Management and Automation Industry. Verdigris is headquartered at the NASA Ames Research Park in Silicon Valley, California with offices in the US and Taiwan. See verdigris.co for recent press and testimonials. For more information, please contact Media Relations at press@verdigris.co.


About Lincoln Property Company

Lincoln Property Company is one of the largest and most diversified real estate services firm in the United States and is the only national real estate company to rank concurrently in the top 10 of Management/Ownership of Office, Industrial, Multi-family, and Retail.  With an international footprint that includes offices in 45 cities across the United States and 6 cities in Europe and South America, LPC remains a privately and closely held company. As a matter of corporate intention and philosophy, the company has operated virtually debt-free since the early 1990’s, uniquely positioning itself to provide focus and performance as well as consistency and stability to its clients and employees in the economically challenging times of today. This corporate philosophy combined with over 50 years of global real estate is what differentiates LPC from other service providers and real estate companies.

Site Development Underway and Home Builder Named for New Single-family Home Community in Tavares

TAVARES – Plans for Elmwood, a 115-homesite community off of David Walker Drive in Tavares, are moving along smoothly, according to developer Jerome Henin.

“We’ve selected Ciraco Underground of Belleview to handle the site development and D.R. Horton has been named as the community’s preferred builder,” he said.

Henin – founder and CEO of The Henin Group – purchased the 32-acre parcel in 2020 for $2 million with a vision of providing housing that would appeal to the demographic of homebuyers moving into that area of Lake County.

“We’re confident the 1,800- to 2,200-square-foot homes that D.R. Horton will be offering at Elmwood will be well received by prospective buyers,” Henin said.

Construction of the subdivision started in late December with platting of the community and the development of lots set to begin in July, Henin said, adding that the three- and four-bedroom models – priced starting in the low $300,000s – should be open in September.

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About the Developer: France native Jerome Henin, the founder and owner of several companies involved in real estate development and sales, has more than 30 years of experience in property development in Europe, Florida and Virginia. His largest Central Florida development – the award-winning Riviera Bella – is divided into villages with production homes’ pricing from the mid $200,000s and custom homes that are priced up to $2 million.