Connerton resi-dents are smilingmore and morethese days astheir “New Town”community con-

tinues to develop the quaint flavorand feel of an old-fashioned town —and doing so without sacrificing themodern comforts of today.

Residents enjoy the camaraderieof their neighbors, and love socializ-ing at Club Connerton with itsresort-style pool, fitness center, ten-nis and basketball courts, andplanned activities for all ages. Theyalso enjoy a peaceful retreat fromeveryday stresses as they revel in thebeauty of nature, watching blueherons, wood storks, sand hillcranes, deer and other wildlife thatfrolic undisturbed in Connerton’sabundant conservation areas.

Families also chose to live atConnerton because they recognizethe immense potential of their NewTown as it continues to blossom.Interestingly, three out of four peo-ple who call Connerton home havemoved from four surroundingcounties — Pasco, Hillsborough,Pinellas and Hernando.

And as Connerton grows, so dothe opportunities for residents towork close to where they live.Connerton’s master plan includesentitlements of 730,000 sq. feet ofretail services, and 1.4 million sq.feet of office/medical office and in-dustrial space.

For the past three years,Connerton has averaged over 100new home starts annually. Many ofthese new homebuyers are currentresidents finding their next home inConnerton. Other buyers are familyand friends of current residents,who want to live down the street oraround the corner from friends and

family so they can share inConnerton’s many amenities.

In addition to Clubhouse ameni-ties, residents walk or bike the trails,play and relax in the community’sfour parks, and take their furryfriends to exercise and play in theprivate dog park. Connerton par-ents rest easy during the summer astheir kids enjoy Connerton’s sum-mer camp program, where kids findtheir creative side with arts andcrafts, stay fit while swimming inthe resort-style pool and socializethrough supervised daily activities.

As Connerton continues to grow,so do businesses in the area.McDonald’s is breaking ground atthe Arbor Square entrance and is

scheduled to open later this sum-mer. Connerton is located just theright distance from the congestionand noise of I-75 and other traffic-bound intersections. The stresses ofcommuting become a thing of thepast because Connerton residentshave ample routes to choose from.

There is so much to offer inConnerton, that you must experi-ence it for yourself. Currently, thereare five builders (Ryland Homes,M/I Homes, Lennar, TaylorMorrison and Homes by WestBay),with new homes priced from thehigh $100s to the $700s.

Be on the lookout for an excitingnew addition coming soon toConnerton’s home options that is

being developed within walking dis-tance to Club Connerton. Thistraditional neighborhood designwill feature alley-loaded garages,front porches and charming exteri-ors.

The good times will really berolling at Connerton this July 4thweekend, when Connerton kicks offits Nation Celebration on Saturday,July 2, with fireworks, live music,great food, family games and a beerand wine garden. This celebration isopen to the public. Benedetto’sRistorante Italiano restaurant is themajor fireworks sponsor.

To discover more about this en-gaging community, follow us onFacebook and visit Connerton.com.

Connerton - Where the Good Times Roll!

There’s no place like in PASCO & NORTH HILLSBOROUGH

A SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION IN THE LAKER/LUTZ NEWS • 813-909-2800 • LAKERLUTZNEWS.COMMay 25, 20162C

Meet the Toolbox SistersExpert New Home Specialists

Two trusted and locallyowned service companies— Gator Cleaning Services

and Trinity Carpet Care — havejoined forces to give customers acomplete range of cleaning servicesmanaged under one roof.

The merged company is keepingthe Gator Cleaning Services name,and will continue to be owned andmanaged by Marcus and Erin Myers.Joining the company as manager ofresidential services is Tom Maloney,former owner of Trinity Carpet Care.

“Trinity Carpet Care has an excel-lent customer service reputation andprovided outstanding floor cleaningservices for 15 years to over 3,500customers,” said Marcus Meyer.“We’re so appreciative that Tom willcontinue to oversee his longtimecustomers in West Pasco, and ishelping us grow our residential serv-ices in the rest of the county.”

Gator Cleaning Services providesa full array of floor cleaning servicesfor homes, businesses and industry,including carpets and area rugs,hardwood and laminate flooring,marble and stone floors, tile andgrout, upholstery and wood floor

refinishing without sanding.“We have the expertise and the

equipment to properly clean anyflooring material found in a homeor business,” said Marcus. “Whenfloors are cared for and maintainedthe right way, the life of a floor canbe extended for many years.”

“It is much cheaper to take careof your flooring and have it cleanedprofessionally on a regular basis,than it is to replace it because ofpoor or inadequate care,” adds Tom.

The Meyers founded GatorCleaning Solutions 13 years agoand are considered experts in qual-ity cleaning solutions. In additionto flooring services, the companyoffers commercial janitorial service,commercial window cleaning andconstruction clean up services.

“Our industry-certified cleanershave the knowledge and skills tohandle a job in any type of environ-ment,” said Erin. “And, we’recommitted to always take care ofour customers professionally, reli-ably and competitively priced.”

For a free quote on a cleaningservice, call (813) 929-1122, or go toGatorCleaningSolutions.com.

By Jo-z Wilder, State Farm Agent

W ith hurricane seasonopening June 1, hereare some steps to help

keep your family safe.Plan Ahead – Ensure your fami-

ly’s safety by creating a disasterpreparedness plan in advance ofhurricane season. This includes as-sembling a disaster survival kit andplanning your emergency evacua-tion routes.

Secure Your Property – When ahurricane warning is given, closewindow shutters and attach protec-tive panels with previously installedfasteners. Videos on how to quicklyand safely board up your home canbe found at FLASH.org, the websitefor the Federal Alliance for SafeHomes.

Get to Safety – If you have not al-ready evacuated inland, and there isno time to get to an emergency shel-ter, stay in the middle of your home,away from windows and glass doors.

Take cover under a staircase or aheavy piece of furniture. Do not stayin a manufactured home becausethey are easily overturned in highwinds and pierced by flying objects.

Be Sure Your Home Is ProperlyInsured – Think of homeowner’s in-surance as financial protection forwhat the future may bring. Withoutan adequate policy, you will have tocover home repairs out of your ownpocket.

Homeowner insurance coversyour house, your possessions andprovides financial protection againstlawsuits.

“We’re here to help you preparefor the worst, by writing a policythat gives you the most protectionand resources after the storm,” saidJo-z Wilder, a State Farm agent inLutz. “I’ve sold insurance for over30 years, and invite you to call todiscuss your needs and concerns.”

Jo-z and her team can be reachedat 813-616-(JAKE)5253 and at Jo-z@mywilderagent.com.

Hurricane Safety Tips

X SOOLBOTh th t l tW

AlliAmanda and

price on a new hoHow to get the best

Call us. SISTERS

YTIME:

me Specialistsget the job done!

aughnison VVa

ome?possible

@gmail.com813-563-7915

ANYTEXTT

Certified New Hom have the tools to geWWe

813-756-8688 or s@xSisteroolboTTo

8

r apartoodr cono

big as a discount

ment.o.house.ts as

oof.r®State Farmput all your policies

sdred up to hundda be.big your

.™teAAtttAS

er our Sdtogether unollars when you dof

adour savings coulYYosavings couldSee just how b

.YY.dAAYtoeCALL Mbetter A toetG

eragent.comdjo-z@mywil813-616-JAKE (5253)

Lutz, FL 33559-6778 54d23604 State Roa

, State Farm AgentJo-z Wilderr,

1103155.1 , Bloomington, ILemnity CompanydState Farm In,State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company

813-929-1cleaningsgatorwww

1122solutions comcleaningsolutions.com.gatorwww.

TILE &CARPET DEEP & GROUT

Limited.estriSome r

oom2 rUp to 100

$29 pDEEP C

TILE &

fer. Limited time offfmay applyy.estrictionsSome r

oom. Up to 200 sq ft per r

for only $89ooms... and FREE hall!any 3 rCLEAN

CARPET DEEP

.ferr.d time offf.ictions may applyy.

m minimum.oom. 0 sq ft per r

oomper rCLEANING& GROUT

You may be surprised tolearn that the smartestway to buy a new home is

to be represented by an independ-ent Realtor — and not buy directlyfrom the builder.

“Most people believe they’ll get abetter price if they buy direct fromthe builder because there’s no realestate commission to pay,” explainsRealtor Allison Vaughn of WesleyChapel. “But in reality, builders al-ways include commission in theirpricing, and don’t give the commis-sion back as a discount if thecustomer buys direct.”

If the price of a new house is thesame, why call an independentRealtor? According to Allison andher sister, Amanda, who work as aRealtor team known as the ToolboxSisters, here are three reasons why.

1.) Realtors keep track of builderincentives — including those thatare not advertised. Incentives canbe everything from a free washerand dryer, to money toward closingcosts, to upgrades at the design

center. Builders are always chang-ing incentives, and we know whichbuilders have the best incentives.

2.) Realtors are trained to assessthe strengths and weaknesses ofplanned communities in a market,comparing their CDD and HOAfees, clubhouse and amenity pack-ages, resale values, school ratings,access to transportation and prox-imity to shopping and dining.

3.) Many buyers want a specificbuilder or floor plan. Realtors knowwhat communities a builder is in,their floor plans and price points.

“There are so many builders, andso many developments, that it’seasy for buyers to become over-whelmed,” said Allison. “We havethe tools to keep the facts straightto help buyers compare homes andcommunities so they can focus ontheir new home search.”

Call the Toolbox Sisters at (813)756-8688 or (813) 563-7915 to findthe home of your dreams at the bestprice, best location and with themost builder incentives.

Trust Your Floors to Gator Cleaning

I love the name of this newmonthly advertising sectionthat you’re reading — There’s

No Place Like HOME — because itmakes me think of Judy Garland in“The Wizard of Oz” as she tappedher ruby red shoes to get home toKansas.

Like many people of my genera-tion, I’ve watched “The Wizard ofOz” dozens of times, and relishedsharing this movie with my childrenas they were growing up. The lessonDorothy learned — that home iswhere your heart is, no matter howdull and boring it may seem at times— is one we all come to realize, al-beit some sooner than later.

I am one of those in the later cate-gory. For many years after I moved toFlorida, I always said my home wasMinnesota, where I was born andwhere most of my family still lives.

But as I’ve gotten older, that feel-ing of home has shifted in my heartto right here in Pasco County, whereThe Laker/Lutz News circulates inLutz, Land O’ Lakes and WesleyChapel.

Central Pasco has never been afancy place to live — all you need todo is drive the U.S. 41 corridor be-tween Lutz and Land O’ Lakes to seewhat I mean. But, the sense of placethat residents find here — both oldtimers and newcomers — is veryreal.

So real, that even though none ofthese communities are incorporatedor legally considered a city or town,

people proudly state, without hesita-tions, that they live in Lutz, Land O’Lakes or Wesley Chapel.

This sense of home is why TheLaker/Lutz News is so well-received.People here want to read storiesabout their neighbors, local organi-zations, businesses, schools,churches and youth sports. Ourreadership would not be 81 percentif people didn’t genuinely care abouttheir neighbors and community.

In the past 10 years, we’ve seenmany planned communities cometo be that have changed the face ofour community. This includes estab-lished developments like Connerton,Seven Oaks and Meadow Pointe, andnew ones like Asturia, Long LakeRanch and Union Park.

These planned developments areabsolutely beautiful. All have largeconservation areas with lots ofwildlife, community parks and play-grounds, and fabulous amenitiesthat feel like they belong in an ele-gant resort hotel, not a subdivisionfilled with families.

I find it interesting that more thanhalf of the people moving to ourplanned communities already livehere in Pasco and northHillsborough. They move for thesame reasons people have alwaysmoved — a newer, nicer, biggerhome, close-by parks, better schoolsand close proximity to family andfriends.

And after moving to their newcommunity, it doesn’t take long for itto feel like home. Because peoplewho live here are kind, welcomingand genuinely care about theirneighbors and community.

And, that’s why we’re launchingthis latest addition to the paper.We’ve created “There’s no place likeHOME” so readers can learn aboutour planned communities, get toknow the homebuilders in this areaand find information about localbusinesses who provide home serv-ices people need.

My Heart is Right Herein Pasco County

By Diane Kortus, Publisher

Hines recently celebrat-ed the grand openingof its community

amenity center within Asturia, thefirm’s new signature mixed-use de-velopment in Odessa.

Two grand opening events, a real-tor luncheon and VIP event, were heldto welcome current and prospectivehomeowners, Pasco County staff andelected officials, chambers of com-merce representatives, Hines’ teammembers, consultants and contrac-tors, and the original landowner’sdaughter and husband – Ann BehnkePepper and Ken Pepper.

“Asturia is a signature Hinescommunity, and we worked hard todeliver a new cutting-edge amenitycenter that sets Asturia apart fromthe competition,” said Lane Gardner,Hines managing director. “The newamenity center is unique, focuses ona healthy lifestyle, and complementsthe best-in-class home styles beingprovided by Ashton Woods andDavid Weekley Homes. Asturia istruly raising the bar.”

Guests were impressed with thedesign and quality of the facility, andalso that Hines completed the com-munity’s amenities before its firstresidents moved into their newhomes.

With over 5,800 square feet ofspace, the center includes a commu-nity clubhouse, a fully equippedstate-of-the-art fitness center, coveredoutdoor living rooms, a luxurious re-sort-style swimming pool andexpansive lawn areas for recreation.

With its modern and unique ar-chitectural design, and its centrallocation within Asturia, the newamenity center is at the heart of thenew community, setting it apart fromother residential developments.

Ashton Woods and David WeekleyHomes are the community’s home-builders and have six model homesopen daily with on-site agents to as-sist homebuyers in selecting theirnext residence.

Many families have chosen

Asturia for their next residence;however, there are still great lots andhomes available with excellent lakeand preserve views. Both buildersoffer prospective homebuyers arange of home sizes and architectur-al styles, to make their homeselection and design process easy.

Asturia is located prominently onState Road 54 with great access tothe Suncoast Parkway.

More information can be obtainedby visiting and registering at the com-munity website, AsturiaFlorida.com,or calling (813) 227-4148.

Ashton Woods is one of the na-tion’s largest private home buildingcompanies, blazing new trails in de-sign and personalization to buildhomes as unique as the people wholive in them.

Collaborating with homeownersfor over 25 years, the company andits team of world-renowned design-ers look beyond the conventional todraw inspiration from unexpectedsources, resulting in exceptional de-sign in every Ashton Woods home.

Recognized as the 2013 and 2014

Most-Trusted Builder in America bythe Lifestory Research Most TrustedBuilder in America Study, AshtonWoods’ collaborative approach is akey driver of its best-in-class cus-tomer satisfaction scores.

For more information, or to experi-ence the excitement of becominganother satisfied Ashton Woods’homeowner, visit AshtonWoods.com.

David Weekley Homes, foundedin 1976, is headquartered inHouston and operates in 22 citiesacross the United States. The com-pany was the first builder in theUnited States to be awarded theTriple Crown of American HomeBuilding, an honor which includes“America’s Best Builder,” “NationalHousing Quality Award” and“National Builder of the Year.”

Weekley has also appeared ninetimes on Fortune Magazine’s “100 BestCompanies to Work For” list. Since in-ception, David Weekley Homes hasclosed more than 80,000 homes.

For more information about DavidWeekley Homes, please visitDavidWeekleyHomes.com.

Hines is a privately owned globalreal estate investment firm foundedin 1957 with a presence today in 182cities in 20 countries. Hines has$89.1 billion of assets under man-agement, including $42.5 billion forwhich Hines provides fiduciary in-vestment management services, and$46.6 billion for which Hines pro-vides third-party property-levelservices.

The firm has 109 developmentscurrently underway around theworld. Historically, Hines has devel-oped, redeveloped or acquired 1,126properties, totaling over 351 millionsquare feet. The firm’s current prop-erty and asset managementportfolio includes 457 properties,representing over 193 million squarefeet.

With extensive experience in in-vestments across the risk spectrumand all property types, and a pioneer-ing commitment to sustainability,Hines is one of the largest and most-respected real estate organizations inthe world.

Visit Hines.com for more informa-tion.

Asturia Celebrates Amenity Center Grand Opening

May 25, 2016 3CA SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION IN THE LAKER/LUTZ NEWS • 813-909-2800 • LAKERLUTZNEWS.COM

A SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION IN THE LAKER/LUTZ NEWS • 813-909-2800 • LAKERLUTZNEWS.COMMay 25, 20164C