NAI Realvest negotiates new lease agreement with Jackson Law Firm, Gateway Plaza Building is 96 Percent Leased

ORLANDO, Fla. – NAI Realvest recently negotiated a new lease agreement for 1,853 square feet of Class A office space in the Gateway Plaza building at 1201 S. Orlando Ave. (U.S. 17-92) at the intersection of Orange Ave. in Winter Park. The NAI Realvest office leasing team of Tom R. Kelley II, CCIM, Mary Frances West, CCIM and Chris Adams negotiated the lease representing the local landlord, Gateway Plaza LLC. The Jackson Law Firm is the new tenant at the 60,835 square foot Gateway Plaza which is now 96 percent leased. NAI Realvest and the Kelley/West/Adams team were named exclusive leasing agents for the Gateway Plaza building earlier this year.

Sundog Software LLC named one of 91 Top Simulation & Training Companies in 2013 by Military Training Technology Magazine

ORLANDO, Fla. --- Sundog Software LLC was named one of 91 Top Simulation and Training Companies in the U.S. by Military Training Technology, a leading simulation technology industry trade magazine. Frank Kane, founder and chief executive officer of Sundog Software LLC, said 2013 marks the company’s fifth consecutive year on Military Training Technology’s “A” list. Sundog Software specializes in the real-time rendering of natural environments such as sky, ocean, clouds and weather effects for professional game developers, military contractors, aviation companies, flight training simulators, architectural visualization and broadcast video developers. The company’s clients include NASA, the U.S. Navy and the FAA. Sundog Software is a client company of the University of Central Florida Business Incubation Program at the Central Florida Research Park in East Orange County.

ICI Homes starts construction of four-bedroom Brazilia model Estate home at Avilla in Kissimmee

KISSIMMEE, Fla. --- ICI Homes, which ranks as one of Florida’s most active luxury community developers, has started construction of the four-bedroom Brazilia model estate home at Avilla, the gated luxury community located in the Disney area off Dwyer Blvd., south of W. Osceola Parkway in Kissimmee Priced from $385,900, the Brazilia model home is part of ICI Homes’ new Courtyard Collection of luxury homes, said Rosemary Messina, vice president of sales and marketing for ICI Homes. “The Brazilia model home was designed to feature wide open spaces for family living and social engagements,” Messina explained. A fully-equipped gourmet kitchen serves a gathering room, café and dining room that total almost 700 square feet and open dramatically onto a huge private courtyard and covered lanai that can accommodate an optional swimming pool, fireplace and summer kitchen. The dining room can easily be converted into a study, Messina added. ICI Homes is building 81 luxury homes on estate home sites at Avilla with five distinctive designs that range in size from 2,500 square feet of living space to more than 3,500 square feet.

Pulte Homes to open a new community in Windermere area, Royal Estates in Spring 2014

ORLANDO, Fla. --- Pulte Homes plans to start construction of LifeTested® homes in the spring of 2014 at Royal Estates, located on Reams Road near C.R. 535 in the Windermere area. Sean Strickler, vice president of sales for Pulte Homes in the North Florida region, said Pulte Homes recently acquired the new community site with 169 single-family home sites to premier its new LifeTested® design series of homes with three-car garages. “Life Tested® home designs are inspired by homeowners,” Strickler said. “We continuously reach out to homeowners for feedback to improve our design process to best meet the needs of home buyers,” Strickler explained. “Life Tested® homes are designed and built for a new generation of home buyers with smarter use of living spaces and rooms they’ll use all the time, not just once a year,” he said.

NAI Realvest Negotiates Office Building Sale in Winter Park

ORLANDO, Fla. – NAI Realvest recently negotiated the sale of a 2,058 square foot office building located at 660 Shoreview Ave. in Winter Park for $300,000. Tom R. Kelley, II, CCIM, principal at NAI Realvest and associate Chris Adams negotiated the sale representing the seller Norma M. Raffo. The buyer, OETAM LLC was represented in the transaction by Emily Zinaich of Morrison Commercial Real Estate.

NAI Realvest Negotiates New Lease of 12,000 Square Foot Industrial Building at Heritage Center in Lakeland

ORLANDO, Fla. -- NAI Realvest recently negotiated a new industrial lease agreement for the 12,000 square foot industrial building at 2250 Commerce Park Drive in Lakeland. NAI Realvest associates Drew Saphos, CCIM and Paul Vera along with principals Christie Alexander and George Livingston, chairman at the firm, negotiated the agreement representing the Ft. Lauderdale-based landlord, Heartwood 43, LLC. The tenant, Finish Master Inc., based in Indianapolis, is an independent national distributor of automotive paints, coatings and accessories. David Tower of Sperry Van Ness represented the tenant in the transaction. The new location includes 800 square feet of office space and is part of the Heritage Center that fronts on U.S. Highway 98.

PulteGroup South Florida Honors Top Salesperson for August

Bonita Springs, Fla. -- The South Florida division of PulteGroup has named Marc Semach, who is working out of the community of VillageWalk of Bonita Springs, as its Top Sales Consultant for August, Scott Mairn, vice president of sales and marketing for the South Florida Division of PulteGroup, said Semach sold the highest number of new homes among all PulteGroup communities and brands in the South Florida division, which includes Pulte Homes, Centex, Del Webb and DiVosta Homes. Semach has been with DiVosta Homes for eight-and-a-half years. The Plymouth, Mich. native majored in communications and literature at Eastern Michigan University and enjoys fishing, golfing, hiking and spending time with family. Semach sells new two and three-bedroom single-family homes by DiVosta priced from the $190s in ten distinctive designs at VillageWalk of Bonita Springs, located on Umiak Court off Bonita Beach Road S.E. east of I-75 in Bonita Springs. PulteGroup ranks as one of the nation’s largest home builders and community developers.

Men’s Club at Del Webb’s Ponte Vedra Community Isn’t Just a Bunch of Retired Guys

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Some folks who retire actually stop working. But others, like Ken Gillespie and fellow members of the Riverwood Men’s Club at Del Webb Ponte Vedra, just shift their focus… from making money to helping others. The men’s club, which launched with a handful of Ponte Vedra residents in 2008, has a mission of fellowship, service and support, according to Gillespie, the current president. The five-year-old group, which initially took its name from the community’s previous moniker, now boasts a membership of 160 representing nearly a quarter of the living units at Ponte Vedra. And, while it hosts its share of fun events like Super Bowl parties and Bingo nights, it also fosters goodwill and fellowship among its residents and the surrounding communities by raising thousands of dollars annually for those in need. “We’re a bunch of guys who have had pretty good jobs all of our lives, so now we’re giving something back,” said Gillespie, a Belvidere, N.J. native. Gillespie and his wife, Mary Ann – a member of the community’s women’s club – have lived at Ponte Vedra, southeast of Jacksonville, since December of 2007. The club, which meets on the fourth Thursday of each month, varies its agenda to include everything from beer and pizza round-table discussions to listening to guest speakers like a U.S. Secret Service Agent or an executive from the Jacksonville Jaguars football team. Its next event will be a pasta dinner on Oct. 11, where members will dress in their best Italian chef attire, complete with fake mustaches. Sean Strickler, vice president of sales for Del Webb in North Florida, said residents at Ponte Vedra are very giving and almost turn fundraising into a competition. “People like Ken have a huge sense of community that shines through in the commitment they’ve made to make a difference in someone’s life,” he said. “And, the men’s club is one of the largest and most active clubs here to organize events and activities.” Gillespie, a retired human resources professional from M&M Mars, said there is much to attract new residents to the gated, 55 and up community of Ponte Vedra. Located on Del Webb Parkway, the crown jewel is the $14 million, 38,000-square-foot Anastasia clubhouse, complete with everything from a grand ballroom, social cafe and state-of-the-art fitness center to an indoor spa, a steam and sauna room and indoor and outdoor pools. “We’re 15 minutes from the ocean and 15 minutes from shopping and dining,” said 71-year-old Gillespie, who keeps busy playing golf and Bridge and is involved in the performing arts group and the investment club when he isn’t working part-time at the front desk at the clubhouse. In addition to its more than (how many?) clubs, Ponte Vedra also has an area known as Central Park, where residents can grow their own fruits, vegetables or flowers, or take in a concert on the open lawn. . Gillespie said another attraction is the developer’s obvious preservation of open, natural spaces. “They respected nature when building this community,” he said. Gillespie said the men’s club recently partnered with DelWebb and the community’s HOA to erect a 35-foot high flag pole that will be installed and surrounded by landscaped walkways that will serve as a central meeting place for holiday events and other gatherings. “We believe in this community,” Gillespie said. “If we didn’t, we wouldn’t have bought our second home here.”

Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty Negotiates $395,000 Sale of 24 Home Sites at the Reserve at Hidden Lake in Sanford

Lake Mary, Fla. --- Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty recently negotiated the sale of 24 town home sites at the Reserve at Hidden Lake in Sanford for $395,000. Roger Soderstrom, founder and owner of Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty, said commercial specialist John Kurtz negotiated the sale representing buyer D.R. Horton, Inc. Atlantic Development Corporation was the seller. “There are very few ready-to-go builder lots left in Seminole County and we think D.R. Horton will do very well in this location,” Kurtz said. Kurtz is currently marketing a variety of builder/developer projects across Central Florida priced from $300,000 to $15,000,000.

ICI Homes’ Luxury Models at Greenleaf Preserve at Nocatee Win Parade of Homes’ Top Awards

St. Augustine, Fla. --- Two of ICI Homes’ luxury models at Greenleaf Preserve at Nocatee took top honors at the 2013 St. Johns County Parade of Homes banquet held recently at the Marsh Creek Country Club. Don Wilford, North Florida division president for ICI Homes, said Parade judges ranked the Biltmore and the Allegheny models as the best in the class of homes priced above $500,000. The 2013 St. Johns County Parade of Homes running through Sept. 15 showcases 19 luxury models across 12 communities. The Biltmore, with three bedrooms and three baths in a one-story open floor plan with 3,195 square feet of living space, features a large central gathering room and oversized covered back porch and offers an optional three-car garage. ICI Homes offers the Biltmore starting from $440,900. The price of the Greenleaf Preserve at Nocatee parade model is $736,990. The one-story Allegheny floor plan consists of four bedrooms and four baths with a grand parlor, dining salon, kitchen and café that open to an expansive lanai at the rear of the home. It has 3,698 square feet of living space plus a two and a one-car garage. ICI Homes offers the Allegheny starting from $477,900. The price of the Greenleaf Preserve at Nocatee parade model is $719,950. Wilford said ICI Homes is building on 41 single-family homesites at Greenleaf Preserve at Nocatee, and new homes are priced from the low $400s.