LOCAL MARKET STAYS STEADY AS SHE GOES.

The new year inevitably brings a new round of pundits offering up their predictions for the coming year. As in years past, they run the gamut from doom and gloom to happy-go-lucky and everything in between.

But as I have preached before, they are looking at the U.S. as a whole, not Central Florida as an individual market. So let’s take a look at this market.

The number of homes available for sale in December 2022 was 5 percent less than the number of homes available the previous month. December 2022 also saw a 10 percent increase from the number of homes sold in the previous month. So, there were 5 percent fewer homes on the market, but a rise in the number of homes sold.

And prices are holding steady. In fact, 34 percent of those homes were sold either at asking price or over asking price. In fact, the area saw a healthy 8.3 percent boost in home prices over 2021.

However, another indicator that has gone up is the number of days a home is on the market. In this metro area, it’s 44 days — a significant 59 percent increase over 2021. When you stop and think about it, just 18 days on the market was an unsustainable pace and was bound to rise.

Needless to say, as you drill down the numbers for this market you quickly come to realize that we are simply steady as she goes — with a little kick in our step.

THERESA SWANSON Group Publisher/Director of Sales

RANDY NOLES Editor and Publisher

PHYLLIS M. MILLER

Director of Administration

TINA ROBERS Art Director

MYRON CARDEN

Distribution Manager

MICHAEL CANDELARIA, MARY SHANKLIN, PATRICIA LETAKIS

Contributing Writers

HARRY WESSEL

Contributing Editor

Winter Park Publishing Company LLC

RANDY NOLES

Chief Executive Officer

ALLAN E. KEEN

Co-Chairman, Board of Managers

JANE HAMES

Co-Chairman, Board of Managers

THERESA SWANSON

Vice Chairman, Board of Managers

MICHAEL OKATY, ESQ.

General Counsel, Foley & Lardner LLP

Community Partners

CONTENTS | WINTER 2023

Departments

2 FROM THE PUBLISHER

4 FEATURED BUILDER

Diversification keeps Meridian Homes on a solid growth path. By Patricia Letakis

6 FEATURED COMMUNITY

Taylor Morrison opens Fire Creek in charming Gotha. By Patricia Letakis

8 FEATURED FLOORPLAN

Inside a Modern Farmhouse Cottage by Cahill Homes. By Patricia Letakis

Features

11 MANOR

Greg Hardwick’s business combines technical expertise with a customer-centric approach. By Patricia Letakis

16 RIDING THE WAVE

Homebuyers, despite ever-shifting tides, are diving into the market in Volusia County.

By Michael Candelaria

26 OUR TOWNS

There’s something for everyone in Central Florida. Let’s take a tour and you can see for yourself. By Michael Candelaria

Resources

52 PUBLIC SCHOOLS

60 COMMUNITIES

Larry and Joanne Adams; The Albertson Company, Ltd.; Richard O. Baldwin Jr.; Jim and Diana Barnes; Brad Blum; Ken and Ruth Bradley; John and Dede Caron; Bruce Douglas; Steve Goldman; Hal George; Michael Gonick; Micky Grindstaff; Sharon and Marc Hagle; Larry and Jane Hames; Eric and Diane Holm; Garry and Isis Jones; Allan E. and Linda S. Keen; Knob Hill Group (Rick and Trish Walsh, Jim and Beth DeSimone, Chris Schmidt); FAN Fund; Kevin and Jacqueline Maddron; Drew and Paula Madsen; Kenneth J. Meister; Ann Hicks Murrah; Jack Myers; Michael P. O’Donnell; Nicole and Mike Okaty; Bill and Jody Orosz; Martin and Ellen Prague; Serge and Kerri Rivera; Jon C. and Theresa Swanson; Sam and Heather Stark; Randall B. Robertson; George Sprinkel; Philip Tiedtke; Roger K. Thompson; Ed Timberlake; Harold and Libby Ward; Warren “Chip” Weston; Tom and Penny Yochum; and Victor and Jackie A. Zollo.

Contact Us

Homebuyer: Central Florida Edition 201 West Canton Avenue, Suite 125B Winter Park, Florida 32789 Phone: 407-647-0225 thefloridahomebuyer.com

Homebuyer: Central Florida Edition Winter 2023 is published quarterly by Winter Park Publishing Company LLC, 201 West Canton Avenue, Suite 125B, Winter Park, Florida 32789. Copyright 2023 by Winter Park Publishing Company LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. Send all correspondence to Homebuyer: Central Florida Edition, 201 West Canton Avenue, Suite 125B, Winter Park, Florida 32789. Unsolicited manuscripts without return postage will not be returned. DISCLAIMER: Advertisements in this publication do not constitute an offer for sale in any state or country where prohibited or restricted by law.