New Marceline Neighborhood in Golden Oak at Walt Disney World Resort Now on Sale

Following brisk sales of homesites, Golden Oak at Walt Disney World Resort announced plans for its newest neighborhood, Marceline. Sale of the first 19 homesites have already begun. 

As part of the Golden Oak community, Marceline residents will enjoy a lifestyle surrounded by the Walt Disney World Resort. This quiet, luxurious enclave is located in close proximity to Disney theme parks and recreation. Taking advantage of its natural setting, more than half of the Marceline homesites will offer water views and others will border on a nature preserve. Each homesite is approximately one-quarter acre in size and is within easy walking distance of Summerhouse, the private clubhouse for Golden Oak residents and their guests. 

Marceline will showcase the same quality custom home building found throughout Golden Oak today, with residences drawing design and architectural inspiration from European and Caribbean influences. Buyers can select from three prestigious homebuilders to create custom homes ranging in size from approximately 3,800 to 4,500 square feet. 

Golden Oak homes start at $1.6 million. Prices, inclusive of homesite, in the Marceline neighborhood will start at $1.7 million. 

"We've been delighted by the positive response over the past 24 months," said Page Pierce, vice president of Disney Resort Real Estate Development. "Our first four Golden Oak neighborhoods are nearly sold out, so Marceline quite literally builds on that success." 

Marceline is named after the Missouri town where Walt Disney grew up in the early part of the 20th century. Memories from those formative years profoundly influenced creative directions he took throughout his life. 

Walt's animation legacy has roots in Marceline, where he first picked up a pencil and sketchpad to try his hand at drawing. The new Golden Oak neighborhood pays homage to that history with a planned sculpture park that will feature enchanting life-size sculptures of characters from Walt's animated masterpiece Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The sculptures are part of the exclusive Golden Oak "Disney Friends in Nature" sculpture series. Sophisticated interpretations of classic Disney animation will be found in parks and other common areas throughout the community. 

"The sculpture series is just one example of subtle Disney touches artfully woven into the luxurious character of Golden Oak," Pierce said. "Our Disney Imagineers poured their talents into creating a community that's thoughtful in design, rich with details and home to a lifestyle like no other." 

Marceline is just one of many new additions to Golden Oak. The recently opened Summerhouse, the private residential club facility, is the centerpiece of community activities and events. Reminiscent of a large Tuscan farmhouse, it offers delightful spaces for indoor and outdoor gatherings, a pool, fitness facilities with locker rooms, and a family game room. The Summerhouse restaurant and private lounge will debut later this year, offering dining in a casual, yet sophisticated environment. 

Summerhouse is also home to Golden Oak Resident Services, the team that brings Disney's guest-service culture directly to residents. Resident Services can arrange personal, residential and resort requests. Services include assistance with travel and private transportation arrangements, tickets for Disney theme parks and special events, private VIP tours, golf tee-times, dinner reservations, and planning parties. It's like having a Fairy Godmother to handle every detail. 

Golden Oak residents can also take advantage of "Disney Connection" amenities. These special services include door-to-park transportation to select locations at Walt Disney World Resort, Extra Magic Hours (at one Walt Disney World Resort theme park each day to enjoy select attractions), merchandise delivery from most Walt Disney World retail locations and discounts at all Walt Disney World golf courses. 

For more information about Golden Oak, contact John R. Gordon at (407) 488-8802 or visit www.gordongroupfl.com. 

New Listing from Gordon Group FL and Keller Williams Classic Realty

Beautiful home on John's Lake in Southwest Orange County

$939,000.00

Just Listed!

1014 Johns Point Drive

Oakland, FL 34787

4 Bedrooms

3.5 Bathrooms

4,076 sq. ft.

Private Pool

Not a short sale!  Just Listed and won't last. Stunning Lakefront Home on the absolute best lakefront lot in the community and VERY private! Located at the tip of the peninsula, you'll enjoy fantastic views from nearly every room and over 275 ft of lake frontage. The original owner has meticulously maintained this home since it was Custom built by J&J Custom Homes. This home enjoys 16 ft high ceilings, split floor plan on one level and custom finishes such as granite counters, custom 42 inch cabinets, Viking gas range and Sub Zero refrigerator, double dishwashers, built in ice maker and much much more. Large Mother in Law Suite or Guest Quarters have stunning lake views and a private screened Lanai. The infinity edge salt water pool and spa is controlled by an aqua link system. Shown by appointment. Hurry! Don't miss this one of a kind home!

Contact John R. Gordon PA

407-488-8802

gordonentinc@aol.com

www.GordonGroupFL.com

Bellaria and Gordon Group FL

Bellaria one of Windermere's newest luxury communities, a place where elegance and quality grace can be seen everywhere you turn. Inspired by a small charming village on the Italian coast Bellaria reflects the beauty and romance of this exclusive enclave, where exquisite custom homes sit majestically on a minimum three-quaters of an acre. The natural splendor and serenity of the community offers a wonderful place for families to live and thrive. Surrounded by the natural beauty of Windermere's Butler Chain of Lakes, Bellaria is a unique community where each distinctive home will be built by a select Master Custom Builder. Resulting in something rarely found, a very special place that only a discerning few will have the pleasure of calling home. 

Bellaria Community Features

• 64 Homesite's Minimum Size of Three-Quarters Acre Plus
• Featured Builders: All “Master Custom Builder Council”
• Members ARC Requirements: Minimum 4,000 SF Living Area, Three-Car Garages, 50’ Front Set-Backs
• Elegant Manned Gatehouse and Entry with Tuscan Fountain and Stately Brick Wall
• Lakeside Play Pavilion with Gazebo and Playground
• HOA Initiation Fee $1,000 ~ HOA Dues $3,800 Annually
• Architectural Review Committee Comprised of Industry Professionals to Encourage Homes of Architectural Significance and Character
• Location: West Lake Butler Road, Windermere, Florida
• Minutes from SR408 and SR429, Florida Turnpike, Convenient to Major Shopping, Orlando International Airport, Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, and some of Central Florida's largest employers   

Bellaria Master Builders

JRW - J. Richard Watson

Castleworks

Stonebridge Homes

R. L. Vogel Homes

Dave Konkol Homes Inc.

Heidene Svher Homes

McNally Fine Custom Homes  

Interested in learning more about the possibility of calling Bellaria in Windermere home? Contact John Gordon and let him arrange a viewing for you today!

Clermont/Lake County and Gordon Group FL

As far as the eye can see, Central Florida is about as flat as a pancake; that is until you venture to South Lake County and the rolling hills of Clermont, Florida. Also known as "Gem of the Hills", this highly residential community has a population of slightly over 30,000 and is just 22 miles west of downtown Orlando. 

Clermont is also home to one of the first constructed landmarks in Florida, the Florida Citrus Tower. The bustling historic downtown district is full of quaint retail shops and charming restaurants and is still much as it was over 50 years ago. Downtown Clermont also hosts dozens of special events throughout the year including sidewalk art festivals, art and wine strolls, live music performances, and a weekly farmers market, just to name a few.

Picturesque lakes dot the rolling landscapes that afford many opportunities for boating, fishing, water skiing and much more. Also located in Clermont is the stunning Lake Louisa State Park on Lake Louisa, the largest in Clermont's Chain of Lakes. It offers 25 of hiking trails, campsites and log cabins that can be rented on a daily basis.

Wine lovers will enjoy the proximity to The Lakeridge Winery which rests on 127 acres of stunning rolling countryside and ranks as Florida's largest premium winery.

Education thrives in Clermont with over a dozen public schools as well as satellite campuses for the University of Central Florida and Lake-Sumter Community College.

Clermont in South Lake County includes some great neighborhoods:

• Bella Colina
• Cypress Landing
• Heritage Hills
• Kings Ridge (55 and up)
• Legends
• Magnolia Pointe
• Sawgrass Bay
• Tuscany Ridge
• Vista Verde

Contact John Gordon and make Clermont home today. 

Winter Park and Gordon Group FL

First founded as a resort community and recognized as the first centrally planned community in Florida, Winter Park is one of the most popular residential areas in Central Florida today. The scenic Olde Winter Park area is punctuated by small, winding brick streets, and a canopy of old southern live oak and camphor trees draped in Spanish moss. The city draws thousands of visitors to annual festivals including the Bach Festival, the nationally ranked Winter Park Sidewalk Arts Festival, and the Winter Park Concours d'Elegance. Winter Park is also home to Mead Botanical Garden which is a 47.6 acre park that encompasses several ecosystems.

The Winter Park Chain of Lakes offers unspoiled waterways and beautiful settings for all types of watersports. Education is abundant as the area is home to many fine educational institutes such as Trinity Preparatory School, Winter Park Tech, Full Sail University and the "University of the South" Rollins College. CSX Transportation also operates a rail line through Winter Park on the former Atlantic Coast Line, with an Amtrak Station in Downtown's historic Central Park.

Central Florida’s shopping, dining, and cultural showcase, Park Avenue boasts more than 140 boutiques, sidewalk cafes, and museums.  This signature shopping street is bordered by stunning oak-canopied Central Park which plays host to seasonal art shows, concerts, exotic car shows, and fashion events.  Located minutes north of Orlando, Park Avenue is nestled in beautiful, historic downtown Winter Park, an exquisite blend of charm, style, and sophistication.

Park Avenue’s charm is magnified in the truly unique details: hidden gardens and side streets that are home to unique stores, a farmer’s market  each Saturday morning, festive parades that mark the seasons and the scenic boat tour that cruises the canals between the City’s lakes overlooking the area’s most prestigious homes. Often called “Little Europe”, Park Avenue in Downtown Winter Park is a year round destination that is sure to charm visitors and residents of all ages.

Due to its close proximity to Orlando, Winter Park is a city that is home to many commuters with quick access to Downtown Orlando as well as outlying suburban areas like Oviedo, Winter Springs, Maitland and Altamonte Springs.

Some beautiful neighborhoods await you in Winter Park:

• College Quarter
• GreenOaks
• Hannibal Square 
• Northwood Circle
• Orwin Manor
• Park Grove
• Sevilla
• The Plymouth
• Waterbridge
• Windsong

Interested in calling Winter Park home? Contact John Gordon and make it a possibility today.

Forecasts bank on Sunrail, downtown

Expectations will be high this year for continued growth in multifamily construction and other development tied to two highly incentivized projects: SunRail and Lake Nona's Medical City.

The relative boom in apartment construction last year is expected to continue in 2013, particularly in downtown Orlando and near Lake Nona's slowly burgeoning complex of hospitals and medical-research centers. In addition, a handful of projects are expected to get underway this year with 2014 completion dates tied to the debut of Central Florida's $1.2 billion SunRail commuter train.

In terms of retail development, Joshua Busby, vice president of Continental Real Estate Cos. of Maitland, expects further moves by big-box national retailers to "de-mall" and relocate in open-air centers.

"This model has proven to be successful for the retailers, as the operational cost for open-air centers are much less than for traditional enclosed malls, and it allows them to position themselves in a more diverse mix of retailers," said Busby, whose firm handles leasing at The Trials, an open-air center in Ormond Beach.

The emergence of apartment complexes in downtown Orlando has created a trade area that will attract traditional-service retailers, such as dry cleaners, convenience stores, banks and salons, Busby said. And the young professionals moving there will build demand for new restaurants, bars and boutiques, he added.

Overall, the commercial development story of 2013 is likely to be continued growth in the apartment sector.

"I think that demand for renting is way up, and supply, even with the projects that are coming online, is way down," said Shelton Granade, who oversees the multifamily sector for the real estate firm CBRE in Orlando.

The local market absorbed about 1,500 new units last year, boosting supply in a market that has about 189,000 units, Granade said. But the rate of new units remains down considerably from even a decade ago; back then, developers were adding 6,000 to 7,000 units to a market with 160,000 units, he said.

Asking rents, Granade predicted, are still depressed and so will likely continue growing. Metro Orlando's average asking rent is currently in the same range — $900 to $910 a month — that it was in back in 2006.

Downtown apartment projects under construction include: Pollack Shore's SteelHouse, a 326-unit, $40 million complex on the northwest corner of Orange and Colonial that is close to completion; Novare Group's Sky House apartment tower, at Livingston Street and Rosalind Avenue, which will contain 320 units when it opens just south of the Orange County Courthouse late this year; and GDC Properties' NORA, a $28 million, mixed-use undertaking scheduled to open with 246 units at Orange and Marks Street in the spring of 2014.

Projects expected to get underway this year include: Craig Ustler's 114-acre Health Village at Florida Hospital on North Orange Avenue; and the first phase of Rida Development's Central Station, opposite the Orange County Courthouse on Orange Avenue.

Construction is expected to start during the first quarter on Central Station, proposed as a $75 million mixed-use project with 284 apartments included. Rida's plan for the long-fallow 6.4-acre site, which also abuts the Lynx central bus terminal and a soon-to-be constructed SunRail station, calls for offices, a parking garage and 125-room hotel.

Also in the works: The Sevens, by Pizzuti Cos. in partnership with Charlan Brock & Associates, a $34 million project at 777 N. Orange Ave. with 316 units and about 10,000 square feet of retail that is scheduled for construction this fall.

Orlando economist Owen Beitsch said he once had doubts about the growing number of new rental properties but now thinks the market has plenty of appetite to absorb them.

"I was a little bit of the opinion that we would build so many rental units that we would outstrip demand," said Beitsch, vice president of Real Estate Research Consultants in Orlando. "I was skeptical, but we are so far behind in the level of housing production that we need to keep up with the population shifts."

And in terms of where the projects are going, downtown Orlando is "where the capital has wanted to be, more than the suburbs," Beitsch said. In addition to the complexes already announced or underway, work is expected to progress more quickly on Debartolo Development's mixed-use Mills Park project at Mills Avenue and Virginia Drive, not far from the city center.

Central Station and Health Village will be the first projects driven largely by SunRail, the 61-mile commuter line slated to open from DeBary to south Orlando in 2014.

None of the proposed SunRail stops are ideally suited to development, Beitsch said. The Sanford location seems too far removed from jobs and shopping. The one under construction on State Road 436 in Altamonte Springs holds some promise because it is near shopping and is supported by government incentives to boost a previously blighted area. And the Winter Park stop off Park Avenue lacks development potential.

More promising for 2013 will be development in and around Lake Nona's Medical City, where the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs hopes to complete a VA Medical Center no later than November. Nemours Children's Hospital, meanwhile, opened in the southeast Orlando development three months ago.

"The key to it is the medical buildings, and once they reach a state of completion, then the private market has a reason to be there," Beitsch said.

Downtown Orlando's office market is likely to remain inundated with vacant space, Beitsch added, and growth in the region's retail sector appears dim.

Reverse Mortgages and the Collection of Unpaid Assessments

Community Associations pursuing the collection of unpaid assessments from owners in the current real estate market often find that the mortgage debt on the delinquent property exceeds the fair market value of the property.  However, where the loan in question is a home equity conversion loan, also sometimes called a reverse mortgage, it should not be assumed that the mortgage lender has a lien against the property for the full amount indicated on the face of the mortgage instrument. 

This is because a reverse mortgage is not like a traditional mortgage.  The proceeds of a reverse mortgage loan are typically paid out to the borrower over an extended period of time.  At the end of the loan term, the borrower must pay back the proceeds of the loan, with interest, or the owner’s property will be sold and the proceeds of the sale used to repay the lender.  Accordingly, the lender’s lien against the property secures repayment of only those amounts the lender has previously advanced to the owner.  This can be substantially less than the full amount available to the borrower as reflected on the face of the recorded mortgage.  So, associations should not assume the owner has no equity in his or her property based on the face amount of a reverse mortgage.

The stream of income received by a delinquent owner via a reverse mortgage loan may also represent a means of collecting delinquent assessments for a community association.  In a recent case in New Jersey, a court considered whether the periodic payments made to a judgment-debtor under a reverse mortgage could be garnished by a judgment-creditor of the borrower.  In the case, the lender, Wells Fargo, opposed the creditor’s writ of garnishment, arguing that the payments made to the judgment-debtor were not a “debt” that Wells Fargo owed the borrower, but rather were extensions of credit that had to be paid back to Wells Fargo.  The trial court agreed with Wells Fargo’s position and denied the judgment-creditor’s request to re-direct the reverse mortgage payments from the borrower to the judgment-creditor.

The Superior Court of New Jersey reversed the trial court’s decision.  The appellate court drew attention to the fact that Wells Fargo was legally obligated under the terms of the reverse mortgage to pay $959 a month to the borrower and that the borrower’s obligation to repay these loan proceeds would only arise upon the death of the borrower.  Furthermore, the court held, Wells Fargo had no personal recourse against the borrower.  Its only means of recovery was via a sale of the property.  Accordingly, the court noted, the borrower was in effect converting the equity in his property to cash for his personal benefit while simultaneously arguing that the cash was exempt from execution by creditors, and this the court would not allow.

As no appellate court in Florida has issued a published opinion interpreting Florida law as it relates to whether payments made under a reverse mortgage are exempt from execution by creditors, we do not yet know how Florida courts would view the issue. The specific terms of a particular reverse mortgage instrument would also affect a court’s ruling.

Source: Orlando Sentinel - April 2013