Business Briefs 12.03.15

DP attorney joins firm
ShuffieldLowman law firm announced attorney Alicia Noelle Braker has joined the firm.

Braker practices in the areas of estate planning and probate, tax law and planning for high net-worth families with closely held businesses.

Braker’s experience includes a strong understanding of the complex areas of taxation, including work with organizations on attaining 501 (c)(3) tax-exempt status.  In addition, she brings a passion for client care and interaction to her guardianship and probate work.

Braker holds an LL.M., an advanced legal taxation degree, from the University of Florida, Levin College of Law, and her law degree from Nova Southeastern University, Shepard Broad Law Center in Ft. Lauderdale. 

ShuffieldLowman’s four downtown offices are located in Orlando, Tavares, DeLand and Daytona Beach.  It is a 35-attorney, full-service, business law firm, practicing in the areas of corporate law, estate planning, real estate and litigation. 

Watermark center opens
Meritage Homes recently opened its multi-million dollar amenity center for homeowners at Watermark, one of the homebuilder’s largest single-family communities, located off Seidel Road in Winter Garden.

Tatiana Souza, vice president of sales for Meritage Homes in the Orlando region, said the resort-style amenity center, which took a year to complete, is situated on a hill overlooking the entire Watermark community.  

Souza said one of the most significant features is a unique rooftop observation and party deck for residents to enjoy dramatic views of the community and the nearby nightly fireworks in the sky above Walt Disney World.

Watermark’s amenity center also features a 6,000-square-foot clubhouse with two gathering rooms that can accommodate up to 200 people, two full catering kitchens, an outdoor kitchen, workout room, two tennis courts, a resort-style swimming pool with children’s splash zone and built-in playground on the deck.

Meritage plans to build more than 800 new energy-efficient homes at Watermark in four phases, with 54 homesites in the first phase alone. Three- to six-bedroom plans are priced from the mid $200,000s. 

Gushwa named new manager
Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty appointed Kathy Gushwa as manager of the firm’s Windermere/Dr. Phillips and Lake Nona marketing centers.    

Roger Soderstrom, founder and owner of Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty, said Gushwa is a U.S. Navy veteran who graduated from the University of Central Florida with a bachelor’s degree in legal studies. She has 29 years of experience in the real-estate industry and is well-known in the south Orlando market.    

She began her career as Kathy Langelier in sales of land and new homes in Poinciana for Avatar Properties. Following that, she was broker/owner of her own general real-estate firm for 10 years in Orlando before being recruited to manage Century 21 Professional Group Inc. in Ocoee for eight years. While there, she was recruited to coach for the Mike Ferry real-estate training organization. 

Gushwa later opened another brokerage in tandem with serving as vice president of a general contracting firm EKG Enterprises Inc., with husband Ed Gushwa, as well as becoming an IRS enrolled agent federal income tax preparer. Most recently she served as a paralegal at Clayton & McCulloh P.A., in Orlando, focusing on real estate closings, title and estate planning.

“Kathy is a successful, driven individual who is imminently qualified for her new role and for continued growth of Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty in the markets, which include Windermere, Dr. Phillips, the Disney area and ChampionsGate as well as Lake Nona, Medical City and St. Cloud,” Soderstrom said.

New builder at Bella Collina
Legacy Custom Built Homes is the latest custom-home builder to purchase home sites in the re-launched Bella Collina private golf and lakefront community.

Legacy closed on five lots in Bella Collina and is in the process of picking out additional homesites. Prices were not disclosed. 

“The Winter Park-based builder will start construction immediately, with the average home priced at $1.8 million,” said Randall F. Greene, a representative of DCS Investment Holdings, owner/operator of Bella Collina. 

Legacy’s plans include a series of luxury homes along Bella Collina’s Nick Faldo-designed championship golf course. Designed for “ready-to-move-in” families, these exclusive homes will be priced from the $700,000s. Other larger estate-sized homes are being built on Bella Collina’s private Lake Siena. 

Legacy has more than 15 years of experience in building custom homes in Central Florida.

“In building luxury communities in Central Florida, Legacy’s expert home-building team generates a focused vision for custom creativity,” said Legacy President Michael Rowen.

Custom homebuilders active in Bella Collina also incude Phoenix Companies, R.L. Vogel Homes and Dave Brewer Inc. Bella Collina offers three residential villages with lots ranging from $149,000 for golf-frontage homes to more than $500,000 for lakefront lots. 

“Maintaining the architectural integrity while offering discerning luxury home buyers diversity of style and budget is an integral part of our community-building strategy,” Greene said.