Real Estate Study: Central Florida Luxury Home Sales up almost 40 percent in 2013, most expensive homes saw Biggest Jump

ORLANDO, Fla. --- A survey of real estate sales in Orange, Seminole, Osceola and Lake Counties by Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty shows luxury home sales in the market area grew at a robust pace in 2013 with the highest growth rate in sales of the most expensive homes. Roger Soderstrom, founder and owner of Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty, said 1,380 homes sold in the four-county region for more than $500,000 in 2013, an increase of 38 percent over 2012 luxury home sales. Most luxury sales---1,098 homes---were priced in the $500,000 to $1 million range, Soderstrom said. That category grew by 40 percent in 2013. Sales of homes priced from $1 million to $1.5 million grew by 20 percent and 115 sales in the top price range---$1.5 million plus---showed a 55 percent increase over 2012 figures. Orange County dominated the luxury real estate market in 2013 with 927 sales reported over $500,000 -- that's more than two-thirds of the total luxury sales for the region. But the growth rate was 31 percent over 2012 sales. Lake County saw the most modest growth in luxury sales last year. Soderstrom said 56 homes that sold for more than $500,000 in Lake County in 2013 represent a 12 percent increase over 2012 sales in the same category. Only three Lake County homes sold in the $1.5 million-plus category, down from four in 2012. Osceola County, long known for sales of modestly priced homes, saw sales of 118 luxury homes in 2013, an increase of 57 percent over 2012 sales. Seminole County luxury homes saw the highest growth rate in the region, with 288 sales that represent a 73 percent increase over 2012 sales. “Luxury home sales are a valuable benchmark of the housing industry’s recovery and the region’s economic strength,” Soderstrom said. “Our study indicates that luxury home sales across the four-county region show very healthy overall growth with excellent prospects for continued prosperity in 2014,” he said.

Jack Burge Earns Player of The Year Honors at Golden Bear Golf Club In Windermere

Orlando, Fla. --- Jack Burge earned the Men’s Golf Association Player of the Year honors at the Golden Bear Golf Club in Windermere recently. Matthew Allen, general manager at the Golden Bear Club, said more than 100 members and guests were on hand for the annual dinner, dance and program. Allen said 2013 Champions Tour winner Bart Bryant was the featured speaker at the event, regaling fellow Golden Bear Club members with stories and anecdotes of tour life. Bryant and his wife, Cathy, joined the Golden Bear Club last spring. The Men’s Golf Association holds several tournaments throughout the year where golf members are flighted by their handicap and compete for points to become the winner of their respective flights, Allen explained. The three flight winners then play against each other in a final 18-hole stroke play event to determine the overall Player of the Year. The Player of the Year’s name is engraved on a trophy that is prominently displayed in the clubhouse and is recognized along with the other flight winners at the annual awards dinner. Burge won the Nicklaus flight, then the playoff over Palmer Flight leader Steve Clapp and Bruce Perreault, who won the Jones Flight.

M/I Homes acquires an additional 26 home sites at Randal Park

ORLANDO, Fla. --- M/I Homes has acquired an additional 26 home sites at Randal Park, located on Dowden Rd. between Narcoossee Road and the 417 in Southeast Orlando. M/I Homes has purchased a total of 118 lots in Randal Park. David Byrnes, area president in the Orlando region, said Phase 2 at Randal Park will include 26 homes ranging from 1,768 square feet of living area to 2,800 square feet from M/I’s Eco series of new home designs. M/I Homes in the second phase at Randal Park will be priced from $255,000 to $350,000.

Orlando-based Geocove Earns largest Florida client for Impact and Damage Assessment software: Miami-Dade County

ORLANDO Fla., --- Geocove, Inc. the Orlando technology firm that developed the award-winning ARM360 GIS-based disaster assessment system for local, state and regional governments, and NGOs worldwide, has won the most populated county in Florida: Miami-Dade County. Karyn Tareen, president and chief executive officer at Geocove, said Miami-Dade County has licensed the Enterprise version of Geocove’s ARM360 system, to include not only Miami-Dade County, but all municipalities and other concerned agencies within Miami-Dade County. This common platform will allow the collaboration, sharing and reporting of impact and damage information across municipal boundaries, key for success in managing a disaster. According to the US Census Bureau 2012 estimate, Miami-Dade County has over 2.5 million residents, making it the largest county in Florida by population. Miami-Dade joins Geocove’s other ARM360 clients including Collier, Lee, and Sarasota counties, West Palm Beach and other counties and cities throughout the State of Florida and the US. Internationally, ARM360 has been deployed in Melbourne, Australia. Geocove’s ARM360 system enables disaster management authorities to immediately assess large-scale damages caused by disaster using a wide range of tools based on underlying GIS capabilities and databases. “ARM360 enables even the largest communities to construct, compile and share information on the ground in real time,” Tareen said. “In a disaster event, ARM360 can enable authorities to learn instantly when and where to respond with which resources,” she said. Geocove is a client company of the UCF Business Incubation Program on the UCF campus.

Lennar opening Traditions community in Polk County, will showcase two newly completed models Feb. 22

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Lennar will host a grand opening Feb. 22 at its newest active adult community, Traditions, located off of Hwy. 27 in Winter Haven in Polk County. Mark Metheny, president of Lennar’s Central Florida Division, said Traditions will feature 13 single family floor plans on 40, 50, and 60 foot home sites. Metheny emphasized that there will be opportunities for future expansion at Traditions. Homes at Traditions will offer two to four bedrooms, two and three baths, ranging from 1,100 square feet of living area to 2,500 square feet with prices starting from the $140s. Traditions, according to Metheny, overlooks Lake Ruby and features resort style amenities including a 19,000 square foot clubhouse with ballroom, Olympic-size swimming pool, fitness and aerobics facilities, basketball, tennis and bocce ball courts as well as boat docks. Metheny said two models that will be completed by the grand opening are the Ascot and Kennedy. The Ascot model, featuring two bedrooms, two baths in 1,779 square feet of living area has a two-car garage. The Kennedy offers four bedrooms, three baths in 2,277 square feet and a three-car garage. All new homes at Traditions come with the Lennar’s “Everything’s Included” pledge: a wide range of appliances, special features and upgrades including the homebuilder’s EcoSmart program, at one “everything’s included” price, Metheny said. Visit www.lennar.com.

Hendricks-Berkadia negotiates $78.5 million sale of Five Florida apartment properties in Pensacola, Tallahassee

ORLANDO, Fla. --- Hendricks-Berkadia Real Estate Advisors, which ranks as one of the leading multi-family investment banking and research companies in the nation, recently negotiated the sale of five Florida apartment properties for $78.5 million. Cole Whitaker, partner who heads Hendricks-Berkadia’s southeast region based in Orlando, negotiated the sale with senior vice president in the Orlando office Hal Warren and vice president Jason T. Stanton, of the firm’s Tampa office, The four properties were part of an 11 property Gulf Coast Portfolio of apartments Hendricks-Berkadia’s southeast team is marketing nationwide. The Pensacola properties include the 213-unit Cordova Regency Apartments at 4311 Bayou Blvd, 176-unit Crest View at Oakleigh Apartments at 8990 N. Davis Hwy., 200-unit Kings Mill at 8917 N. Davis Hwy., and 152-unit Crestview at Cordova at 3500 Creighton Rd. Hendricks-Berkadia also negotiated the sale of the 224-unit Plantations at Pine Lake property at 1833 Halstead Blvd. in Tallahassee. Whitaker said the portfolio includes a mix of Class A and Class B properties built between 1971 and 1999. Hendricks-Berkadia represented the sellers.

Energy-Saving Software by Greensleeves LLC Proves the Winning Edge in 2014 Global ASHRAE Technology Award

Winter Springs, Fla. -- Intelligent optimization software developed by Greensleeves LLC proved to be the winning edge in the 2014 Global Technology Awards presented by ASHRAE, the world’s leading professional organization for heating, refrigerating and air-conditioning engineers---formerly the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers. Sharon K. Keeran, vice president at Greensleeves, said the annual ASHRAE Technology Awards recognize outstanding examples of innovative building designs that meet ASHRAE standards for effective energy management and indoor air quality. Greensleeves’ chief technology officer, Stephen Hamstra, earned the 2014 ASHRAE Global Technology Award for his work on the University of Findlay’s Davis Street Building in Findlay, Ohio. Hamstra’s design, which included geothermal and the Greensleeves patent pending GeoModuleTM, reduced the building’s annual energy costs by 57 percent, saving the university approximately $83,000. Best of all, the Greensleeves GeoModuleTM helped eliminate CO2 emissions calculated at more than 800 tons, significantly reducing the building’s energy footprint. “Green engineering is good for the planet, and Greensleeves GeoModuleTM is good for the bottom line too,” Keeran said. Hamstra’s 2014 ASHRAE Technology Award---the most prestigious in the industry---was formally presented at the recent ASHRAE 2014 Winter Conference at the New York Hilton. The University of Findlay’s Davis Street Building project and Greensleeves GeoModuleTM will be featured in the March 2014 issue of the ASHRAE Journal. The Davis Street Building, completed in 2012, includes 42,000 square feet of science classrooms and related spaces. The building houses 26 laboratory-classrooms along with offices, conference rooms and support spaces. Greensleeves has offices in Zeeland, Michigan, Findlay, Ohio and at the UCF Business Incubator in Winter Springs, Fla.

Lennar Homes expects more than 1,000 Visitors at Treviso Bay During CBIA Parade of Homes Weekend

NAPLES, Fla. --- Lennar Homes plans to entertain more than 1,000 visitors March 7-9 during Colliers Building Industry Assn Parade of Homes festivities at Treviso Bay, the spectacular gated golf course community located off Tamiami Trail in Naples. Matt Devereaux, director of sales and marketing for Lennar in southwest Florida, said Treviso Bay’s unique Italian provincial architectural themes and wide range of lifestyles will appeal to almost every Parade visitor. Model Estate Homes, Executive Homes, Verandah Homes, Terrace Condominiums and Coach Homes at Treviso Bay range in size from 1,741 square feet of living space to 2,110 square feet priced from the $300s. “The Collier Building Industries Association Parade of Homes is one of the best in the entire southeast,” Devereaux said. “The association is well-organized, the Parade theme this year is especially exciting and some of the model homes that are being showcased really are some of the best and brightest designs in America today,” Devereaux said. “I am proud to say that Lennar’s model homes number in that group,” he added.

Former Winston James Development employee leases office space at Beville Road Business Center, To operate property management company

SOUTH DAYTONA, Fla. -- Charles Kasza has opened Kasza Property Management, LLC at Beville Road Business Center in South Daytona. Winston Schwartz, president of Winston James Development, which owns Beville Road Business Center, said Kasza worked for Winston-James Development for more than 12 years. Kasza leased a 525 square foot office suite at Beville Road Business Center for his firm which specializes in community association management. Kasza Property Management is currently managing the Villages of Royal Palm in Port Orange

Park Square Homes has new model at its Lakeside at Toscana community in Dr. Phillips area

ORLANDO, Fla. --- Park Square Homes is now offering new three-story homes and a new model has been completed at its gated, luxury community of Lakeside at Toscana, located off Turkey Lake Rd. in the Dr. Phillips area of south Orlando. Anthony Rouhana, sales and marketing coordinator for Park Square Homes, said the new three-story model offers 4,300 square feet of living area and a lakefront pool. Rouhana said Park Square has 32 home sites in Lakeside at Toscana – including 15 lakefront home sites – for homes priced from the $600s. All the homes Park Square builds in Lakeside at Toscana offer five and six bedrooms and will range from 3,300 square feet of living area to 4,400 square feet. The community is located on Spring Lake, Rouhana added, and is in close proximity to fine schools, Mall at Millennia and the attractions Amenities at Toscana include lake views and luxurious landscaping, a clubhouse with fitness center, pool and spa.