REAL Exclusive Magazine

Brandy Coffey

Dancing With The Stars

By Ed Bertha

Photography by Giovanni Lunardi

Layout by Christian Lunardi

Enter any neighborhood in the surrounding area and there is a good chance you will see Realtor, Brandy Coffey’s, unmistakable yard sign. One would think the mega mansions in her portfolio are the stars. The real stars, Brandy shares, are the clients she and her team work with. These stars range from first time home buyers to retired corporate executives and all walks in between.

As a young child Brandy moved to Sarasota in 1985 with her family, who all still reside here. As the middle child, with an older sister and younger brother, she says smiling, “I was the independent, I don’t need anyone child. I could do everything on my own.” She adds, “What I didn’t realize growing up is we had the ideal family. That’s why all my friends always wanted to come to my house. Now I know why.” Read More

The Concession

Living With Nature

By Ed Bertha

Click HERE for “The Concession” digital edition.
Click HERE for the interview with The Concession’s developer Kevin Daves.

Nestled within a verdant span of 1,200 acres, the impeccably-designed Concession Golf Club & Residences has redefined luxury within Sarasota’s premier golf communities. Anchored by an award winning Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course, the development features a myriad of residential options within the community’s distinctive neighborhoods of Lindrick and Birkdale. At The Concession, residents take full advantage of their sumptuous surroundings; from sparkling lakes and mature woodland preserves, to commanding natural panoramas, it’s all about enjoying the Sarasota lifestyle in comfort and class.

Only 236 estate homes were planned (only 72 lots remain) for The Concession, which features a stunning landscape of 200 year old majestic oaks, towering pines and pristine wetlands. Developer Kevin Daves reflects, “This level of density is almost unheard of in Florida. We did it because we’re very dedicated to maintaining the natural beauty that is here. That is the grandness of it, and that will always be here.” Read More

Kevin Daves

Developer of The Concession Golf Club & Residences

By Ed Bertha

Resurgence At The Concession

Why did you choose the location?
“When I started looking around for land I was amazed at the lack of land with trees. Almost everything I looked at you needed to move a lot of earth, bring in a bunch of trees and hopefully in 30 years it would look great. I feel very fortunate to have found this parcel of land, now known as The Concession Golf Club and Residences, that was untouched.

At the time the parcel was next to Lakewood Ranch, but access to the property was off of SR 70. When Lakewood Ranch allowed me to build the road ($3 Million) and make that the new front door we kind of became part of Lakewood Ranch. Prior to that it was considered to be too far out because of the entrance off of SR 70. Being able to enter off of University Parkway changed the dynamics.” Read More

Lights, Camera, Action!

By Ed Bertha

A phrase we all heard before, and you are hearing it again.

REAL has produced video, like many others, and has hosted it on popular video channels. Now with the advent of WWSB ABC 7’s The View, we are progressing to television. Not me, rather the homes we feature in REAL Exclusive Properties. Beyond print, digital, web and Amazon Kindle distribution, our featured properties now have the luxury of an extra 800,000 viewers and additional hosting of the video segments online to reach many more viewers. Read More

DeVittori Custom Woodworks

The Peak of Perfection

By Lalaena Gonzalez-Figueroa

With a surgeon’s precision he ensures that every cut is clean, every angle exact. Ryan DeVittori’s commitment to excellence is reflected in each project he handles, and has earned his company, DeVittori Custom Woodworks, a thriving customer base.

He was just 23 years old when he launched his company, but Ryan had by then acquired a keen understanding of the needs of his industry’s most discriminating clientele. He had also established himself, early on, as a visionary and a go-getter for whom outstanding quality was a professional benchmark. Read More

GT3 Cup Championship Porsches Are FOR SALE

The 2015 GT3 Championship winning 2010 Porsche 997 and 2014 Porsche 991 (both 3.8 liter cup racing cars) driven by REAL Exclusive cover feature, Steve White, are for sale. White started and ended the season at Sebring International Raceway, winning both times. “Years of coaching with LP Dumoulin (2014 Canadian NASCAR Champion) and practice is finally paying dividends, but there are many unsung heroes including my chief mechanic, Ryan Uhrinec, and all the guys that help keep us on track,” White shares. Read More

Jack And Jill Late Stage Cancer Foundation

By Shaun P. Merriman

Gateway Bank is proud to support the Jack and Jill Late Stage Cancer Foundation (JAJF), both monetarily and through employee volunteerism. We believe this organization aligns perfectly with the Bank’s philanthropic mission, and we look forward to its continued success as it strives to raise awareness within our local community.

As a locally owned and managed community bank, Gateway was fortunate enough to have been granted a banking charter in 2008 to serve the Sarasota and Bradenton communities. As a Community Bank, we recognize the invaluable impact the non-profit industry has to our community, so it has been our privilege and honor to have supported many of these organizations since our opening. Read More

Home For The Holidays

Hosted By:

The Hedge Team
Premier Sotheby’s International Realty

Featuring:
The Safe Place Rape & Crisis Center (SPARCC)

Click HERE to download event collage. Slideshow below. Read More

Royal Luncheon At The Concession

Hosted By:

Deborah O’Mara & Tom Cinquegrano
Michael Saunders & Company

Click HERE to download event collage. Slideshow below. Read More

Fashion & Fir In The Country Club

Hosted By:

Tina Ciaccio
RE/MAX Fine Properties

Featuring:
The Taylor Emmons Scholarship Fund

Click HERE to download event collage. Slideshow below. Read More

Complementary Therapies Are An Invaluable Tool For Wellness

By Kimberly Burns, OTR/L, CLT

When people ask me what I do, I tell them I’m a Pain Management/Wellness Practitioner who provides consultations about self therapy techniques that can be done at home. I am a huge proponent of complementary therapies, because they work, both for me and for my clients. According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), complementary therapies refer to those utilizing a nonmainstream approach together with conventional medicine.

When someone’s illness or disease is managed solely by physicians and prescription drugs, they may be setting themselves up to becoming dependent on synthetic chemicals. Often, these chemicals can result in detrimental side effects or carry potentially life threatening dangers! Complementary therapy is intended to address the whole person and not just the symptoms of illness. In some cases, these therapies could help someone get off and stay off medication. When you begin to understand how complementary therapies can contribute to wellness, you’ll ask yourself: “Why aren’t I using them?” Read More

What Is Trending For 2015?

By Sheila Venancia

New Year …… New Look

Color
It is all about doing hair color that does not look like it is colored at all. Even reds right now are pretty beautifully natural. It is the opposite of the pastel and ombré trends we have seen. Even with ombré, the transition has been to something much more natural. Doing it that way is prettier and more elegant, without looking obviously done.

Highlights
For 2015, it has become a layering process. You don’t really see that it is highlighted. It has a very natural and blended feel to it. Whether you are into subtle highlights or simply ombré, the trend can go from glossy chocolate brown to chic honey highlights. Read More

Happy New You

By Becca Smith

Want to start with a new look on life? As we continue into another year the time is perfect to take on a NEW IMAGE.

Now is a fantastic time to reassess each aspect of your life and identify which areas require improvement and change. Resolutions can be achieved. To be successful at any change, you need to really want it. It takes careful planning and real motivation to succeed at any goal.

As an Image Consultant and Fashion Stylist I encourage women to follow their passion and strive to be the women they want to be. It is my passion to help women become confident, balanced and happy, and to live the life they really want. As women we juggle many different roles and responsibilities, including organizing family, home, childcare, careers and relationships. When we are caught up in the throws of everyday life, we don’t manage, or simply forget, to fit in essential ‘me time’ and the chance to pursue life-long ambitions. Read More

Slip or Trip and Fall Cases Can Yield Multi Million Dollar Settlements

By William Henry, PhD

It may come as a surprise to many that a slight defect in a sidewalk could result in a multi million dollar settlement by your local government to the injured party. Yet a recent accident on a public sidewalk outside of a New York City Hospital yielded the victim a settlement of 2.25 million dollars. The City preferred to settle this claim rather than risk exposure to a larger award by a jury who could empathize with the victim’s plight. Since we at RGA are actively involved as forensic design experts, we are asked on occasion to render opinions about code violations and how they may or may not have contributed to the alleged slip/trip and fall. After much research, we have come to the opinion that guidelines associated with the ADA do in fact pertain to public sidewalks. Specifically, sidewalks are construed as accessible routes to accommodate the protected class known as those challenged with disabilities. Read More

Buying in Florida? Six Steps to Success

By Patricia Tan

Buying a home in Florida is a very big step, whether you are from the northern states or outside the country. Many of our overseas customers ask us “What are the most important things for us to consider when looking to buy a home in Florida?”. I usually share a number of key points with them – things they should do to ensure their Florida property investment is a success, and I am happy to share those here.

Understand Your Motivation
Why do you want to buy a home in Florida? How will you use it – winter/retirement home, family vacations, vacation rental, purely an investment property, or a combination of these things? How you intend to use the property will influence your choice of location and the property style and size. Some homes are not zoned for vacation rentals. While Orlando has many homes specifically aimed at holiday lettings, coastal areas have a limited supply of such homes, and you will need the help of an experienced local agent to identify them. Read More