Lisa Barton

Given that my particular focus area is the Jacksonville Beaches, I investigated the first quarter sales indicators for my specific target areas: Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Jacksonville Beach and Ponte Vedra Beach. Additionally, I looked at vital neighboring communities including Ponte Vedra South (which includes Vilano Beach and the Intracoastal), and NE St John’s County. The good news is that all aggregate real estate sales indicators for the Beaches area showed improvement in the first quarter of 2009 when compared to the same quarter last year. Specifically, home sales rose 5.1% from 117 to 123.

Continue Reading “State of the Ponte Vedra and Jacksonville Beaches Real Estate Market for First Quarter 2009 vs 2008”

Here are five easy tips for saving energy in your home.

Continue Reading “Five Easy Tips for Saving Energy in Your Home”

A new twist in the foreclosure world...some banks that are heavy with construction loans, have been foreclosing on homebuilders whose unsold spec homes have lost significant value with the real estate market decline. Some of the property that these banks own includes housing units in varying stages of construction. Believe it or not, some banks have begun demolishing excess properties in order to avoid the costs associated with finishing the construction and marketing the houses. Banks claim that this extreme measure increases the safety of neighborhoods by preventing squatters and vandals from trespassing. After demolition, materials used in construction are turned into mulch for landscaping or salvaged for usable materials that can then be resold.

Continue Reading “Extreme Measures in a Tight Housing Market”

As you’ve probably read, first time home buyers are driving the real estate market nationally, as well as here in Ponte Vedra Beach. I recently worked with first time home buyers who purchased a great 3 bedroom 2 bath house in Sandy Oaks, a small neighborhood here in Ponte Vedra. The house was originally listed for $349,000 and sold in April 2009 for $209,900. The buyers were able to secure a low interest rate and at this price purchasing a home was cheaper than renting.

Continue Reading “First Time Home Buyers Find Great House at Low Price in Ponte Vedra Beach”

Economic indicators are lining-up favorably for first time home buyers. Encouraged by several factors including: a first time home buyer tax credit, low mortgage interest rates, a high inventory and reduced home prices, first time homebuyers are driving the sales figures in the Jacksonville real estate housing market.

Continue Reading “First Time Homebuyers Drive Jacksonville Real Estate Market”

Harbour Island is an exclusive, upscale, boating community in Ponte Vedra Beach’s Marsh Landing Country Club. The focal point of Harbour Island is the beautiful yacht basin, which offers fully equipped boat slips and easy access to the Intracoastal Waterway. Homes in the basin have great views of the marina as well as views of the Intracoastal Waterway. Many of the other grand homes in Harbour Island have private docks in their backyards or directly across the street. These docks also provide easy access to the Intracoastal Waterway. The Estate Section of Harbour Island features large beautifully wooded lots either directly on the Intracoastal Waterway or on the marsh. Now, for the first time, the developer of Marsh Landing is selling the last remaining boat slips to current Harbour Island residents. These slips which are located in the yacht basin range from 40’ - 60’. 

Continue Reading “Boat slips for sale to Marsh Landing’s Harbour Island Residents”

Back in January I commented on the direction of standard residential mortgage rates and pointed out that 5% interest rates were the best we had seen in the last fifty years. Rates continued to decline in March, and despite a slight blip up in the past few days, mortgage rates remain incredibly low and offer a great opportunity to home buyers.  Standard thirty year mortgages are now averaging 4.85%, with 15 year mortgages at 4.58 per cent.

Continue Reading “Mortgage rates continue to improve”

The Ponte Vedra Beach area has many communities with excellent country clubs as well as several non-neighborhood clubs. One of the nicest clubs in Ponte Vedra is the Marsh Landing Country Club, located in the beautiful neighborhood of Marsh Landing. The Marsh Landing Country club offers a premier 18-hole golf course designed by Ed Seay. The Club also offers a wonderful tennis program that includes competitive teams at all levels of play. Additionallly, the Marsh Landing Country Club has an extensive children’s program, large neighborhood swimming pool and recently renovated Club facilities. The dining room which has incredible views of the marsh and golf course serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. The food is wonderful. 

Continue Reading “Marsh Landing Country Club offers a discounted membership”

Many of you may be struggling to keep up with homeowner plans and benefits being proposed or enacted since President Obama’s election. Recently it looked as though the economic stimulus plan would include a $15,000 tax credit to anyone purchasing a home in the next year. At the last minute, this provision was struck from the final bill signed into law. Assistance to distressed home owners and their banks, however, continues to be a primary concern for the new administration as is reflected in the Homeowner Affordability and Stability Plan(HASP) that goes into effect on March 4th. 

Continue Reading “The Homeowner Affordability and Stability Plan”

A couple weeks ago Drew Meyers from GeekEstate, a department of Zillow.com that offers technology, news and tips for real estate agents posted a blog interview with me Website Design and Redesign. Drew and I discussed the issues I encountered and how I dealt with those issues in the design of my website. Believe it or not, another blogger, Robert Hahn, Vice President of Marketing for Onboard Informatics, saw Drew’sarticle and posted his own comments. This is what Robert had to say about my site: Unity of Content: Unsolicited but Free Advice

Continue Reading “The Power of the Blog…a Post About My Interview with Zillow”