PUBLISHER'S PICK: BUILDER

Over the course of 22 years, Gulf Breeze-based Adams Homes has grown to be one of the largest privately-owned builders of single-family homes in the Southeast. Now the company’s Orlando Division is revving up to meet growing demand for its well-designed, solidly constructed homes.

The Adams difference, says sales manager Karen Burk, is that other builders in a similar price range charge extra for many popular upgrades. At Adams Homes, however, most upgrades are standard features, meaning you get far more bang for your buck.

Plus, thanks to Adams Homes’ financial stability, buyers who qualify for mortgage loans are required to put down just $1,000 — and when it’s time to complete the transaction, the company pays all closing costs. “That says a lot about the strength of the company,” says Burk. “And it is really a unique selling proposition.”

Adams Homes is a major presence particularly in Lake County, known for its rolling hills and delightful small towns. In Sorrento, for example, the company’s Plymouth Hollow community offers new homes in a lush natural setting priced from the $200s.

The community is just 10 minutes from quant Mount Dora and offers easy access to nearby shopping centers. But with the extension of S.R. 429, all of Orlando’s shopping, entertainment and employment centers are also within easy driving distance.

Adams Homes’ other Lake County communities include Addison Place (from the high $100s), Black Bear Reserve (from the low $200s) and Tuscan Cove (from $139,900). In east Orange County the company is building in Avon at Vista Lakes (from the $240s).

Clearly, Adams Homes’ philosophy of simplifying the buying experience while offering more than you’d expect has been a formula for success — and for happy customers.