SARASOTA, Fla – (March 25, 2008) – The world-class real estate and tropical lifestyle of Sarasota will be broadcast into the homes of 150 million Germans on the wildly popular show, "Traumhaus am Meer." Translated as "dream house by the sea," "Traumhaus am Meer" presents the irresistible combination of remarkable seaside homes located in exceptional areas, and the drama of a prospective buyer reviewing the entire package. "Traumhaus am Meer" highlights the process of showing and purchasing property in countries other than Germany. This will be the first episode of the show filmed in the United States. In an incredible marketing coup, Premier Properties of Southwest Florida has arranged for Sarasota to be the featured city.The landing of "Traumhaus am Meer" in Sarasota is the outcome of Karin Stephan, a broker with Premier Properties and a German national. Stephan knew about the series from friends in Germany and contacted the network, VOX – one of Europe’s largest media conglomerates – to promote Sarasota as their first U.S. location. Other segments have been shot across the globe, and Stephan and fellow Premier colleague, Sheldon Paley, were determined that VOX needed to consider Sarasota. Following a lengthy exchange of photos, DVDs and ideas, VOX sent a scout for the production company, Fandango Films, to Sarasota. The scout, producer Wolfgang Fuchs, spent four days in early March with Stephan’s and Deborah Beacham, another Premier broker, to promote the Sarasota area and its extraordinary coastal living. Several properties were reviewed for the program. Fuchs was favorably impressed, and the transaction was consummated. Filming begins this week on Casey Key for this one-hour program, which will be shown later this year."German’s dream about vacations and places by the sea," says Stephan who has lived in the US for 25 years, but travels frequently to her native country. "The weather in Germany is often so foggy, rainy and cold, that they regularly flock to sunny areas. That, plus the fantasy everyone has of living in a dream home is what makes this program so popular in the European Union."The Impact of 150 Million ViewersThe reach of "Tramhaus am Meer" into German homes is not only a spectacular marketing coup for Premier Properties, but a huge piece of public relations for the Sarasota area. "We are extremely pleased that VOX and Fandango Films had such an immediately positive response to Sarasota," says Steve Bailey, who heads the Premier Properties operations in Sarasota. "The European market for US real estate, especially high-end, is very strong right now. But, this has larger implications for tourism in the entire Sarasota area. Traveling to the U.S. has never been more attractive and "Dream house by the Sea" will showcase Sarasota at its very best."About Premier PropertiesWith over 230 licensed sales professionals, Premier Properties represents buyers and sellers of luxury properties throughout Southwest Florida. Premier Properties is a division of The Lutgert Companies, a group of affiliated private companies involved in real estate development, real estate brokerage services, developer consultation services, personal and commercial insurance services, residential mortgage services and title services. The Lutgert Companies presence in Southwest Florida dates to 1964.About Karin StephanBorn and raised in Kaiserslautern, Germany, Stephan has been a resident of Lido Key since 1984. Stephan earned a law degree from the University of Heidelberg and worked for Commerzbank, one of Europe’s oldest and finest institutions. Upon moving to Southwest Florida, she turned her interest and passion for fine antique European automobiles into an extremely successful international business. In 1992, after several successful real estate investments of her own, she turned her aptitude for real estate into a fulltime career. Drawing on an international customer base that included the elite clientele of her auto business, Stephan quickly established herself as one of the Sarasota area’s leading real estate producers. She continues to participate in numerous international real estate trade shows and exhibitions and has been acknowledged for her skills in sales, advertising, marketing and financial management. An accomplished scuba diver and Alpine skier, Stephan is a member of the Porsche Club of America as well as the local Porsche Club and she is a member of the Longboat Key Club.About Sheldon PaleyPaley has an undergraduate degree from Ohio State University and a Graduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He owned eight dental practices within the State of Ohio and was voted outstanding citizen by Reynoldsburg, Ohio, Chamber of Commerce. Paley was also voted one of ten outstanding citizens in Ohio International Society of Implantology Fellow Who’s Who in America. For years he oversaw operations of five dental practices simultaneously and later successfully sold each practice. Last practice sold in the top two percent of single practices in Ohio. Since relocating to Sarasota, Paley has successfully specialized in the representation of buyers and sellers of luxury waterfront properties for the past seven years. He is recognized for excellence as a Five-Star Realtor for Excellent Service and is an active volunteer at the Senior Friendship Center. Paley is married and has five children.