Lisa Barton

This four bedroom, two bathroom home on Bonaire Circle in Ocean Cay is absolutely adorable! Featuring a cozy front porch and professionally landscaped yard, the curb appeal can't be beat. Inside, you'll find a smart split floor plan with hardwood floors and crown molding throughout. The recently renovated gourmet kitchen is perfect for entertaining with granite counters, stainless appliances and views to the charming back patio. The large master bedroom has vaulted ceilings, great closets, and a large bathroom. The other three bedrooms are freshly painted and quite spacious. The backyard has lots of living space with a covered patio, pavered terrace, and professional landscaping.

The historically low interest rates on home loans are starting to creep back up. This has caused the number of home owners trying to refinance to drop dramatically over the past few weeks.

Want to learn more about the latest news and what this will mean for you and our local Jacksonville and Ponte Vedra Beach economy? Take a look at this CNN Money article. Recent trends and their effect on the overall real estate market, along with the longer-term ecomomic impact, are discussed in detail.

The front page stories in the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and USA Today Money bring great news!  All three newspapers highlight the national housing recovery. Our own Ponte Vedra Beach real estate story is a microcosm of this good news.

The 20-city Standard and Poor’s Case-Schiller Index released Tuesday is the basis for all the above mentioned reports. In a nutshell, the news is:

Here's your chance to own the most beautiful lot in Plantation Oaks! Bordered by a preserve and backing up to a peaceful lake, this home has room for everyone with six bedrooms and six baths. The gourmet kitchen features granite counters and stainless appliances, including a warming oven. The downstairs master has a spacious bath and gorgeous views of the screened pool and lake. There are three additional bedrooms downstairs, each with their own bath. Upstairs you'll find flexible space with two large rooms that can be additional bedrooms. There's plenty of outdoor living area with a large pool, spa and summer kitchen. In the private backyard you can enjoy sunsets on the dock that overlooks a serene lake. 

Plantation Oaks is a gated community of approximately 400 luxury homes in a Ponte Vedra Beach neighborhood that features a beautiful combination of stately oaks, lakes, preserve lands, and homeowner amenities.  Plantation Oaks is located between Highway 210 and Roscoe Boulevard and offers large homes on expansive lots. Plantation Oaks is close to shopping, public schools, beach access, and the Intracoastal Waterway.

MLS - 647395

Well, the market is really heating up this spring, and the communities in Nocatee are Hot! With over 1,800 families already living in the area across its 11 neighborhoods, expansion is the name of the game. Another six communities are planned for 2013-2014.

Nocatee offers coastal living options for everyone. If you enjoy seeing lots of green on your way home each day, rest assured it will stay that way. The developer planned the community around preserving the natural environment. Over two-thirds of the development will always be left as green space.

Don't miss this listing! It's one of the few waterfront lots left in the beautiful boating community of Amelia View in Jacksonville, Florida.  This expansive lot offers incredible views of the marsh, Samples Creek and Amelia Island in the distance. Bring your own builder to build your dream home! You can build your own dock or enjoy the neighborhood boating facilities: boat ramp, floating dock and gazebo. Amelia View offers terrific amenities including large pool, clubhouse, playground, basketball and volleyball courts. MLS - 634260.

Here's a quick summary of the Montura neighborhood in Ponte Vedra Beach. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me.

• Neighborhood: Montura
• Nearest Major Intersection:  Palm Valley Road and Canal Road
• Gated: Yes
• Clubhouse: No
• How Many Homes: 20
• Size Range: Homes range in size from 2,800 to over 3,800 square feet
• Pedestrian-Friendly: Yes
• Recreation: Private park area with benches and play areas
• Nearest Grocery Store: Publix
• LB’s Favorite Neighborhood Feature:  Mediterranean inspired architecture is fitting in this neighborhood, only a few short minutes to the ocean.
• Fun Fact: Peaceful community park with great chairs for relaxing at the end of a long day.

Two powerful market leaders have come together to create a formidable presence in the North American real estate and relocation markets. With partnership comes great opportunity. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices® combined with Prudential Real Estate is the 2nd largest residential real estate brokerage business in North America. 

This is an exciting time to be involved in our local real estate market. All over town, there are abundant signs that the Beaches real estate markets continue to rebound. For Jacksonville, Neptune, Atlantic, and Ponte Vedra Beaches:

• Closed sales of existing homes were up 16.3% when compared to the same period last year.
• Prices continue to firm up with more homes selling close to or above list price.
• Inventory is down significantly, 24%, and new inventory averages only 4.4 months of sales – down from 8 months a year ago.
• Prices also rose in three of the four beaches markets.

Finally! The HGTV Smart Home is open and ready for you to visit. Located in Jacksonville Beach's Paradise Key and built by Glen Layton for HGTV, this really is an extraordinary home. The house features state-of-the-art technology that connects many of the home's appliances and devices, which allows the home owner to control energy use and home systems such as security, climate, lighting and other electronics from an iPad or iPhone. These systems can even be controlled remotely. 

The home is open for tours from April 12-June 2, Wednesday through Saturday (10-5:00) and Sunday (12-5:00). All proceeds from tickets benefit the Beaches Museum and History Park. If you can't make it to Jacksonville Beach, a virtual tour is also available. The house, along with an SUV and $100,000, will be given away in mid-June. To register for the sweepstakes click here.