In a breathtaking space on Cardinal Place, you’ll find paradise views as the sun hits your face. You’ll also find Joe, Ingrid, Luke and Grace.

 

The white home on the water features big, bright, welcoming spaces inside. Outside there is a luxurious pool, great places to lounge, and a dining area for watching the colorful sunset overlook the dock. Entertaining guests, sunsets, and boating are unsurprisingly some of the Eichmans’ favorite parts of life here in Sarasota.

  

Joe allegedly rolled into the “Landmark Forum Seminar” dressed like a bum back in 2004. Perhaps that made him more approachable, as he managed to score Ingrid in the process. He claims that she told herself right then and there, “This is the guy I am going to marry someday.” While there might be a little more to the story, “Lucky me!”, he said in hindsight.

 

Both Joe and Ingrid spent most of their lives in the Chicago area and transplanted here with the kids in 2017, following a winter escape vacation that was too good to forget. They went to St. Armands that trip and bought their first home close by. They found their spot here in Southside Village in 2021. It is nice to be in such a safe area, still on the water, and with universally great people. It doesn’t hurt that the elementary school is just a stone’s throw away.   

  

When interviewed, Joe revealed his sense of humor. He claims that his concerned family moved him from the heart of Chicago to the suburbs in the second grade because he couldn’t read. The education system was better there, but reading is boring and his focus was elsewhere. He had become a savvy young businessboy by then anyhow. He was already running snow shoveling and lawn cutting businesses. Businessboys often turn into businessmen, and as one could guess, there were many more serious ventures into and throughout adulthood. The array included those in construction, valet parking, and eventually the insurance industry. He co-founded a company called the Healthcare Solutions Team, an agency he sold in 2015, but still runs today while managing real estate investments. He enjoys volunteering with the other dads at the school in his free time.

 

Ingrid was raised as the oldest of 4 siblings. She was born in Honduras and moved to Chicago at five years old. She worked in the early stages of the telecom industry and eventually owned a boutique real estate brokerage company, IVE Reality. She has been a busy full-time mom since 2015. She recently served as Southside PTO’s Vice President in 2023-2024 and President in 2024-2025. She enjoys helping with local Teen Court events. She helped them host a private fundraiser at her house and helped coordinate a big gala in November. She enjoys assisting her neighbors, as well. For two Decembers now, she’s been traveling around the neighborhood with a Christmas caroling choir, better known as “The Sleigh Squad”. “I have to give my daughter credit for the caroling. Graced asked one day, ‘Mom, can we go caroling?’, so we started it! Some of you have already experienced their gracious vocal performances at your doorsteps by now”, Ingrid said.

  

Luke and Grace, twins, are now ten years old. Fun fact: each have their parents’ names as their middle names. The duo always seems to be “loving each other to death while constantly arguing”. They have a dog named Luna and a Hamster named Nugget who share all the fun. They enjoy Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and eating their way through Costco on “Free Sample Saturdays” with their Grandma Candy. They are quite aspiring young hosts, often found preparing popcorn and curating desert platters for their friends.

 

Luke has an Alias. “Jungle Feet”, they call him… he never wears shoes. He plays Lacrosse. Grace, on the other hand, is “a girl of many faces”. Look at a thousand photos, and she’ll look like a different person in each. She plays softball. Both are enrolled in fifth grade, their final year at Southside Elementary. On a more serious note, Joe and Ingrid admit that both are great kids. They are extremely emotionally intelligent and seemingly quite happy. They do a great job of maintaining integrity, hard work and acceptance -some of the core values that their parents strive to instill.

  

Dad laughingly told us, “The four of us pick on each other a lot. The kids say I’m old, bald and fat. In reality, I am only old and bald… certainly not yet fat! They also correct every syllable mom misspeaks.  

  

The family loves traveling the world together, enjoying things like skiing and visiting beaches in Greece. This brings good multicultural exposure and more importantly, lots of joy. Even their travel disasters end up bringing great memories! “I just want them to experience all that life has to offer with friends and family while we are here for this short time”, Joe said.

  

We couldn’t think of better life advice for raising a family. What a pleasure to learn about the Eichmans this month!