Benefitting Wobbly Feet Foundation, Inc.

Main Street at Lakewood Ranch will host its monthly Music on Main concert Friday, September 3, 2010 from 6-9 p.m. The Mitch Clark Band will take the stage with up-tempo; contemporary music, and beer, wine and food sales will benefit The Wobbly Feet Foundation, Inc. Wobbly Feet Foundation, Inc., a 501(c) 3, was created to provide education, an internet based support group and financial support to medical professionals who conduct scientific research for the improvement of symptoms, or cure of, Ataxia Telangiectasia, as well as, to provide financial support to families of a child diagnosed with Ataxia Telangiectasia for beneficial medical equipment and treatment.  Established by Manatee County residents, Nick and Samantha Dzembo after their son Connor was diagnosed 1 year ago, Wobbly Feet Foundation is in talks to co-fund their first medical research project along side the A-T Children’s Project (a national A-T non-profit) as well as offer their first round of grants to A-T families for purchase of non-reimbursable medical equipment needed for their children to remain in public school.

Check out the fountain area for some extra activities, including Akiko face painting’s unique designs and Aggie Originals’ caricature art.  Walk around and enjoy the many shops and restaurants!

This month we are proud to welcome The Main Street Trattoria to the restaurant choices on Main Street, and Big Olaf Creamery is celebrating its one year anniversary on Main Street with specials all weekend.

Guests are welcome to bring chairs, but please leave coolers at home. Dogs are welcome, but must be kept on a short leash. Overflow parking is available at the Lakewood Ranch Medical Center. Charities interested in applying to be a beneficiary of the proceeds from the sale of beer and wine during future concerts will find an application on our Web site, www.LWRmainstreet.com.

The series is made possible by our generous sponsors:  Lakewood Ranch Herald, WWSB ABC 7, SRQ Media Group, Lakewood Ranch Medical Center, M & I Bank, Conley Buick Subaru Conley Buick & GMC,,Minto Communities,  WLSS News Talk 930 AM and Michelob Ultra.

LWR Communities is pleased to announce the release of homesites in a new section of Country Club East. The first section of “Secret Harbor” will be released in the next week for reservations. “We are seeing a very high demand for our 62-ft. homesites,” said LWR Communities President Milt Flinn. “We are thrilled to be able to open up more homesites in this size range, surrounding beautiful Lake Royal, and expect some to sell and close by November of this year.”

So far this year, there have been more than 100 lots either reserved, under contract or sold in Lakewood Ranch.  Eighty-five homes are currently under construction.  There are 200 single family homes on the market in Lakewood Ranch, which amounts to less than 3 percent of the inventory, and 158 homes have sold on the resale market so far in 2010. The average price at closing of a new home in Lakewood Ranch this year was $576,710, with the average price of a resale home coming in at $434,807.

At The Lake Club, Lakewood Ranch’s exclusive and private, higher-priced gated community, five builders have committed to building new models in the new section called The Vineyards. This section will cater to buyers looking for homes in the 2,500- to 3,000-square-foot range.  The homes in the Vineyards will feature three different architectural styles and be on 84-foot-wide homesites.  John Cannon, Todd Johnston, Peregrine, Westwater and Marc Rutenberg Homes will all begin construction on their new models in the next 90 days.

In commercial real estate news, construction continues on two new restaurants coming to Main Street Lakewood Ranch—Eduardo’s Cantina and the Main Street Trattoria.  Both restaurants will open this summer. Also coming to Main Street is the popular Knot Awl Beads store, moving from its current location at Lakewood Walk.

Several Lakewood Ranch businesses are celebrating big wins at the Sarasota and Manatee counties chambers of commerce small business awards.  At the Sarasota County awards presentation the Think Green Business of the Year winner was Willis A. Smith. Willis A. Smith Construction, Inc. is located in the Lakewood Ranch Corporate Park.  The Young Business of the Year winner was International Construction Consultant, LLC located on Town Center Parkway.  The Small Business of the Year winner was Grapevine Communications Int’l., Inc., located in the Corporate Park.

In Manatee County, the Small Business of the Year winners were The Polo Grill and Bar and Fete Catering on Main Street and Willis A. Smith Construction, Inc.  Finalists included Grapevine Communications Int’l., Inc and Sunglass Express Optical on Main Street.  “The number of business award winners coming from Lakewood Ranch speaks volumes about our business community,” said Brian Kennelly, president of LWR Commercial Realty. “We could not be more proud of their accomplishments and encourage our merchants to continue to help shape and build our community with their vision, strength and leadership.  Lakewood Ranch has always been all about our residents and our business owners building this community and that is exactly what continues to take place, making this the best place to live, work and play.”

2010 REAL ESTATE OFF TO A GREAT START IN LAKEWOOD RANCH

The year has started out strong for residential and commercial real estate in Lakewood Ranch. With just 206 homes on the market in Lakewood Ranch, there is actually a shortage of available homes to purchase.  “In February 2007, there were 850 homes on the market in Lakewood Ranch,” said LWR Communities president Milt Flinn. “With such a dramatic decrease in inventory, we are now seeing a surge of new home “to-be-built” sales in Lakewood Ranch; a surge that really began in the fourth quarter of 2009.  In December of 2009 alone, we closed on 21 homesites—homes to be built in 2010. In addition, Lakewood Ranch builders purchased nine sites for inventory homes and models to be built in 2010—all great signs that the real estate recovery is beginning here.”

As further evidence of a rebounding market, in The Lake Club, Lakewood Ranch’s high end community with homes starting in the $800s, eight homes were sold in 2009, totaling $16.5 million in sales.  Miramar, a condo and townhome community off University Parkway in Lakewood Ranch, sold out of all inventory in the second week of 2010.  There are 60 additional homes to be built in Miramar and construction is expected to begin this year.

LWR Commercial Realty expects to expand into Sarasota and Manatee counties in a big way in 2010.  “We have already seen some great things for commercial realty in 2010,” said LWR Commercial Realty president Brian Kennelly. “Business owners are taking advantage of great opportunities and our vacancy rate continues to be lower here than in surrounding areas, at just 14.9% compared to 22.9% in Sarasota and Manatee counties, and 22.1% in the I-75 corridor.  Main Street also continues to thrive and is buzzing with excitement about our new adventure golf course that is coming this spring.”

Other exciting things to come in 2010 include plans for more affordable homes in Lakewood Ranch.  LWR Communities has four new neighborhoods in the planning stages north of State Road 70 to be started over the next two years. Preliminary plans for these neighborhoods include an age-targeted community, workforce housing and apartment homes. In addition, Neal Communities will open Central Park in July 2010, with smaller homes starting in the low $100s. “As we celebrate our 15 year anniversary of the first home sold on the Ranch, we are reminiscent of a time when homes were more affordable here,” said Rex Jensen, CEO and President of Schroeder- Manatee Ranch. “Our goal is to provide workforce housing so that everyone who works in Lakewood Ranch can afford to live and play here as well. While we will never abandon the country club lifestyle and amenities that Lakewood Ranch is known for, we are anxious to get back to providing affordable home options like we did back in the beginning, 15 years ago, when our first home sold for $89,000.”

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Lakewood Ranch is the 8,500-acre award winning master-planned community in Sarasota and Manatee counties on the West Coast of Florida. Visit www.lakewoodranch.com.