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Highlands Today

LAKE JUNE ESTATE

Kathy Waters/Highlands Today

Ray Hornick’s Lake Placid home is featured in the Parade of Homes, but it is not for sale.

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By Bill Rogers | Highlands Today

Published: February 23, 2008

Lake Placid Home Photo Gallery

LAKE PLACID — Contractor Ray Hornick is celebrating the 20th anniversary of his company, Hornick Homes Inc., this year.

Hornick acknowledged after that amount of time most of the homes he has been building are looking the same to him.

"What I wanted to do was I wanted to do something totally different every where that I did it," he said.

Hornick has certainly done that — in a big way.

Totaling more than 8,700 square feet, the home Hornick said he has dreamt of has five bedrooms, 5 1/2 baths and a three-car garage. It has about 6,000 square feet of living area.

"We did the stucco texture on the walls; I've never done this," he said. "I've never done staining. Every house I've ever done we paint the doors, we paint the woodwork. We have never done the trey ceilings quite like this. I've never done arched doors."

While the home is in the Highlands County Builders Association 2008 Spring Parade of Homes, house hunters need to know it is not for sale. Hornick and his wife and three children will be moving into it next month.

The house can only be seen on certain days of the week. It will only be open today and March 2 from 1 – 5 p.m. and 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. March 1.

"It is to show people some things they are not going to see in an ordinary house or any of the other houses that are in the parade," he said. "Just to give them some ideas of some things they can do."

Some of the features include copper sinks in the bathrooms, water fall faucets, California closets, which Hornick said is "basically cabinetry in your closet." The home has a lot of stone work.

In one of the bedrooms is a walled waterfall in keeping with a tropical theme.

The house is located on a five-acre tract of land in Cloverleaf Trails, which is off of Lake June Road.

Hornick said he started working on the house in October 2006.

"It has been good for us because the way the economy has changed on us it's given us the time to do this project, and for me to spend the time on the project," he said.

That would not have been the case a couple of years ago.

"I would have had to rely on everybody else to do it, and it wouldn't have wound up the way that it has because there are certain things in there that I did that when I tell people what I want — it's in my mind and I know how to do it — but they look at me cross-eyed."

"It's coming together," he said. "I will tell you what was a major headache and hassle was trying to pick everything out, trying to make things fit.

"I will be happy to be done — very happy," he said.

Next to the house is a building Hornick called the "toy house," which will not be included in the parade tour. His boat, RV, tractor and equipment are among the items found there. Hornick explained that due to space limitations and zoning regulations where he currently lives, he had to store those things at various places.

"I've always wanted to have a little bit of acreage and a building big enough to house everything to where I didn't have to go crazy finding everything. It always seems like no matter what it is you need it is at the other place.

"I've been thinking about this garage for 10 years," he added. "The same thought has been put into the house and into the pool for a great many years."

There is a large patio with an outdoor kitchen. The pool has yet to be built.

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