COVER STORY
SANFORD
IS BOOMING Spotlight on Six of Our City’s Top Realtors BY NIKKI NAMDAR
W
herever you look in Sanford, you have new neighbors you can call friends. The real estate market here is booming. Our beloved historic district has become a prime area to not only visit for the day, but to live in forever. Buyers from all around the world can’t help but be attracted to our charming brick roads and picturesque architecture, scenic riverwalk and marina, bustling breweries, cultural restaurants, and small-town vibes. Houses are hitting the market and being put under contract on the same day.
We had the opportunity to shoot this issue’s cover at the former estate of Jeno Paulucci. Paulucci founded Chun King Corporation, which led him to Central Florida. Sanford, known as “Celery City” in the 1940s, enabled Paulucci to set up a supply line of the vegetable used in so many of his products. Paulucci sold Chun King for $63 million in 1966 but didn’t stop there. He started another frozen food company, Jeno’s Inc., which he sold for $147 million in 1985. By then, he was busy working on his grand real estate vision, the community of Heathrow. Paulucci’s Sanford Estate was custom built between 1959 and 1962 during the peak of the Mid-Century Modern Design movement. The Mediterranean home facing Mellonville Avenue was built in 1928 and purchased by Paulucci later on from a local doctor. Nikki is a writer who enjoys telling stories that connect the community and spark emotion. In her spare time, she loves eating vegan food and sharing it to her Instagram, @OrlandoVegans, and spending time with animals. 4 MY SAN FORD MAGA ZI N E | SU M M E R 2020
l-r: Caroline van den Berg Garcia, Kendra Heckart, Deborah Moran, Claudia Mundlos, Nancy Groves and Sherrie Wysong
BENEVOLENCE PHOTOGRAPHY
Even during a pandemic, realtors are seeing a spike in sales. No matter what, Sanford continues to open doors for new residents. Developers are becoming wise to this town’s massive potential, creating new communities full of properties for sale or lease. Custom new construction homes are popping up all over downtown Sanford, and builders like Miller Construction and JSM Construction have several inventory homes in the works. With a thriving downtown corridor, Sanford is blossoming. But don’t take it from us; take it from the experts — some of our city’s best realtors.
