BUSINESS OBSERVER

+ Sales on upswing for Taylor Morrison
Local homebuilder Taylor Morrison continues to see improvement on the real-estate front. 

The company’s West Florida division signed 60 contracts in April, bringing the year-to-date total of net sales to 222.

Taylor Morrison builds in more than 20 communities from Pasco County to Collier County, including Lakewood Ranch. In its Esplanade community in Lakewood Ranch, Taylor Morrison had 39 sales contracts as of April 30.

+ Robin Jones joins Coldwell Banker
Robin Jones recently joined Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate’s East Manatee office.

Jones was formerly a sales associate with Keller Williams, for which he was the top-producing agent at the company’s Lakewood Ranch office. Jones is a certified REO and short-sale specialist, having previously worked as the REO agent for Bank of America and Wells Fargo, and a licensed commercial interior designer.

“We are very happy to welcome Robin to our team,” said Frank Obringer, managing broker of the East Manatee office.

“His real-estate experience, knowledge of the area and commitment to excellent customer service leads to making customers for life.”

+ Sackett named salesperson of the month
John Sackett has been named salesperson of the month for the month of May at Tidewater Preserve, the 373-acre gated master-planned community in Bradenton.

With more than 20 years experience in finance and real-estate sales, Sackett has held positions in New York, California, and Southwest Florida. A graduate of Montana State University, Sackett has been recognized for sales achievements, including being No. 1 in year-over-year sales growth.

Tidewater Preserve features about two miles of frontage along the Manatee River, multiple lakes and a 50-acre lagoon. The community offers carriage homes, grand villas and classic homes.

+ Neal Communities increases national ranking
Neal Communities has increased its ranking to No. 67, up from last year’s No. 94 ranking, on BUILDER Magazine’s top home-builder rankings.

Rankings are based on the number of closings in the United States in 2011. With 384 closings, Neal Communities’ new ranking represents a 41% increase from 2010, which was the first year the company made the top 100 list.

“To make such a giant leap on this list is a remarkable accomplishment for my team,” said Pat Neal, president of Neal Communities. “We have had three years of tremendous growth, which has allowed us to move forward quickly, create new communities and hire more people.” 

Since the creation of Neal Communities in 1970, the Lakewood Ranch-based builder has built more than 8,600 homes, 11,000 lots and several commercial ventures, primarily in Manatee and Sarasota counties.