Welcome to Orlando

When I was barely out of diapers, my homebuilder grandfather would load me in his pickup truck and take me to construction sites where leathery, sunburned men wearing paint-stained overalls sawed lumber and pounded nails.

My grandfather, like most builders in the 1950s, was a small operator who built sturdy but inexpensive homes. Most are still being used by families who have, over the years, remodeled the kitchens and the bathrooms and added bedrooms, porches and garages.

I thought then that building homes was about the most important thing a person could do for a living. I didn't follow in his footsteps-which is a blessing for homebuyers everywhere, given my mechanical ineptitude-but I still think it's noble work.

That's why I'm proud of this magazine. Orlando Homebuyer celebrates the importance of home ownership, and offers the most thorough and reader-friendly print resource available on homebuying in Central Florida.

Of course, there are other publications. The region has several relocation guides containing some superficial housing information, several real estate directories containing primarily advertising and several city magazines designed primarily for people who already live here and are well-established in their existing homes.

Our idea, however, was to take the best of what you might glean from these and other sources and bundle it all into one colorful, informative and fun-to-read package.

In Orlando Homebuyer, you get neighborhood spotlights and local history, guides to public and private schools, insider tips, personality profiles and directories galore, including the most comprehensive and easy- to-navigate development directory ever compiled for the region.

It's specifically written and designed for people who are moving to Central Florida from out of the area-and for people who already live here but are moving elsewhere in the region.

In fact, once you read Orlando Homebuyer, you'll have a better feel for the city than most longtime residents have.

And since we're going to be neighbors, how about giving me a call at (407) 541-2021? Let me know how we can make Orlando Homebuyer an even more useful tool.

Welcome and enjoy!

Randy Noles

Publisher