Lennar Unveils New “Everything’s Included Homes”–Upgrades at no extra charge–in all Tampa Bay Area Communities including Lakeland

TAMPA, Fla. --- Lennar has unveiled its “Everything’s Included Homes” with valuable upgrades and extras in each of its 17 Tampa Bay area communities including Pasco County and Lakeland.

Mark Metheny, president of Lennar’s Central Florida Division, said “Everything’s Included” means just that--- all appliances – refrigerator, range, microwave, washer and dryer, along with upgraded counters, cabinetry, crown moulding and even premium landscaping.

“In these economic times, homebuyers are doing everything they can to stretch their dollars,”
Metheny said. “Lennar’s ‘Everything’s Included Homes’ afford homebuyers more upgrades and extras at no additional charge, along with record low pricing and interest rates,” he added.

Lennar sells single-family homes and town homes priced from under $100,000 to more than $300,000 in 17 communities in the Tampa Bay region, including active adult communities.

Visit www.Lennar.com.
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For more information, contact: Francine Miller, Director of Sales & Marketing Lennar-Tampa Region, 727-479-1747; Mark Metheny, Lennar Division President-Central Florida, 727-479-1700

Ashton Woods Homes Reports Steady Three-year Growth in New Home Sales in Tampa Bay Region

TAMPA - Ashton Woods Homes reports it has posted steady growth in new home sales in the Tampa Bay region over the past three years.

Michael Roche, vice president of sales and marketing for Ashton Woods Homes in the Tampa Bay region, said the home builder closed out its 2010 fiscal year on May 31 with sales of 97 new homes in four Tampa Bay-area communities at an average sale price of $236,000.

Roche said 2010 sales represent 21 percent growth over 2009, when Ashton Woods Homes sold 80 new homes. The home builder sold 69 new homes in fiscal 2008, Roche said.

“We have continued to focus on fundamentals through this market cycle with desirable locations, high-quality building, energy efficiency and affordable pricing and we’re very pleased our approach is working,” Roche said.

Ashton Woods Homes is a subsidiary of the Great Gulf Group of companies, a North American real estate conglomerate headquartered in Toronto, and currently has communities under development in Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, Phoenix, Tampa, Denver and Orlando. Visit www.ashtonwoodshomes.com.
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For more information, contact: Michael Roche, VP Sales & Marketing Ashton Woods Homes Tampa-Orlando 407-647-3700; John Reny, President, Ashton Woods Homes Tampa-Orlando 407-647-3700

Ashton Woods Homes has only Four Home Sites for Sale at Fern Grove in Valrico

TAMPA, Fla. --- Ashton Woods Homes has only four single-family home sites remaining for sale at Fern Grove, located in Valrico.

Michael Roche, vice president of sales and marketing at Ashton Woods Homes, said new three, four and five-bedroom single-family homes at Fern Grove range in size from 1,712 square feet of living space to 2,764 square feet.

New homes at Fern Grove are priced from $179,900, and one model home is open daily.
Fern Grove is located on Durrant Road one-quarter mile east of S. Dover off Highway 60 in Valrico.

Ashton Woods Homes is a subsidiary of the Great Gulf Group of Companies, a North American real estate conglomerate headquartered in Toronto, and currently has communities under development in Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, Phoenix, Tampa, Denver and Orlando.
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For more information, contact:
Michael Roche, VP Sales & Marketing Ashton Woods Homes-Tampa 407-647-3700
John Reny, President, Ashton Woods Homes-Tampa 407-647-3700
Larry Vershel or Beth Payan, Larry Vershel Communications, 407-644-4142

Crossman & Company Broker Courtney Kowalchuk closes on 19 lease transactions in Orange, Volusia and Hillsborough Counties

ORLANDO, Fla. --- Courtney Kowalchuk, senior leasing associate at Crossman & Company, one of the largest third-party retail leasing and management firms in the Southeast, closed on 19 lease transactions that total 53,996 square feet of retail, office and warehouse space in Orlando, Winter Park, Deltona, Tampa.

John Crossman, president of Crossman & Company, based in Orlando, said Kowalchuk negotiated the 19 transactions representing the landlords for the following:

•Five leases totaling 16,271 square feet of medical/office space at Studio Plaza/Brookwood on Vineland Road in Southwest Orlando including two five-year leases – 5,003 square feet to Southwest Internal Medicine Specialists and 4,452 square feet to Celebration Dental Services, L.C; Two three-year leases – 2,560 square feet to Central Florida Wellness & Rehab, P.A. and 1,918 square feet to Franklin M. Watson II, DDS, P.A. and a two-year lease for 2,338 square feet to HCG International, Inc., a weight-loss clinic.

•A five-year lease agreement for 3,920 square feet of retail space with SIGI, LLC d/b/a Stefanos Italian Grille at Summerport Village in Windermere. Cornerstone at Summerport LLC is the landlord;

•Lake Highland Preparatory School, LLC leased 9,000 square feet of warehouse space for three years from Brookhaven/Virginia LLC, landlord of the facility located at 543 Brookhaven near downtown Orlando.

•Five-year lease agreement with First Alliance Insurance LLC for 880 square feet at 2254 Aloma Ave. in the Shoppes of Aloma and a two-year renewal lease for 810 square feet with Panesar, Inc., a drop-off drycleaner at 2238 Aloma in the same Winter Park center;

•At Deltona Fountains, a five-year lease agreement with West Volusia Memorial Hospital d/b/a Florida Hospital-Deland for 3,000 square feet of retail space and a three-year lease for 1,200 square feet to Jacob Botros for a pizza restaurant at the West Volusia County shopping center located at 777 Deltona Blvd.

•Five-year renewal agreement with The Pool Pleaser III, Inc. for 1,400 square feet of retail space at Cornerstone at Lake Hart on the corner of Narcoossee and Moss Park Roads in southeast Orlando;

•Central Florida Educators Federal Credit Union renewal of 150 square feet for five years at Aloma Shopping Center, 2279 Aloma Avenue, Winter Park

•Three-year lease renewal with Gambro Healthcare of East Orlando, LLP for 4,995 square feet of medical/office space at Orlando Medical & Professional Center on SR 436 north of Curry Ford Road in east Orlando;

•Three lease renewals at the Virginia Drive multi-building office complex located between Alden Road and Ferris Avenue including Flight Avionics with 7,171 square feet for three years at 520 Virginia Drive and one-year each for Oakwood Mortgage Corp. with 1,493 square feet at 636 Virginia Drive and ETA Logistics, 1,500 square feet at 511-2 Brookhaven Drive.

•At City Plaza at Tampa Palms, 16027 Tampa Palms Blvd. in Tampa, MAC Distribution, Inc. d/b/a UPS Store renewed its 1,015 square feet for 15 months and Tampa Palms Animal Hospital renewed its lease of 1,192 square feet for two years.

For more information please contact:
Courtney Kowalchuk, Senior Associate Crossman & Company, 407-581-6232; ckowalchuk@crossmanco.com
Justin Greider, Senior Associate, Crossman & Company/ICSC Florida Next Generation Chair, 407-581-6225; jgreider@crossmanco.com
John Crossman, CCIM, President, Crossman & Company, 407-581-6218, jcrossman@crossmanco.com
Larry Vershel or Beth Payan, Larry Vershel Communications, 407-644-4142, lvershelco@aol.com

About Crossman & Company:
Crossman & Company is one of the largest third-party retail leasing and management companies in the Southeast with over 16 million square feet under leasing and/or management. Founded in Orlando in 1990, Crossman & Company is a full service commercial real estate firm that advises its clients in leasing, management, development and investment sales of retail and office properties and serves clients including Publix Super Markets, Inc., Lake Nona, PREIT, and LaSalle Investment Management. Please visit www.crossmanco.com, or call 407-423-5400 for more information.