Lennar unveils new Three-bedroom Isabella Model Home at Millbrook at Fiddler’s Creek

NAPLES, Fla. --- Lennar Homes recently opened the new three-bedroom Isabella model priced from $390,990 at Millbrook at Fiddler’s Creek, the luxury community located at 3118 Aviamar Circle between Collier Blvd. and Tamiami Trail in Naples. David Meyers, director of sales and marketing for Lennar Homes in southwest Florida, said strong summer season sales at Millbrook at Fiddler’s Creek prompted the award-winning home builder to introduce a new model home at the start of the busy winter season. “The Isabella model home is really spectacular,” Meyers said. At 2,246 square feet of living space and a two-car garage, the Isabella is the most generous model home at Millbrook at Fiddler’s Creek, Meyers said. Lennar’s iconic open space interior plan is at its best in the Isabella model, Meyers added. From the covered hardscaped entry, the Isabella boasts a family living area that includes an entry foyer, dining area, island kitchen and great room that total more than 700 square feet of space for family gatherings and neighborly social occasions. All new homes at Millbrook at Fiddler’s Creek feature Lennar’s exclusive “Everything’s Included” pledge that offers all the extras, including upgraded interior features, in one price.

Royal Oak Homes has Only Eight Homesites Remaining at Blue Lake Estates off SR 44 near Mount Dora

ORLANDO, Fla. – Royal Oak Homes has only eight home sites remaining at Blue Lake Estates, the gated community off SR 44, two miles north of Hwy 441 just minutes from downtown Mount Dora. Matt Orosz, co-president of Royal Oak Homes who acquired the last remaining Blue Lake Estates lots earlier this year, said buyers may choose from nine distinct Royal Oak floor plans at the community in one and two-story designs. Both lake view and standard oversized homesites are available at Blue Lake Estates for new homes by Royal Oak ranging from 2,291 square feet of living area to 4,731 square feet with from three to seven bedrooms and two-and-a-half to four-and-a-half baths. Royal Oak Homes at Blue Lake Estates feature upgraded energy efficiency, granite, stainless steel and a variety of other features that add up to over 20,000 of upgrades. Royal Oak Homes has two other communities in Mount Dora area -- Spring Ridge Estates and Sorrento Springs. The homebuilder is now offering product in the area ranging from the 170s to mid 300s. Visit www.royaloakhomesfl.com

The Henin Group to develop 70-acre site in DeBary

DeBary, Fla. --- The Henin Group, developers of Riviera Bella in DeBary, purchased a 70-acre tract of land located off Fort Florida Road in DeBary. Jerome Henin, founder and president of The Henin Group, said he plans to start the permitting process before the end of the year to develop approximately 280, 50-foot homesites. The pricing of the homes in the new development has not been determined.

Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty Appoints Felicia Caruso International Luxury Homes Specialist

LAKE MARY, Fla. --- Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty has appointed former Ormond Beach Chamber Membership Director Felicia Caruso as an International Luxury Homes Specialist. Roger Soderstrom, founder and owner of Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty, said the in depth experience Caruso received in marketing and networking throughout the Ormond Beach business community is well suited to her real estate career. Caruso was also a business development specialist at the Daytona Beach News-Journal Her duties there included recruiting businesses to sponsor the newspaper’s bulk distribution at events such as NASCAR races, Bikeweek, Biketoberfest and Turkey Rod, or schools and universities for graduations and sporting events. Since entering the real estate profession nearly five years ago Caruso, who was born and raised in Rochester, N.Y., has been specializing in the Orlando and beachside markets, working with international buyers, young professionals moving into the area and retirees. Felicia will be based out of the firm’s Heathrow Real Estate Gallery on International Parkway at Heathrow in Lake Mary. “Felicia’s background in marketing and networking will play a significant role in her growth at Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty,” said Soderstrom.

Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty Creates Two-Person Team to Appeal to Central And South American Luxury Home Buyers

ORLANDO, Fla. --- Maria Quintero and Marisol Santiago, International Luxury Homes Specialists in Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty’s Orlando Dr. Phillips Marketing Center in southwest Orlando, have formed a team to represent buyers and sellers in the U.S. and in Central and South America. Quintero, born and raised in Buenos Aires, earned her B.S. Degree in Hospitality Management and served as a top executive with an international hotel group before joining Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty. Roger Soderstrom, founder and owner of Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty, said Quintero is fluent in Spanish and has a working knowledge of Portuguese, the language of Brazilian home buyers. Santiago was born in Brooklyn and relocated to Orlando in 1997 to pursue a career in marketing and sales. In addition to resale properties, Marisol has a strong background in new home sales, having worked with national and regional home builders. She is fluent in Spanish and has a working knowledge of Russian. “Maria Quintero and Marisol Santiago are global marketing specialists with their own team of marketing professionals to assist them,” Soderstrom said. “They will focus their efforts locally and on Brazil, Argentina, Colombia and other countries where affluent families are eager to relocate to the safety and security of luxury homes in the United States,” he said.

Cloud 3C Earns coveted “Diamond” status from NEC Corporation of America

ORLANDO, Fla. --- Cloud 3C, the Orlando technology firm that focuses on advanced future-proofing communications systems for corporations, government agencies and institutions, was recently awarded the coveted “Diamond” status from NEC Corporation of America Beth Caffera, chief executive officer of Cloud 3C, said NEC’s Diamond Status is awarded based on a company’s sales volume, technical certifications and the percentage of NEC solutions being sold in their business. “NEC is a leader in cutting edge communication technology and always striving to engineer the best of class in the market,” Caffera said. Caffera said NEC’s Diamond Status designation gives Cloud 3C associates access to innovative communication solutions as well as exclusive benefits and awards. “Diamond status is a way to tell our customers that we are committed to maintaining exemplary product knowledge in the design, deployment and maintenance of all our customer networks,” Caffera added. Chris Caffera, co-founder and VP of Business Development and Vendor Relationships at Cloud 3C, said the NEC’s Diamond designation is a major benchmark for the company. “Our firm’s education philosophy is to help make our clients sustainable and self-sufficient with the highest level of technology and service,” Caffera said. “NEC technology is an integral part of everyday sales and support at Cloud 3C,” he added. Cloud 3C is a member the University of Central Florida Business Incubation Program in the Central Florida Research Park in east Orange County.

Lennar Unveils New Five-Bedroom Model Home at Alexander Ridge in Winter Garden

Winter Garden, Fla. --- Lennar Homes recently opened the new five-bedroom Peabody model home at Alexander Ridge, located off Avalon Road in Winter Garden. Priced from the $330s the Peabody model offers 3,288 square feet of living space with three full baths and a three-car garage, along with an open floor plan and Lennar’s Everything’s Included pledge: a wide range of GE energy smart appliances, several luxury features and upgrades at the one Lennar Homes price.. Brock Nicholas, division manager in the Orlando region, said Lennar is building 198 single-family homes at Alexander Ridge along with a community swimming pool and cabana and a children’s playground with a fountain and sitting area. New homes at Alexander Ridge priced from the mid $200s range in size from 1,700 square feet of living area to 4,200 square feet on 55-foot, 65-foot and 85-foot home sites.

Blackton Inc. earns contract to provide flooring and materials for 750 new homes underway in the Jacksonville and Orlando markets

Orlando, Fla. --- Blackton, Inc., a leading supplier of wholesale materials and supplies to the home building industry, recently earned contracts to provide materials for 750 new homes Maronda Homes plans to build in four communities in the Jacksonville and Orlando markets. Michael “Micky” Blackton, chairman of the firm, said the contracts include flooring for 200 new homes at Baywood, located in Alachua, Fla. just north of Gainesville and 220 new homes at Newberry located just west of Gainesville; In the Orlando market, Blackton will supply Maronda Homes with both roofing and flooring for 180 new homes at Eagle Bay in Kissimmee and 150 new homes at Liberty Oaks in Mount Dora. Recently the firm reported new contracts from builders to supply materials for 3,500 new homes planned in Ocala, Groveland and DeLand. “New home construction is definitely reviving and we have been seeing a major increase in sales of building products all summer,” Blackton said.

PULTE HOMES CHARITY GOLF TOURNAMENT EXCEEDS GOAL, RAISES NEARLY $80,000 TO BENEFIT RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE® AT NEMOURS

Orlando, Fla. --- Pulte Homes helped raise nearly $80,000 at the Build To Make Lives Better Golf Tournament at Lake Nona Golf & Country Club recently to benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Central Florida. Sean Strickler, vice president of sales and operations for Pulte Homes in the North Florida region, said tournament organizers had hoped to raise $50,000 to help fund the first phase of a new Ronald McDonald House near the entrance of Nemours Children’s Hospital at Lake Nona, which is expected to start construction soon. The Ronald McDonald House at Nemours Children’s Hospital will provide a comforting residence for families of children who are being cared for at Nemours, Strickler said. “This has been a wonderful partnership between Pulte Homes and Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Florida,” said Laura Heidrich, development director at the charity. “The Pulte team involved RMHCCF during the planning stage all the way through to celebrating the results post-tournament. So many children and their families will be helped by this outstanding and generous fundraising effort.” The project will cost an estimated $5.7 million to complete, and will mark Orlando as only the sixth U.S. city to offer three or more Ronald McDonald House facilities. The first phase of the Ronald McDonald House will include 15 bedrooms with private baths, state-of-the-art kitchens, a dining room, living room, laundry facilities, and children’s playroom. A reception and lobby area will also be included along with community meeting rooms, says Strickler. Land for the Ronald McDonald House at Nemours Children’s Hospital was donated by Nemours. “All of us at Pulte Homes are proud and excited to have been part of this effort,” Strickler said. “The role our entire community plays in developing this facility makes Central Florida a very special place,” he added. “I cannot think of anything more worthwhile than creating a space that will allow parents to be close to their children to help them heal,” Strickler said.

CEO of Geocove — Emergency Services Mapping Company — Has Advice for Fellow GIS Workers, Entrepreneurs

ORLANDO, Fla. --- Karyn Tareen, chief executive officer of Geocove, Inc., the Orlando firm that helps government agencies and private corporations prepare for disaster recovery with cutting edge mapping and assessment systems, spoke to more than 200 participants at the recent Central Florida Geographic Information Systems workshop. Tareen had strong words of advice for the participants. Her first recommendation? Don’t wait until disaster strikes to sell your services to emergency managers and government agencies. GIS mapping for disaster management requires a baseline and preparation in order to properly assess damages and allocate disaster response, Tareen told the group. “It’s important to educate disaster managers and to show them how your services can significantly benefit their efforts before your services or their efforts are required,” she said. Tareen told GIS managers to start simple, to support multi-department collaboration and public information and to think outside the box. And if GIS managers think outside the box, there are many ways to educate the public and public officials to the benefits of GIS disaster preparedness. “This sounds simple, but providing a map for the tees and flags with the closest address for access can minimize response times to incidents on the golf course. If I think I’m having a heart attack on the 5th hole, I’d rather have the responders come directly to me, instead of the address for the club house,” Tareen said. “GIS gives us the tools to create these datasets in preparation for something to happen, for both disasters and normal operations”. Geocove’s ARM360 system helps agencies and the public to assess disaster damages in real time and allocate resources for emergency services and recovery. Geocove’s systems have been deployed from Melbourne, Australia to Fairfax, Virginia. The firm was recently presented the Innovative Technology Award from the Virginia Emergency Management Association. Geocove is a client of the UCF Business Incubation Program in the Central Florida Research Park in east Orange County.