published: Friday, October 30, 2009

Pep Talk

Pep Talk

Teachers at Imagine South Lake-Clermont appreciated monthly

CLERMONT -- Instead of your typical teacher-appreciation day, some volunteers at Imagine South Lake School recently put on their thinking caps and came up with an unusual way to honor exemplary teachers throughout the year.

The PTO/Teacher Appreciation Committee, led by co-chair Marcella Imbesi, decided that those special teachers should be appreciated every month. They helped to create tokens of appreciation that are donated by school volunteers and generous local businesses, then award them monthly.

Imbesi, a Realtor at Stirling Sotheby's International Realty in Clermont, helped spearhead the year round gifts idea this year for the very first time.

She said the gifts, which so far have included handmade bookmarks, free car-wash vouchers, courtesy of Elite Car Wash in Clermont, and most recently a tower of sweets, are just a small way the charter school can honor the teachers' commitment.

"We wanted to show them that their hard work and dedication to the children does not go unnoticed," Imbesi said. "And for that, we are very grateful."

Stirling Sotheby's International appointed marketing agents for historic property

MOUNT DORA -- Stirling Sotheby's International Realty has been appointed exclusive marketing agent for the historic William Watt House in downtown Mount Dora, now known as the Grandview Bed and Breakfast.

The property, which includes a main house with three bedrooms and three-and-a-half baths, the two-bedroom, two-bath Windmill Cottage and the one-bedroom, one-bath Carriage House that includes an owner's suite with separate entrance, was designed and built by the man who invented corrugated cardboard.

Located just two blocks from the center of historic downtown Mount Dora, the William Watt House and grounds has had three owners over the past 100 years, said Roger Soderstrom, founder and owner of Stirling Sotheby's International Realty, www.stirlingsir.com.

Situated on just under an acre with tropical landscaping, swimming pool and multiple rocking chair porches, the stately residence presents an impressive setting for grand scale entertaining, Soderstrom said.

Janice McGeough, www.lakesandluxury.com, luxury homes specialist at Stirling Sotheby's International Realty, negotiated the exclusive sales and marketing assignment and serves as principal contact for the property which is listed at $795,000.

Kathleen Gallagher-McIver installed as chairman of Orlando Regional REALTOR®

ORLANDO -- The Orlando Regional REALTOR® Association has inducted Kathleen Gallagher-McIver, RE/MAX Town & Country Realty, as the 2009-2010 chairman of the 9,800-member organization. She will officially assume her duties as chairman of the ORRA Board of Directors on November 1.

ORRA members, family, and friends attended a ceremony at the Orlando Country Club, congratulating Gallagher-McIver and her leadership team of Chairman-elect Mike McGraw, McGraw Real Estate Services, and Vice Chairman Sharon Voss, Watson Realty Corp. Gallagher-McIver steps into the position previously held by Les Simmonds, L.G. Simmonds Real Estate Corp., who remains on the board of directors as immediate past chairman.

Gallagher-McIver hails from one of Orlando's most prominent real estate families; father Don Gallagher, who had the honor of formally installing his daughter, is a realtor emeritus with more than 40 years of service to the realtor organization.

Gallagher-McIver's objectives for the upcoming year include developing additional community partnerships between ORRA and local organizations; encouraging and facilitating individual realtor volunteerism; and creating an Internet café and business center in the ORRA building to serve as a casual meeting place for realtors and also to accommodate those realtors who do much of their work from their cars.

Also installed were ORRA's 2009-2010 directors:

Steve Amburgey, Realty Executives Central Florida

Stephen Baker, RE/MAX Central Realty

Cindy Brads, Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate

Mark Eller, Orlando Classic Homes

Kathryn Llamas, Connect Realty.Com Inc

Susan Logan, Logan Land & Homes, Inc.

Maria McKee, Worldvest Properties Inc

Steven Merchant, Global Realty International

Reese Stewart, RE/MAX Select

Zola Szerencses, RE/MAX 200 Realty

Pete Vogt, George A. Vogt, Inc.

Shelly Mannebach (affiliate member representative), North American Title Co.

SBA 504 Loan Program record low interest rates could lead to recovery for small businesses

ALTAMONTE SPRINGS -- Record low interest rates available through the U.S. Small Business Administration's (SBA) 504 loan program could play a major role in leading small businesses out of the recession, says longtime banking executive Geof Longstaff.

Longstaff is chairman of Mercantile Capital Corp., one of the nation's leading providers of SBA-504 loans for small business owners who want to acquire or develop their own facilities.

"SBA 504 is offering a 4.89 percent interest rate in October with 10 percent down and 20-year terms. This is the first time the rate has ever been below 5 percent," Longstaff said.

"Banks like them because the default rate is among the lowest in the lending industry. Borrowers like them because low interest rates, only 10 percent down payment and favorable terms help keep capital in the business and create new jobs," Longstaff added.

Chris Hurn, chief executive officer of Mercantile Capital Corp. said the Altamonte Springs-based firm will likely end the 2009 fiscal year with $40 to $50 million in new SBA 504 loans, "We are down slightly from last year but we anticipate a big recovery in November and December," Hurn said. "The economy is improving and we are seeing more loan inquiries from small business owners who see that now is the time to expand their assets," Hurn said. For more information call 407-786-5040.

Mercantile Capital Corporation ranks as one of the most active providers of SBA 504 loans nationwide, providing owners of small and mid-sized businesses the option to own commercial property with up to 90 percent loan-to-cost financing. Visit www.504Experts.com for more information.

Stirling Sotheby's International names Wendy Barin Associate

ORLANDO -- Stirling Sotheby's International Realty recently appointed Wendy F. Barin an associate in the firm's Orlando World Marketing Center office.

Tansey Soderstrom, broker and owner of Stirling Sotheby's International Realty, www.StirlingSIR.com, said Barin is a Connecticut native and 20-year resident of Brevard County.

Barin formerly was owner-operator of two successful health and fitness companies for 15 years before starting her career in real estate. She graduated with honors from Eckerd College in St. Petersburg with a Bachelor of Arts in Humanities. Soderstrom said Barin will provide real estate services in a six-county area that includes Brevard.

To speed economic recovery, Congress needs to emphasize stimulating small business

ALTAMONTE SPRINGS -- Congress should shift public policy to put more emphasis on small business in America if the U.S. economy is to improve quickly, says one Central Florida financial expert.

Christopher G. Hurn, chief executive officer of Mercantile Capital Corp. of Altamonte Springs, which ranks as one of the largest providers of U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) 504 loans in the nation, said U.S. economic stimulus efforts so far have gone almost exclusively to big banks and big business.

"Small business in the U.S. got less than one percent of the economic stimulus funds, when small businesses create more new jobs and more new economic activity than all other economic sectors put together," Hurn said.

Hurn said many small businesses are the unsung heroes of the recession.

"Time after time we're dealing with small businesses that are performing despite the worst of the economic trends," Hurn said. "Instead of closing their doors, they are showing income statements with slight downward trends, and in this economy that's heroic," Hurn explained.

But that's a problem, Hurn said. Lenders want to see increasing revenues and profits. Holding the line may be heroic in a staggering economy, but it won't convince banks to lend them the capital they need to grow, and create more jobs.

"We need public policy in Washington to ease some of the restrictions to getting capital flowing again . . . to allow people who have done pretty well during this recession to tap some of their embedded equity in their property for instance," Hurn said.