DRW Life Skills Institute to offer Two-Day Course on Emotional Intelligence March 22-23

Kissimmee, Fla. --- DRW Life Skills Institute in Kissimmee will offer a two-day beginners workshop on emotional intelligence and critical communications skills March 22-23 at the Institute, headquartered on the fourth floor of the UCF Business Incubator facility at 111 E. Monument Ave. in Kissimmee. Dr. Wanda Bonet-Gascot PhD, President, Life Coach and Project Manager at the DRW Life Skills Institute, said the workshop is titled Emotional Intelligence: Listening to Myself. “Emotional intelligence is a set of skills that influence self-perception, the way we express ourselves, performance and even how we socialize and relate in our work, family, and community,” Dr. Bonet-Gascot explained. “The workshop is designed to help participants improve critical communication skills and start learning how Life Skills can dramatically improve their lives, their families, and their careers,” she said. Tuition for the workshop is $595.00. For additional details, visit www.drwinstitute.org.

Hold-Thyssen Real Estate Services Adds Property Management Assignments that Total 250,000 Square Feet in Florida

Winter Park, Fla. --- Hold-Thyssen Real Estate Services, a commercial property firm based in Winter Park with offices in Tampa and Nashville, added more than 250,000 square feet of commercial properties to its Florida property management portfolio over the past 60 days. R. Anthony Fisher, vice president of Hold-Thyssen Real Estate Services, said the firm manages more than three million square feet of commercial space. Fisher said the new assignments include 46,000 square feet of space in Winter Haven, 25,000 square feet in Sunrise, 21,500 in Vero Beach, 47,000 in Jupiter and 110,000 square feet in Plantation. All of the most recent assignments are REO bank-owned properties or properties in receivership, Fisher said. Hold-Thyssen 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 that 100 commercial properties throughout the United States.

Hold-Thyssen negotiates three lease agreements totaling more than 9,000 square feet in Orlando

WINTER PARK, Fla. --- Hold-Thyssen Real Estate Services, a commercial property firm based in Winter Park with offices in Tampa and Nashville, recently negotiated three lease agreements totaling 9,139 square feet in Orlando. Troy Stevens, leasing agent at Hold-Thyssen negotiated the three transactions, representing the Landlord for each facility – Miami-based LNR Partners, LLC. Groupware, a local IT services firm renewed its lease of 7,500 square feet in Kennedy Commerce Center, a flex warehouse facility at 995 W. Kennedy Blvd. off S. Keller Rd. Southeast Wiring Solutions, experts in security systems, alarm monitoring and home automation, leased 1,000 square feet of flex warehouse space in suite 6270 in Edgewater Commerce Center at 3300 Edgewater Drive. ADTC Fire and Security, Inc. of Orlando leased suite 116 with 639 square feet in the Kirkman Commerce Center at 771 Kirkman Rd. in Southwest Orlando. Hold-Thyssen Real Estate Services 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 that 100 commercial properties throughout the United States.

2013 Real Estate Report for East Volusia: Sales of Luxury Homes up more than 60 percent

ORLANDO / PORT ORANGE, Fla. --- Sales of luxury homes in the East Volusia region---including Daytona Beach, New Smyrna Beach, and Spruce Creek Fly-In in Port Orange---saw robust growth in 2013, up more than 60 percent over 2012 sales according to a recent Real Estate Report published by Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty in Orlando. Roger Soderstrom, founder and owner of Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty, said associates Debbie Keilin, Rachel McGrath and Maureen Reynolds of the firm’s East Volusia offices at Spruce Creek Fly-In compiled the survey of closed real estate sales. Soderstrom said one reason for the increased sales of luxury homes is that listings of homes for sale increased by almost a quarter in 2013. “The market is coming back,” Soderstrom said. “As home owners see other homes selling in their price range, they are more inclined to list their homes for sale,” Soderstrom said. Sales of homes priced from $500,000 to $1 million grew by almost half in 2013, Soderstrom said, from 137 homes sold in 2012 to 202 luxury homes. Only five sales priced from $1 million to $1.5 million closed in 2012. Last year sales in that category totaled 22 homes. In the $1.5 million plus category, sales grew from 4 in 2012 to 11 in 2013. “Sales of luxury homes in east Volusia County say more about the national economic recovery than the local economy,” Soderstrom explained. “This region is known throughout the world for its beaches and its lifestyle, and many buyers come from outside the east Volusia area to live here,” he said. Soderstrom said waterfront properties tend to sell for the highest prices and they don’t often stay on the market very long. “Luxury waterfront properties are always at a premium but we have seen substantial growth in luxury property sales that are not on the water as well,” Soderstrom said. The complete East Volusia report can be viewed at http://www.stirlingsir.com/resources/siteresources/my%20folder/2013eastvolusia.pdf

Only One Luxury Condominium Remains for Sale at Six Fifty Six Coleman in Mt. Pleasant

Charleston, S.C. --- After only nine months on the market, the Ryland Homes signature condominium community Six Fifty Six Coleman in Mount Pleasant has only one condominium remaining for sale out of 35. Gayle Jinks, vice president of sales and marketing for Ryland Homes in the Charleston region, said the home builder opened its sales office at Six Fifty Six Coleman in May with prices starting from $310,000. Two and three-bedroom condominiums at Six Fifty Six Coleman ranging in size from 2,100 square feet of living space to 2,414 square feet with gourmet kitchens, energy efficient appliances, optional private elevators, bonus rooms and lofts sold for an average price of $390,000 The three-story homes at Six Fifty Six Coleman come with two-car garages. “Six Fifty Six Coleman has been a great success, from the location to the features to the design and the marketing. The community offers a unique lifestyle as well,” Jinks said. The one remaining condominium is priced at $419,000, Jinks said. For more information or an appointment to tour the model, call Tina Jones 843-513-6454.

CollegeStack.com partners with iMobile3 to provide virtual wallet, wider choice of coupons, and a unqiue mobile application via the PassMarket platform

ORLANDO, Fla. --- CollegeStack.com, one of Orlando's most popular coupon books, has partnered with iMobile3 to offer Central Florida college students a powerful virtual wallet inside of an application that takes coupons/offers to a new digital level. Julien Meyer, founder and chief executive officer of collegeTKTS LLC, parent company of CollegeStack.com, said the partnership offers revolutionary ways for businesses to better connect with consumers. “Virtual loyalty cards are among the flagship products that we will be rolling out with this new partnership,” Meyer said. “The company's new app will double the number of available coupons so users have more choices,” Meyer said. Andres Ochoa, director of CollegeStack’s operations at UCF said, “CollegeStack.com plans to roll out the new platform in March and we’re already getting traction from many businesses in the Orlando area…even some outside of the college community.” “We're really excited to have this opportunity and to roll out our newest version for all of our users to fall in love with,” Ochoa said. CollegeStack is a client of the UCF Business Incubation Program in the Central Florida Research Park in east Orange County.

Two Homewood Assets Closed by Hendricks-Berkadia for $11,675,000

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. --- Hendricks-Berkadia, one of the nation’s largest and most active multifamily investment banking and research companies, recently negotiated the sale of Knoll Crest, a 150-unit apartment community, and the adjacent Olympia Village, a 127-unit apartment community, both located in Homewood, Ala. for a combined $11.675 million. David Oakley, partner in Hendricks-Berkadia Alabama office negotiated the sale of Olympia Village and Knoll Crest representing the seller, Knoll Crest Partners, LLC/Olympia Partners, LLC, an Alabama limited liability company, based in Birmingham. Olympia Village, built in 1976, has a total of 121,002 square feet of rentable living space with one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom apartments. Knoll Crest, built in 1975, has a total of 145,334 square feet of rentable living space with one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. The buyer was Knoll Crest Holding Company, LLC/Olympia Partners LLC, based in New Jersey. Both properties have existing Fannie Mae loans that were assumed at closing by the Buyer. The approximate balance on the loan for Knoll Crest was $5,629,517 at an interest rate of 4.31 percent. The approximate balance on the loan for Olympia Village was $4,230,303 at a 6.18 percent interest rate. The buyer plans to complete light interior renovations and amenity upgrades to both properties. The contiguous properties in Homewood are located within a half mile of the Magic City Five Portfolio, which Hendricks-Berkadia recently transacted consisting of five properties totaling 2,244 units that sold for $105,900,000 in the fourth quarter of 2013.

Henin Homes offering incentives, super discount in March for luxury move-in-ready home at Riviera Bella in DeBary

DeBary, Fla. -- Henin Homes is offering a “super” discount plus incentives for March home buyers on one of the last remaining move-in ready homes at Riviera Bella, the gated luxury community overlooking the St. Johns River in DeBary. Jerome Henin, founder and owner of the Henin Group, which developed Riviera Bella, said the offer is on the “Darina” model home on Lot 136 which was originally priced at $365,900 for the four-bedroom, two-bath plan with 2,396 square feet of living area. “The special March incentive price is $324,900 plus an additional buyer incentive of $8,350 to be used toward closing costs and one year of paid HOA fees,” Henin said. “This is a super value for home buyers interested in a top quality custom home in a fine neighborhood,” Henin explained, adding “but the home must be purchased in March and close within 30 days.”

Oceans Luxury Realty in Daytona Beach Shores Reports it Closed Sales totaling $2,774,000 in January

Daytona Beach Shores, Fla. --- Oceans Luxury Realty, which acquired Exit Realty Daytona Beach Shores last year and now has three offices in the area, reported it closed on sales that totaled $2,744,000 in January Crystal Anderson, chief executive officer of the firm, said Oceans Luxury Realty added 33 new listings during the month. Anderson said currently 33 sales are pending.

ICI Homes Names Communications Specialist

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – ICI Homes, a Daytona Beach-based luxury homebuilder and community developer that also has operations in the Jacksonville, Orlando and Tampa areas, has appointed Val Santos Lopez communications media specialist. Lopez a graduate of Stetson University has more than four years of experience in real estate and public relations.