Neal breaks record for home sales

LAKEWOOD RANCH -- Neal Communities broke a record in January with 71 new home sales, more than any month before in company history.

"We have a demographic boom superimposed on top of an economic boom," said Pat Neal, president and CEO of the Lakewood Ranch-based, new home building company.

"There has been a huge release of pent-up demand -- prices are low, mortgage rates are low, and we have several new Neal communities that just opened," said Neal. "We expect a very strong winter/spring season for 2013."

The January sales were spread out over 12 neighborhoods from Parrish to Englewood, with Central Park at Lakewood Ranch leading the pack with 14 sales.

Other notable neighborhoods last month include Grand Palm in Venice with nine sales, eight sales each at Woodbrook in Sarasota and Arlington Cove in Englewood, and six sales at Forest Creek in Parrish.

Neal also has plans to open eight new model centers in 2013.

Neal Communities will host a grand opening at the Boca Royale Golf & Country Club in south Sarasota County this weekend.

And Neal will build 500 homes in the 1,000-acre master planned premier golf community in Englewood.

CruiseOne recognizedas top achiever

BRADENTON -- CruiseOne, 6094 14th St. W., was recently recognized as the top producer for 2012 among the franchise graduating class of September.

Dermatology office offers new radotherapy system

SARASOTA -- West Coast Dermatology is offering superficial radiotherapy, a low-energy radiotherapy that penetrates only a short distance below the surface of the skin to treat the two most common kinds of skin cancer, basal cell cancer and squamous cell cancer.

The therapy requires no anesthesia and there is a faster healing time with less scarring, according to West Coast Dermatology.

The company is offering the system at its Sarasota and Venice offices. For more information, visit West Coast Dermatology online at www.westcoastdermatology.com or contact the office at 941-955-0360.

Help-U-Sell Real estate opens office in California

SARASOTA -- Franchisor Help-U-Sell Real Estate is opening a new office in San Ramon, Calif. The new franchise owner has past experience with Help-U-Sell Real Estate.

Greg McPherson owned a Help-U-Sell franchise from 2003 to 2008. Since then, he has run an independent brokerage.

Instead of the traditional percentage-based commission, Help-U-Sell Real Estate charges its sellers a set fee and a menu of services, allowing clients to participate in the selling process to save money. Help-U-Sell brokers are fully licensed members of the National Association of Realtors.

-- Herald staff reports