European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 20, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Some port Charlotte residents live on the waterfront. General development corporation photo corporate chiefs their own Best salesmen t hey outlived the scandals of the 1960s to emerge As three of Florida s major land developers. They Are among the  you re looking for crocodiles forget  you re looking for swamp forget it said John Rush of Lehigh acres. None of these thre companies do anything like  Rush was speaking of general development corp. Deltona corp. And Lehigh acres the company he represents in Europe. The three developers Are the leaders among five firms Selling . Land to service members in Europe. Corporate officials of the three firms discount the naysayers who claim the land i grossly overpriced. They scoff at the prophets of doom and gloom who say that promised amenities and improvements May never materialize. They reject arguments by consumer advocates that their program is a Ripoff. Their executives Are their own Best salesmen for they discuss their communities with a Fervour usually associated with evangelists. They believe in what they re doing and in the Case of sales to service members in Europe they say they re providing an invaluable service. We make a product that is a Means to an end that s affordable  said lore Debella. Gds senior vice president for marketing. People who have a dream of Florida can t recognize it without Long term planning you can continue to make payments Over a wednesday november 20, 1985 protracted period of time Well continue in make improvements there s n flexibility you Don t receive in any other real estate transaction " de Lona president Frank Mucklo Iii  his turn s  in  is about Tho Community development business " the inn sales in Only the life  Mackie said we have always i it tremendous . On the building and development Tivit . That created the appreciation in the property we sold and the property we retained that s been Paramount since Day one " if developers Honor their Pledgee to develop the land As Murt do. Tho value should increase that was t always so. Initially unethical companies sold land that was underwater. Tid they did t have title to. Land that did i exist they promised . . Poofs Utility service and Goll courses. Often these never materialized. It was an Industry that needed to be cleaned  Rush said. It has been. It s regulated and policed the client is Well  in 1968. The Federal government got into the act and land sales were monitored. Disclosures the Good the bad and the ugly were required enforcement began and slowly state agencies got into the act today states Are banding together to Monitor land sales individual slate agencies regulate sales within their Borders and it Deral agencies such As the  department of housing and Urban development Monitor disclosures and hear complaints. The Federal Trade commission has an enforcement division to yield complaints. The Guys who have been Here a Long time Are  said James Hackett Lehigh senior vice president of marketing and sales. We be been Here for 30 years " Lehigh acres about 13 Miles East of fort Myers on Florida s West coast arose from a farm in 1955. Developers bought Tho Lucky Lee ranch divided it into 125,929 Home Sites changed the name to Lehigh to reflect the highest land in Lee county and began Selling. Lehigh signed Singer Pat Boone to promote the Community. It s Likely he never crooned love letters in the Sand from Lehigh since he neither lived there nor owned property there. But his picture Down to his trademark White Bucks appeared on billboards and publications. Originally Quarter acre lots sold Lor $405 today. Lehigh markets a Quarter acre lot Lor $11.000 More than $54 million has been spent to develop the Community which is now Home to More than 17,500 people. Lehigh has 20 churches nine Banks two German restaurants a Day care Center two elementary schools a Middle school a Pool two Goll courses two hospitals two fire stations police Protection recreation complexes. 16 lakes stocked with Lish and More than 200 businesses including convenience stores grocery stores a Bowling Alley and Lour Small shopping centers. It s a quiet Countryside  Rush said. We be met every Promise we Ever made to any  Bob Ehrling president of gds. Echoed those sentiments. We re not Only Selling  he said we re the second largest builder of Homes in the state. We make these communities. And we offer them a company that will stand behind the lot and develop it out. It s a Long term project. We have a big obligation to develop these  gds is developing nine planned communities in Florida involving More than 255,000 acres. It has platted 322,700 Home Sites. Its communities have More than 153.000 residents. The nine communities include More than six Golf courses six pools two Tennis complexes lakes and a Marina. There Are businesses churches schools water and sewer lines and thousands of Miles of roads. The third and youngest major firm Selling in Europe is Deltona. Which is developing nine planned communities on More than 104.000 acres in Florida. It has platted 172,260 Horne Siles and its communities have More than 80.000 residents we Don t buy on the Edge of developing communities Mackle said. We buy what we think will be the prime location five or 10 years from now. We buy it very inexpensively the finest land we can find. We go out that far because we build a total  Deltona s communities include More than 10 Golf courses two pools three Tennis complexes lakes and a Marina. There Are businesses churches schools water and sewer lines and thousands of Miles of roads. The stars and stripes Page Vii