Commercial Real Estate Investment analyst: Business Changes Mean Big Things in Store for Florida developers

Orlando, Fla. --- Emerging trends in the way companies deliver their products to consumers and end-users will create major opportunities for Florida developers — and major development initiatives as well. That’s the word from George Livingston, one of the area’s most experienced commercial property investors. “Fortune Magazine predicts same-day service for e-commerce orders will become the standard before then end of this year,” said Livingston, chairman of NAI Realvest in Orlando. “That may be a little aggressive, but not by much. Retailers are determined to reduce the time between placement of an order and delivery to the customer’s door,” Livingston said. “One-hour service is now available from e-Bay in Chicago, Dallas, New York and San Francisco and e-Bay is likely to expand that to 25 cities this year,” Livingston said. “Walmart has started its own self-delivery operations, and other retailers are gearing up to follow suit,” he added. The ongoing battle between online sales and sticks-and-bricks stores has generated several trends but Livingston said they all point to one goal: “online retailers provide greater convenience. As they close the gap on instant gratification, they are significantly increasing their shares of consumer spending,” Livingston said. The key, Livingston added, is to find the quickest way to deliver products to the consumer, and that’s where commercial properties come into play. “Industrial users are already changing from “storage” buildings to “speedy delivery” buildings,” Livingston said. “Retail is becoming much more consumer-based. Global real estate trends are definitely in a growth cycle and regional manufacturing facilities will see a big increase in demand,” he said.

OCEANS LUXURY REALTY STARTS OFF YEAR WITH A BANG

Daytona Beach Shores, Fla. – Oceans Luxury Realty has started the year off with a bang. Crystal Anderson, president and chief executive officer of Oceans Luxury Realty, said the firm has 22 new listings, 17 properties under contract and scheduled 15 closings of sales ranging from $100,000 to more than $1 million. Oceans Luxury Realty opened its doors last year and recently merged with Harbor Village Realty of Port Orange. The firm recently opened its newest office at 3162 S. Atlantic Ave. in Daytona Beach Shores.

Hendricks-Berkadia Negotiates Sale of Two Lake County Development Sites

Orlando, Fla. --- Hendricks-Berkadia, one of the leading multi-family investment banking and research companies in the nation, recently negotiated the sale of two development sites in Lake County---one in Fruitland Park and another in Eustis. Cole Whitaker, partner who heads Hendricks-Berkadia in the Southeast, negotiated both sales with senior vice president Hal Warren. Hendricks-Berkadia negotiated the sale of 86.55 acres on Lake Ella Road in Fruitland Park for $585,000 representing the seller, Capstone Resdev LLC. The buyer was Daryl M. Carter as Trustee of the Lake Ella Road Land Trust. Hendricks-Berkadia negotiated the sale of nine finished residential home sites at Wandering Ponds, improved as a ranchette-style development, on SR 44 in Eustis for $475,000 representing seller PNC Bank, N.A. Golden Orb Properties, LLC acquired the home sites.

Oceans Luxury Realty Opens New Offices

Oceans Luxury Realty opened new offices at 3162 S. Atlantic Ave. in Daytona Beach Shores recently. Co-founders/partners Crystal Anderson, who cut the ribbon, and Enis Qosja to her right said the firm now has 29 agents.

Orlando-based Carter Solutions’ eCommerce, DotNetNuke Experience earns Big Contract from New York Crystal Glass & Mirror Company

ORLANDO, Fla., --- Carter Solutions, a full-service IT solutions company based in Orlando, was recently awarded a contract to help a Brooklyn-based glass company redesign its online marketing and sales program. Tony Carter, president of Carter Solutions, said his company’s experience in web development---particularly DotNetNuke, an emerging powerhouse CMS platform for eCommerce operations---proved to be the winning edge in competition for the contract with Crystal Glass & Mirror Corp. Crystal Glass & Mirror Corp. sells a wide range of retail and industrial glass products that range from shower doors and decorative mirrors to glass panes for storefront exteriors. Carter said the company markets to individual home and business owners as well as architects, engineers and general contractors. “Crystal Glass & Mirror’s current web site was state-of-the-art 15 years ago but new technology available today can significantly improve the efficiency, security, and most of all productivity of their online sales operations,” Carter explained. The company’s existing web site is located at www.customglassny.com. Carter said his work will include custom programming services to redevelop Crystal’s glass and mirror calculator. “Crystal Glass & Mirror wants to create a more powerful user experience with the ability to configure real time site pricing on custom configurations,” Carter explained. Another important goal is to salvage the significant investments Crystal Glass has made to improve its SEO standings. “Our goal is to create a better user experience while maintaining all of the SEO work that has been done on the site to date,” Carter said. Carter Solutions is a client company of the UCF Business Incubation Program at Central Florida Research Park in east Orange County. To learn more about Carter Solutions, visit www.CarterSolutions.com.

Lennar to showcase four model homes at Fiddler’s Creek during CBIA Parade of Homes March 7-9

NAPLES, Fla. --- Lennar Homes will showcase four spectacular model homes during the 2014 Colliers Building Industries Assn. Parade of Homes March 7-9. Matt Devereaux, director of sales and marketing at Lennar Homes in southwest Florida, said he expects Lennar’s Coach Homes at Fiddler’s Creek to play a starring role in the Parade. “Coach Homes at Fiddler’s Creek are Lennar’s solution to the demand for smaller, smarter homes that offer a huge lifestyle,” Devereaux explained. The Florence model Coach Home at Fiddler’s Creek is a case in point. With three bedrooms and two baths in 1,741 square feet of living space, the single-story Florence offers ample family area along with a two-car garage. The open design---with a living room, dining room, dining nook and covered patio all served by an angled kitchen that’s easy to reach, the Florence is a perfect home for family gatherings or even large social occasions. The two-story Verona model Coach Home, priced from $300,990 with 2,110 square feet of living space, offers even more family area along with three bedrooms and two baths, plus a three-car garage. Devereaux said he expects Parade visitors will find Lennar’s Estate Homes even more popular. The Bougainvillea model Estate Home at Fiddler’s Creek offers 2,800 square feet of living space with three bedrooms, three baths and a den priced from $625,990 with a three-car garage. Lennar’s passion for majestic interiors with lots of open space is nowhere more evident, Devereaux said. A dining room, great room, nook and wraparound lanai are all served by a huge island kitchen that leaves room to invite the entire neighborhood for social occasions or for the largest family gatherings. Best of all, the master suite is separate from the guest bedrooms with its own access to the lanai. “Lennar is proud to participate in the 2014 CBIA Parade of Homes and we plan to entertain hundreds of visitors during the weekend,” Devereaux said.

Real Estate Study: Central Florida Luxury Home Sales up almost 40 percent in 2013, most expensive homes saw Biggest Jump

ORLANDO, Fla. --- A survey of real estate sales in Orange, Seminole, Osceola and Lake Counties by Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty shows luxury home sales in the market area grew at a robust pace in 2013 with the highest growth rate in sales of the most expensive homes. Roger Soderstrom, founder and owner of Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty, said 1,380 homes sold in the four-county region for more than $500,000 in 2013, an increase of 38 percent over 2012 luxury home sales. Most luxury sales---1,098 homes---were priced in the $500,000 to $1 million range, Soderstrom said. That category grew by 40 percent in 2013. Sales of homes priced from $1 million to $1.5 million grew by 20 percent and 115 sales in the top price range---$1.5 million plus---showed a 55 percent increase over 2012 figures. Orange County dominated the luxury real estate market in 2013 with 927 sales reported over $500,000 -- that's more than two-thirds of the total luxury sales for the region. But the growth rate was 31 percent over 2012 sales. Lake County saw the most modest growth in luxury sales last year. Soderstrom said 56 homes that sold for more than $500,000 in Lake County in 2013 represent a 12 percent increase over 2012 sales in the same category. Only three Lake County homes sold in the $1.5 million-plus category, down from four in 2012. Osceola County, long known for sales of modestly priced homes, saw sales of 118 luxury homes in 2013, an increase of 57 percent over 2012 sales. Seminole County luxury homes saw the highest growth rate in the region, with 288 sales that represent a 73 percent increase over 2012 sales. “Luxury home sales are a valuable benchmark of the housing industry’s recovery and the region’s economic strength,” Soderstrom said. “Our study indicates that luxury home sales across the four-county region show very healthy overall growth with excellent prospects for continued prosperity in 2014,” he said.

Jack Burge Earns Player of The Year Honors at Golden Bear Golf Club In Windermere

Orlando, Fla. --- Jack Burge earned the Men’s Golf Association Player of the Year honors at the Golden Bear Golf Club in Windermere recently. Matthew Allen, general manager at the Golden Bear Club, said more than 100 members and guests were on hand for the annual dinner, dance and program. Allen said 2013 Champions Tour winner Bart Bryant was the featured speaker at the event, regaling fellow Golden Bear Club members with stories and anecdotes of tour life. Bryant and his wife, Cathy, joined the Golden Bear Club last spring. The Men’s Golf Association holds several tournaments throughout the year where golf members are flighted by their handicap and compete for points to become the winner of their respective flights, Allen explained. The three flight winners then play against each other in a final 18-hole stroke play event to determine the overall Player of the Year. The Player of the Year’s name is engraved on a trophy that is prominently displayed in the clubhouse and is recognized along with the other flight winners at the annual awards dinner. Burge won the Nicklaus flight, then the playoff over Palmer Flight leader Steve Clapp and Bruce Perreault, who won the Jones Flight.

M/I Homes acquires an additional 26 home sites at Randal Park

ORLANDO, Fla. --- M/I Homes has acquired an additional 26 home sites at Randal Park, located on Dowden Rd. between Narcoossee Road and the 417 in Southeast Orlando. M/I Homes has purchased a total of 118 lots in Randal Park. David Byrnes, area president in the Orlando region, said Phase 2 at Randal Park will include 26 homes ranging from 1,768 square feet of living area to 2,800 square feet from M/I’s Eco series of new home designs. M/I Homes in the second phase at Randal Park will be priced from $255,000 to $350,000.

Orlando-based Geocove Earns largest Florida client for Impact and Damage Assessment software: Miami-Dade County

ORLANDO Fla., --- Geocove, Inc. the Orlando technology firm that developed the award-winning ARM360 GIS-based disaster assessment system for local, state and regional governments, and NGOs worldwide, has won the most populated county in Florida: Miami-Dade County. Karyn Tareen, president and chief executive officer at Geocove, said Miami-Dade County has licensed the Enterprise version of Geocove’s ARM360 system, to include not only Miami-Dade County, but all municipalities and other concerned agencies within Miami-Dade County. This common platform will allow the collaboration, sharing and reporting of impact and damage information across municipal boundaries, key for success in managing a disaster. According to the US Census Bureau 2012 estimate, Miami-Dade County has over 2.5 million residents, making it the largest county in Florida by population. Miami-Dade joins Geocove’s other ARM360 clients including Collier, Lee, and Sarasota counties, West Palm Beach and other counties and cities throughout the State of Florida and the US. Internationally, ARM360 has been deployed in Melbourne, Australia. Geocove’s ARM360 system enables disaster management authorities to immediately assess large-scale damages caused by disaster using a wide range of tools based on underlying GIS capabilities and databases. “ARM360 enables even the largest communities to construct, compile and share information on the ground in real time,” Tareen said. “In a disaster event, ARM360 can enable authorities to learn instantly when and where to respond with which resources,” she said. Geocove is a client company of the UCF Business Incubation Program on the UCF campus.