Central Florida Real Estate Developer Jerome Henin Wastes No Time When Making Deals

Jerome Henin

APOPKA, FL – As the owner of numerous real estate development and sales companies, Jerome Henin, who heads Winter Park-based Henin Group, is accustomed to making things happen quickly, but one particular transaction last month surprised even him.

After viewing a 28-acre parcel on Votaw Road near the Wekiva Reserve in Apopka, Henin made an offer on a Friday, signed a contract on Tuesday and closed the deal the following Friday.

The one-week purchase was possible, he says, because he is an independent developer.

“The advantage of landowners selling to independent developers versus selling to the nationals can be huge,” Henin said. “The large national homebuilders just can’t do this without going through their corporate process. They’ll keep land under contract usually no less than 90 days – sometimes more – while they analyze and get extensions.”

The biggest difference, according to Henin, is that independents such as Henin Group have cash readily available to move forward quickly.  

Gary Beverly

That Sept. 1^st Apopka purchase was the beginning of what he said is planned as a 95-lot, single-family subdivision worth an estimated $40 million at buildout.

Still in its infancy the community has yet to be named, but Henin said it will be designed by Gary Beverly with CDS Engineering of Maitland and will offer three- and four-bedroom homes on 50- by 120-foot lots.

In addition to Henin Homes building in the new community, Henin said he is considering more than half a dozen offers from other interested homebuilders.

“It will take a year or more to complete the various studies and then we’ll start developing,” he said.

In the meantime, it will be business as usual, which includes shopping for the next one-week purchase.

 

Aerial of Springview Woods showing Riviera Bella in the distance across Lake Konomac

DEBARY, FL–  Springview Woods – part of a 64-acre development that opened in 2018 – is expected to sell out nearly 1½ years sooner than originally projected.  Two of the development’s four phases sold out last year and the 20+ sites remaining should be sold out by next spring.

“D.R. Horton sales there have been brisk,” said Henin. “In 2020 we sold 55 sites in Springview and we still have an additional 14 sites scheduled to close in October,” he said

Sales in the Riviera Bella development off Fort Florida Road along the St. Johns River are going extremely well too, according to Henin. “We are about two years ahead of projected sell-out.”  Thus far in 2020 there have been 51 lots sold there.  

 

St. Johns River, Florida

In Riviera Bella’s Phase 8 with 140 lots, D.R. Horton has only 20 sites remaining.  Sales are going so well that Henin has accelerated the start of site development for Phase 9 with another 153 lots.  

Also, in Riviera Bella’s western section, M/I Homes has seven remaining estate lots slated to close in October – the last of that homebuilder’s total of 252 sites purchased in Riviera Bella.

  Henin Group still owns an inventory of estate lots for future use in the western section and there is only one remaining lot with direct access to the St. John’s River .

This time last year the 240-acre development was predicted be sold out in 2024.   “We now predict to be sold out of everything in Riviera Bella by 2022,” said Henin. 

Contacts:

Jerome Henin, Founder/CEO The Henin Group, 407-644-8595 or Jerome@henin-co.com.

Beth Payan, Larry Vershel Communications,

407-644-4142, 407-461-3781 or beth@larryvershel.com