Each month The Coastal Star features news from the businesses in our community. Business Spotlight is presented as a service to our advertisers and the local business community.
John Ferber poses with his custom-made flag of his friend and Realtor Pascal Ligouri. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star
By Christine Davis
Internet mover and shaker John Ferber is on the move again. This time, though, it will be a real-world move from his county pocket home to an A1A property in Delray Beach.
One might guess he’s very content with the new property — so much so that he hoisted a flag graced with the likeness of Pascal Ligouri, of Premier Estates Properties, in front of his house.
Ferber provided the backstory: “I got the home as part of a trade I made with the owners of my previous home behind Seaside Deli.”
As luck would have it, the house came with a giant flagpole, and since the two are friends who enjoy each other’s humor, Ferber had a full-color, 3-by-5-foot flag with Liguori’s professional photo made, and ran it up the flagpole to see how long it would take to get attention.
Four days later, Liguori called. “In church, a friend asked if Pascal was flying his flag at every listing,” Ferber said.
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Luckily, local homeowners don’t necessarily need such large signage to sell their homes these days. July housing reports year-over-year for the county from the Realtors Association of the Palm Beaches indicate that new listings for single-family homes increased 20.7 percent, while townhomes and condos increased 4.4 percent. The number of closed sales for single-family homes increased 20.5 percent, while townhomes and condos decreased 2.3 percent. The median price for single-family homes increased 15 percent; for townhomes and condos, 18.9 percent.
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If you are looking for a brand-new direct-ocean mansion, you had better hurry, as there now is only one available in South Florida, at 800 S. Ocean Boulevard, Manalapan. “We searched from Jupiter to Miami, and the truth is, we couldn’t find another new oceanfront,” said Jim McCann of the Corcoran Group, the Realtor who listed the property. To make it even more appealing, the strip of land extends to the Intracoastal Waterway — all in all, a very compelling proposition, considering that motivational speaker Tony Robbins snapped up the one next door a few months ago.
The 21,352 total-square-foot house with eight bedrooms has lots of tantalizing features. It sits on 2.58 acres with 203 feet of beachfront, and it has a tennis court, two pools, a spa, summer kitchen and garage parking for 20 cars. The home was developed by its owner, Pat Carney. It was built by Mark Timothy Inc., Boca Raton, and it is being sold furnished with interiors by Marc-Michaels Interior Design, Winter Park.
When this property sells — it’s listed for $45 million — it will set a record in Manalapan. In March 2013, Robbins bought his property at 750 S. Ocean for $24.75 million. In November 2000, 1370 S. Ocean sold for $27.5 million, and the Vanderbilt estate (the Hearst mansion) at 1100 S. Ocean sold for $29.87 million in June 2000 and sold again in March 2008 for $23.5 million.
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The economic development division of the city of Boynton Beach launched the first phase of its “Bring your Business to Boynton” website, www.byb2boynton.com.
This phase offers inform-ation on living and working in Boynton Beach, its top employers, available incentives and a database of news releases relating to economic development. Visitors will be able to explore available real estate inventories, view GIS maps, and access marketing materials, videos and a schedule of upcoming industry events.
Along with the new website, the economic development division now has a Facebook page, “BYB2Boynton,” and a Twitter handle, @byb2boynton.
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During the first week of September, Fortunoff Backyard Store opened in Boca Raton at 601 N. Federal Highway, across from Mizner Park. The company with locations in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut specializes in outdoor furniture and accessories.
Florida is the obvious marketplace for expansion, said Bernard Sensale, the company’s CEO. “There are lots of snowbirds who go back and forth. The brand has heard for years these people have dual residences and we should be looking into the Florida market.”
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Now it’s just as easy to get money into your bank account as it is to spend it. “We are very pleased to partner with transmodus to provide our clients with their easy-to-use, top-quality check processing automation systems,” said Lynne Wines, president and CEO of First Southern Bank.
Here’s how it works: You simply scan a check using a remote scanner from wherever you are, and ka-ching, your deposit is processed. You will also receive automatic notifications and customized reporting, as well as the ability to monitor every step of your deposits 24/7/365 in real time. And you can elect to have bad checks automatically placed into a recovery program. For information, visit www.FirstSouthernBank.com. A rendering of the Trader Joe’s store planned for Delray Place, at Linton Boulevard and Federal Highway. Rendering provided
Those who know and love Joe Joes and Two-Buck Chuck will be happy to learn that Trader Joe’s is finally coming to Delray Beach. The opening date is planned for October 2014, and the new specialty grocery store will be located in the Delray Place shopping center on the southeast corner of Federal Highway and Linton Boulevard. Employees are proud that around 95 percent of Trader Joe’s products are private label, ensuring that customers will be buying food without artificial flavorings, preservatives, artificial coloring, genetically modified organisms, monosodium glutamate or marketing costs. And those who don’t know about Joe Joes or Two-Buck Chuck will soon have the chance to try them out.
***From ages 11 to 17, Frances Cericola nursed her mother, a diabetic, and took over the household chores until her mother passed away. Later, she was called upon to care for her father when he was dying of cancer.
Looking back, she sees her situation as a constant struggle and a difficult balancing act, noting it was untenable but also unnecessary.
“There is a wealth of resources that await family caretakers that can satisfy their needs and lessen their burden,” she said. “A professional health care agency can help navigate the medical system, so that families can receive the best possible care and services. Anyone who is confronting a caregiving situation should be proactive. Don’t try to pull together a patchwork of care, as we once did.”
As a result of her experiences, Cericola founded Concierge Nursing Service, a local, state-licensed nurse registry that coordinates a wide range of services. It arranges for health care, including nurses, doctors, therapists and nutritionists, in a client’s home. In addition, Concierge Nursing Service provides nonmedical services for seniors such as grocery shopping, transportation, light housecleaning and computer training.
Cericola, who has been in the business for 20 years, has just brought her company to Palm Beach County. For information, call 588-2227, or visit www.conciergenursingservice.com.
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According to the American Diabetes Association, 25.8 million people in the United States have diabetes — but only an estimated 18.8 million have been diagnosed. Which is why it’s important to know that the Outpatient Diabetes Self-Management Education Program at Boca Raton Regional Hospital received recognition from the American Diabetes Association for the fifth consecutive time. Program participants are taught self-care skills on topics that include the diabetes disease process, nutritional management, treating acute complications, risk reduction and problem-solving, among other subjects.
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This winter, the old familiar Boca Raton Bridge Hotel will get a new look and a new name: Waterstone Resort & Marina, a DoubleTree by Hilton.
AWH Partners, LLC, and The Lane Organization, LLC, with DoubleTree by Hilton, brought in the architectural firm Gensler to design a new lobby, create a new pool area, and upgrade guest rooms and public spaces. The boutique hotel will feature a 270-foot wraparound waterfront promenade that will offer the town’s only “dock to dine.”
Sounds like fun, doesn’t it? And all this will be an asset for Boca, say the developers, thanks to increased local spending by hotel guests who are sure to fall in love with the town and buy real estate. The property will continue to be managed by Spire Hospitality. For information, visit www.waterstoneboca.com or call (866) 909-2622.
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Delray Beach won 20 awards and stole the show at the recent Florida Festivals & Events Association’s convention. The Delray Beach Marketing Cooperative won four awards for producing the annual July 4th Celebration, three awards for the popular On The Ave series, and two each for Spin the Vote On the Ave and Delray Beach Dinner in the Sky.
The Delray Beach-based Festival Management Group won seven awards for events produced by the Greater Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce, and two awards for the Delray Beach Garlic Fest produced by Delray Beach Arts.
Christine Davis is a freelance writer. Please send business anouncements to her at cdavis9797@comcast.net.
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