Barbara Pendergrass
Real Estate Sales Professional
office - 941-697-2010
Susan Butler
Susan has lived on the Cape Haze Peninsula for six years. Having fallen in awe with the serene natural environment. She made her home on Coral Creek. After sharing this special place in paradise with family and friends she started to help others find perfect homes of their own. It became a natural progression to obtain her Real Estate license to combine her love of people, fascination with architecture and love of the area. It’s Florida the way it’s supposed to be; Stress free, close to beaches, incredible fishing and challenging golf. A graduate of Cornell University, Susan retired from a management position in New York State government. During her tenure she was responsible for introducing Total Quality Management, and other innovative technologies to governmental systems. Susan’s mission is to help others find their perfect place in paradise. When it comes to your special place, Susan’s priorities are yours. If it’s important to you, it’s important to her.
Abel Cardenas
Abel is a Southwest Florida native. Having grown up here in Port Charlotte, Abel is very familiar with all that the area has to offer. Abel left the area to attend college at Florida State University and after receiving a Business Degree in Hospitality Administration with a concentration in Resort and Condominium Management went on to work for Marriott International. Abel specialized in Market Analysis and the pricing of hotel product for the Transient, Group, and Business markets. 5 years went by and Abel felt Southwest Florida calling him back. Abel returned to the area in the summer of 2005. Abel's desire to succeed and commitment to provide premier customer service has found him a spot as a Real Estate Sales Professional with us here at Merrill Realty. Abel also enjoys playing a round or two at many of the areas golf courses. He also enjoys fishing either the mangroves of Charlotte Harbor or some of his favorite Grouper holes offshore in the Gulf of Mexico. If dedication to service and pride in performance is what you seek in your Realtor then give Abel a call!
Ben Cirka
As principal of Merrill Realty, Ben and his wife Lisa reside in Cape Haze together with their yellow lab Maggie. Following graduation from Florida State with a degree in accounting, Ben ignited his real estate passion in Fort Lauderdale, working with mergers and acquisitions in the health care arena. In 2000, Ben relocated to Baltimore to work and pursue his Masters Degree in Real Estate Development and Finance at Johns Hopkins University. He was employed with a national developer of a multifamily housing projects, and for the nation's largest developer of mixed use, retail, office, and residential properties utilizing federal historic tax credits. He was involved in both the debt and equity components of financing and eventually was responsible for financing aspects of half the total portfolio valued at a half billion dollars. Following graduation from Johns Hopkins and while laboring long hours in the dreary cold, Ben yearned to initiate his own real estate projects in Florida. Having resided in Naples previously and experiencing the explosive growth first hand, along with the congestion, exorbitant prices, and general problems associated with seemingly uncontrolled and ill-planned growth, he searched for alternatives. Ben evaluated a number of coastal locations for both quality of life and opportunities for real estate development and appreciation. He eventually settled on the Cape Haze Peninsula in Charlotte County.
The Cape Haze Peninsula is located roughly midway between the Fort Myers and Sarasota airports and, on a larger scale, midway between Tampa and Naples. Ben likens the area to the Naples that he knew ten years ago where land and home values, even for waterfront properties, are still reasonable and abundant. Congestion, both on the roads and on the waters, is non-existent. This is old Florida; there are plenty of golf courses, world-class fishing, and many relaxing sunsets and evenings to spend with his wife. Ben is indeed an expert on real estate values in the area, and is currently working on several development projects, some with his former professors, now friends. Other than evaluating real estate, Ben enjoys golfing or a day on the water fishing, and taking his dog Maggie to the sandbar below the Boca Grande causeway to run after an old tennis ball.
Gale McGuane
Gale McGuane was born in New England, but has lived a nomadic life, living in the 4 corners of the US. She graduated from both the University of New Hampshire and the University of Utah in the field of Social Work. Upon retirement from the NYS Government, as a Prison Warden, she settled in Cape Haze, having found the qualities she was seeking: Unchanged; Unspoiled; Uncluttered; Untouched; Unhurried; and Unbelievable. Gale's passion has always been helping family and friends, so working in the field of Real Estate seemed like anobvious choice. Like the rest of the Merrill Team, Gale can help find the property that best meets your needs and criteria, or she can assist in selling your property, using a comprehensive marketing plan. Her special area of expertise is the Cape Haze/ Windward area, which offers everyone a Quintessential Quility of Life.
Barbara Pendergrass
Barbara Pendergrass, a Florida native, was born and raised in Englewood. She married her high school sweetheart Scot, a fourth generation Floridian, who was raised on Little Gasparilla Island. Together they have two great children, Marina and Bret. Barbara and her family love our part of Florida for all it has to offer with respect to its natural beauty, and all of the fun activities such as boating, fishing and much more. Their deep roots, local knowledge and history give them a unique prospective in helping people buying or selling property in the Southwest Florida area. Barbara specializes in the real estate needs of Little Gasparilla Island, Englewood, and the surrounding areas.
office - 941-697-2010
Cheryl Runzo
Cheryl brings 22 years of Corporate Human Resources and Executive Assistant experience with her to Merrill Realty. After vacationing here and renting on a part-time basis for three years, Cheryl and her husband Ron decided to move permanently to the Cape Haze area in 1995. Contrary to New York’s fast pace and cold winters, the Runzo’s enjoyed the slower pace of life, friendly neighbors, pleasant weather, and found the overall laid-back lifestyle too enticing to enjoy only on a part-time basis. Cheryl jumped right into the community when she purchased an art gallery, frame shop and home accent store in Boca Grande and shortly thereafter joined the YMCA, met lots of friendly folks and grew very comfortable with the quality of life in the area. After six great years of running the retail operations, opportunity presented itself and Cheryl sold the gallery to get involved in the real estate business. After speaking with several real estate brokerages in our area, Cheryl found the right fit at Merrill Realty. The staff at Merrill struck her as very warm and professional, and the firm was a well-established neighborhood business dedicated to the community. Buying and selling real estate can be a very complex and complicated endeavor; it demands competence, integrity and professionalism. After just a few minutes with Cheryl you will feel confident in her vast knowledge of our local market and her dedication to the profession. Cheryl will focus on your needs and objectives and will make your real estate transaction both enjoyable and rewarding. She is a member of the Englewood Board of Realtors, and would like to be YOUR realtor.
Crystal & Terry Smith
Terry and Crystal Smith originally from Statesville, North Carolina started visiting friends in Sarasota in 1991, shortly after that they bought a Condo there in 1993. They then discovered an advertisement for Placida Harbour in a magazine in 1996, and decided to buy , and lived there parttime. After becoming more familiar with the area, they bought a lot on Boca Grande in 1997 so that they could build a home on. Their home was completed in 2001. Crystal and Terry continued to stay on Boca Grande part time until they decided to move here permanently with their two children in 2003. Their Son just graduated from Lemon Bay High School in May, and is now attending classes at the Art Institute in Tampa. When asked as to why they decided to move here permanently, they responded by saying," We love boating and being on the beautiful green water. There are no ice storms, no snow, and the leaves stay green and on the trees." They are members at the local YMCA, a local golf club, and some boating clubs. They attend The First Baptist Church of Boca Grande. Love all the local restaurants on and off Boca Grande. Terry and Crystal were in the Office Equipment and furniture business in North Carolina for 32 years. They also enjoy developing and building commercial property in North Carolina. They are in the process of completing their first building project in Cape Haze. They both have 32 years of sales experience and hope to expand that experience to interested buyers that hopefully will love this beautiful area as much as they do.
