By: Sharon Still

Real Estate Offices Announce New Realtors, Locations

Ed and Nancy Akers Join Signature Realty Associates
Signature Realty Associates managing broker Kevin Kennelly is pleased to welcome Ed and Nancy Akers to its Valrico office, located at 2234 Lithia Center Lane.

Among the top Realtors in the area, the Akers have more than 20 years of experience, spending the last six focusing on the Lithia and Valrico area. Nancy is a Certified Residential Specialist (CRS), as well as an Accredited Buyers Representative (ABR).

Year-to-date, Ed and Nancy have more than $17 million sold or under contract are as of December 2002, ranked twelfth in total sales volume (out of more than 44,000 agents) in the tri-county area by the Kenst Report.

The Akers stay ay the top of their market by offering comprehensive marketing packages including mass internet exposure, virtual tours and color brochures. The Akers personal office manager Elizabeth Waraksa, also a licensed real estate agent, assists in focusing on the client's need from start to finish to help every transaction go as smoothly as possible. To contact the Akers, please call 643-8058 or Signature Realty at 689-3115.

Florida Executive Realty Opens New Office
Florida Executive Realty recently opened an office at 10312 Bloomingdale Ave., Suite A1 Bloomingdale Avenue to service the Brandon, Riverview and SouthShore areas. The 2,400 sq, ft. space, previously home to Florida Mortgage Connection, is just a temporary space, reports office manager/broker George Ide. He says the company has plans to build its own 10,000-12,000 sq. ft. office in the area. "We are still in the permitting and planning stages," he says.

Since 1992, Florida Executive Realty has been providing its real estate expertise throughout the Tampa area with offices in Tampa Palms, Carrollwood and South Tampa. The office currently has seven agents and is looking for new and experienced agents to join its Brandon team. He says that Florida Executive Realty offers an extensive, free training for new agents to make start-up as easy as possible.

Office hours are 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Monday-Friday and weekend, by appointment.

KB Home Expanding Throughout The Area
KB Home announces that nine communities are now open in Tampa. New communities now dot the map from Southern Pasco down to Southern Hillsborough Counties and KB Home is proud to be able to meet the needs of every new homebuyer.

KB Home communities in the Brandon area include Mango Groves, Glenhurst at Lake St. Charles, Remington at Lake St. Charles, Cambridge at Lake St. Charles and Fishhawk Ranch. Additionally, Boyette Creek, the newest KB Home community in Riverview.

Visit KB Home's website at www.kbhome.com or call 1-888-KB-HOMES.

New Business Cards Needed At Lennar
Larry W. Peebles is the new city president for Lennar Homes' Tampa Division and the Central Florida Division of U.S. Home. Peebles will oversee all Tampa Bay-area building and sales operations for both homebuilding companies, which operate in 30 residential communities throughout Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties. He will also handle divisional home site and land purchases.
Peebles has more than 30 years experience in the home-building industry and has served with Lennar for more than five years. Prior to the promotion, he acted as president of Lennar's Tampa Division.

Both companies can be found in the communities of Buckhorn Preserve and Lakeside in the Brandon/Riverview area. U.S. Home also builds in Summerfield Crossings. Both also build in several other communities throughout the Bay area.
Additional new appointments at Lennar include Michael Foster as director of operations and Mark Metheny, a certified public accountant, as the controller of the Tampa division.

Metheny joined Lennar last year as assistant controller, says Lennar's Tampa division manager Mike Southward. He has more than seven years of accounting experience.

For more information, visit www.lennar.com.

A La Carte Real Estate Services
The traditional real estate model is not for everyone. Sellers don't always need the whole full service package and associated full service costs. Why not pick and choose the exact services needed? And buyers sometimes find it hard to come up with a reason to have a realtor assist them with their purchase, especially if it is new construction. A la carte services offer a refreshing alternative to the traditional real estate model.

According to GTG Real Estate Services broker, Howard Heintz, "Many home sellers are looking for a listing services menu with fixed prices. A la carte services, a hybrid of the discount brokerage concept, allows for full services with flat fees that are paid regardless of the price of the home. Service is service, consumers have been saying." With GTG, buyers are also able to take advantage of a GTG rebate on home purchases, even new construction. GTG buyers receive added value along with professional real estate assistance. For further details, call Heintz at 677-0843, email sales@gtgrealty.com or visit www.gtgrealty.com.

RIVERVIEW AREA

Upscale Townhomes Planned
Eighty-five town homes, unlike any other in the area are planned for the Falkenburg/Palm River Road area. Marketed by Metro Area Properties, a real estate brokerage and development firm, the gated community will feature two- and three-bedroom units with one car garages. Prices are expected to be in the $150s. According to Metro's president and director of development Chris Swenson, this development will be bringing a new standard to the area. He adds that his company will have many more exciting announcements regarding development in that area and is planning an open house in the near future. Check out www.metroareaproperties.com for additional information.

Lennar Homes In Kings Lake Are A Big Hit With Buyers
Lennar Homes' Tampa division sold 191 new homes in Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties during its first fiscal quarter (December-February) - 65 more homes than in the same period last year, representing a 57 percent increase.
During the quarter ending February 28, Naomi Carmean, a new-home consultant for Lennar in Kings Lake, sold the most new homes with 20 residential sales. This community proved to be Lennar's best selling for the quarter with a total of 30 homes sold.

Lennar's general sales manager Jerry Barbetto reports that even more impressive is the division's sales figures for March and April, when 203 new homes were sold, eclipsing the entire previous quarter in just 60 days.
Lennar recently unveiled three townhome designs at Kings Lake, priced from $95,490 including home site. Designs range from 1,157-1,561 square feet of living space and Lennar will build a total of 240 townhomes. For further detail about Lennar Homes, visit www.lennar.com.

David Weekley Opens Model at MiraBay
David Weekley Homes recently opened MiraBay's first waterfront model with the debut of its 2,890-Sq.-ft. Mangrove and 3,394-sq.-ft. Manatee designs.
For more information about David Weekley Homes in the community or MiraBay in general, visit www.mirabay.com or call 645-1000.

Bayfair Homes Model Under Construction
Bayfair Homes should not be far behind David Weekley Homes in unveiling its new model at MiraBay, in the waterfront village of Beacon Point.
Construction is underway on what will be a furnished $1.1 million, two-story, four-bedroom design has a two-car garage and a separate one-car garage that may be used for an office or recreational area.
Beacon Point is a waterfront village of 68 homesites, most situated on MiraBay's 3.5-mile canal or 135-acre man-made lagoon. For more details, call 645-1000.