REAL Exclusive Magazine

Surprising Statistics

By Patricia Tan

The Research Division of the National Association of REALTORS recently published a report on the profile of international home buyers in Florida, and it revealed a few surprises.

Many of us already know that Florida is a major destination for foreign real estate buyers – those who purchase primary residences, second homes and investment properties here. About 25% of all foreign buyers choose to make their purchase in the Sunshine State, and Florida has consistently been in the top 3 states for international investment over recent years. Latest research reveals that, over the past year: Read More

Lori Davis

Wedding & Event Planner

Just a Basket Case

By Ed Bertha

Photography by Giovanni Lunardi

Layout by Christian Lunardi

Poor, living in a laundromat as a young child, Lori Davis did not go without. Her mother worked two jobs to make ends meet and keep food on the table. Growing up Lori didn’t comprehend the sacrifices her mother made. With a tear running down her cheek Lori reflects, “I have the smartest, talented, most caring mother one could have. At that time I didn’t think so. It took age and maturity for me to appreciate everything.” Now her mother manages a law office. How things change.

As fate would have it Lori gained a stepfather and became a Texas military brat. Her stepfather brought strict military style rule to the household. “My stepfather taught me not to take no for an answer. He taught me discipline and aggressiveness.” Another key influencer in young Lori’s life was her grandmother who played a significant role helping to raise her. She taught Lori baking and most importantly love, which Lori wholeheartedly embraced. “I’m a lot like her,” she says beaming. Read More

12524 Highfield Circle

Lakewood Ranch Country Club

Quality & Attention To Detail

By Ed Bertha

Photography by Detlev von Kessel

Layout by Christian Lunardi

Arriving at 12524 Highfield Circle one immediately senses a connection with nature. This custom Lee Wetherington estate home backs to a nature preserve, ensuring privacy and a sense of tranquility not normally found in a neighborhood. Walking up the pavered circular drive, one passes the motor court with two 2 car garages flanking each side. Stepping onto the portico, double glass paneled wood entryway doors with wrought iron insets cast an inviting look. As you enter the grand foyer one cannot miss the living room’s stone surround fireplace and double step tray ceiling treatment. However, the room’s large aquarium window captures your attention as you take in the pool and the setting sun filtering through the preserve’s trees, casting a magic show of subdued light.

Bringing your gaze back inside one continues to notice the attention to detail this remarkable home contains. The dining room is flanked with columns and showcases a stunning ceiling treatment with wood detailing and built in cabinetry with glass doors and wine cooler. A romantic glow envelopes the kitchen and family room with warm brick accents, glazed wood cabinetry and unique light fixtures. The kitchen contains all of the requisite chef appliances, including granite counters, 6-burner gas stove with griddle, pot filler, two dishwashers and large center island with prep sink. Read More

Suncoast Powerboat Grand Prix Festival Continues To Grow

By Ed Bertha & Lucy Nicandri

“As the purse is emptied, the heart is filled”

Victor Hugo

A recent Economic Impact Report released by Visit Sarasota County indicated that this year’s 31st Annual Sarasota Powerboat Grand Prix Festival generated an economic impact of $32 Million dollars for the local area, an increase over $26 Million in 2014. Direct expenditures also showed an increase from $17 Million to $20 Million.

From out-of-county attendees surveyed 88.7% indicated that they traveled to the Sarasota area because of the race and 85% of those surveyed plan to attend again next year. “It’s clear from the numbers in our report that thousands of visitors have now made it a tradition to spend their July 4th weekend holiday in Sarasota County to enjoy the races and this annual Festival”, shared Virginia Haley, President of Visit Sarasota County. Read More

2015 Suncoast Powerboat Grand Prix

Benefiting Suncoast Charities For Children

Photography by Chuck Carroll

Enjoy photography from this year’s event covering:

Festival Kickoff Party
It’s a “nautical night of giving” fundraiser at the Sarasota Yacht Club
The Friendliest Catch
This invitation-only outing is for the physically and mentally challenged
Meet & Greet
See who is in the driver’s seat of the powerboats at this reception
Festival Parade of Boats
Check out the powerboats, and teams, as they get pulled through downtown Sarasota
Bayfront Fireworks Spectacular
Celebrate Independence and the boat races with these blasts in the sky
Powerboat and Jet Ski Races
The races are on with continuous action all day
Race Awards Ceremony
Congratulate winning teams and racers on the beach

Click HERE to download PDF. Slideshow below. Read More

2017 Bentley Bentayga, Uniquely Yours

By Fred Krasne

Named after the 4,200 foot mountain rock, Rocque Bentayga, in Spain’s Grand Canary Island, Bentley has launched an incredibly rapid (0-60 mph in 4 seconds, top speed of 187 mph), all new powerful (W12 engine producing 600 hp/664 lb ft torque), and ground breaking luxury sport utility vehicle that will be truly bespoken for the new owner. It will provide an astonishing experience in not only its ride and handling but by its limitless capabilities to traverse through ice, snow, sand, mud, gravel and off road trails. Drive Dynamics Mode offers the smoothest of rides, over the toughest of environments, with absolute confidence and total control.

Bentayga is the most technologically advanced Bentley ever produced. With more than ten new Driver Assistance systems it will make driving anywhere under any conditions pleasurable and enhanced with intelligent functionality. Using heads up display, night vision, blind spot assist to name a few, will make any journey nearly effortless. Since the launch of the Continental GT over a decade ago, Bentley has been setting new standards in luxury all-wheel drive technology. The result of the new technology integrated in the Bentayga, launches one with total confidence into any on-road or off-road condition. Read More

Chef Paul Mattison Represents Southeast At American Harvest Workshop

By Cindy Cockburn

Photography by Terence McCarthy

“Chef Paul Mattison was one of five chefs in the nation invited to the American Harvest Workshop this past September 12-16 at the prestigious Cakebread Cellars in California. He was the only Chef representing Florida and in fact, named as the only Chef in the Southeast asked to participate in this annual event. The American Harvest Workshop is a celebration of wine and food located in the heart of the Napa Valley. Now in its 29th year, this is an intense “hands on” program created by Jack and Delores Cakebread to learn more about the marriage of food and wine. The other four chefs attending were from the award-winning Peninsula Hotel in Chicago, Michael’s on Naples in Long Beach, the Legal Seafood restaurant in Boston and the Willow Creek restaurant in Evergreen, Colorado.

“Great trip!” remarked Chef Mattison. “This was an inspiring collaboration of several individuals beaming with passion and talent for the industry that I love!” He came away from Napa believing in the motto: “If you want to go fast…go alone. If you want to go far…go together. The Cakebread family are pioneers and leaders in the wine world, and it was an honor to be with them!”

Click HERE to download PDF. Slideshow below. Read More

What Are The Client/Owner Trends Now?

By Rebeca Chavarria

The architecture industry has inevitably developed through the years, from technology to building materials. However, there is one aspect that has also evolved that may not be as obvious, but just as important within the industry, and that is the client-architect relationship. The term relationship is used because projects can range from months to years of communication, so the architect and clients typically get to know each other well.

Potential clients looking to remodel or build a new structure are looking for architects that go beyond the normal customer service requirements. The investment is both financial and personal so it is crucial that there is understanding between the two parties. Read More

Chef Paul Mattison’s

Hors d’œuvres

Tuna Tartare
Asparagus Velouté Cappuccino with Truffle Froth

This and other tantalizing recipes are available in the cookbook Chef! The Stories and Recipes of Chef Paul Mattison, available for purchase at Mattison’s Forty-One or at www.Mattisons.com. Read More

Keeping An Open Mind

“The measure of intelligence is the ability to change.” ― Albert Einstein

By Kimberly Burns, OTR/L, CLT

Life is ever changing yet when it comes to bad habits, we tend to have difficulty changing. We can get stuck in a routine that’s hard to break free from. You try all the things that you know or believe work to help break a habit yet still it lingers. When nothing you try works, it may be time to step out of the box.

Having an open mind means you are receptive to new ideas or arguments. Your mind is a powerful tool to use in making change. It can be difficult to control your own thoughts due to beliefs or experiences you may have had in life. Negativity can sit in your subconscious and keep you from moving forward. That’s where hypnosis comes in to help change what you have in your subconscious mind that is stuck. Habits and addictions are all learned behaviors and you can choose to let them take the control and lead you down a path you know you don’t want to go or you can take back your life. Read More

Style With A Cause Part III – Luxury, Limo & Lunch

An Exclusive Saks Fifth Avenue – Fifth Avenue Club Shopping Experience

By Becca Smith

Photography by Jolanta Bremer of Jola Portraits

REAL Style continues its three (3) part summer series on “Style with a Cause” – empowering and inspiring women through fashion and beauty and honoring amazing women who help raise funds to give back.

The REAL Style spotlight is on Pinellas-Pasco HEART GALLERY this issue, whose mantra is “Every Child Deserves a Home”. Did you no on any given day, there are more than 3,100 children in foster care in Pinellas and Pasco counties, including 120 available for adoption. HEART GALLERY began with a simple idea. Produce an extraordinary portrait of a foster child and it will capture the heart of prospective parents. Their mission is to increase the number of successful adoptions of local children currently in foster care. Heart Gallery programs include the traveling exhibit of professional portraits and personal biographies of children waiting to be adopted, as well as child specific recruitment and support services for the families along all stages of adoption. Read More

Tips For A Fabulous Photo Shoot

By Sheila Venancia

On a recent assignment doing hair and makeup for a photo shoot with Rick Sieminski Photography, I had the opportunity to speak with Rick about tips for a creating a fabulous photo shoot. Here is what he had to say:

Type Of Photo Shoot: Fashion (all about the clothes), Glamour (all about the client’s beauty), Boudoir (sexy and suggestive), High School Senior, Headshots, or Lifestyle are the most common types of photo shoot styles. Clearly communicating your ideas and expectations to the photographer early in the process, not upon arriving at the studio or photo shoot location, is imperative to a successful outcome. Read More

Do Tourists Buy Homes?

By Patricia Tan

I was approached recently by the Florida Association of Realtors® and asked to present at their annual convention in Orlando. They wanted my presentation to discuss ways in which my fellow Realtor® members could convert tourists into home buyers. The invitation spurred me to do some research and think about this conundrum.

Do tourists actually buy homes?

The answer is a resounding yes! People who discover our beautiful area as a vacation destination often become homeowners and members of our community. The thought processes they go through to achieve this are many and varied. Read More

Can An Expert Help You Assess The Causes Of A Fall?

By William Henry, PhD

In many slip and fall cases there are multiple aspects of a site that contribute to the accident and resulting injury. Can an expert help you assess how the physical conditions contributed to the accident? The answer is, YES.

Consider a typical hypothetical fact situation. Let us assume that a young lady and her husband go to see a movie at the local multiplex. As she climbs the stairway to her seat her foot slips off the front edge of a step and she falls and as a result she suffers severe injury. In due course she contacts an attorney to look into a claim against the theater for damages. The attorney considers her story and decides she needs to look into the physical nature of the location of the fall.

An experienced personal injury attorney will want to conduct a very thorough investigation and should there be a chance that noncompliance with a law of some sort contributed to the injury she will look for an expert to assess the site. Read More

James M. Towery

The Art and Science of Design with Nature

By Ed Bertha

Photography by Giovanni Lunardi

Layout by Christian Lunardi

Growing up in Michigan, outside Detroit, James “Jim” Towery’s life was like so many others in The Motor City. His father worked in the automotive industry and mother in the local church. Jim could have followed his father’s footsteps, but a summer stint with a local gardener changed his trajectory. It was the love of the outdoors that set Jim’s future course, and led him to enroll at Michigan State University. Jim shares, “I’ve had an artistic flair and love of the outdoors since childhood. Early on I dreamed of designing beautiful outdoor gardens.”

Prior to attending Michigan State University, Jim did work at Ford Motor Company, but a career at the Big Three was not his goal. Graduating in 1976 with a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture, Jim set his sights on his passion, the outdoors, but the Michigan winters were not in his plans. Florida had the year-round tropical environment that suited Jim and his future career. Landing in West Palm Beach, Jim began his landscape career. Read More