Category: Business

New Tampa’s Sweet Party Store Is Your Halloween Headquarters!

If you’re trying to judge party stores, you are probably going to start with, well, the party.

Holding a luau?

Sweet Party has you covered.

Mardi Gras? Bridal Shower? Gasparilla?

Check, check and check. And the list goes on and on.

“We are filling so many themes that you can’t find elsewhere,’’ says Maher Alagal, who owns the largest party store in the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel area with his wife, Leslie.

Sweet Party, located in the Trout Creek Commons plaza, just off Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. and right behind the Bay Breeze Castrol Lube Express and Burger 21, has been open since May, and seems to be finding its footing in the area as a one-stop shop for party planners. You can find most any theme (say, LEGOs, princesses or ninjas) that can include streamers, cups and napkins. Candy and prizes have their own aisles at Sweet Party, along with balloons, confetti and gift bags.

“We have been thinking about doing this for 3-4 years,’’ says Leslie, who has lived in Tampa since 1992. “There was no large party store to provide for the people of New Tampa and Wesley Chapel, so we jumped in and did it.”

The 7,000-sq.-ft. party place seems to have everything, and if they don’t, Maher says they can find it for you. Case in point: one customer was looking for party cups and napkins in the hard-to-find color of robin’s egg blue. Now, right near a seemingly endless wall of colored cups, napkins and plates, sits a robin’s egg blue display of those items as well.

And, Maher and Leslie offer a 10-percent discount to military and first responders, as well as various other community members. Mention that you read this article, or visited his Facebook page, and he’ll give you 10-percent off, too.

“This place is incredible,” wrote Tampa’s Amanda Gill on Sweet Party’s Facebook page. “Just went to browse for my son’s upcoming party and this place has everything…. If you’re looking for anything party-related, or even just extras for a get together, this place has it! And I even heard him telling another customer if there is something they don’t have, let them know and they’ll try and get it! But I’m telling you, they have EVERYTHING!”

Making Halloween Costume Shopping Less Scary

The store is now prepped for Halloween as well, with dressing areas in the back. On the back wall are more than 400 pictures of the Halloween costumes the store has in stock, ranging from Ninja Turtles and The Avengers for kids, to a host of costumes for adults as well. There is a colorful aisle filled with feather boas of almost every color, plus other costume accessories, such as tights, wigs and masks.

sweetparty_3 — Looking for Halloween costumes & accessories? Sweet Party has you covered!

Thanks to Sweet Party, you can go to your Halloween party as a pirate, a nurse or a 1970s rock star. If you really want to be obscure, hurry in and snatch that Richard Simmons costume off the hook.

“We expect Halloween to be one of our biggest days,’’ Leslie says.

While themed birthday parties are the most common, another popular party theme these days are the “gender reveal” get-togethers, says Leslie.

Sweet Party has an entire display devoted to the big day, with a slew of different ways, including scratch-off cards, to unveil to your friends whether your family is expecting a boy or a girl.

One gender reveal party Leslie was planning for two weeks ago involved a 36-inch balloon (Sweet Party is the only place around where you can find latex balloons that large) that she was going to be filling with pink streamers and confetti before inflating. At the big reveal, the balloon would be popped and the secret would be out of the bag…or balloon, as it were.

“Gender reveal parties are a big thing today, much bigger than when (our generation) was having babies,’’ Leslie says. “We’ve had people bring in their containers with the unopened envelope in it, because they don’t want to know (until the reveal) either.”

sweetparty_5 Behind the front counter of the store is a wall of inflated mylar balloons for every occasion. There are super heroes, “Star Wars” characters, Elsa from “Frozen,” Pikachu of “Pokemon” fame and dozens of others — with more than 100 inflated balloons covering the wall and another 100-plus packaged in their own aisle. Leslie says Mickey and Minnie Mouse continue to be the best sellers, but one can purchase a 46-inch Iron Man balloon, or even a 70-inch “Star Wars” Storm Trooper.

Sweet Party also carries 34-inch-tall inflatable letters — Leslie says no one else in the area stocks them — so you can spell out B-A-B-Y or the name of your party’s guest of honor.

Sweet Party will inflate your balloons for you, or you can rent a helium tank and do it yourself.

“Balloons and candy are our biggest sellers,’’ Leslie said. “But, it all depends. A week ago, the bachelorette party stuff was flying off the shelves. And, graduation was pretty good for us, too.”

sweetparty_2 Leslie and Maher say the business is growing well, and they have made a lot of new friends in the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel communities by helping out with school parties as well. The word is getting out, as people putting on graduation parties from Zephyrhills drove all the way to Sweet Party for supplies.

The store also has a display for sports parties. On the Monday following Florida State’s recent 55-35 win over USF, the shelf with party supplies adorned with the logos of both teams was sparse. There is a section with party supplies for the Tampa Bay Lightning, Tampa Bay Bucs and the most popular NFL teams, like the Green Bay Packers, and even more generic supplies if you’re putting on a party for the future All-Star in your home, like large soccer ball paper lanterns.

“The New Tampa and Wesley Chapel communities have been great,’’ Leslie says. “It’s been fun to interact with customers. We have found out that people party every day of the week.”

Sweet Party is located at 20310 Trout Creek Dr. and is open Mon.-Thur., 9 a.m.-8 p.m.; 9 a.m.-9 p.m. on Fri.-Sat. and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on Sun. For more information, visit SweetPartyTampa.com or Facebook.com/SweetPartyTampa, or call 994-4900.

Sweet Party

Minerva Indian Restaurant Now Open In The New Tampa Center!

minerva-6-copy Your dining adventure begins as soon as you step inside Minerva Indian Restaurant. Suddenly gone is the bustle outside at the Publix-anchored New Tampa Center at the corner of Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. and New Tampa Blvd.

Inhale the fragrance of jasmine incense and come face-to-face with a figurine of the elephant-headed Hindu deity Ganesh.

This initial stimulation of sight and smell will warm up all of your senses to enjoy the wide range of flavors featured on Minerva’s menu, which spans India’s cuisine from south to north, and even includes some Indo-Chinese fare.

Owner Venkat Reddy has gathered the ingredients he needs to offer a taste of Indian home-style cooking to New Tampa gourmands and foodies.

“We have our own recipes from India and all of our spices come from India,” says Reddy, who grew up in Hyderabad, India.

minerva-gn Minerva has only been open since June — in the location previously occupied by Sushi Ko — but it’s already gaining a loyal following of repeat customers, like David Britton, who says he typically eats there once-a-week for lunch.

“It’s got some of the best Indian food in the area,” Britton said. “I can’t always pronounce what I’m eating, but I really like the spiciness.”

How spicy to prepare the food is one of the toughest culinary calibrations a chef can make. According to Reddy, guiding first-time visitors through the menu to accommodate their preferences and tolerances is part of the customer service at Minerva.

“We have a lot of varieties and I’ll ask them first how spicy they like their food,” says Reddy, who also is a New Tampa resident.

While consideration is given to the varied palates and expectations of patrons, Minerva stays true to delivering an authentic Indian dining experience, according to Perry Compton, who lived in India as a religious missionary and learned to cook in the local tradition. He sampled the lunch buffet for his initial visit to the restaurant and vowed to return.

minerva-1 “It’s my first time here but it won’t be my last,” Compton, a Wesley Chapel resident, says. “This food is some of the best I’ve ever eaten.” Compton was particularly impressed with Minerva’s butter chicken. “I make a pretty good one myself, and it takes so many ingredients to make.”

Butter chicken may qualify as comfort food for fans of Indian cuisine, and is a popular item on Minerva’s extensive lunch buffet. The spiciness manifests as a creamy assortment of subtle flavors rather than a searing burn to the taste buds. Allowing diners to savor those flavors is characteristic of the dishes at Minerva, especially the buffet items, which are all prepared in the mild-to-medium range of spiciness.

The lunch buffet is offered seven days a week and is changed daily, offering a good introduction to Indian cuisine. A la carte items can be ordered during lunch as well as dinner hours.

There are no beef or pork dishes on Minerva’s menu, but meat eaters have plenty of chicken, lamb, goat and seafood options. Goat curry is a good introduction to the red meat, which is a staple of diets around the globe, if not so much in the U.S.

The Cuisine For Vegetarians

Vegetarian dining takes on a whole different aspect with Indian food.

minerva-4 Vegetables are often main dishes and are cooked with spices that imbue them with appetizing flavors, such as bagara baigan, which has eggplant as its basis. Even humble lentil beans take on a bold taste when served as the curry dish tadka dal.

Masala dosas, which are thin rice crepes filled with curry-glazed vegetables, also are featured as part of Minerva’s lunch buffet.

Chinese foods like fried rice and chow mein assume an Indian flavor with the addition of ingredients like cumin and chilies. Minerva combines rice and soft noodles with vegetables, chicken and shrimp for the various Indo-Chinese entrees like hakka veg chowmein and mixed fried rice.

Neighborhood News publisher and dining reviewer Gary Nager raves about the Indo-Chinese chicken fried rice. “It has a uniquely peppery, mild spiciness,” Gary says, “and lots of veggies.” Gary also enjoyed the garlic naan bread and the medium-spicy tandoori-style chicken.

Beverages include American and Indian soft drinks, juices, tea, coffee, wine and domestic and Indian beers like Taj Mahal, Old Monk 10000 Super Beer and Kingfisher. There also is a great selection of authentic Indian desserts to sample.

The wine list is actually pretty extensive, ranging from Clos du Bois chardonnay to 14 Hands Hot to Trot red blend.

Minerva offers a spacious and comfortable environment with light, modern decor and instrumental Indian pop music providing the soundtrack. The successful pairing of food and space is key to creating a positive dining experience, and according to the McCoy family of Wesley Chapel, Reddy has put it all together at his Minerva.

“What really enhances the food here is the ambiance,” says Anthony McCoy. His wife Rita also enjoys eating at Minerva, which has helped her become a fan of Indian cuisine.

“I’m trying all the different flavors because this is something I’m going to be cooking with more,” she said.

The McCoys’ son, Shawn, appreciated the low-key spiciness of the buffet.

“This has spice, but it’s within my tolerance,” he said.

Reddy named his restaurant Minerva after a popular cafe chain of that name in his hometown. He says he earned his certificate as a foodservice professional and moved to the U.S. Reddy comes to New Tampa after owning and operating restaurants in Dallas and Temple Terrace.

As word gets around about Minerva, people like Sam Abrahani are coming from as far away as Zephyrhills to dine at his restaurant.

“I drive 20 miles to eat (here),” Abrahani said. “You don’t have to go to India to get authentic Indian food. You can come to New Tampa.”

In addition to the inviting sit-down restaurant, Reddy provides catering services, including onsite food preparation to ensure optimal freshness. But, whether he’s serving a wedding party of a thousand guests at the India Cultural Center or the lunch crowd at Minerva, Reddy says he sticks to basic principles to achieve customer satisfaction.

“Good service, good food and maintain a high-quality of product,” he says.

Minerva Indian Restaurant is located at 19050 BBD Blvd. and is open daily, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. for lunch and 5 p.m.-10 p.m. for dinner. Be sure to check the ad in this issue on page 51 of our latest New Tampa edition for coupons offering 15-percent off your check or $2 off a lunch buffet. For more information, visit MinervaTampa.com or call 978-8586.

Minerva Indian Restaurant

Mobley Homes — A 40-Year Tampa Bay Tradition Now Building In K-Bar Ranch!

Celebrating its 40th year of building homes in the Tampa Bay area, Mobley Homes is a private company that touts its customer-first philosophy and devotion to excellence as the cornerstones of its business. Since 1976, Mobley Homes has been building homes for families in and around Tampa. In New Tampa, the company previously has built 1,000 homes in West Meadows and 400 in Tampa Palms, and has been building in K-Bar Ranch since 2007.

Renée Riordan has worked as a new home specialist for Mobley for 15 years. The company, “feels like a family,” she says.

“Our company is family-owned and run,” says Renée. “Everyone has been with the company a long time. Once you purchase a home with us, you become our family, too.”

She says Mobley Homes works closely with its buyers to customize each home exactly the way a homeowner wants, so they will love their home for many years to come. “Buyers in these higher-end homes want flexibility, and that’s what we offer,” says Renée. “We can move walls, make bigger closets, add a rain shower or a sauna, add a fireplace, or redesign a kitchen. As long as you start with one of our base plans and it fits on the lot, we can do it.”

Renée says that she and the other new home specialists – Neisha Roberts and owner Tim Mobley’s daughter Maureen Mobley Groom – at Mobley Homes enjoy meeting homebuyers’ needs and desires, and matching those up with what works for each person’s budget and the lot size.

She gives an example of a house that Mobley Homes built in K-Bar Ranch. “

We had a customer who is a car collector, so we built a home with a six-car garage,” Renée says. “In fact, we raised the ceiling to accommodate a lift, so he actually keeps about 10 cars in there.”

This level of customization is not unusual for Mobley Homes. “It’s what our clients appreciate,” she says. “This is probably the largest purchase you’re going to make, so as long as the lot can accommodate what you want, we’ll do it.”

Renée adds, “Our homes speak for themselves as far as quality,” explaining that over the years, many of the builder’s models have won numerous awards, including Parade of Homes awards, given by the Tampa Bay Builders Association (TBBA) during its annual event showcasing new homes throughout the Tampa Bay area. She says the homes are always spacious and well-planned by award-winning architects.

Mobley Homes are currently for sale in four communities throughout the Tampa Bay area, including two located very close to Wesley Chapel.

New Tampa

In K-Bar Ranch, Mobley Homes offers a variety of luxurious floor plans in the Bassett Creek subdivision, all ranging from four to six bedrooms. Each floor plan is more than 2,500 square feet, with homes starting in the mid $300,000s and conservation views on most home sites.

Amenities throughout Bassett Creek include a community pool, basketball court and playground.

Stop by to see the model home at 19301 Yellow Clover Dr. (photo above). It’s the builder’s best-selling Briarwood model, a traditional two-story home that’s designed to fit virtually every size family.

“Every once in a while you just have a home that’s so well-designed by the architect that it’s a great use of space and makes sense for the size of the home and the price you pay,” says Renée. The model is a 5-bedroom, 3.5-bath home that also includes a den and a bonus room, plus a three-car garage. In its 3,400 square feet, the kitchen opens up to the family room and the home includes a huge master suite and a sitting room.

“There are endless possibilities with this model,” says Renée, explaining that converting the bonus room to a media room is just the first of many customizations that are offered. “The options are only limited by your budget.”

Land O’ Lakes

The Manors on Lake Padgett, located 15 minutes from most of Wesley Chapel, features eight home sites in a brand new, private, gated subdivision, with home prices starting from the low $600,000s. “These are gorgeous, lakefront home sites, and each has its own private dock with access to a huge ski lake,” says Renée.

Carrollwood

“In New Tampa, you have these big, master-planned communities with a minimum of 1,500 homes,” Renée says. “But in Carrollwood, there are much smaller pieces of land, so a community might only have 15 homes.” She adds that while these homes lack the community amenities of their larger counterparts, they also lack the expense of a CDD (community development district), and people enjoy the fact that everyone in the neighborhood knows each other.

Lakeside Oaks Reserve features 15 home sites in a brand new, gated, private subdivision located in the heart of what is considered “the original Carrollwood area,” off of Orange Grove Blvd. near N. Dale Mabry Hwy. Home prices start in the $400,000s. Many of the home sites are lakefront, so residents will enjoy relaxing water activities and breathtaking sunsets from their backyards.

Mobley Homes also is building in Cypress Estates in Carrollwood Village, with 16 conservation home sites in a new, gated community. Home prices start in the $500,000s. Renée says this community is selling quickly, with more than half the available homes already sold.

Also in Carrollwood, Mobley Homes is selling villas in a new, private subdivision called The Villas on Twin Lakes. There are 18 maintenance-free homes, so there’s no mowing your own lawn in Twin Lakes. Homes start at 1,600 square feet and are priced in the high $200,000s.

For more info about all of the available homes and communities where Mobley Homes is building, visit MobleyHousing.com. You also can call Renée at 629-3367, Neisha at 629-2921, or Maureen at 695-3628. The model home in Bassett Creek at K-Bar Ranch is open Mon.–Sat., 10 a.m.–6 p.m. and noon–6 p.m. on Sun. Anyone who purchases a “quick move in home” in New Tampa will receive up to $10,000 in closing costs and a one-year membership to Hunter’s Green Country Club.

mobley homes

Bay Breeze Car Wash & Lube Growing Fast

Moses Pomales, the general manager at Bay Breeze Car Wash & Lube’s “express” location just south of County Line Rd., monitors the traffic through the express wash tunnel.

Setting out on a cross-town, rush hour drive doesn’t have to be an onerous journey if your car is looking good and running right. Bay Breeze Car Wash & Lube can help by cleaning your car’s finish to a spotless shine, detailing the interior to look, feel and smell great and ensuring that all of your vehicle’s life-giving fluids are refreshed, all in one visit.

And, an automotive makeover at Bay Breeze all but guarantees that your view will be through a clean windshield.

Bay Breeze has seven locations in four counties, from Polk to Pinellas, including three that are within minutes of most Wesley Chapel residents.

The company’s flagship location is the full-service operation in the heart of New Tampa on N. Palms Village Pl., off of Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., just north of I-75. The second New Tampa location is an express wash and lube operation on Trout Creek Dr., off of BBD, north of Paul R. Wharton High (next to Burger 21). Many Wesley Chapel residents have found the Land O’Lakes express wash and lube facility located a little west of the Tampa Premium Outlets on S.R. 54 at Foggy Ridge Pkwy.

The hands-on detailing provided at the N. Palms Village facility (referred to as the New Tampa location on Bay Breeze’s website) provides bumper-to-bumper, carpet-to-headliner, sidewall-to-sidewall cleaning. Lube services include oil and filter changes and preventive maintenance on cooling systems and transmissions.

Bay Breeze’s express wash and lube facilities offer quick, efficient, hands-free, machine-operated cleaning as well as basic upkeep. A free express wash is included with each oil change and express washes include free customer use of vacuums to clean their interiors and air to inflate their tires.

The family that owns the business has made being the Tampa Bay area’s premiere car wash and lube destination its goal. VP of operations Scott Barone says achieving that means making a strong commitment to customer service.

“We like to say ‘above and beyond,’” Barone says. “That means the place looks good and things are operating at the Bay Breeze level of quality.”

Keeping Customers Satisfied

Barone identified five areas the company emphasizes when conducting business: “Quality, service, cleanliness, friendliness (being easy to do business with) and safety.”

Abiding by these high standards has earned Bay Breeze recognition from readers of the Tampa Bay Business Journal, who voted the company “Best in the Biz” for the years 2012, 2013 and 2015 in the Favorite Car Wash & Detailer category.

There’s also praise from locals like Pam Cazes, who has been a longtime Bay Breeze customer and whose entire family of six drivers also use the New Tampa locations.

“We take our cars there for detailing and oil changes,” says Cazes, who lives in Cory Lake Isles. “The service is excellent and they treat the cars with respect.”

At the Trout Creek express location (called the Bruce B. Downs store on Bay Breeze’s website), general manager Moses Pomales is responsible for providing customers an optimal Bay Breeze experience. Pomales came up through the ranks of the company, starting out as a lube greeter and working in a succession of supervisory positions over nine years before assuming his current position.

Pomales says his approach is to always put customer needs first.

“I walk the facility and interact with customers to see what they need,” the Cross Creek resident says. “We’re here to give them the best experience they can have, from beginning to end.”

That experience starts as soon as a customer enters a Bay Breeze driveway, with a greeter providing directions to the appropriate service area. If maintenance is on the agenda, the car’s VIN is scanned on an iPad and its service history is available to the technicians.

The customer waiting area is decorated and maintained like a bank lobby in terms of cleanliness and comfort. But, Barone says, it’s not as if express lube customers have a lot of time to settle in for a long stay.

“As soon as we start working on a car, our goal is 15 minutes or less for an oil change,” Barone says.

Bay Breeze acquired the Trout Creek location about a year ago. The company closed the facility down for a few weeks to re-configure the express wash tunnels and make other improvements. Barone invites people who had been customers of the previous business to check out the changes.

“Come on back and see us,” he says.

For drivers who like to maintain their cars in spotless condition, Bay Breeze offers monthly VIP package memberships that save frequent customers money.

“We get customers who come in every morning to get a car wash,” Pomales says.

Bay Breeze also offers discounts to members of the military and the law enforcement community.

Since opening in North Palms Village in 2004, Bay Breeze has grown to its current seven locations and about 100 employees, according to Barone. The full-service New Tampa location is the largest facility, with 55 employees.

Achieving that growth means investing in people and technology, as well as real estate for locations. The company has an established training program for new employees who may be new to the car wash and lube industry, including certification for technicians through the Automotive Oil Change Association.

Computers track everything from traffic flow through the wash tunnels and chemical usage to sales of wiper blades. That information is even available via mobile devices, so Bay Breeze managers aren’t tethered to a computer to stay on top of things and can be available to maintain the company’s high level of customer service.

When it comes to the actual cleaning of their cars, customers benefit from the latest car wash technology, especially when it comes to protection from the harsh environment of Florida’s sunshine and thunderstorms. Various sealants and protectants are available, including a new Nano-polymer protective sealant. Barone credits using the premium product with keeping his car’s appearance at its best.

“I personally have not had my vehicle hand-waxed in over two years, but because I use our Nano product an average of once a week, it still looks like I just drove it off the showroom floor,” he says.

Barone adds that people need to wash their cars more often in the summer to combat the effects of both the sun’s ultraviolet radiation and the wearing effects of rain on a car’s finish.

While Bay Breeze provides car wash and lube services, Barone says what the company really is offering its customers is actually much more valuable.

“It comes down to time,” Barone says. “Time is something you can’t get back. I can take 30 minutes in my driveway or three minutes in a car wash.”

Bay Breeze Car Wash & Lube is open daily, with hours varying by location. You can learn more by visiting BayBreezeCarWash.com or contacting one of the following locations: New Tampa – 17501 N. Palm Village Pl., 615-1333; Bruce B. Downs – 20306 Trout Creek Dr., 973-0033; Land O’Lakes – 24124 S.R. 54, 949-7297.

Bay Breeze Car Wash

The Arbors Hope To Be A Gateway To Wiregrass Ranch

arbors_wiregrassweb As more homes and businesses go up in the Wiregrass Ranch Development of Regional Impact (DRI) in Wesley Chapel, the more attractive the area becomes.

Those prospects excite the new home builders in the master-planned community, like Lennar, which is currently building 118 townhomes and 29 single-family homes in The Arbors at Wiregrass, located on Cozy Creek Dr. near Estancia at Wiregrass, just off Bruce B. Downs Blvd.

“What’s unique about the Wiregrass Ranch experience is the beauty,” says Steve Seeger, the director of sales and marketing in Lennar’s Tampa division. “There are certain parcels of land that are inherently beautiful…I think this is one of them.”

The Porter family, stewards of the 5,000+ acres of land in the Wiregrass Ranch DRI, has carefully and methodically developed the land. There’s a lot to like about the Wiregrass Ranch community, from the Shops at Wiregrass mall to Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel to coming attractions like a new indoor athletic complex (see pg. 6) and a new movie theater.

New schools are another piece of the DRI pie at Wiregrass Ranch, and with that, come new communities.

“It really was an intersection, no pun intended, of a great location and a great parcel of land that has beautiful characteristics, and is located in the path of growth,’’ Seeger says. Lennar’s latest offering — it currently is building in eight other developments in Pasco County, including Meadow Pointe and Union Park (both in Wesley Chapel) — will feature three products, ranging in sizes small, medium and large, from 1,800-sq.ft. to nearly 2,500-sq.-ft.

There will be attached three-bedroom, 2.5-bath townhomes — one built with two-car garage access from an alley behind the townhome, and the other featuring front access. The townhomes range in size from 1,801-2,466 square feet.

The single-family homes range from 1,982 square feet (with three bedrooms and two bathrooms) to 2,462 square feet (with four bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms) and have detached two-car garages behind the house with open-air breezeways connecting to the home and serving as an outdoor living space.

All told, there are 10 different floor plans in The Arbors.

Pricing starts at just under $200,000, which is a point that makes The Arbors an attractive entryway into a bustling area.

“(Buyers) don’t have to wait to purchase a luxury home that might be too aspirational for them,’’ Seeger says. “Instead of something that might be years down the road for them, we give them an opportunity to live in Wiregrass now.”

There are already 15 homes completed in the community, with roughly another 100 planned to begin construction this year. A handful of residents have already moved in — Traci Moore and her family were among the first, moving down from Michigan after looking at more than 70 homes in several cities.

“The layout of the home was different than any other home we saw while looking to move to Florida,’’ Traci said in a Lennar press release. “We loved the spacious, open floor plan, and the detached garage connected by a breezeway adds a level of privacy that you don’t always find in residential communities. This home was exactly what we were looking for.”

Each home in The Arbors also is part of Lennar’s “Everything’s Included” program, another feature that Seeger thinks distinguishes the Lennar brand.

“It’s very significant that we include the washer, dryer, refrigerator, window blinds, front and rear landscape and irrigation system,’’ he says.

People like Moore will be able to grow with their new community. As the area continues to expand, so will the desire of even more home shoppers to live here.

“There’s a point where the builders, in the infancy of a community, it’s a bit about the product and what can I get at this location, what’s the price of it?,’’ Seeger says. “And,there’s the exceptional communities, where the community becomes the attraction and becomes the magnet. There will be a point in time when people come in and tell us, ‘I am only considering Wiregrass.’”

For more information, visit Lennar.com. The Welcome Center at The Arbors at Wiregrass is located at 28493 Cozy Creek Dr., and can be reached by phone at (844) 483-1935.

Arbors at Wiregrass