Emerson International Negotiates Two New Long-Term Office Leases at Major Center Plaza in Southwest Orlando

ORLANDO, Fla. --- Emerson International recently completed two new long-term lease agreements for Class A office space totaling 2,212 square feet at Major Center Plaza I, 5728 Major Blvd. in southwest Orlando.

Eric Emerson, vice president and general manager of Emerson International, Inc. said commercial portfolio manager Kenneth Koch negotiated transactions representing the landlord, Emerson.

Passur Aerospace, Inc. an information technology firm serving the aviation and aerospace industries headquartered in Connecticut leased 1,315 square feet and Bryant Hodge & Associates, a financial services firm based in Buffalo, N.Y. leased 897 square feet.

Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty Named Exclusive Marketing Agents for Unique Horse Farm in Lake County

ORLANDO, Fla. --- Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty has been named exclusive marketing agents for the unique Rozzy Osbourne equestrian estate located on Tuscanooga Road in Groveland, Fla.

Roger Soderstrom, founder and owner of Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty, said the 32 acre estate includes a four bedroom, four bath luxury home, with 3,847 square feet of living space and a 2,100 square foot barn.

To view a video of the property visit http://www.stirlingsir.com/index.php?action=listingview&listingID=149361

Stirling Sotheby’s International Luxury Home Specialist Linnette Sanzalone is marketing representative for the blues singer’s property which is listed at the highly discounted price of $599,000.

“The barn is extremely well built and could easily be converted to a guest house, workshop or man cave.” Soderstrom said.

The property includes stables, a tree house, a pond with a private dock that affords seating and electricity, plus a covered picnic area with electricity that would easily seat 40 people.

Sanzalone said the on-site utilities include a generator, 500 gallon propane tank, two separate wells — one for a nine zone irrigation system — and a pumping station that shunts excess water to wetlands in the very back of the property.

Indoors, the home features tray ceilings, crown molding, oversized rooms, solid custom wood floors, built-in shelving units, two pantries, double built-in ovens, commercial grade ice machine and top-grade appliances.

Two additional oversized storage rooms could be converted into guest rooms or an exercise room, Sanzalone said.

This is a remarkable home that could serve as a family compound for entertaining and hosting the annual family reunion, she added.

See Rozzy Osborne’s web site www.rkoblues.net for an illustration of his continued support and compassion for animals.

Hendricks & Partners Closes on Four Apartment Communities in the Birmingham area totaling $3.5 million

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. --- Hendricks & Partners, which ranks as one of the nation’s largest multi-family real estate advisory and research firms, closed on four sales of rental apartment communities in the Birmingham area for $3.5 million since the start of the year.

David Oakley, senior investment advisor for Hendricks & Partners in Birmingham, negotiated all four property sales and represented both buyers and sellers in three out of the four transactions.

Wedgewood Apartments, located at 100 Robert Jemison Ave. in Birmingham, sold for $1,350,000 to Abbey Residential, an investment group that includes AR-Highland, LLC, JFB-Highland, LLC and DXM-Highland, LLC, all of Birmingham.

Oakley negotiated the sale of the 54-unit Wedgewood Apartment property along with Hal Warren, associate partner of Hendricks & Partners in Orlando.

“Wedgewood Apartments sit adjacent to the Highland Bluffs and Highland View apartments that Abbey Residential acquired in November 2010 and they plan to blend these into their Highland Portfolio,” Oakley said.

East Bend Apartments, 1968 East Bend Cr. in Birmingham’s Centerpoint area, sold for $1.1 million to Summer Rise, LLC of Birmingham, JIL East Bend Apts. Inc., sold the 110 unit property, which was built in 1971. East Bend Apartments was 78 percent occupied at closing.

Highland court, located in Birmingham’s Lakeview Avondale area, sold for $560,000 to Domar Properties II, LLC of Birmingham. The 36 unit property was 50 percent occupied at closing, Oakley said. Bulldog Investments, LLC was the seller.

Hillwood Apartments, 100 Pinson Place in Birmingham, sold for $490,000 to Hillwood Apartments, LLC. The 44 unit property in the Pinson community was 59 percent occupied at the time of closing. Superior Bank was the seller and was represented by Bob Schuler with Schuler Realty Investment, LLC

Celebration Golf Management courses roll out the Red carpet for charity golf tournaments

CELEBRATION, Fla. – Six golf courses in Central Florida under Celebration Golf Management are rolling out the Red carpet for charitable organizations that want to hold golf tournaments to raise money for their programs.

Gene Garrote, president of Celebration Golf Management and Dorothy Benson, Sales and Marketing Manager, said all six Central Florida golf courses in the Celebration portfolio work with civic, social, community and charity organizations to produce fundraising golf tournaments.

Celebration donates twenty four (24) free rounds of golf — four rounds at each Celebration Golf Management Course — for use as prizes or donations in tournaments that draw 40 or more players, Benson explained. That offer is good by signing a contract, and giving a deposit by the end of the year.

Benson added that Celebration Golf Management recently hosted tournaments for the British American Chamber of Commerce to raise money for Dream Flight, Celebration High School’s football program, and the Florida Association of Water Quality Control (FAWQC) will hold a charity tournament to raise money for scholarships in May.

In May, Stoneybrook West Golf Club in Winter Garden will host Charity Tournaments for Lake Sherwood Church, West Orange High School and St. Marks AME Church, Benson said.

Celebration Golf Management golf courses include Celebration Golf Club near Walt Disney World in Celebration, The Golden Bear Club in Windermere, Legends Golf and Country Club and Kings Ridge Club in Clermont, Stoneybrook West Golf Club, in Winter Garden and Eagle Creek Golf Club in southeast Orlando.

ICI Homes sweeps NE Florida Parade of Homes and earns four first place awards

JACKSONVILLE, FL --- ICI Homes, which ranks as one of the nation’s largest luxury community developers and builders, recently swept the 2011 Northeast Florida Builders Association (NEFBA) Parade of Homes and earned the company four first place Gold awards and one second place Silver award.

Don Wilford, North Florida division president at ICI Homes, said the awards sweep marks ICI Homes’ best Parade of Homes performance in more than 25 years in Northeast Florida. “We are very excited over the news,” Wilford said. “We knew we would do well in this year’s Parade — we entered some spectacular model homes.”

ICI Homes took first place gold awards for the Plantation II model home at Magnolia Preserve, the Egret III model home at St. Johns Forest, and the Milan model home at Palencia. The community of Palermo topped the list with gold going for the Portofino model home and silver for the Venticello.

Wilford pointed out that ICI Homes won more first place awards this year than the other 23 participants and believed this is due in part to the fact that he has designed ten new plans every year to meet the rapidly changing market.

Of the 52 models that ICI has entered in the NEFBA Parade of Homes over the last fifteen years, 42 received gold awards and six more received silver awards. Said Wilford, “That means that more than 80 percent of all ICI’s entries are gold award winners and we’re really proud of that.”

Of the eighteen model homes currently open at communities in the Jacksonville area, fourteen are past and present award winners. For a complete line-up of ICI Homes’ available models and communities, directions and contact information, go to www.ICIHomes.com or call 904-281-0800.

Beazer Homes hosts more than 100 at Grand Re-Opening of Dupree Lakes in Land O’Lakes, two new model homes unveiled

TAMPA, Fla. --- Beazer Homes hosted more than 100 current residents and potential home buyers recently at the grand re-opening of Dupree Lakes, a residential community located in Pasco County off Collier Parkway in Land O’Lakes.

Ed Suchora president of Beazer Homes in the Tampa Bay region said the home builder hosted the recent weekend event to showcase two new model homes in the new third phase at Dupree Lakes.

Suchora said 75 home sites are available in the new phase at Dupree Lakes. New three, four and five bedroom homes priced from the $150s range in size from 1,400 square feet of living space to 3,200 square feet and are built with Beazer’s eSMART features that include elements to increase energy and water efficiency and indoor air-quality.

Dupree Lakes features a community sports complex and clubhouse that includes a resort-style swimming pool and splash zone with playground area, tennis courts, basketball and volleyball courts. The community is convenient to shopping, entertainment a new hospital and 15 minutes from three highly rated schools.

Visit www.beazer.com or call 813-929-0710 at Dupree Lakes which is open 10-6 Tuesday through Saturday and Noon to 6 Sunday and Monday.

About Beazer Homes:

Beazer Homes, headquartered in Atlanta, is one of the country's 10 largest single-family homebuilders with operations in 17 states. Beazer Homes is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "BZH."

Celebration Golf Management eyes major growth, will focus on southeast region

CELEBRATION, Fla. --- Celebration Golf Management LLC plans to expand the business model that has grown the four year old company into a well-respected regional management firm with six central Florida courses and two more in Myrtle Beach and Kingsport, Tenn.

Gene Garrote, president and principal of Celebration Golf Management LLC, launched the company in 2007 while he was operating the Celebration Golf Course in the unique Disney community near Orlando.

Garrote, 39 grew up in Miami, of Spanish and Italian heritage, where he started playing golf as a 15 year old and took jobs at local courses to earn more playing time.

“I started as a bag attendant, worked in the cart barn, in the golf shop, in food and beverage and finally worked my way into management,” Garrote said. That’s where he found his passion

Today, Celebration Golf Management employs more than 300 co-workers. More than 30 managers at Celebration Golf followed Garrote’s career path “up through the ranks.”

“Golf course management is a relationship business,” Garrote said. “Every visit to one of our courses presents the opportunity for us to help create a lifetime memory for the golfer. Every detail of our business aims to achieve that,” Garrote said.

Garrote said Celebration Golf enjoys modest growth and profitability thanks to a conservative approach that keeps the customers — and the courses — first.

“Our priorities are first making sure the guest is number one, second, making sure our co-workers have all the resources they need to provide excellent services and a memorable golfing experience on every visit, and third, to generate a profit,” Garrote said.

“We dissect our business and look at every single element, every expense,” he said. “We put our profits back into the courses, our guest facilities, our equipment and our co-workers,”

The U.S. economic downturn has separated the good golf management companies from the great ones, Garrote said, and Celebration Golf’s top managers have become expert at out-of-the-box thinking.

“We don’t look at golf courses as the sole revenue center,” Garrote said. “There are so many things we can do to generate revenue if we create our own opportunities.”

Celebration Golf hosts its own golf academies, corporate and institutional golf leagues, tournaments, banquets and a wide range of special and seasonal promotions and events, Garrote explained.

Garrote said Celebration Golf Management is currently considering acquisition of some six additional courses in Florida and outside the state. “We’re looking at two opportunities right now,” Garrote said.

Celebration plans to focus its growth on the Sunbelt states.

Right now Celebration Golf Management includes Celebration Golf Course, in Celebration, The Golden Bear in Windermere, Kings Ridge Golf Club and Legends Golf Club in Clermont, Stoneybrook West in Winter Garden and Eagle Creek Golf Club in Southeast Orlando.

Crossman & Company Negotiates 10 Long Term Leases for Publix Super Markets that Total 24,577 Square Feet of Retail Space

ORLANDO, Fla. --- Crossman & Company, the Orlando-based commercial real estate firm that ranks as one of the largest retail property specialists in the southeast, turned in a strong 2011 first quarter for client Publix Super Markets, Inc.: 10 long-term agreements that total 24,577 square feet of retail space.

John Crossman, president of Crossman & Company, said associate Ashley Thornburg and Justin Greider, vice president and director of leasing at Crossman & Company negotiated the lease agreements in Brevard, Seminole, Palm Beach, Sarasota, Pinellas, Duval and Martin Counties in Florida and in Atlanta, Ga.

Thornburg negotiated five lease agreements at three Publix-owned retail centers in Florida:

At Publix at Town Commons, 8899 Hypoluxo Rd. in Lake Worth, Wildberries leased 1,572 square feet for three years and Prime Time NY Deli, 3,869 square feet for 10 years.

At Cornerstone at Stuart, 1501 NW Federal Highway in Stuart, Festival Music Centers leased 1,200 square feet and Surf Ratz, 3,600 square feet and both were for five-year terms.

At University Walk, 2875 University Parkway in Sarasota, AT&T signed a four-year lease for 1,000 square feet.

Greider negotiated five lease agreements at five Publix-owned retail centers in Florida and Georgia:

At Palm Springs Crossing, 482 East Altamonte Dr. in Altamonte Springs, Miracle Ear leased 1,025 square feet for five years.

Sound Advice Hearing Aids leased 1,761 square feet for five years in the Pinellas retail center at 857 West Bay Drive in Largo;

At OakLeaf Plantation Center, 9518 Argyle Forest Blvd. in Jacksonville, Fro-Yogi leased 1,725 square feet for five years.

Anytime Fitness signed a 10-year lease for 4,025 square feet at Rockledge Crossing retail center, 3820 Murrell Road in Rockledge.

Sherwin-Williams leased 4,800 square feet for five years at Paces Ferry Center, 2451 Cumberland Parkway in Atlanta.

Publix Supermarkets owns or operates retail centers throughout the Southeast that total more than 11 million square feet.

About Crossman & Company

Headquartered in Orlando, Florida, Crossman & Company is a commercial real estate brokerage firm that specializes in the retail industry. Currently their portfolio under leasing and/or management exceeds 150 shopping centers throughout the Southeast US. Founded in 1990, Crossman & Company focuses solely on landlord representation and serves clients including Publix, PREIT, and GE. Please visit www.crossmanco.com, or call 407-423-5400 for more information.

Ryland Homes Eyes Entry into Raleigh Market, Appoints New Vice President of Land Acquisition

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Ryland Homes has appointed Mitch Huff vice president of land acquisition in the Raleigh region.

Jay Thrower, division president for Ryland Homes in Charlotte, said Huff earned his MBA degree from the College of William & Mary and has more than 30 years of experience as a homebuilding executive and developer.

“Mitch Huff is one of the most experienced land acquisition experts in the Raleigh region and we are delighted he has joined the Ryland Homes team here,” Thrower said.

Thrower said Huff, who will be based in the Raleigh office, has a lot to do: Ryland Homes is expanding to include the Raleigh market, and Huff’s efforts in securing new land positions will lead the process.

“We are currently negotiating to acquire home sites in the Raleigh market,” Thrower said.

Currently, Ryland Homes builds single-family homes priced from the $120s to more than $300,000 in 12 communities throughout the Charlotte area.

The homebuilder recently hosted grand opening events at Traditions in Pineville, Baden Village at Regent Park in Fort Hill, Christenbury Mews in Concord, The Reserve at Morrison Plantation in Mooresville and Westland Farm in Mount Holly.

Visit www.ryland.com.

About Ryland Homes

With headquarters in Southern California, Ryland is one of the nation’s largest homebuilders and a leading mortgage-finance company. The company currently operates in 28 markets across the country and has built more than 275,000 homes and financed more than 230,000 mortgages since its founding in 1967. Ryland is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “RYL.”

Grub Taxi Adds TooJay’s Gourmet Deli in Waterford Towne Center for Business and Home Delivery Services

ORLANDO, Fla. - Grub Taxi LLC, the Orlando restaurant home and business delivery service that launched in June 2008 in the UCF area, announced that TooJay’s Gourmet Deli in Waterford Lakes joined the company as a restaurant partner.

David Gray, marketing manager at Grub Taxi, said Grub Taxi mobile waiters are now making home and business deliveries for TooJay’s in Waterford Towne Center to any of Grub Taxi’s standard delivery areas in the Orlando area.

Grub Taxi’s 25 to 30 drivers currently deliver in East Orlando, Oviedo, Casselberry, Winter Springs, Winter Park, East and Southeast Orlando communities including Avalon Park, the Lake Nona, Lee Vista and Airport areas.

Grub Taxi now serves more than 90 restaurants and plans to expand delivery service into Osceola County in June.

Gray said the firm projects sales for 2011 will exceed $1.2 million, which is a 60 percent increase over sales in 2010.

Grub Taxi is a client company of the University of Central Florida Business Incubation Program. For more information visit www.grubtaxi.com.

About Grub Taxi LLC

Grub Taxi partners with more than 90 Orlando area restaurants to offer customers choices beyond traditional pizza and Chinese delivery, although Grub Taxi does offer those restaurants. They deliver non-traditional cuisines such as BBQ, Bar & Grill, Ice Cream, Smoothies, Deserts, Diner meals, Sushi, Mediterranean, Latin and more. Grub Taxi also provides convenient drop-off and corporate catering – parties, social events, office meetings – for large groups at discounted prices. Visit www.grubtaxi.com

About the UCF Business Incubation Program:

Since its founding in 1999, the UCF Business Incubation Program has helped more than 160 emerging companies (including nearly 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 eight – and soon nine – facilities opened 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, the Florida High Tech Corridor Council and will be adding Volusia County. For more information, please visit www.incubator.ucf.edu.