Relocating can be tough, but one thing to help ease your way through the process is the thought of making a life in your beautiful, comfortable new Atlanta luxury home at Leisure Ridge.

This Traton Homes community is located in Dunwoody with close access to the heart of Atlanta living. This includes fabulous shopping, dining, recreation and schools. Leisure Ridge currently offers a variety of new home designs that consist of both two-story and master-on-the-main plans.

For buyers that are moving to Atlanta from a different city, Leisure Ridge gives the perfect opportunity to find a new house that will quickly make Atlanta a true home. Exterior features in the close-knit 20-home community include four-sides brick, cedar shake and/or stone, architectural roof shingles, three-car garages and sodded lawns, while the interior provides even more luxury. Interior features include gourmet kitchens with stainless steel appliances and granite countertops, hardwood floors, ceilings that span 9 to 10 feet, media rooms, a luxurious owner’s suite and more.

This community is also the perfect place to raise your family. Your children can play outside in the amazing front lawns along the elegant streetscape and have the excellent opportunity of attending Kingsley Elementary, Peachtree Middle, Dunwoody High School or any of the acclaimed private schools nearby.

For more information on visiting or purchasing a home in Leisure Ridge when you move to Atlanta, please contact new home specialist, Mike Riley, at 404-944-9619 or visit the Traton Homes website.

“We are so excited about the launch of the new Locate It page on the Highland Homes website,” said Kathie McDaniel, vice president of sales and marketing for Highland Homes. “This new search option makes it simple for new home shoppers to find where our communities are located. They simply click on the area where they want to live, and gain easy access to all the information they need.”

The new Locate It page is divided into five general areas: Orlando, Tampa, North Lakeland and East Polk. Website visitors can select an area of interest by clicking on the map or choosing from the list of locations. Once an area is selected, shoppers will see all of the communities in that category instantly with information about price, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, square footage and contact information.

To try out the new interactive page for yourself, visit the Highland Homes website.

mRELEVANCE, LLC creates relevant marketing and communication efforts that reach audiences with focused and strategic messages. The firm weaves together technology with creative content to craft messages that encourage customer interaction and action. For more information about mRELEVANCE, visit the website.

Central Florida home builder, Highland Homes, honored the top selling agents and other valuable employees at its Annual Sales Awards Banquet on March 7 at the Lone Palm Country Club in Lakeland. In addition to recognizing outstanding employees, the festivities also included guest speaker JP Peterson, the president and founder of Tampa Bay Sports Central and host of popular Florida sports radio show, “Happy Hour with JP.”

“From our agents and design studio consultants to our lenders and everyone in between, we are so proud of our wonderful employees who work hard to make Highland Homes a successful home builder,” said Kathie McDaniel, Highland Homes’ vice president of sales and marketing. “We are excited to honor and recognize those who help to make the Highland Homes experience a positive one for our home buyers.”

Awards banquet honors include:

Top Three Sales Agents with the Highest Net Dollar Volume

• Gene Kucher at Imperial Lakes with 39 homes sold totaling $6,275,550
• Cheryl Gonzalez at The Greens and Ten Oaks with 30 homes sold totaling $5,129,505
• Jennifer Maul at Stonewood and Blackwater Creek with 22 homes sold totaling $4,220,342

Top Three Sales Agents with the Most Florida Real Estate Closed

• Gene Kucher at Imperial Lakes with 29 homes
• Ed Velasquez at Winchester Estates with 17 homes
• Doug Pike at Wind Meadows with 14 homes

Top Three Sales Agents for Highest Closing Dollar Volume

• Gene Kucher at Imperial Lakes with $4,779,868
• Ed Velasquez at Winchester Estates with $2,810,537
• Doug Pike at Wind Meadows with $$2,249,823

Highest GB Shelter Mortgage (Highland Homes’ Preferred Lender Partner) Capture Rates

• Roger Santos at Andover and Mystery Ridge, with 100 percent
• Doug Pike at Wind Meadows, with 79 percent
• Denise Abercrombie at Mandolin II, with 70 percent

The company also awarded the following for their achievements:

• 2011 Rookie of the Year: Randi Golemme at St. James Crossing
• 2011 Sales Counselors of the Year: Stacey Pouliot and Carmen Arbizu
• 2011 Design Studio Manager of the Year: Stacey Antonakos-Perez
• 2011 Studio Designer of the Year: Linda Samhoury

The Highland Homes team was honored by guest speaker, JP Peterson, who spoke about his experiences with championship sports organizations and the importance of having a strong team to be successful in a competitive and challenging environment, such as home building. JP knows a bit about being an award-winner himself, as the recipient of two prestigious Edward R. Murrow awards and a Southeast Regional Emmy. He has more than 25 years of sports reporting experience and has had the honor of reporting for the Buccaneers Preseason Broadcasts, the Super Bowl, Stanley Cup Finals, two Final Fours and three NCAA National Football Championship Games.

For more information about the recent award ceremony or other news visit http://www.highlandhomes.org/news/ or call the Highland Homes office at 863-619-7103.

Highland Homes announces the purchase of 28 additional home sites at Deer Creek. Before the purchase, the home builder had only two lots remaining at this highly sought-after, successful community of Orlando new homes.

“Deer Creek is one of our most popular communities due to its convenient location near Orlando and affordable new homes,” said Kathie McDaniel, vice president of sales and marketing for Highland Homes. “We’re excited to be able to offer more new home opportunities to buyers interested in this amazing community.”

Located in the St. Cloud area, Deer Creek features new homes priced from the $130,000s. Floor plans boast three to five bedrooms, two to three bathrooms and 1,210 to 2,827 square feet. The community features playgrounds and walking paths as well as easy access to Orlando, nearby golf courses, theme parks, lakes and parks.

In addition to Deer Creek, Highland Homes is close to selling out at Andover in Davenport. The Orlando home builder has other land prospects for a new community in that area as well to accommodate the needs of homebuyers.

For more information about Deer Creek, visit http://www.HighlandHomes.org or call the sales center at 407-593-2115.

Highland Homes has been Central Florida’s value leader for more than a decade. When it comes to building your new home, you can trust the Highland Homes team to deliver the best in new home choice, quality, value and satisfaction. Highland Homes has new home communities throughout Central Florida, including the cities of Bartow, Dade City, Davenport, Ellenton, Lakeland, Leesburg, Mulberry, Plant City, St. Cloud, Winter Haven and Zephyrhills. For a complete list of new home communities and more information, visit the Highland Homes website at http://www.highlandhomes.org or call 863-619-7103.

As if this wasn’t enticing enough, Traton Homes is making it easy for families to move to this amazing community by offering new price reductions up to $75,900 plus $5,000 in closing cost bonuses on three of its move-in ready homes at Westminister Place.

Westminister Place is an intimate enclave of only 14 home sites. Priced from the $500,000s, all homes boast basements and sit on full-acre sites. The three move-in ready homes include the Inglewood, Providence and Lexington designs and offer hardwoods, gourmet kitchens, granite countertops, three-car garages and more. However, you’re not limited to these three designs. Buyers may also choose a Traton plan and build at the community with new presale pricing.

Make 2012 your year of change: go ahead and visit http://www.TratonHomes.com for more information about Westminister Place as well as all of Traton’s wonderful communities.

Highland Homes is pleased to announce that it is now selling Tampa new homes in two new communities: Trapnell Ridge in Plant City and Sunset Hills in Dade City, Fla. Both communities offer exceptional homes in convenient locations.

“We are excited to be a part of Trapnell Ridge and Sunset Hills,” said Kathie McDaniel, vice president of sales and marketing for Highland Homes. “Both communities offer outstanding value, and, through the help of the Pasco County Neighborhood Stabilization Program, eligible buyers at Sunset Hills will receive $50,000 in down payment assistance!”

Highland Homes recently acquired six inventory homes and several home sites from a previous builder at Trapnell Ridge. Located off Trapnell Road and Turkey Creek Road in Plant City, in Hillsborough County, the community features three and four bedroom inventory homes, and three to five bedroom to-be-built homes priced from $119,900. Trapnell Ridge is convenient to Brandon, Tampa and Lakeland as well as historic downtown Plant City known for its boutique restaurants and shops, brick-paved streets and annual Strawberry Festival.

Located in Dade City in Pasco County, Sunset Hills is a new community of three to four bedrooms homes priced from the $130,000s, and offers $50,000 in down payment assistance for qualified buyers. Floor plans boast 1,250 to 2,179 square feet with move-in ready features including a refrigerator, microwave, dishwasher, washer and dryer and window blinds. The community is convenient to Hwy 301, Interstate 75, Lake Jovita and St. Leo University as well as historic downtown Dade City, known for its unique architecture, small town atmosphere and sense of community.

As always, Tampa home builder Highland Homes offers Florida new homes for just $99 out-of-pocket for qualified buyers.

For more information or directions to Trapnell Ridge, visit the Highland Homes website at http://www.highlandhomes.org/community.php?cid=97 or call 813-704-6947. For more information or directions to Sunset Hills, visit the Highland Homes website at http://www.highlandhomes.org/community.php?cid=96 or call 813-395-8977.

To celebrate and honor those who put safety first at home, four safety-focused brands have teamed up to find the Safest Families in America.

Through an online contest, families can upload videos showcasing their commitment to safety.

The three families that best exemplify safety will be named the Safest Families in America in this nationwide contest, which is sponsored by Zarbee’s Children’s Cough Syrup, First Alert Inc., Puj and Shield-Safety.

“Safety is an incredibly important factor when it comes to good parenting,” said Kathy Scoleri, founder of SafeMama.com and a judge for the nationwide contest. “I’m excited to see how families are living safe lives and to provide educational resources to other parents who may need some extra help protecting their families.”

The grand prize packages include:

*A lifetime supply of Zarbee’s Children’s Cough Syrup plus a $1,500 college fund grant

*A whole-home safety prize package from First Alert that includes $1,100 in products

*A Shield-Safety Revolutionary Care Center

*One Puj Tub, signed by designer and Puj super star Katie, and two pairs of Puj Bootis, handmade by Katie. Winning families also will be part of Puj’s Exclusive Product Testers, getting Puj products and updates before they are officially announced.

Anyone who submits a video and provides contact information will get coupons from the contest sponsors.

Videos must be submitted by May 15, so start filming. The winners will be announced on or around May 24.

For complete contest details, visit safestfamilies.com.

CM Real Estate Development, LLC, purchased a 1928 vintage brick bungalow in west suburban Cicero with the intention of retrofitting it with energy-efficient appliances and green construction materials.

The home, located at 1335 South Central Avenue, is currently in the certification process for an NAHB’s National Green Building Certification at the Bronze level. If successful, it will become the first Green Certified Home Rehab for the National Association of Home Builders in Illinois.

The single-family home has three bedrooms and one bath in approximately 3,300 square feet of space. CM Real Estate Development is preserving the house’s historical elements while upgrading it with green features, including:

* Soy-based, all-natural paint and varnish remover

* Tankless water heater

* Low-VOC floor finish

* Low-flow faucets and 93 percent recycled-content tub

* FSC-certified kitchen cabinets

* New, insulated attic windows

* ENERGY STAR-rated back door and kitchen appliances

* Energy-saving light bulbs and dimmers

* Timer-set bathroom exhaust fan

* Low-water landscape plantings

* Recycled garage roofing materials and garage siding

The company is also reusing building materials, employing local recyclers that recycle up to 95 percent of the waste created during reconstruction, and utilizing local contractors and vendors to create jobs.

CM Real Estate Development purchased the home in February with financing from GreenChoice Bank, the Midwest’s first sustainable bank.

The company tries to make its homes affordable and plans on selling this rehab project for $129,900.

CM Real Estate Development is owned by Chris McAuliffe, who is a speaker for the U.S. Green Building Council-Illinois and an expert on green development, environmentally friendly construction and tax incentives for green houses.

Seems like the right guy for the job.

For more information, visit cmrealestatedevelopment.com.

The Ben Rose Home in Highland Park has been on the market for two years and is now trying to drum up new publicity.

The Ben Rose Home, you ponder? Sound familiar but can’t quite place it?

You probably know it better as Cameron’s house in the movie, “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.”

The 5,300-square-foot home, which went up for sale in 2009 for $2.3 million, has been pulled off the market after the house suffered roof damage and interior water damage following a storm.

The old furniture was discarded, and now the owners are looking for donations.

According to Curbed Chicago, Coldwell Banker listing agent Meladee Hughes said the current owners are working with several major furniture stores interested in donating some high-end pieces so the home can be re-staged.

“The higher-end we can get, the better we will like it,” Hughes told Curbed Chicago.

In exchange for the furniture, the stores get publicity, as does the house.

Hughes says she hopes to have the home re-staged and ready to go back on the market by mid-May or early June.

The asking price on the famous home, 370 Beech Street, was lowered to $1.65 million in January before it was pulled. Wonder what the new price tag will be and if the new furniture will be included.