GHO Homes Introduces New Columbia Grande Model To South Lakes in Vero Beach

GHO Homes, one of Florida’s leading homebuilders, has announced that the new Columbia Grande Model home at South Lakes in Vero Beach is now open for homebuyers to tour. GHO Homes has a strong history of delivering what homebuyers want in the design and construction of affordable quality homes, and the Columbia Grande is the homebuilder’s latest example of providing what today’s homebuyer wants and needs.

The new Columbia Grande Model boasts a stunning lakefront pool, designed to maximize enjoyment of the Florida lifestyle.  At 3,028 total square feet – and 2,235 square feet of air-conditioned living space – the bright and open great room floor plan of Columbia Grande offers lots of inviting space for relaxing, entertaining and everyday living. Columbia’s split plan design also features four bedrooms, two baths, his and her private spaces/craft rooms/offices, and a two-car garage. As part of the “GHO Tailor-Made Program,” the Columbia can be customized to have a large three-car garage and one less bedroom.

GHO Homes is proud to offer homebuyers their exclusive “GHO Tailor-Made Program,” which allows homebuyers to customize their new homes with numerous options, built-ins and upgrades that far exceed industry standards. All GHO homes are built with energy-efficient materials and methods, and feature the latest design features and finishes. The new Columbia Grande model at

South Lakes offers Vero Beach homebuyers the luxury of large lots measuring 90' wide by 134' deep, and has several that are much larger. Other amenities include two sparkling lakes, a community dock, ample sidewalks, and gated entry (gates are currently open for new home sales access). South Lakes is an established, desirable community located at the crossroads of two of Vero Beach's main access roads. From this central location, I-95, shopping of all types, medical and professional offices, the beach, golf courses and more are just minutes away.

Committed to excellence and customer satisfaction, the GHO Homes team has built more than 800 homes in Indian River County.  For more information on South Lakes and the new Colombia furnished model home, call (772) 257-1100 ext. 3 or visit www.ghohomes.com.

9 Marketing Tips from a Six-Year Old’s Lemonade Stand

1. Give people something for free and they will feel obligated to return the favor

When you help someone, it creates a natural desire to return the favor. As a web designer, provide helpful tips on your blog, participate in forums offering advice and helping non-designers, share ideas on Twitter. In doing so, you’ll not only build trust, but also develop relationships with potential clients.

2. Give potential customers a taste of your offerings

Offer free themes or templates with an easy upgrade to “pro” versions. Provide free stock graphics that hint at potential identity or branding packages while demonstrating your creativity. Just be sure to make it good. When users are excited about the base product, they are much more likely to upgrade.

3. Make it “Extra Special”

Don’t just offer lemonade. Put in that extra sprig of mint. Make everything you do something “extra special” and clients will take notice. Not only will they come back for more, they’ll tell their friends.

4. Don’t Be Afraid to Tell Your “Neighbors” (Network!)

One of the first things my daughter did when she opened her stand was run next door and tell the neighbor. After getting his lemonade, he called two other neighbors to tell them about the lemonade stand – both of whom came right over with “donations”. Don’t be afraid to tell friends and colleagues about your services. You never know, they may talk to your next big client later that day.

5. Do What You Need to Do to Be Seen

It wasn’t enough to just put up a sign. My daughter’s advertising consisted of jumping up and down screaming “free lemonade” at passing cars. While it might seem extreme, it worked. How are you “screaming” about your business?

6. Be Persistent

Even though most of the cars passed by, my daughter didn’t give up. Finally, after many failed attempts, one of them did stop—doubling her income for the day.

7. Build Anticipation

My daughter’s first customer knew about her project and was there as soon as it opened. Don’t just launch your new web site, let people know it’s coming. Drop hints, show them screen shots, make them look forward to the big day.

8. Find Good Partners

My daughter’s little brother kept drinking the lemonade – not the best partner. However, her friend from down the street was out there with her jumping up and down screaming, doubling their advertising efforts.

9. Advertise Your Popularity

Once my daughter’s cup started filling with coins, people were more likely to “donate”.Don’t be afraid to advertise your popularity. Place download counters, comment counts and subscriber numbers in prominent places. Just make sure the stats are high enough to warrant a little bragging.

Vero Beach Homebuyers Discover That GHO Offers Unbeatable Value on Custom Homes in Great Locations

When Teri Hoover, Realtor with RE/MAX Beach and Beyond in Vero Beach, had exhausted a number of short sales, re-sales and other options but still could not find the home her customer really had in mind, she turned to GHO Homes. That’s when Teri and her homebuyer discovered that the GHO Homes’ “Tailor Made Program” could put a custom-designed, value-added new home well within the homebuyer’s budget. So Teri’s homebuyer decided to purchase a new “Tailor Made” GHO home at the homebuilder’s Fieldstone Ranch community in Vero Beach.

GHO Homes has a strong history of delivering what homebuyers want – because two generations of the family-owned company have built their reputation based on the design and construction of affordable quality homes. Committed to excellence and customer satisfaction, GHO Homes has built homes in Broward, West Palm Beach, Sebastian and Vero Beach. According to Teri Hoover, it’s their highest level of personal service, dedication and a "make it happen" attitude – combined with GHO’s "Tailor Made Program" – that is the hallmark of their success.

“My buyers wanted a home created and suited to their personal needs and desires. So, with GHO Homes owner Bill Handler at the helm, their home was designed just the way they wanted it.

The process is ever evolving and undeniably time consuming, but in the end, their personal concepts were created. Creating, designing, and building a superior custom home is the mantra of GHO Homes and from concept to completion, the GHO team has been there every step of the way. I will take my customers to GHO every chance I get,” says Hoover.

The homebuyer had a particular set of goals and room sizes in mind, and a keen perception of the new home’s concept. As part of GHO’s Tailor Made commitment, the homebuyer was shown numerous plans, a few models and spec homes, and GHO came up with a starting point based on one of their existing designs. GHO added two bathrooms, moved and changed the kitchen layout and island, designed a custom pool, enlarged the dining room, added some windows, removed some windows, and even space-planned the bedrooms to fit her specific beds and furniture sizes. The final plans are currently being engineered and finalized, and GHO Homes will begin construction in a few weeks on the perfect “Tailor Made” for Teri’s homebuyer.

All GHO homes are built with energy-efficient materials and methods, and feature the latest design features and finishes. In addition, GHO Homes offers homebuyers their exclusive “GHO Tailor-Made Program,” which allows homebuyers to customize their new homes with numerous options, built-ins and upgrades that far exceed industry standards. The GHO Tailor-Made program sets GHO Homes apart from its competitors by providing a wide range of floor plan options, including the homebuilder’s Generations Series, featuring new homes designed specifically for multi-generational living. GHO Homes regularly provides its customers with a custom one-of-a-kind home, at a value balanced to their needs, and the large number of repeat GHO homebuyers confirms that the GHO Tailor-Made program has been a resounding success with their customers.

All GHO Homes residential communities in Vero Beach feature easy Interstate access in a setting that is only minutes from the beach, shopping, dining, great K-12 schools, medical facilities, and all the recreational venues offered in Vero Beach. For more information on GHO Homes’ Vero Beach communities, call (772) 257-1100 or visit their website at www.ghohomes.com.

D.R. Horton Retains Top Spot on BUILDER 100

D.R. Horton managed to hold onto its position as the largest home builder in America in 2010, despite a hard challenge from PulteGroup, which absorbed Centex in 2009, becoming the largest builder in America for a time, at least on paper.

Ft. Worth, Texas-based Horton closed 18,983 homes during the 2010 calendar year, nearly 2,000 more than second-place PulteGroup (17,095). Because Pulte builds bigger homes than Horton on average, the Bloomfield Hills, Mich.-based company actually booked more revenue than Horton last year, $4.57 billion, compared to Horton's $4.06 billion.

Builder magazine each year ranks the top 100 builders, and the next 100, in the United States based on calendar-year closings. The full results won't be released until May 11th. But several top-level results, including the top 10 builders contained in this story, will be released during the next two weeks.

Pulte certainly had a leg up in this competition, given its Centex acquisition in 2009. In calendar year 2008, for instance, Pulte and Centex combined to deliver more than 39,000 homes, compared to Horton's 24,000. But Horton refused to give up its leadership position easily, building many homes on spec during 2010 and eagerly optioning lots.

2010 was the first year of head-to-head competition on the leaderboard between Pulte and Horton. Because Pulte's acquisition of Centex occured during the middle of 2009, many of Centex's closings were listed separately on Builder's list of 2009 closings.

Had closings for the two companies been combined, however, Pulte (with 15,013 closings in 2009) and Centex (at 6,900) would have easily surpassed Horton (with 18,164).

Horton and Pulte put some distance between themselves and other top 10 companies during 2010. Third-place Lennar Corp., based in Miami, closed 10,955 homes during calendar year 2010, and fourth-place NVR, based in Reston, Va., sold 10,030 homes.

The revenue of each of the top four home builders is now nearly double the revenue of the next closest home builder, No. 5 Los Angeles-based KB Home, which closed 7,346 homes with $1.59 billion in revenue.

In a sign of the times, the sixth largest home builder last year was a non-profit, Habitat for Humanity International, which closed 6,032 homes in the United States last year. Sales at Habitat were up a robust 14%.

Four of the top 10 home builders (Horton, PulteGroup, NVR, and Habitat) managed to increase closings last year. The top 10 home builders in last year's list were all public companies, with the exception of Habitat. Scottsdale, Ariz.-based Meritage Homes reappeared on the top 10 list this year.

Last year, the top 10 builders managed to increase their share of the overall home building market, including condos. Their share of closings industry-wide rose to nearly 25%, from roughly 20% a year before. 

Kenco Communities Announces Only Four Remaining Homes for Purchase at Popular Mirabella

Palm Beach Gardens, FL – Mirabella at Mirasol, renowned for its luxurious resort-style living, is offering homebuyers the final opportunity to build in this highly successful neighborhood, according to leading Florida builder and developer, Kenco Communities. Just four new homes – all on desirable lakefront lots – remain available for purchase.

As the final opportunity to enjoy a luxurious new waterfront home at Mirabella, the four remaining models include the two-story, five-bedroom Delgado model and the two-story, four-bedroom Cortina model. According to Dean Borg, Senior Vice President of Kenco Communities, these final four homes have been designed to thrill their new owners.

“In some ways, we’ve saved the best for last at Mirabella, because these remaining four homes are each loaded with $15,000 in free upgrades,” stated Borg. “They are all located on beautiful lakefront lots, come with impact-resistant glass and are backed by Kenco’s solid one year builder warranty. So we’re excited to close out Mirabella’s home sales on such a high note for homebuyers.”

Ranging in size from 2,449 to 2,595 square feet, the remaining homes are priced from $422,900 to $449,900. Spacious and inviting, the homes showcase luxurious finishes, architectural details, energy-efficient features and appliances, plus quality craftsmanship and owner amenities throughout.

Mirabella at Mirasol’s master plan includes three distinctive neighborhoods featuring a total of 492 homes overlooking sparkling lakes and landscaped areas. A 24-hour manned gatehouse provides privacy and security for the successful community. In addition, Mirabella’s desirable Palm Beach Gardens location places it close to shopping, entertainment and dining facilities as well as easy access to major highways and Palm Beach International Airport.

Club Mirabella is the heart of this community’s active social life, providing residents with a designer-inspired clubhouse complete with full-time activities director, social and party rooms, library, card rooms, fitness center and separate yoga/aerobics studio. Outdoor facilities include an oversize lap pool with spacious deck and cabanas, four Har-Tru tennis courts, and a tot-lot with kids’ pool.  

Kenco Communities, developers of Mirabella at Mirasol, are builders and developers of fine residential communities in South Florida for more than 25 years.  Mirabella’s Sales Center is open daily from 10am to 5pm.  For more information, call 561-624-7404 or visit www.gomirabella.com.

GHO Homes Releases Pricing on Oversize lakefront lots at Spyglass in Vero Beach, FL

West Palm Beach, FL 2/22/11 --- GHO Homes Corp., builders of value-added new homes in South Florida for more than 25 years, has released pricing on a very limited number of oversize lakefront estate home lots at Spyglass, the homebuilder’s new Vero Beach estate home enclave.  

Spyglass is a community of just six private lakefront home sites, each of which contains over an acre of clear building area. With private preserves on each side and fronting Lake Spyglass, this beautiful and peaceful setting represents a truly limited opportunity for just a few fortunate homebuyers. The six oversized home sites are individually priced from $105,000 to $135,000. 

Joining other GHO Homes residential communities in Vero Beach – including Fieldstone Ranch, Trillium, South Lakes and Stoney Brook Farms – Spyglass offers homebuyers a private yet convenient location, near great shopping, restaurants, schools, recreation, hospitals, beaches and easy access to major highways. 

And homebuyers at Spyglass can choose from GHO Homes’ selection of luxurious estate home designs – which have been created specifically with the exceptional Spyglass home sites in mind – or can have GHO Homes custom-design and build the home of their dreams through the builder’s “Tailor-Made program.” Spyglass homebuyers also have the option of purchasing the lot only.

 With its extremely limited availability of just six estate home sites, Spyglass has been designed by GHO Homes for those who seek out the finest things in life. For homebuyers looking for one of the finest addresses in Vero Beach, Spyglass is definitely an exciting new option to consider very soon – because GHO Homes expects the six lakefront home sites to sell quickly.

 Committed to excellence and customer satisfaction, GHO Homes has built quality homes in Broward, West Palm Beach, Sebastian and Vero Beach. All GHO homes are built with energy-efficient materials and methods, quality construction, and feature the latest design features and finishes.

 The Spyglass Sales Office is located at 674 Fieldstone Ranch Square at Fieldstone Ranch in Vero Beach. For more information, call (772) 257-1100 or email: sales@ghohomes.com.

Few homes remain in Horse Creek

NAPLES, Fla. (Feb. 2, 2011) -- Few homes remain available for purchase in Horse Creek, D.R. Horton's premier Naples community, announced Jill Hoffman-Meeks, D.R. Horton's Southwest Florida vice president of sales and marketing. The community is located off Immokalee Road in Naples.

Horse Creek Estates offers single-family estate homes with low maintenance. The community features six floorplans to choose from ranging from approximately 2,260 to 3,869 square feet under-air to choose from. Homes are priced from the $290s.

For more information, visit the model Monday - Thursday & Saturday 9:30 a.m to 5:30 p.m., Friday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Call (239) 593-1633 or visit www.DRHorton.com/swfla for more information.

Founded in 1978 in Fort Worth, Texas, D.R. Horton has operations in 72 markets in 26 states in the East, Midwest, Southeast, South Central, Southwest and West regions of the United States.

For more information visit our website at www.drhorton.com/swfla. Home and community information including pricing, included features, terms availability and amenities are subject to change and prior sale at any time without notice or obligation.  D.R. Horton is an equal opportunity builder.