Royal Oak Homes Completes Amenity Center at Marbella in Davenport

ORLANDO, Fla. --- Royal Oak Homes, one of the fastest-growing and most active homebuilders in Central Florida, recently completed construction of an amenity center at Marbella, the gated single-family home community located east of U.S. 27 off North Blvd. in Davenport. Matt Orosz, co-president of Royal Oak Homes, said the $600,000 amenity center includes a community cabana with playground, tennis court, basketball court, and storage for the HOA. “Royal Oak Homes purchased Marbella from a distressed position, and many of the existing residents never believed the amenity center that was originally promised would come to fruition,” Orosz said, “We were excited to help complete the original vision for the community.” Royal Oak is building three to six-bedroom homes in seven distinct floor plans at Marbella, priced from $177,999 to $227,999. Orosz said Marbella’s location near Disney, shopping and dining opportunities and the Davenport School of Arts appeals to tourism industry professionals, young families and vacation home investors alike. Two Royal Oak model homes are open daily at Marbella. For more information, visit www.royaloakhomes/marbella or telephone 863-207-0229 or 407-283-3672

Hold-Thyssen Negotiates New Long-Term Lease of 10,000+ Square Feet to PACE Center for Girls relocating to Counsel Square in New Port Richey

TAMPA, Fla. --- Carol L. Kinnard, transaction specialist at Hold-Thyssen, Inc., a commercial real estate services firm, recently negotiated a six-year lease agreement for 10,450 rentable square feet to house an educational facility at Counsel Square II in New Port Richey. Kinnard, who represents the landlord at Counsel Square II, said new tenant PACE Center for Girls, Inc. is a not-for-profit 501(c) 3 corporation that leased the space to relocate from Hudson. PACE (Practical Academic Cultural Education) provides a non-residential delinquency prevention program at locations statewide and accepts referrals from the juvenile justice system, schools and families. Professionals at the location will be conducting alternative educational, social and counseling programs focused on adolescent girls. Other tenants at Counsel Square include Pasco County Sheriff’s Child Protection Team and Psychological Management Group, PA, who have been tenants there for over 10 and 15 years respectively, Kinnard said. Hold-Thyssen, Inc. provides commercial property and leasing and management services to institutional and private investor clients nationwide. The 40-year old firm’s current portfolio includes more than100 commercial properties throughout the United States.

Life Skills Institute President Certified as Family Mediator by Florida Supreme Court

Kissimmee, Fla. -- Dr. Wanda Bonet-Gascot (“DrW”), president of the DrW® Life Skills Institute in Kissimmee has been certified as a Family Mediator by the Florida Supreme Court. DrW fulfilled all the requirements provided by the Florida Rules of Civil Procedure for Certified and Court Appointed Mediators and will be serving Florida’s Ninth Judicial Circuit Court. “Mediation is a process in which a neutral third party – a mediator – assists disputing parties to bridge their differences and find a mutually acceptable solution,” DrW said. Judges in Family Courts often refer couples to mediation as an alternative to divorce court. Family mediation aims at resolving disputes in a collaborative, creative, efficient way where everyone wins, she explained. DrW is also a certified life coach who teaches emotional intelligence skills at DrW® Life Skills Institute which is a client member of the University of Central Florida Business Incubation Program’s Kissimmee incubator For more information on DRW Coaching School, please visit: www.drwinstitute.org

Emerson International closes New Leases for office space totaling over 8,300 square feet at three of its Office Developments in Orlando area

Altamonte Springs, Fla. -- Emerson International recently negotiated three long-term lease agreements for Class A office space that totals more than 8,374 rentable square feet at its office developments in southwest Orlando, Maitland and Altamonte Springs. Kenneth Koch, director of leasing for Emerson International, completed a lease agreement for 6,440 square feet at 2600 Maitland Center Parkway. The new tenant is Flip.to, a firm that reaches out to travelers to boost brand awareness for hotels. The tenant was represented by Mark Harkins of Harkins Commercial. Koch also negotiated a new lease at Major Center Plaza I on Major Blvd. in Southwest Orlando with Guidance Realty who will occupy 1,089 square feet Leasing Associate Zac Starkey negotiated the lease of 845 square feet with tenant Movari Marketing at Emerson International’s CenterPointe Office Park in Altamonte Springs.

Royal Oak Homes Readies Last Phase at Hammock Trails in Kissimmee

KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- Royal Oak Homes, based in Orlando’s Baldwin Park, completed development of its third and final phase at Hammock Trails with 124 single-family homesites located on Big Timber Drive off of Highway 17-92 in Kissimmee. Hammock Trails has been one of the fastest selling new home communities in Osceola County for the past two years, according to Matt Orosz, co-president of Royal Oak Homes. One and two-story homes with four, five and six-bedrooms in Royal Oak’s new phase at Hammock Trails come in seven distinct floor plans priced from approximately $195,000 to $250,000 and range in size from 1,817 square feet of living space to 3,231 square feet, Orosz said. Royal Oak Homes is a third-generation home builder whose track record boasts more than 14,000 new homes built in Central Florida over the past 30 years under the Cambridge Homes brand, one of the region’s most successful home builders in the 1980s and 1990s. Founded in 2011, Royal Oak Homes is rapidly becoming one of the largest and most active home builders in the Central Florida area, building in 17 active communities in the region.

Ryland Homes Started Sales of New Homes at Limehouse Villas in Summerville

SUMMERVILLE, S.C. -- Ryland Homes recently started sales of three and four-bedroom single-family homes at Limehouse Villas, an intimate community of just 23 homesites off Limehouse Drive and Palermo Ave. in Summerville. Gayle Jinks, vice president of sales and marketing at Ryland Homes in the Charleston area, said the homebuilder recently completed a model home at Limehouse Villas – The Hartwell – that will premiered at a grand opening at the community the end of April. The two-story Hartwell model home has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths plus a sunroom in 1,666 square feet of living space plus a two-car garage, priced from $182,000. Jinks said Ryland Homes is offering five distinct one and two-story floor plans at Limehouse Villas that range in size from 1,172 square feet of living space to 2,250 square feet, priced from $163,000 to $199,000. Limehouse Villas is a natural gas community. It’s situated in the Dorchester II school district and minutes from shopping, dining, employment centers and offers easy access to major arterial highways and Charleston International Airport. Visit www.ryland.com or contact Leigh Mason at the Limehouse Villas sales office: (843) 851-0279

M/I Homes Names Eric Sergi Vice President of Operations

LAKE MARY, Fla. – M/I Homes has named Eric Sergi vice president of operations in the Orlando area. David Byrnes, area president of M/I Homes, said Sergi has more than 20 years of experience in commercial and residential construction. Sergi worked in his family’s commercial construction business while attending Boston College where he majored in business. In Florida Sergi worked on several projects in management positions with construction companies. He was with Lennar for several years, then he launched his own business with a partner in the restoration and refurbishing of hospitals in second and third world countries. In his new role as vice president of operations for M/I Homes Sergi will provide assistance to the area president in day-to-day activities that include all aspects of construction, managing vendors, project scheduling, purchasing and warranty for all communities in the central Florida area.

Lennar starts sales at Solterra South of Orlando

DAVENPORT, Fla. --- Lennar recently started sales of new vacation homes at Solterra, the resort-style community located on Ronald Reagan Parkway in Davenport south of Orlando near Disney. Brock Nicholas, division president of Lennar in the Orlando region, said Lennar has 24 homesites released at Solterra for new five and six bedroom vacation homes with their own private swimming pools, priced from the high $300s. Lennar’s two-story vacation home floor plans at Solterra are perfect for entertaining large groups, Nicholas said. The Alexander Palm priced from $364,990 has five bedrooms and five full baths in 3,014 square feet of living space with several gathering areas including a second-story loft. The Majesty Palm plan is just like it sounds. Priced from $379,990, it has six bedrooms and five bathrooms in 3,275 square feet and boasts two huge master suites on the second level. All Lennar built homes at Solterra come with the homebuilder’s “Everything’s Included” pledge: interior features that are typically optional -- granite counter tops, wood cabinetry, designer light fixtures, stainless steel appliances and more --- all included in the one Lennar Homes price. An amenities center at Solterra includes a 3,000 square foot clubhouse, resort-style swimming pool, cabana, water slide, two tennis courts, volleyball court and playground. Visit www.lennar.com/orlando

Volusia County – UCF Business Incubator and The Cairns Foundation to Host Innovation Challenge worth $15,000 and One-Year Business Incubation Program to Inventive Local College Student Teams

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – A $10,000 first prize and a $5,000 second prize will be awarded to the winners of The Cairns Foundation Innovation Challenge on April 2 when the foundation joins the Volusia County–University of Central Florida Business Incubation Program for the second consecutive year to spotlight technologies created by students at six area colleges and universities. The annual challenge – which begins at 12:30 pm in the Volusia Room at the Daytona Beach International Airport – will feature the finest student minds from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Bethune-Cookman University, the University of Central Florida, Florida Institute of Technology, Daytona State College, and Stetson University as they make their final “pitches” for the prizes. The top prize includes $10,000 plus one year’s enrollment in the UCF business incubation program. The second-place winner will receive $5,000 and one year’s enrollment in the business pre-incubation program. Attendance at the event is by invitation only. According to Connie Bernal, Associate Director and site manager of the Volusia County-UCF Business Incubation Program, one goal of the challenge is to promote the commercialization of innovations spawned by local undergraduate and graduate students; yet another goal is to stimulate start-up businesses in our community. The prize money and incubator programs will allow the winning student teams to advance and protect their technologies while preparing to launch new companies. The Innovation Challenge also offers the students a chance to partner with local investors. “The finalists will pitch their ideas to a group of businessmen and entrepreneurs,” Bernal said, adding “providing student teams with the possibility to accelerate their projects through early-stage funding.” Dr. Jim Cairns started the Foundation in 2003 to “identify and give a life-changing boost for bright, creative young persons who otherwise might never attain their full potential.” Through mentoring and funding, the Foundation aids young inventors to realize the technical and commercial potential of their creations. Bernal said Cairns shares not only his time and money with students and entrepreneurs, but also imparts to them the practices that launched and matured multi-million dollar companies founded on his inventions. “This is an example of how a successful inventor/entrepreneur can contribute to the development of our local innovative entrepreneurial ecosystem,” she said. For more information about the annual challenge, please visit www.cairnsfoundation.com.

HENIN GROUP TO BEGIN DEVELOPMENT OF NEXT FOUR PHASES AT RIVIERA BELLA

DeBary, Fla. – The Henin Group will start development soon of Phases 4 through 7 at Riviera Bella, the gated luxury community in DeBary overlooking the St. Johns River. Jerome Henin, president of the Henin Group, said the next phases will comprise 146 additional home sites featuring from 50 to 70 foot widths. Henin said there will be 35 more homesites developed in the estate section for new four, five and six bedroom homes starting from the mid $500,000s to well over a million dollars. There will also be a new phase of 17 riverfront homes, priced from $1 Million+. All four new phases will be breaking ground before the end of the year, Henin said. M/I Homes and Henin Homes are the builders for the final phases of Riviera Bella. The community is located off Fort Florida Road, west of the 17-92 and Highbanks Rd. intersection in DeBary