NAI Realvest Negotiates Retail Property Sale in Leesburg for a new Subway Restaurant

ORLANDO, Fla. – NAI Realvest recently completed the sale of a 1,665 square foot retail building and its 0.55-acre site at 1320 S. 14th Street in Leesburg for $287,500. NAI Realvest principals Kevin O'Connor and Matt Cichocki negotiated the transaction on behalf of the Orlando-based seller, Fairwinds Credit Union who foreclosed on the property. The Worthington Group of Fruitland Park, Fla. is the buyer who intends to convert the former auto sales building into a stand-alone Subway restaurant.

Royal Oak Homes Captures First Place in Lake County Parade of Homes in $300,000 Plus Category

ORLANDO, Fla. – Royal Oak Homes based in Orlando’s Baldwin Park, took first place honors in the Lake County Parade of Homes recently for its Hawthorne model home at Hammock Reserve on Hammock Ridge Rd. in Clermont. Stephen Orosz, co-president and vice president of finance for the homebuilder, said Royal Oak’s Hawthorne model took first place in the competition for homes priced from $300,000 to $350,000. The two-story Hawthorne design offers four bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, optional fifth bedroom, downstairs master suite, formal living and dining rooms, a den, open concept kitchen and nook facing huge family room in 3,542 square feet of living space plus a covered lanai and three-car garage. The home is priced from $325,000 Orosz said.

Del Webb Ponte Vedra and its Garden Club to Host Grand Opening of New Central Park Resident Garden Expansion – Event Scheduled For March 23

Ponte Vedra, Fla. --- Del Webb Ponte Vedra and its Garden Club will host a grand opening with live entertainment, a farmer’s market, demonstrations and tours of a butterfly garden and a Florida-friendly garden to showcase the community’s new Central Park Resident Garden Expansion at 124 Del Webb Parkway in Ponte Vedra. Sean Strickler, vice president of sales for Del Webb in North Florida, said the event is scheduled from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, March 23. Admission to the event is free and the public is invited, Strickler said. “The Garden Club has really put their hearts into the Resident Garden expansion at Del Webb Ponte Vedra so that all residents can utilize individual sections to grow their own fruits and vegetables year round,” Strickler said. Scheduled entertainment at the grand opening event includes tours of a Florida friendly gardening section with gardening tips from Yard Transformers, a butterfly garden created by the Del Webb Ponte Vedra Garden Club, gardening tips from a St. John's County Master Gardener, a fresh produce vendor, Florist Jackie Lacey, Jammin' Jellies, a local honey and jelly producer, birdhouses for sale that were made by the Garden Club, orchids expert Net Satayavinit, TPC Sawgrass will be onsite hosting a putting contest and demonstrations by Albion Golf Carts. Plenty of garden food will be featured for guests. Del Webb Ponte Vedra offers 16 one and two-story floor plan options that range in size from 1,157 square feet of living area to 2,885 square feet priced from the $180s. Other amenities at Del Webb Ponte Vedra include the multi million dollar Anastasia Club with tennis courts, pickle ball and bocce ball courts, clubhouse, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, six miles of nature trails, and a Welcome Center.

Avalon Park Partnership with Swiss Real Estate Investment Group to start development of four story apartment building

ORLANDO, Fla. --- Avalon Park in East Orlando is about to get a third downtown apartment building. Stephanie Hodson, vice president of marketing at Avalon Park Group, developers of Avalon Park, said a partnership with sitEX Properties AG, a Swiss real estate investment company headquartered in Basel, will start construction of the Avalon Park Town Center III building within the next 90 days. Hodson said 95 rental apartments are planned in the four story building that totals 100,000 square feet of living space. “sitEX and Avalon Park Group have several partnerships both in the U.S. and Switzerland,” Hodson said.

ICI Homes Has Five-Bedroom Luxury Model Home Underway at Grand Hampton in New Tampa

TAMPA, Fla. -- ICI Homes, which ranks as one of the largest and most active luxury community developers in Florida, are nearing completion of a five-bedroom model home at Grand Hampton, the gated, master-planned luxury community located in New Tampa between Bruce B. Downs Blvd. and I-75 just south of E. County Line Road. Rosemary Messina, vice president of sales and marketing at ICI Homes, said the two-story home which will be ready by early March is ICI’s Teramo floor plan designed for a large family with 3,927 square feet of living space, and comes with a three-car garage. This home is available for purchase at $569,943. Downstairs, the Teramo features a sweeping foyer, a large dining area that flows into a sun-filled casual gathering area, a huge kitchen, and a downstairs owners’ suite. Upstairs offers four large bedrooms and two full baths with a game room, Messina said. ICI Homes has 22 home sites remaining at Grand Hampton where residents enjoy a community clubhouse and swimming pool, state-of-the-art fitness center, tennis courts and children’s playground.

ICI Homes to showcase Teramo model home at Grand Hampton during Tampa Bay Parade of Homes March 2 through March 17

TAMPA, Fla. -- ICI Homes, which ranks as one of the largest and most active luxury community developers and home builders, will showcase its Teramo luxury model home during the Tampa Bay Builders Association’s Parade of Homes March 2 -17. Rosemary Messina, vice president of sales and marketing for ICI Homes, said the two-story Teramo luxury model home will be open for public tours from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays during the parade and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays. The Teramo offers five bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths in 4,076 square feet of living space, and is priced from $479,900. Special features of the Teramo include a second floor game room and theatre space, a sweeping foyer, a large dining area that flows into a sun-filled casual gathering area, a huge kitchen and a downstairs owner’s suite.

Black Tree Consulting to Provide Virtual Transaction Management Services to Easy Street Realty of Orlando

ORLANDO, Fla., -- Black Tree Consulting, Inc., an Orlando based real estate technology company that provides streamlined, paperless residential real estate closing transaction management, has been appointed a preferred provider by Orlando-based Easy Street Realty. Michelle Theodoseau, chief operating officer at Black Tree Consulting, said her company will manage residential real estate closing transactions negotiated by Easy Street Realty agents. “Easy Street Realty wanted a strong partnership that will provide Easy Street Realty associates with paperless, instant access to transaction documents and accommodate Easy Street’s projected growth to 44 associates this year,” Theodoseau explained. Easy Street currently serves clients throughout Central Florida including Florida’s Space Coast, Metro Orlando and all of Tampa Bay. Florida real estate broker Amy Stier, who heads Easy Street Realty, said the partnership with Black Tree Consulting will provide highly detailed, accurate and up-to-the-minute management of residential real estate transactions while freeing Easy Street associates to serve their clients. Black Tree Consulting developed a streamlined paperless program of residential real estate closing transaction management. Black Tree’s customized software and specialized services provide real estate agencies and brokers with an outsourced solution to manage an entire real estate transaction and ensure timeliness and legal compliance. “Black Tree Consulting supports real estate agents, brokers, and realty offices nationwide with expert, efficient services that allow them to do what they do best — list and show properties to prospective buyers,” Theodoseau said. Currently, Black Tree Consulting serves real estate agencies in Florida. Theodoseau expects major growth over the next five years because of Black Tree’s nationwide market scope, along with an improving housing market and strong demand for cost-effective professional services in every region. For more information about Easy Street Realty careers visit www.easystreetrealty-orlando.com/careers or www.easystreetrealty-tampa.com/careers Black Tree Consulting is a member of the University of Central Florida Business Incubation Program in the Central Florida Research Park in East Orange County.

First Green Bank Ranks among Best Community Banks in Florida in Two Independent Banking Industry Studies

MOUNT DORA, Fla. --- Two recently released independent banking industry surveys have ranked First Green Bank among the strongest in asset quality in Florida for its conservative approach to asset quality. Four-year-old First Green Bank, headquartered in Mount Dora with branch offices in Orlando, Clermont and Ormond Beach and a fourth branch to open in Winter Park later this year, was judged among the best in the Central Florida region in both asset quality and lending strength and scored a 1.2 in the vaunted Texas ratio, a banking industry standard since the 1980s. Kenneth LaRoe, chairman and chief executive officer of First Green Bank, said a statewide Asset Quality Review by the Carson Medlin Company, the independent banking industry division of Monroe Securities, Inc., ranked First Green Bank first in the seven-county Central Florida region in its ratio of assets to non-performing assets and tied for second in the region with the ratio of average loans to NCO’s (net charge offs). Excluding First Green Bank’s single restructured loan, Carson Medlin gave First Green Bank perfect ‘0.0’ scores on the Texas Ratio, it’s non-performing assets (NPA’s) and its ratio of NPA’s to assets, LaRoe said. A second study, the Hovde Group Quarterly Florida Bank Peer Performance Report, gave First Green Bank a perfect score on the Texas ratio — the best in Central Florida. “The Carson Medlin and Hovde Group surveys are independent, highly respected and highly anticipated report cards for community banks that provide an accurate measure of banking policies, strategies and success,” LaRoe said. “We all feel a great sense of pride to have scored so well, given our age and size,” LaRoe said.

Watts and Water Solutions, Inc. and Aquarii Services, Inc. in Winter Springs Enter “Teaming” Agreement with Chugach World Services, Inc. (CWSI) of Alaska

Winter Springs, Fla. –Watts and Water Solutions, Inc., and its sister company Aquarii Services, Inc., has entered into a “teaming” marketing agreement with Chugach World Services Inc. (CWSI) of Anchorage, Alaska. Watts and Water Solutions Inc. developed the Aquarii Solar Thermal Desiccant Dehumidification System that can reduce air conditioning and water heating costs in large buildings. Cliff D’Angelo, president of Watts and Water Solutions, Inc., said CWSI is a subsidiary of Chugach Alaska Corporation, an Alaska Native Regional Corporation that provides business and construction services to government agencies and installations around the globe. “The Aquarii Solar Thermal Desiccant Dehumidification System employs solar technology to produce dramatic results for building owners and developers,” D’Angelo said. “Aquarii has developed the technology to harness sustainable energy resources in a way to dramatically reduce the energy needs to produce a safe, comfortable indoor working environment, and Chugach plans to utilize Aquarii technology to enhance buildings and facilities to significantly exceed today’s standards for energy efficiency,” D’Angelo explained. Aquarii Services, Inc. is a client company of the University of Central Florida Business Incubation program’s Winter Springs site on S.R.434.

NAI Realvest Negotiates Office Expansion Lease for 4,700 Square Feet at Plaza North on Douglas Avenue in Altamonte

MAITLAND, Fla. --- NAI Realvest recently negotiated an office expansion lease agreement for suites 1100, 1200 and 1300 totaling 4,700 square feet in Plaza North, 385 Douglas Ave. Altamonte Springs. NAI Realvest Principal Tom R. Kelley II, CCIM and Associate Chris Adams brokered the transaction on behalf of the landlord US Bank National Association of Irving, Texas. The local tenant is The Continental Group, income property management specialists already occupying suite 3000 in the same building with 11,715 square feet, but need additional space for current and anticipated growth.