The Carlyle model by Southern Crafted Homes.
Take Note: New-Home Community and Builder News
Highland Homes recently hosted its annual Sales Awards Banquet at the Lakeland Yacht Club. Winners included: Online Sales Manager of the Year, Carmen Arbizu; Top Sales Assistant of the Year, Kay Hough; and Top Sales Manager of the Year, Cindy Weatherly. Top Sales Awards went to Gene Kucher, Ken Smith and Doug Pike while Rookie of the Year went to Denise Abercrombie.
INCENTIVES
Inland Homes has announced a new program called Our Extended Commitment, which offers homebuyers free lawn and pest-control services as well as professional home maintenance for the first year after a purchase. In addition, the first three years the company will provide home-alarm-system monitoring again at no cost. Basic home maintenance includes everything from changing air-con-ditioning filters and refreshing caulking around tubs and sinks to replacing light bulbs and checking the irrigation system.
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Homebuyers in five Tampa" target=_blank>Tampa Bay-area communities built by Ashton Woods Homes enjoy monthly savings that range from 15 percent to 25 percent of their energy costs. That’s the word from Michael Roche, vice president of sales and marketing for Ashton Woods Homes in the Tampa" target=_blank>Tampa Bay region. “Our architectural and engineering team began studying energy efficient design several years ago and we have fully implemented our Power House design protocol in all Ashton Woods Homes designs,” Roche said. Ashton Woods Homes’ Power House design protocol includes seven components: tight construction, fresh air ventilation, improved ventilation systems, right-sized heating and air- conditioning equipment, pressure balancing, interior moisture management and combustion safety.
EDUCATION
Southern Crafted Homes has launched a series of posts on its Web site blog detailing the home-building process and inviting consumers to ask questions and get free advice. “The idea is to demonstrate how a home is built in our geographic area and climate, and to provide a forum to answer questions about new homes, whether you already live in one or are thinking about buying one in the future,” says Jim Deitch, the company’s chief operating officer. Check it out at www.southerncraftedhomes.wordpress.com.
DEVELOPMENT NEWS
Stonelake Ranch, a 685-acre gated community of estate homes along 900-acre Lake Thonotosassa in eastern Hillsborough County, has announced its slate of preferred homebuilders. The builders include Alvarez Homes, Arthur Rutenberg Homes/Lyons Heritage Corp., Bartlett Custom Homes,? Campagna Homes,? The Fechtel Company and John Cannon Homes.??
Champions’ Club Realty has expanded its services to handle sales of existing homes and homesites in The Champions’ Club along with other neighborhoods in Trinity, a Pasco County master-planned community. The Champions’ Club overlooks the 18-hole championship golf course at Fox Hollow Golf Club. More than half of this community’s 368 homesites border the golf course while many others overlook nearly 45 acres of lakes, or heavily wooded conservation areas. Prices range from the $700s to more than $3 million.
GREEN BUILDING
Eight local remodelers, all members of the Tampa" target=_blank>Tampa Bay Chapter of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI), are now Green Certified Professionals (GCP) according to Chapter President Bob Phillips.? The newly certified GCPs are: Neal Fiske, TriplePoint Construction; Wes Jenkins, Blue Diamond Builders; Frank McConnell, Residential Transformations; Bob Phillips, Bay Breeze Enterprises; Joseph Renda, Air Quality Control; Ron Rybolt, RER; Don Strobel, Strobel Design/Build; and Jeff Wolf, Jeffery M. Wolf General Contractors.
PROGRESSIONS
Lennar’s Central Florida Division, which builds new homes in 32 communities in nine counties, has appointed Kelly Permenter, Thomas Simmons, Lisa Malone and Cathy Kaufman as new-home consultants at four of its communities in Hillsborough County.