Pulte Homes Starts Construction of New Pearl III Model Home at Copperleaf in Palm City

Palm City, Fla. --- Pulte Homes has started construction of the new four-bedroom, four-bath Pearl III model home at Copperleaf, the luxury community located on Sand Trail, off SW Martin Downs Boulevard in Palm City. Scott Mairn, vice president of sales and marketing for Pulte Homes in south Florida, said the two-story Pearl III model is one of the most luxurious homes Pulte builds priced from $324,015 with 3,024 square feet of living space. Besides formal living and dining rooms, the Pearl III features an enormous family living area that includes an open island kitchen that serves a family room and screened lanai that together total more than 500 square feet of space. “The Pearl III was designed for family living,” Mairn said. “The space is designed to offer something for everyone in the family, with enough area for large family gatherings or neighborhood social occasions,” he said. For more information visit www.pulte.com

Pulte Homes Introduces New Custom “Royal Series” Home Designs at The Quarry in Naples

Naples, Fla. --- Pulte Homes has introduced its new custom “Royal Series” home designs at The Quarry, the luxury lakefront golf community located off Immokalee Road, four miles east of I-75 in Naples. Scott Mairn, vice president of sales and marketing at Pulte Homes in southwest Florida, said the new Royal Series of custom homes includes five distinctive designs that range from the three-bedroom, 3,504 square foot Kensington priced from $669,990 to the magnificent Sterling floor plan with three bedrooms, four baths, den, flex room and game room in 4,378 square feet priced from $739,990. Pulte Homes also builds new two, three and four-bedroom single-family homes at The Quarry priced from the low $200s. Surrounded by 830 acres of nature preserves, The Quarry features its 18-Hole Hurdzan-Fry championship golf course, the Quarry Golf Lodge with formal restaurant and bar, golf pro shop and informal bar and grille, the Quarry Lake Lodge and Beach Club, a resort lagoon pool with private lap pool, four lighted clay tennis courts, two bocce ball courts, and boat docks and cabanas with swimming, boating and fishing.

Only Eight Home Sites Remain for Sale at Bella Terra in Estero

FORT MYERS, Fla. --- Only eight home sites remain for sale at Bella Terra, Lennar’s gated community of Executive Homes located on Messino Court in Estero just south of Corkscrew Road three miles East of I-75. Matt Devereaux, director of sales for Lennar in southwest Florida, said the design of new three, four and five-bedroom Executive Homes at Bella Terra---inspired by the architectural style of northern Italy---has proved a powerful drawing card. “Bella Terra has grown into one of Lennar’s most popular and prestigious communities,” Devereaux said. Five distinctive floor plans are available at Bella Terra, Devereaux added. Lennar’s new Executive series of homes at Bella Terra range in size from 1,677 square feet of living area to 3,231 square feet priced from the $200s. And all of Lennar’s Executive Homes come with the homebuilder’s “Everything’s Included” pledge: extras such as granite kitchen countertops, wood cabinets, stainless steel appliances, crown molding and tile are all included in one Lennar Homes price. Bella Terra features a private park and lake pond, a community center and clubhouse with state-of-the-art fitness center, swimming pool, tennis and volleyball courts, a basketball court and children’s playgrounds. Visit www.lennar.com.

Orange County National Golf Center and Lodge Promotes Two

Winter Garden, Fla. --- The Orange County National Golf Center and Lodge in Winter Garden has promoted Heycha Marin to front desk supervisor at the lodge. Tano Malentin, general manager at Orange County National Golf Center and Lodge, said Marin joined Orange County National in May as front desk representative but she exhibited strong customer service and leadership skills over the summer. Marin formerly worked in the software field as a business development manager and has 15 years of experience in the hospitality industry with Marriott and Westin Resorts. Malentin said Orange County National also promoted Amber English to front of the house supervisor at the Orange 83 Pub and Grill. English joined the grill as a server last year and, according to Malentin, has “proven a leader by example” with exceptional customer service skills. Samantha Cranis was also recently hired as the housekeeping supervisor at the Orange County National Lodge.

Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty Markets New Live-Work Residences Starting at $250,000 in Downtown Longwood Historic District

LONGWOOD, Fla. --- Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty has been named exclusive sales and marketing agents for four live-work residences under development in downtown Longwood’s historic district. Roger Soderstrom, founder and owner of Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty, said the development site is two blocks from the new SunRail station and two blocks from South Seminole Regional Hospital. “We are seeing a tremendous amount of interest in housing close to SunRail stations along the 31-mile corridor that will be running in 2014. Running a business from home and close to the train station is a huge advantage,” said Soderstrom. The two-story residences with historic architectural design range in size from 2,338 square feet of living space to 3,184 square feet priced from $250,000 to $319,000, and they include professional office space on the ground floor and a two-car garage. Soderstrom said the largest unit offers four bedrooms and three-and-a-half baths plus a professional office area, and each resident has separate entrances from the spacious front porch for both residence and office areas. “Ideal users for the live-work residences will be single practitioners, consultants, attorneys, accountants, designers, artists, technology companies and even physicians,” he said. Sally Andy and David Warren with Stirling Sotheby's International Realty's Heathrow Marketing Center are representing the property and are the principal contacts. Construction of the live-work town homes will take approximately six months.

Park Square Homes nearing completion of new model home at Reunion

ORLANDO, Fla. – Park Square Homes is nearing completion of a new model home at Reunion, the luxury gated, golf course community located on Lake Wilson Road off SR 58 and I-4, south of Orlando near Disney. Anthony Rouhana, sales and marketing coordinator for Park Square Homes, said the homebuilder will host a grand opening of the Floridian model home in the fall. The Floridian will offer 3,045 square feet of living area with five bedrooms, five-and-a-half baths with a two-car garage, priced in the $450,000 range. Park Square Homes has 50 home sites remaining at Reunion for homes ranging from 3,000 square feet of living area to 3,400 square feet and designed with both rear and front loading garages, Rouhana said. Visit www.parksquarehomes.com

Henin Homes relocates sales office at Riviera Bella in DeBary

DEBARY, Fla. --- Henin Homes has relocated its sales office at Riviera Bella in DeBary from the community clubhouse to 107 Verde Way in Riviera Bella. Jerome Henin, founder and principal of The Henin Group, said the new sales office is now located within the Turino luxury model home at Riviera Bella. The Turino model home at Riviera Bella offers 3,577 square feet of living space with five bedrooms and three-and-a-half baths priced from $349,900. Its home site offers an excellent water view, Henin said. The Riviera Bella sales office is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sundays. The community overlooks the St. Johns River off Fort Florida Road, west of the 17-92 and Highbanks Rd. intersection in DeBary.

Hendricks-Berkadia Negotiates Sale of Mountain Lodge Apartments in Vestavia Hills, Ala. for $14,225,000

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. --- Hendricks-Berkadia, one of the nation’s largest and most active multifamily investment banking and research companies, recently negotiated the sale of Mountain Lodge Apartments, a 320-unit apartment community located in Vestavia Hills, Ala. for $14.225 million. David Oakley, senior vice president of Hendricks-Berkadia Alabama office negotiated the sale representing the seller, Brookstone, LLC, Mountain Lodge Company, LLC, and Pawnee, LLC, Alabama limited liability companies, based in Birmingham. Mountain Lodge, built in 1973, has a total of 239,400 square feet of rentable living space with one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments. The buyer was TEG Mountain Lodge, LLC, based Rockland County, New York.

Isabella’s Bella Cucina in Orlando Hires Special Events Director

ORLANDO, Fla. --- Isabella’s Bella Cucina, the Orlando based corporate and social events caterer that provides entertaining cooking demonstrations for team-building, self-sufficiency with a new cooking show to air this fall, has named Rhonda Herborn director of special events. Chef Isabella, founder of Isabella’s Bella Cucina in Orlando – with clients throughout Florida, and in New York, Chicago and San Francisco – said Herborn is a Florida native who has 17 years of combined experience in education, communications, organic marketing and sales. She formerly was an assistant teacher working with special needs students in both the N.J. and Orange County, Fla. School Systems, and earned top sales ranking as an independent Mary Kay consultant. Herborn is first vice president and programs chair for Orlando Republican Women’s Network (ORWN) where she has previously chaired other committees and was editor of the organization’s newsletter. In her new role as special events director for Isabella’s Bella Cucina, Herborn will focus on expansion of the company’s private and corporate clientele base. Isabella’s Bella Cucina stages entertaining cooking demonstrations to teach corporate groups the joys of cooking and eating well and bringing communities and America back to health at the table. Chef Isabella has performed before corporate boards and conventions with as many as 3,000 people. “I’m so pleased to be on board with Isabella’s Bella Cucina, and to be part of a team that strives beyond measure to turn a unique blend of healthy home cooking, passion and philosophy into memorable experiences that benefit everyone,” Herborn said. Isabella’s Bella Cucina is a client company of the University of Central Florida Business Incubation Program.

Outside Magazine Names First Green Bank as One of America’s Best Places to Work in 2013

Mount Dora, Fla. -- First Green Bank was recently named among the top 100 Best Places to Work by Outside Magazine on its sixth annual list of selected top performing small, medium and large companies. The full list is published at OutsideOnline.com/bestplacestowork. Outside’s “Best Places to Work” project celebrates the innovative companies setting a new standard for a healthy work-life balance. The list was compiled with the help of the Outdoor Industry Association and Best Companies Group. The year-long selection process began with an outreach effort that identified a wide range of non-profit and for-profit organizations with at least 15 employees working in an office in the United States. Participating companies were sent confidential employee-satisfaction surveys and employer-questionnaires to collect information about benefits, compensation, policies, job satisfaction, environmental initiatives, and community outreach programs. The experts at Best Companies Group analyzed the results and selected the companies that best enable employees to pursue active lifestyles while also supporting their social and environmental contributions. This year’s “Best Places To Work” list highlights not only the Top 100 companies, but also spotlights those on the list that offer the best perks, including “fitness-friendly” companies, those with the “best benefits”, and the “best social/environmentally responsible” organizations. The list also pinpoints the companies based on location, highlighting the “Best Places to Work” in the West, the Mountains, the Midwest and South, and the Northeast. “We set goals and we work hard to see them through. We are very proud of the recognition we have received from our employees and to be among those companies with the best work environments,” said Ken LaRoe, chairman of First Green Bank. “We’re thrilled to celebrate all 100 of these forward-thinking companies,” says Michael Roberts, Senior Executive Editor of Outside. “They believe success depends on helping their employees live more active and fulfilling lives. The kinds of benefits they’re providing—free fitness classes, flexible hours, subsidized healthy meals, lots of time out of the office—result in a more productive and engaged staff.”