Lennar starts sales at Solterra South of Orlando

DAVENPORT, Fla. --- Lennar recently started sales of new vacation homes at Solterra, the resort-style community located on Ronald Reagan Parkway in Davenport south of Orlando near Disney. Brock Nicholas, division president of Lennar in the Orlando region, said Lennar has 24 homesites released at Solterra for new five and six bedroom vacation homes with their own private swimming pools, priced from the high $300s. Lennar’s two-story vacation home floor plans at Solterra are perfect for entertaining large groups, Nicholas said. The Alexander Palm priced from $364,990 has five bedrooms and five full baths in 3,014 square feet of living space with several gathering areas including a second-story loft. The Majesty Palm plan is just like it sounds. Priced from $379,990, it has six bedrooms and five bathrooms in 3,275 square feet and boasts two huge master suites on the second level. All Lennar built homes at Solterra come with the homebuilder’s “Everything’s Included” pledge: interior features that are typically optional -- granite counter tops, wood cabinetry, designer light fixtures, stainless steel appliances and more --- all included in the one Lennar Homes price. An amenities center at Solterra includes a 3,000 square foot clubhouse, resort-style swimming pool, cabana, water slide, two tennis courts, volleyball court and playground. Visit www.lennar.com/orlando

Volusia County – UCF Business Incubator and The Cairns Foundation to Host Innovation Challenge worth $15,000 and One-Year Business Incubation Program to Inventive Local College Student Teams

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – A $10,000 first prize and a $5,000 second prize will be awarded to the winners of The Cairns Foundation Innovation Challenge on April 2 when the foundation joins the Volusia County–University of Central Florida Business Incubation Program for the second consecutive year to spotlight technologies created by students at six area colleges and universities. The annual challenge – which begins at 12:30 pm in the Volusia Room at the Daytona Beach International Airport – will feature the finest student minds from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Bethune-Cookman University, the University of Central Florida, Florida Institute of Technology, Daytona State College, and Stetson University as they make their final “pitches” for the prizes. The top prize includes $10,000 plus one year’s enrollment in the UCF business incubation program. The second-place winner will receive $5,000 and one year’s enrollment in the business pre-incubation program. Attendance at the event is by invitation only. According to Connie Bernal, Associate Director and site manager of the Volusia County-UCF Business Incubation Program, one goal of the challenge is to promote the commercialization of innovations spawned by local undergraduate and graduate students; yet another goal is to stimulate start-up businesses in our community. The prize money and incubator programs will allow the winning student teams to advance and protect their technologies while preparing to launch new companies. The Innovation Challenge also offers the students a chance to partner with local investors. “The finalists will pitch their ideas to a group of businessmen and entrepreneurs,” Bernal said, adding “providing student teams with the possibility to accelerate their projects through early-stage funding.” Dr. Jim Cairns started the Foundation in 2003 to “identify and give a life-changing boost for bright, creative young persons who otherwise might never attain their full potential.” Through mentoring and funding, the Foundation aids young inventors to realize the technical and commercial potential of their creations. Bernal said Cairns shares not only his time and money with students and entrepreneurs, but also imparts to them the practices that launched and matured multi-million dollar companies founded on his inventions. “This is an example of how a successful inventor/entrepreneur can contribute to the development of our local innovative entrepreneurial ecosystem,” she said. For more information about the annual challenge, please visit www.cairnsfoundation.com.

HENIN GROUP TO BEGIN DEVELOPMENT OF NEXT FOUR PHASES AT RIVIERA BELLA

DeBary, Fla. – The Henin Group will start development soon of Phases 4 through 7 at Riviera Bella, the gated luxury community in DeBary overlooking the St. Johns River. Jerome Henin, president of the Henin Group, said the next phases will comprise 146 additional home sites featuring from 50 to 70 foot widths. Henin said there will be 35 more homesites developed in the estate section for new four, five and six bedroom homes starting from the mid $500,000s to well over a million dollars. There will also be a new phase of 17 riverfront homes, priced from $1 Million+. All four new phases will be breaking ground before the end of the year, Henin said. M/I Homes and Henin Homes are the builders for the final phases of Riviera Bella. The community is located off Fort Florida Road, west of the 17-92 and Highbanks Rd. intersection in DeBary

NAI Realvest Negotiates Four New Industrial Leases at Orlando CommerCenters totaling 17,224 Square Feet

ORLANDO, Fla. – NAI Realvest recently negotiated four new lease agreements for industrial space at Goldenrod and Hanging Moss CommerCenters that total 17,224 rentable square feet. Michael Heidrich, principal at NAI Realvest negotiated three new leases representing Landlord, Goldenrod SPE, LLC at 1460 and 1468 N. Goldenrod Rd. in east Orlando. 6,618 square feet was leased to American Ecosystems, Inc. which specializes in aquatic maintenance for HOAs and golf courses. The tenant was represented by Josiah Biddle of McNulty Group. Honda Pro Parts, specializing in parts and repair of Honda and Acura vehicles leased 4,000 square feet and was represented in the transaction by Eury Ortiz of Silver Key Investment Group Alpha Environmental Management, a full service environmental consulting and remediation firm leased 2,206 square feet at Goldenrod CommerCenter. Heidrich also represented Orlando-based landlord Hanging Moss SPE, LLC in a lease agreement with Winter Park Cycles for 4,400 square feet at Hanging Moss CommerCenter, 6112 Hanging Moss Rd. in Orlando. The tenant was represented by Nelson Gonzalez of Enego Investments, Inc.

Ashton Woods Homes Has Six Move-in Ready Homes at New Latham Park Community in Winter Garden

WINTER GARDEN, Fla. --- Ashton Woods Homes recently completed six move-in ready homes at Latham Park, its new single-family home community located on Siedel Road off Lake Hancock Rd. in Winter Garden. The move-in ready new homes range from 1,957 square feet of living area to 3,536 square feet with three, four and five bedrooms, priced from $285,835 to $417,261, and all including features such as granite kitchen countertops, quartz vanity tops, 8-foot doors and paver driveways. John Reny, president of Ashton Woods Homes - Florida, said the homes being offered at Latham Park were designed for family-friendly lifestyles. The move-in ready St. Laurence with five bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths and a loft has a great room that features a two-story ceiling. The Rockland has four bedrooms and two-and-a-half baths, loft area, and downstairs master bedroom with a two-car, rear load garage. Reny said Ashton Woods plans to build 195 homes in Phase I of Latham Park. Several lakefront lots are available and 54 lots are bordering pristine conservation areas, with several adjacent to some of the scenic parks throughout the community. The community boasts a spectacular entry bordered by two large ponds and stately oaks along with an amenity center that features an elegant swimming pool and cabana. For more information about Latham Park and the move-in ready homes, visit Ashtonwoods.com or call the sales office at 407-335-9282.

Hold-Thyssen Negotiates $2.15 Million Price in Sale of 302-Acre Thoroughbred Horse Farm in Ocala

OCALA, Fla. --- Hold Thyssen, Inc., a real estate services firm headquartered in Winter Park, with offices in Tampa, recently negotiated the $2,150,000 sale of a well-known thoroughbred horse racing farm and stables in Ocala. Robert Hold, president of Hold-Thyssen, Inc., was listing agent for the property along with George DeBenedicty of Ocala Ranches. Hold said the property known as Jupiter Island Partners at 13303 W. Highway 40, Ocala covers 302 acres and includes a half-mile racing track. Hold negotiated the deal representing the seller Jupiter Island Partners, LLC. The buyer was Jeff McGuire, an individual. 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.

Pulte Homes Releases 15 Oversized Preserve View and Water View Home Sites at Harrison Ranch in Parrish

Parrish, Fla. --- Pulte Homes recently opened a new development phase releasing 15 home sites at Harrison Ranch, located on Harrison Ranch Blvd. in Parrish between U.S. 301 and Erie Road. Sean Strickler, vice president of sales and operations for Pulte Homes in North Florida, said some home sites in the new phase include pond views or views of the nature preserve. Altogether, Pulte is offering 11 home designs at Harrison Ranch that range from three to seven bedrooms and up to six baths. Two model homes at Harrison Ranch are open daily for tours. The Dockside model can range from 2,536 square feet of living space to 4,262 square feet with three to seven bedrooms, and features a covered lanai, kitchen island and three-car tandem garage, along with Pulte’s Life-Tested™ features, such as a ‘super pantry,’ ‘super laundry,’ and flex room. Pulte’s new Oasis model, with 2,162 square feet of living space, offers three or four bedrooms, two baths and a flex room, along with a two-car garage. Options include a den, outdoor kitchen, drop zone, a covered lanai, and an extended garage. New homes at Harrison Ranch are priced from the high $100s. A 6,500 square foot community center with full-time activities director, planned resident events, a state-of-the-art fitness center, heated junior Olympic-size swimming pool, media/game room, lighted tennis courts and a children’s handicapped-accessible playground are among the amenities at Harrison Ranch. For more information, visit www.pulte.com/harrisonranch

NAI Realvest Closes Industrial Property Sales in Seminole County totaling over $1.4 Million

ORLANDO, Fla. – NAI Realvest recently negotiated the sales of three industrial properties located in Oviedo, Sanford and Longwood totaling 20,600 square feet and $1,417,000. 00. Paul P. Partyka and Juan Jimenez at NAI Realvest represented the seller Akron, Ohio based ALH Properties, PLL in the $650,000 sale of a 10,000 square foot industrial flex building at 572 South Econ Circle in Oviedo. Buyer GIV Investments purchased the property for expansion. Michael Heidrich, principal at NAI Realvest and associate Kristen Kemp negotiated the $400,000 sale price on behalf of Calin Properties Inc., seller of a 5,000 square foot industrial building at 110 Rand Yard Rd. in Sanford. The local buyer, Platinum Granite of Sanford, LLC was represented in the transaction by James Lettieri of Hybrid Realty. In Longwood Heidrich represented sellers Dennis L. and Barbara Jarvis of a 5,600 square foot industrial facility at 1608 Cherrywood Lane. Local buyer MVP Property Group LLC paid $367,000 for the property and was represented by Scott Nance of Future Home Realty.

Hold-Thyssen Negotiates New Lease with National Homebuilder relocating division offices to Winter Park

WINTER PARK, Fla. --- Hold-Thyssen, Inc., a real estate services firm, recently negotiated a three-year lease agreement for 907 rentable square feet in Suite 201 at 243 W. Park Ave. in downtown Winter Park. Darby Hold, lease consultant for Hold-Thyssen, Inc., negotiated the transaction with the new tenant Weekley Homes, LLC representing the local landlord, New England Partners, LLC. Weekley, who was represented in the deal by Karen Jacobs of Orchid Lake Realty, relocated its Orlando division offices to the building because of the central location to its communities. Weekley is based in Houston with 18 division office across the U.S. Other major tenants at the New England Building include Harbor Community Bank, Kelly Price and Company and Faiella & Gulden Law Firm. Hold-Thyssen, Inc. 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.

AgileSrc wins Phase I SBIR grant from the US Navy

Orlando, Fla. – AgileSrc, LLC, a software development firm specializing in the modeling and simulation industry, has been awarded a Phase I SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) grant from the Department of the Navy to develop an Extended Range Forecasting and Advanced Climate Applications Decision Support System. Mark Horn, chief executive officer of AgileSrc, said weather is recognized across the DoD as critical intelligence and is part of the Navy Battlespace on Demand (BonD) strategy. Climate analysis and forecasting can move decision-makers and warfighters from cope-and-avoid to a strategic or operational perspective that anticipates and exploits the weather. The Navy’s Advanced Climate Analysis and Forecast (ACAF) tool begins to address these challenges with a web-based user interface to create advanced climate analyses. “To fully exploit the state of climate science requires us to expand and improve ACAF capabilities to better meet the BonD strategy,” Horn said. AgileSrc and partner Atmospheric and Environmental Research, Inc. (AER) are developing a more robust and scalable support framework that can easily add new data resources, transform that data into actionable information, and effectively distribute the computational and network burden among operational and tactical environments. These capabilities will extend the Navy’s ACAF to significantly improve Meteorology and Oceanography (METOC) support to the field, and better extend decision superiority to Fleet and DoD forces, Horn explained. AgileSrc is a client company of the University of Central Florida’s Business Incubation Program at the Central Florida Research Park in East Orange County.