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The Lakelander Magazine
Top Producers in Lakeland Real Estate
Every time The Lay Group sells a home, it’s a win not only for the buyer or seller, it’s a win for the community. This real estate team—led by 20-year real estate veteran Jen Lay—sold nearly 100 homes last year, and every time a deal closed, 10 percent of the commissions went to Lay Legacy, a local non-profit dedicated to helping single parents buy their first home and funding local projects to enhance educational opportunities for youth.
Stronghold Roofing and Solar: A Great Product Every Shingle Time
As the old saying goes, there’s no such thing as an overnight success, but Lakeland’s Stronghold Roofing and Solar might be about as close as a company can get. It completed its first roof in October 2018 and today, with 75 employees, puts a new top on 25 homes per week. It’s expanded outside of Polk to Hillsborough and Sarasota Counties and even offers services in Georgia.
Top Producers in Lakeland Real Estate
Jennifer Conner grew up in Lakeland and raised her children in the Swan City, providing her a distinct perspective on the housing market and a strong emotional connection to helping locals make some of the most important decisions of their lives. “Some people have to make very emotional decisions, and...
Top Producers in Lakeland Real Estate
Spend five minutes with Yolanda Floyd and you’ll likely be sold. Not necessarily on a house she is showing you or her vision for staging a home you’re trying to sell, but you’ll be sold that the team lead for The Flourish Group at PWH Realty has what it takes to make any deal happen and work through any adversity you might encounter.
Historic View, Modern Luxury: The Story of 426 Palmola St.
Homebuilding is an art form. Before we had modern conveniences—preset floor plans, finished blueprints, and even power tools—so much skilled labor and niche knowledge was required to create craftsman homes. It’s the reason you get a feeling you can’t put your finger on when you watch an old...
A Breakthrough Sunscreen That Mirrors a CEO’s Personal Experience
Locally owned and operated Roskin Beauty is a natural skincare line that is as much about mineral-based products that create radiant skin as it is about the founder’s journey to find her own beauty within. Rohini Philip was born and raised in India, where she earned a degree in...
Top Producers in Lakeland Real Estate
Forgive Jordan Prais if he says a deal appears to be a “slam dunk” or if he uses a shot clock analogy to describe how a client has limited time to put in an offer on a hotly contested property. The 6-foot-7 Lakeland High School graduate and St....
Top Producers in Lakeland Real Estate
Christine and John Hubbert have become a real estate tag-team to be reckoned with thanks to the unique lenses they have seen real estate through over the years and their driving passion to make a difference for Lakelanders. Christine first acquired her real estate license in 2015 when she was...
Paige Wagner, PWH Realty
Paige Wagner casts a vision for what a space could be to a potential buyer it becomes clear that buying and selling homes is not a science for her—rather it’s an art. For the past 10 years, Paige Wagner Homes Realty has made a name for itself by providing high level customer service and expertise and a keen design eye that can rejuvenate a tired home listing or call out the potential of a home to a wide array of buyers.
Above the Crowd
People who know Andrea Dockery aren’t at all surprised by her success, but her journey to being named the RE/MAX 2023 Broker/Owner of the Year for a single office franchise nationwide has been filled with them. In fact, it’s still somewhat of a surprise to the 59-year-old Lakeland native...
The Blueprint for a Better Future
How One Gregarious Developer’s Journey to Bring Lifestyle Living Options to Lakeland Illustrates the Complexities and Hopefulness of Growth. Trying to define “smart” growth locally or correctly guessing what the next three to five years is going to look like in the country’s fastest growing county is a lot like trying to predict what might happen if a couple of Lakeland icons invited an established developer of urban high-rises from Brooklyn, New York to a languishing industrial city to talk shop and build bridges—metaphorically, of course.
What to Do This Weekend: Summer Splash Bash, Movie on the Lawn, Indie Bash Three and More
What to Do This Weekend: Summer Splash Bash, Movie on the Lawn, Indie Bash Three and More. Adventure Days “School’s Out” Celebration | Bonnet Springs Park | 1o a.m. to 2 p.m. Wedding Vendor Showcase | Haus 820 | 6 to 8 p.m. Movie on the Lawn:...
Propelling Business(es) Forward: The Local Bank That is a Proud Catalyst for Countless Companies and Entrepreneurs
Developed in partnership with Bank of Central Florida. Rick Ricart is in a hotel room in Jerusalem, making slight changes to an upcoming Holy Land tour and checking on the status of a wire transfer. Thomas DiCesare is on the phone with a client discussing their financial goals, while glancing...
What to Do This Weekend: Polynesian Celebration, Gun Show, Live Music and More
Polynesian Celebration | Bonnet Springs Park | 6 to 9 p.m. AMP Up the Love Live Music | Munn Park | 6 to 11 p.m. Fallen Heroes Memorial 5k | Lakeland Family YMCA | 7 a.m. Downtown Farmers Curb Market | Downtown Lakeland | 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday,...
A Sandbox Made of Coffee Grounds atFlorida Southern College
It is a typical Wednesday morning for Florida Southern College (FSC) students Lauren Schreader and Daniel Jones, as they operate FSC’s new student-run coffee cart, Morning Grind. While Schreader makes her favorite beverage, the maple spice latte, for a fellow Moccasin, Daniel is greeting customers and handling transactions at the register. The cart, located on the corner of the Barney Barnett School of Business and Free Enterprise building, right off of Lake Hollingsworth, is about more than just providing students flavorful caffeine jolts each morning—it’s evidence of a culture that has shifted from students being taught the importance of entrepreneurship and capitalism, to being trained on how to become an entrepreneur and succeed in a capitalist economy.
A Lakeland Love Story With Courage at the Heart
It’s not everyday you find someone like that—someone who will drop everything to take care of you,” admits Nick Wood, former firefighter for the Lakeland Fire Department. After meeting at Harrison School of the Arts, falling in love and graduating in 2018, Nick and his bride-to-be, fourth generation Polk County native, Camryn Brooks, share a beautiful bond that has had to overcome the unexpected difficulties of life leading up to their special season of engagement.
What to Do This Weekend: Tres de Mayo, Star Wars Trilogy, Live Music and More
First Friday: Tres de Mayo | Downtown Lakeland | 6 to 9 p.m. Spring Short-Film Festival | Harrison School for the Arts | 7 to 9 p.m. (event continues on Saturday evening) Swan City Improv Comedy Shows | Rec Room | 7:30 p.m. (family friendly) 9:30 p.m. (21+ show) Saturday,...
Real Lakeland Weddings: Wyatt and Jessica Thomas
It was perfect that on January 27 The Lakeland Country Club hosted a grandiose centennial celebration, because just eight days later—February 4, 2024—a Lakeland couple whose goal was to throw a “Roaring Twenties” style party were married in the same building. “Everything was black and gold...
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