Susan Breding

ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. --- Community banks will play the most important role in America's economic recovery over the next five years, helping to restore public trust in American financial institutions and the flow of capital in public commerce.

That's the opinion of longtime Central Florida banker and business leader Geof Longstaff, who earned his MBA Degree from the Crummer Graduate School of Business at Rollins College in Winter Park and currently serves as chairman of Mercantile Commercial Capital, LLC, in Altamonte Springs.

"Small community banks have been a part of the fabric of the American financial system for decades," said Longstaff, an instructor at the Louisiana State University Graduate School of Banking. "They are run by local citizens who have a stake in the local community," Longstaff explained.

According to the Independent Community Bankers of America, there are nearly 8,500 community banks in the U.S. whose assets range from less than $10 million to a few billion dollars. Where many of the nation's largest banks place a priority on serving large corporations, community banks focus
attention on the needs of local families, businesses, and farmers.

"Typically, community banks consider such indicators as character, family history and discretionary spending in making loans," Longstaff said. "They channel most of their loans to local neighborhoods where their depositors live and work, and the end result is that community banks serve as the
backbone of the American financial system," Longstaff said.

Central Florida community banks saw their share of deposits grow from 15 percent to 20 percent in the two years prior to June 30, 2008, Longstaff added, and since then deposits have risen further as a result of the banking crisis.

"Community banks don't have significant investments in subprime loans or deteriorating credit card debt," Longstaff said. "They aren't focused on restructuring their balance sheets or waiting for a government bailout," he added.

"Because business loan decisions are made locally, community banks are better able to respond quickly and effectively, whereas a large national or regional bank loan approval committee may meet in another state," he said.

"Community banks are themselves small businesses," Longstaff added. "They understand the needs of small business owners. Their core concern is lending to small businesses and farms, not corporate America," he said.

For more information contact
Geof Longstaff, Emergent National Bank (in organization), 407-786-5040
Larry Vershel, Larry Vershel Communications 407-644-4142

TAMPA, Fla. --- Lennar's Tampa Bay division will host a breakfast reception
for area Realtors Thursday, Dec. 4 to showcase two new model townhomes at
Summerfield Crossing, located off of Big Bend Rd. just east of U.S. 301 in
Riverview.

Mark Metheny, president of Lennar in the Tampa Bay region, said the Realtor
event is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.

Lennar will host a gala open house at Summerfield Crossing on Saturday, Dec.
13 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Metheny added, and the public is invited.

Lennar is building 132 new two and three-bedroom townhomes at Summerfield
Crossing priced from the low $100s.

Metheny said townhomes at Summerfield Crossing range in size from 1,371
square feet of living space to 1,531 square feet.



For more information, contact:
Mark Metheny, Division President, Lennar Tampa Division 888-317-7489
Jassy Friddle, Marketing Manager, Lennar Tampa Division 888-317-7489
Larry Vershel or Beth Payan, Larry Vershel Communications Inc. 407-644-4142

TAMPA, Fla. --- Only four ready-to-move-in homes and 12 home sites remain for sale in the first phase at The Landings, located off Wall St. and InterBay Blvd. in south Tampa.

Michael Roche, vice president of sales and marketing at Ashton Woods Homes in the Tampa Bay region, said three, four and five bedroom single-family homes at The Landings at Port Tampa range in size from 1,550 square feet of living space to 2,815 square feet.

New single-family homes at The Landings are priced from the mid $200s.

For more information, please contact:

Michael Roche, VP Sales/Marketing Ashton Woods Homes Orlando/Tampa, 407-647-3700;

John Reny, President Ashton Woods Homes-Orlando/Tampa, 407-647-3700;

Larry Vershel or Beth Payan, Larry Vershel Communications, 407-644-4142

About Ashton Woods Homes

Ashton Woods Homes is a subsidiary of the Great Gulf Group of Companies, a North American real estate conglomerate headquartered in Toronto, and currently has communities under development in Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, Phoenix, Tampa, Denver and Orlando.

CHAMPIONSGATE, Fla. — Michael Weinberg, marketing director for real estate at ChampionsGate Resort South of Orlando at I-4 and ChampionsGate Blvd., has been earning commendations lately.

Marc Reicher, senior vice president of operations at said Weinberg recently earned his CCIM accreditation as a certified Commercial Investment Member of the CCIM Institute.

The accreditation is one of the most coveted professional commendations among commercial real estate executives.

Reicher said Weinberg who joined ChampionsGate Resort one year ago, was also recently appointed to the Transportation Corridor Task Force of the Central Florida Partnership.

ORLANDO, Fla. --- Ashton Woods Homes has opened 10 new two and three-bedroom town homes priced from $189,900 at Savannah Park at Heathrow in Seminole County.

Michael Roche, vice president of sales and marketing at Ashton Woods Homes in the Orlando region, said new town homes at Savannah Park at Heathrow range in size from 1,540 square feet of living space to 1,941 square feet.

Roche said six town homes at Savannah Park at Heathrow will be available for immediate move-in before the end of this year.

About Ashton Woods Homes

Ashton Woods Homes is a subsidiary of the Great Gulf Group of Companies, a North American real estate conglomerate headquartered in Toronto, and currently has communities under development in Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, Phoenix, Tampa, Denver and Orlando.