What's New on the Homefront

RECOGNITION
Coral Gables-based Avatar Holdings, parent company of Avatar Properties and developer locally of Bellalago and TerraLargo, was one of only two builders to receive a B-plus grade or better in Big Builder magazine’s 2008 Public Builder Report Card. The Public Builder Report Card analyzes data in four categories: financial, land, operations and sales and marketing. The magazine noted that “Avatar made money last year—a rarity among public home builders,” and cited the company’s vast land holdings, diversification and low debt. “[The grade] indicates that we can weather the storm and be prepared to hit the ground running once the storm has passed,” says Bill Cowart, president of home building operations.
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Custom Craft Homes and Lyons Heritage Tampa, independently-owned franchises of Arthur Rutenberg Homes, have been nominated by the company as its Builder of the Year. Custom Craft, operated by franchisee Stuart Sierra and President Ernie Lashlee, was named Builder of the Year 1997, 2000 and 2004 and received the company’s Gold Cup Award in 2006 as the franchise with the highest customer satisfaction ratings. It’s the first nomination for Lyons Heritage Tampa under President Lori Garton although franchisee Bobby Lyons won the award in 1993, 1997, 2000 and 2006.

EVENTS
The annual Realtor/Builder Expo, a partnership between the Tampa Bay Builders Association and the Greater Tampa Association of Realtors, will be held July 24 at the Florida State Fairgrounds. Builders and developers are invited to exhibit at the expo, which is only open to Realtors, according to TBBA President Peggy Templeton of Templeton Development. Visit tbba.com and click on the “events” icon for more information.

PASCO COUNTY - Samuelson Builders has been selected as a builder in Trinity East in Trinity, a $1.5 billion master-planned community in southwest Tampa" target="_blank">Pasco County. Homes, priced starting from the mid- to upper-$200s, will range in size from 1,400 to more than 3,000 square feet. Many will overlook nature preserves.
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Catenac Homes, a franchise of Arthur Rutenberg Homes, is building a $1.6 million custom estate home in Mirasol, one of seven Mediterranean-themed villages in The Champions Club, a private golf-course community adjoining the master-planned community of Trinity. The 4,712-square-foot home, which overlooks the 16th hole of the Fox Hollow Golf Course, is set to be completed in January.
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Beazer Homes is remodeling three single-family model homes at DuPree Lakes, located in Land O’ Lakes. The homes, slated to open in August, will include SmartDesign and eSMART features, which organize rooms into more functional living spaces, increase energy- and water-efficiency and improve indoor air quality. Beazer Homes is building 192 single-family homes at DuPree Lakes with prices starting in the mid-$100s.??
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Ashton Woods Homes has released 15 new homesites for sale in the second phase at Palm Cove in Wesley Chapel. Three of the new homesites are lakefront and five offer conservation area frontage. New three-,four- and five-bedroom homes at Palm Cove are priced from the $170s.

PINELLAS COUNTY - David Weekley Homes has announced plans to build executive homes in the 31-lot boutique community of Kensington in the Tampa" target="_blank">Pinellas County city of Seminole. Homes, priced from the high $600s, will range in size from 2,859 to 3,569 square feet.

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY - Pulte Homes has announced the opening of the amenity center at its Westpark Preserve townhome community in the Westchase area. The center includes a community swimming pool and a covered cabana. Home prices in the gated community, which is 85 percent sold out, start at $204,900.
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David Weekley Homes has announced plans to build in Starling at FishHawk Ranch, a master-planned community in Lithia. The company will offer its Park Series, featuring traditional Florida architecture, with prices starting in the mid-$200s. FishHawk Ranch is developed by Newland Communities.
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Mobley Homes has opened two models in the master-planned community of Easton Park in New Tampa: The Maplewood III (based-priced at $238,900) and the Birchwood (base-priced at $253,900). Mobley Homes is building about 100 homes in Easton Park.
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Sunport Homes is offering its new Origin Series in the master-planned community of Cypress Creek in the South Shore area. The cottage-style homes range in size from 1,247 to 1,878 square feet and are base-priced from the low $160s to the high $190s.
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Beazer Homes has introduced two new single-family floorplans priced from the $130s at Belmont in Ruskin. The new three-bedroom, two-bathroom floorplans range in size from 1,350 to 1,550 square feet.
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Taylor Morrison is building 25 new single-family homes in the first phase at Channing Park in Lithia. The homes range in size from 1,800 to 3,700 square feet and are priced from the low $200s. The Cornwall model, which is open daily, offers four bedrooms and three bathrooms in 2,962 square feet. The company has also opened a new four-bedroom, three-and-a-half bathroom model at Stonebrier in Lutz. The Dalton II model boasts 3,085 square feet of living space and a three-car garage. Homes in Stonebrier are priced from the $280s.
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Lennar Homes recently opened a new two-story, single-family model at Shady Creek. The model offers four bedrooms and two-and-a-half bathrooms in 2,441 square feet. The company’s homes in Shady Creek are priced from the $160s.?
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Ryland Homes has started development of a third phase at Bahia Lakes Preserve in Ruskin. Homes are priced from the $140s. Ryland is building 298 new three- and four-bedroom homes in the amenity-rich community.?