Grayson Park Business After Hours for the North Brunswick Chamber of Commerce

It's been a few weeks (a month really) since the North Brunswick Chamber of Commerce had a Business After Hours, so yesterday, despite heavy local rain and traffic-bedeviled bridges from Wilmington, NC, we had a successful event hosted by Grayson Park, a Steven Fine Homes community in Leland, NC.

When we arrived the appetizers were laid out and we dug in, awaiting the heavier stuff that was stuck in traffic (for two hours!).

NBCC board member and publisher of NBM and SBM magazines Justin Williams.



Our host was Grayson Park's Dennis Nipini (left), here talking with Connie Reeves and Mr. and Ms. Roy Lettiri.



Linda Cheers, Account Exec with The Brunswick Beacon with Shelton Herb Farm's Margaret Shelton.



Facing the camera are Cape Fear Merchant Services James Shoemaker and Frank Williams of Pioneer Strategies - both are NBCC board members.



NBCC board member Ken Schiess of HDVest with NBCC stalwarts Scott and Connie Reeves of Azalea Plaza.



NBCC Executive Director Dana Fisher with her fiance, Charlie Rivenbark - Charlie's with Maus, Marwick, Matthews commercial REALTORs and a member of the Wilmington City Council.



James Bozeman on the left with Mike Leggett, NBCC board member and photographer and writer for The Local News Review.



Charlie Rivenbark talking with rained upon NBCC board member Franklin Rouse of State Farm Insurance.



Karen Chevrotee of Wilmington South Realty.



NBCC Ambassador Dave Seaton of Pestco with Chad Gilliam from SeaWatch.



Helping themselves at the buffet table are Sweet Nectar Florist's Jerry Rivenbark and Steven Kennedy. This company is  a generous support to the NBCC and the North Brunswick Community - thanks, guys.



Marge Brown of Quantum Results Coaching (yay, Marge!) with Gina Schiess.



So I had to get these guys to smile for the camera. Joe Gaughan (left), an account exec with WECT6 television and Michael Triggiano, General Manager of the Mailbox Express in Leland, and I were having (what I thought anyway was) an hilarious discussion. And  then when I pulled out the camera, they posed.

So naturally I hollered something inane and got them to smile. A whole lot better, don't you think? (Thanks guys, you're both good sports about this.)

One last photo before Marge and I left of Dennis Nipini with Nancy Hall Associate Publisher Jeff Harvell, talking with Linda and Bob Baer.



Thanks to Craig Stevens of Stevens Fine Homes for hosting this event which was successful and a lot of fun despite the heavy rains and traffic.

Stevens Fine Homes Hosts HBA Parade of Homes Party at South Brook

We just got back from a great party at Stevens Fine Homes South Brook neighborhood model home in the back of Mallory Creek in Winnabow, NC. Stevens Fine Homes hosted the party in conjunction with the Home Builders Association as part of this Spring's Parade of Homes.

This home model, BTW, is unbelievably spacious and priced at just $72 a square foot including the lot! Wow, you must see it to believe how much space is in this home that starts at a base price of just $229,000. If you're in the market for a new home and aren't already working with another agent, I'd be honored to show you this model. Marge was so impressed she said she might even consider having more kids so we could buy one and fill it up! (May need some re-thinking here. But seriously, everyone who tours this house is blown away by the space for the money. Wow!)


Jenny Steele, Charlotte Palmer, and Craig Stevens, all with Stevens Fine Homes were the hosts and had drawings where they gave away $100 bills.


The party was catered by Middle of the Island, which is always a hit, and there were plenty of eager eaters on hand.


Even Madonna Nash, who provided the entertainment, took a turn at the buffet line.


And here's Madonna performing. She's a local artist who's making a lot of noise on the regional music scene (good noise, that is . . . seems like everyone I talk with has heard of her). She has a lot of followers and avid fans . . . including me!


Thanks once again, Jenny and Craig, for a nice party. We're pleased Stevens Fine Homes is doing so well this year and this model with it's huge bang for the buck signals continued success for the rest of the year.

(No joke, folks, you gotta see this house! I know I promote stuff and get all excited and everything, but this house is an incredible value!)

Stevens Fine Homes Halloween Party

Okay, so there are a lot of good things you can say about Craig Stevens and Stevens Fine Home Builders. I'm biased and that's clear, but with good reason. Near the top of the list, in my book, is that Craig knows how to throw a party. Last week at the Willowick subdivision in Wilmington, Craig threw a Halloween party for 400-500 of his closest Realtor friends.

No, that's not Craig sitting on the porch, you'll see him later.

We had great food, plenty to drink, prize drawings, and music, not to mention a whole bunch of great folk to hang out with.

When we checked in we saw that Craig and his sales staff were costumed as Native Americans.

Yep, and here's Craig, in the upstairs bonus room of the spacious model home used for the party.

Realtor Cynthia Wilkinson and Stevens onsite agent Charlotte Palmer.

Friendly Marge from Recycled Realty (not her real name and not a real company, though at least one person thought so, whose name will be withheld to protect the innocent).

Susan Harkin from Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Realty came as a bunch of grapes. I know Susan but still had to ask who she was.

Personal Chef Lori Eaton of Eaton at Home catered the event. As usual Lori's work was outstanding.



Not sure of this lady's name, but her costume was cute.

Craig making announcements with onsite agent Cynthia Rehberg on the left holding the drawing bucket.



Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Realty's Nora Ruehle had a hanger in her hair.





Realtor Renee Britt.

A good time was had by all, thanks again, Craig.

Calypso Green Parade of Homes Party at Grayson Park in Leland, NC

Saturday afternoon Marge and I went to Grayson Park in Leland, NC for two reasons. The first was to tour and talk about Stevens Fine Homes solar model featured in Grayson Park. The second reason was to party!

As soon as we got to the clubhouse and said hello we headed over to the solar model home.

From the front the house looks like the other homes on the street, but state-of-the-art solar panels on the back roof provide all the energy used by the house.

Here's developer and builder Craig Stevens talking about the solar home and the party!



We also met some folks in the market for environmentally sound, energy savings home, including Michael Rhodes, who is touring all the green homes and communities in the area before making a decision.

And, in Michael's words



Inside the model plenty of people were asking about the solar home from Matt, the site's construction manager.

Jennie Steele, Stevens Fine Homes Marketing Director took a few minutes to welcome us also.

As did Cynthia Rehberg, on-site sales specialist.

And Stan Powell, the other on-site sales specialist, here talking and laughing with Marge.

Brian Sartan of the Home Builders Association was on hand.

And happy to say a few words:



We also ran into old friend Lin Spears, Sales Manager of the local Countrywide office

With the introductions made and the good info about solar homes and environmentally-conscious building digesting, it was time to party. As you can see from the photo below, Craig Stevens and I were certainly ready!

Grayson Park residents and their guests, other visitors, and many REALTORs from the area gathered around the pool for food, drink, music, and conviviality.

Middle of the Island, the always-popular catering company, provided the food. It was tasty!

We even had a visit from one of Leland's finest, checking up on the music and the commotion.

The music, provided by Wilmington area's only calypso-style steel drum band, Pantastic Steel, was dance ready and a lot of fun. So if you have about three and half minutes, click on the video below, put it in HD, full-screen mode, turn up your speakers or headset volume and enjoy!