Lisa Barton

I don’t usually write restaurant reviews. I assume that since this is a real estate website, people are interested in real estate, not food. But, I just had a wonderful dining experience that I’d like to share. My husband and I drove down to Caps’s on the Water tonight for dinner. I love the drive from Ponte Vedra Beach down A1A, it’s a scenic trip through the Guana Park. Cap’s is a waterfront restaurant in South Ponte Vedra Beach. Located directly on the Intracoastal Waterway, the restaurant has seating on a large deck that has wonderful views of the water. You should see the sunset from here! If you want to come by boat, Caps has a dock and diners can tie-up while eating. Usually the dock is packed, but we’ve always been able to raft-up to another boat until space becomes available. The deck is built around the ancient live oak trees and the sandy beach is a great spot for children to play while waiting to be served. 

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Well, it’s that time again...I’ve been reviewing the listings and sales for the Jacksonville Beaches communities: Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Jacksonville Beach and Ponte Vedra. In many respects the favorable real estate market trends I have been reporting persisted and gathered steam in the first quarter of 2010. The most marked improvement was in closed sales at the Beaches, which were up year-over-year by fully 49% (from fifty-one homes in 2009 to seventy-six in the first quarter of 2010). That is great news!!! Additionally, inventory of townhouse/condos and single family homes also dropped by over 20%, despite a modest uptick in new listings. 
Several basic market factors that make conditions favorable to buyers drove the improving results:

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This evening I took a stroll down the boardwalk in Palencia. This neighborhood park is really a jewel! The walk over the marsh to the Intracoastal Waterway and the fishing pier is a little over half a mile, all over a very nicely maintained wooden boardwalk. The expansive views of the marsh are incredibley serene and beautiful. The picnic area actually spans 2 islands and there are picnic tables strategically located to take advantage of the views. One of the nicest aspects of Palencia is the numerous parks located throughout the community. For most homeowners a pocket park is only a block or two away from home. The neighborhood playground in Palencia is legendary, but I think my favorite is the boardwalk. I don’t know anyplace else in Ponte Vedra or St. Augustine that offers such pristine views of Florida’s marshes and wild places.

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Like to golf?  The Jacksonville, Beaches, and Ponte Vedra areas are the places for you!  In the April 2010 issue of 904 Magazine (another wonderful publication from the folks at Jacksonville Magazine), Fred Seely described many of the local places to golf.  Here’s a recap of some of the options, both public and private.

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Last week I attended a workshop sponsored by Realtor.com in St. Augustine, FL. The workshop was really quite interesting and the speaker, Joe Sesso, introduced a number of new and creative marketing techniques that I’m anxious to try with my current listings. An extra bonus for me was that I was awarded the “Real Estate Online Marketing Award of Excellence.” Joe Sesso’s description of this award: “The Award of Excellence recognizes top agents who consistently provide great marketing services on behalf of their buyers and sellers. There are always some real estate agents who distinguish themselves from other agents by doing a little more for their sellers. In particular, when the home they are selling is placed on well trafficked sites, even simple efforts like having more photos displayed, crafting better descriptions or adding a full motion video, can make a home stand out from competing properties.” It’s kind of cool to be recognized for something that I do regularly. Savvy buyers and sellers know that having good exposure for properties on the web is critical in today’s real estate market.

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Good news for first time home buyers who would like to purchase a new home at the Beach! Ocean’s Edge Condominium, located in Jacksonville Beach, recently won FHA financing approval. Ocean’s Edge is now one of less than 20 FHA approved condo communities in the Jacksonville area. FHA funding is attractive to first time home buyers because the down payment requirement is only 3.5%, and a portion of standard closing costs can be paid for by the seller. Because the majority of condo communities in Jacksonville are not approved for FHA funding, first time buyers have a limited selection of condos that they can purchase for a low down payment. In order to be approved for FHA financing, the community must demonstrate that the condo association is financially healthy through an independent audit of the association budget. Additionally, the community must be primarily comprised of owner-occupants and second homeowners rather than investors and the building construction must be up to FHA standards.

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It’s Heather, your favorite guest blogger!  I wanted to let you know about the next big event hosted by the Ponte Vedra Chamber of Commerce.

This year’s Ponte Vedra Chamber of Commerce’s Golf Tournament will be held on Dye’s Valley Course at the TPC Sawgrass on July 30, 2010.  The shotgun start will occur at 1 p.m.  Activities will begin prior to lunch with a clinic led by a PGA Tour Teaching Professional and a putting contest.  This is a best ball tournament, so fun can be had by all!

The Awards Dinner will have scrumptious buffet options and a live and silent auction. A lovely sandwich buffet lunch will be served to participants. 

For more information, visit the May issue of Chamber Chat, a monthly publication of the Ponte Vedra Chamber of Commerce.  While you’re there, look for me in the Meet an Ambassador article!

Heather Senterfitt
First Coast Focus

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The 2nd Annual Never Quit Beach Fest will take place in Jacksonville Beach on Saturday, June 5, 2010.  All events will start at the Jacksonville Beach Pier.  This festival’s mission is to raise awareness that heart disease and strokes/hemorrhages may be avoided by combining exercise, healthy diet practices, and regular blood pressure monitoring.

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FHA insured mortgages are very attractive to buyers, especially first-time home buyers, because the down payment requirements (the cash you need to put down on the mortgage) are much lower than the down payment requirements for a conventional mortgage. For example, FHA requires a 3.5% down payment as opposed to the 20% down payment that’s usually required for a conventional mortgage. Many buyers who qualify for an FHA mortgage would like to buy a condominium, but not all condo communities are approved by the FHA--meaning that you can’t use FHA insured financing to purchase a home in that community. The FHA is stringent about its approval requirements. The condo community can’t be more than 50% rentals, the condo association must be solvent, and the buildings must meet FHA standards. Believe me, it can be very frustrating for buyers to fall in love with a condo and then find out that that community is not FHA approved. Your real estate agent should know which communities meet FHA approval in their local area, but you can always check out the FHA Approved Condo Link to verify the condo community you’re considering is eligible for FHA insured financing.

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I recently listed two ocean front condominiums and am astounded by how affordable beach front living has become in Ponte Vedra! The first condo is located in the Retreat of Ponte Vedra. This is a 2 bedroom 2 bath unit which was renovated 2 years ago. Conveniently situated on the first floor, the expansive views of the ocean are incredible and you can walk right out your back door and be on the sand dunes! Believe it or not, this unit sold for $725,000 in 2006...that was before the renovations were completed.

The second unit is in the Hallmark, which is an upscale condominium in Sawgrass Golf & Country Club. This completely renovated condo is quite large, with 4 bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms (featuring almost 3000 square feet of living space). The views of the pool and beach are stunning, as is the preserve view off the west facing balcony. In 2004, this condo sold for $1,200,000. The current owner did extensive renovations including updating the kitchen and master bathroom as well as installing hardwood floors throughout the unit. It’s beautiful!

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