Jami Shapiro & Erica Jolles Realtors Julington Creek Homes for Sale

JULINGTON CREEK PLANTATION & SURROUNDING AREAS: As a Realtor living in Julington Creek Plantation, I am often asked "What is going on with the market in our area?" Since we are all interested to know what is going on in our own backyard I thought I would put together a monthly blog about "Julington Creek and the Surrounding Areas Market Trend Report."

I am eager to hear your thoughts and please let me know if there is any additional information you would like included in future reports.

MARKET TRENDS AUGUST 2011

The Northeast Florida Association of Realtors reported there have been some shifts on both sides of the closing table for August 2011. Nationally, buyer activity is moving back in line with historical trends while sellers are making fewer concessions in order to sell their homes.

How does this translate for Julington Creek Plantation and the surrounding areas?

	AUGUST			YEAR TO	DATE
	2010	2011	+/-	2010	2011	+/-
New Listings	205	168	-18%	1,765	1,466	-16.9%
Closed Sales	124	145	+16.9%	898	911	+1.4%
Median Sales Price*	$219,995	$223,875	+1.8%	$221,000	$210,000	-5.0%
Percent of Original List Price Received*	92%	92.1%	+.2%	91%	90.8%	-.2%
Days on Market Until Sale	96	107	+12.3%	106	123	+15.9%
Inventory of Homes for Sale	1,057	782	-26%	--	--	--
Months Supply of Inventory	9.6	6.9	-28.4%	--	--	--

*Does not account for seller concessions. Activity for one month can sometimes look extreme due to small sample size.

New listings in Julington Creek and the surrounding areas decreased 18% over August 2010 as did as did the number of homes on the market shringing from 1,057 housing units (8/2010) to 782 housing units (8/2011). There was a slight increase in the Median Sales Price of 1.8% to $223,875 and on average it was taking a little longer, 107 days, for homes to sell. The Percent of Original List Price Received remained about the same with a .2% increase to 92.1%.

Let’s hope with low interest rates, a declining supply and a somewhat stabilization of pricing (at historic lows) there is a small ray of sunshine in our future.

Please feel free to forward this information on to anyone who might be interested in this market. Similarly, if you have questions about a specific subdivision or another area of Jacksonville please don’t hesitate to email me!

And, as always, if you or someone you know is considering buying or selling a home your referrals are GREATLY appreciated!!!

Have a FANTASTIC rest of the month!

Relocating to Jacksonville, Florida -- St. Johns County is the place to be!! Relocating to a new area is both exciting and scary. Sometimes, you will be visiting a city you've never even been to and must rely on others to help you make an informed decision. We work with many people relocating to the area and like to refer to ourselves as their crystal ball. Since my partner and I both are mothers of elementary children we understand how much more is involved than finding a great house. If you're like us, finding the right schools and an area you will feel welcomed and comfortable in is probably more important than loving the home. So if I were relocating to Jacksonville (and my Realtor partner actually did over 5 years ago from California), my crystal ball would point right to St. Johns County. Having grown up in Jacksonville, I've actually lived in several areas including: Arlington, Baymeadows, Southside and then with a family of my own in Southside and Mandarin. We moved to the St. Johns area after I kept helping my clients in their own relocations. (I was always jealous because the area is so great!!) There are many planned communities in St. Johns County, located just south of Duval County (Jacksonville). Duval County's county lines are the actual city of Jacksonville and if you haven't heard already, Jacksonville is the LARGEST geographical city in the US. (In other words, be prepared to drive and don't plan on relying on public transportation because it's poor at best.) Most of the jobs are downtown though of course there are offices spread throughout.

St. Johns County is literally a drive on a short bridge to Mandarin, one of the better parts of Duval County in terms of the schools, proximity to Downtown and shops/restaurants. When we relocated to St. Johns for the fabulous public schools, my husband and I settled on an area called Durbin Crossing because we wanted a large lot and he wanted a three car garage. (My husband described this as a non-negotiable since in Florida there are no basements and he was sick of parking his car in the elements. The cold whether is not so bad but the summers are BRUTAL.) The advantage to Durbin Crossing is that it has fairly easy access to I-95. The amenities aren't as crowded as they are in other St. Johns areas but because there aren't as many people to pay for them, they are a bit more expensive. My partner, Erica Jolles, lives in Julington Creek Plantation. Her amenities are fabulous. Homes are a bit older and they don't have sidewalks throughout the neighborhoods like the newer communities do. Both areas have pros and cons but both areas are geared towards families with social events, playgrounds, water slides, fitness rooms and splash areas. The communities butt up to each other with JCP being just west of Durbin Crossing.

Another great area is Nocatee. This area is located even further east and is just a short drive to the beach. The amenities here are amazing but the lots are smaller and the homes more expensive. It's also just a tad further from downtown and there aren't quite as many restaurants, etc. because it's not yet built out.

(JCP is 100% built out, Durbin Crossing is about 50% and Nocatee is about 10% - May 2011.)

South of Durbin Crossing and JCP is the 210 corridor which is just off the major interstate, I-95. This is an advantage to people working downtown though I am told the traffic backs up getting onto I-95. (There are many planned communities off 210 but one of the disadvantages of this area is that it was built during the boom and there are still going to be many short sales and foreclosures sitting out there. This is the same story for Palencia which is further south from Nocatee and in between Jacksonville and St. Augustine.) Further south from 210 is World Golf Village. If you're an avid golfer, then it's definitely a community to consider. Beyond World Golf is St. Augustine, a tourist area which is very eclectic and a little slower paced. It's a wonderful day trip or a fun evening out but doesn't offer the convenience to Downtown Jacksonville or the fabulous amenities of most of the planned communities in northern St. Johns.

Ponte Vedra Beach is also part of St. Johns County and as you can imagine, life near the beach is more expensive. If price isn't an objection and you don't mind a further commute, it's well worth considering.

If you've enjoyed this overview, we are happy to schedule an appointment with you either over the phone or via Skye prior to your visit down.

If you are thinking about moving to Julington Creek Plantation, Durbin Crossing or the surrounding areas contact your Jacksonville Realtors for Life -- Jami Shapiro and Erica Jolles at (904) 201-9276.

To learn more about us and how we can help with all of your Real Estate needs visit www.JaxRealEstateForLife.com

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Durbin Crossing - New Construction in St. Johns County, Florida -- Durbin Crossing, the neighborhood my family and I call home, continues to be the fastest growing community in Northeast Florida. I don't have to take anyone's word for it, I see the construction along my street every day!! In my neighborhood alone there are four model homes, several spec homes and sold signs everywhere. People continue to relocate to the St. Johns County part of Jacksonville for the A rated public schools all the way from K-12. There are many fabulous options in all of St. Johns County but I believe the best part of Durbin Crossing is that we get to live in beautiful new homes with state of the art design features and because we have easy access to I-95, we aren't as geographically undesirable as other communities.

There are many fabulous options for people relocating to Jacksonville, Florida and wanting St. Johns County specifically for the schools. One of the many builders is Dream Finders. They are currently building in the North Durbin Crossing area. I toured their model which I have to confess I was a bit envious of. It's listed for $399,000 and has already SOLD!! Dream Finders is known for being the #1 Best Home Value and after touring the home I certainly understood why. This isn't to say other builders aren't fabulous but knowing what I just paid for upgrades its clear this builder is not inflating the prices of it's upgrades. For instance a handscraped wood floor can be done for $8.00 a square foot. I paid about $14 for mine. The model home had 3,246 square feet and had 4 bedroom/4 bath with a bonus, study. living room and pool bath. It had couffered ceilings, granite counters, beautiful tile backsplash and a wet bar in the bonus room. It also had wood stairs, recessed lighting, speakers, a stone fireplace, built ins, a pavered patio and an amazing master bathroom. Although this one is SOLD it can be built on other lots in Durbin Crossing.

In additon to this home, Dream Finders is also selling 36 homes on 63 foot lots not far from the Durbin Crossing South Amenity Center. The base price is $199,900 for 1885 square feet. This is a 3 bedroom, 2 bath home with a 2 car garage. Standard features with Dream Finders include 10 and 12 foot ceilings, 8 foot doors, 5 1/4 base boards, granite in the kitchen, 42" cabinets,to the ceiling tile in the bathrooms, single crown molding, coach lights AND this builder pays all closing costs and prepaids.

Whew!! Another wonderful feature is Dream Finders homes have earned the Energy Star rating and include the following: Radiant Barrier on the roofs to extend the roof life and cut down on energy costs; 2 x 6 exterior walls for increased sturdiness and insulation; R21 and R38 insulation; and finally low e windows.

If you are looking to build a home in the Durbin Crossing area or the surrounding area, we'd be glad to help. It doesn't cost you as a buyer anything to have a real estate agent's representation and we can help you tremendously both in knowing what you can and can't negotiate and helping you make the best decisions for your longer term resale value.

If you are thinking about moving to Julington Creek Plantation or the surrounding areas contact your Jacksonville Realtors for Life -- Jami Shapiro and Erica Jolles at (904) 201-9276.

To learn more about us and how we can help with all of your Real Estate needs visit www.JaxRealEstateForLife.com

First Time Homebuyers in Jacksonville, Florida (AKA Single in the City) -- According to Trulia, Jacksonville, Florida is one of the markets where it's actually more cost effective to buy than to rent. Yeah Jacksonville!!! I was actually a single professional renting an expensive apartment until I was 29. I remember when I wanted to break my lease and my friend told me to add up the amount I'd spent renting to convince the landlord to let me out of the lease, it amounted to many thousands of dollars and I'd had NOTHING to show for it. I couldn't choose my paint colors, I couldn't do home projects or install granite countertops and more than that I had no tax benefits for renting. Although I was an executive, I never felt like a grown up.

Another thing I found was if I had it to spend I did. So when my rent was low, I'd find other ways to spend my money. Like on clothes that hung in my closet with the tags still on or eating out or...well, you get the picture.

Just before I met my husband, I'd started saving money for a downpayment. Since I was knocking on 30's door, I'd decided that I was not going to wait around for "Mr. Right" to purchase a home. One of my largest regrets is that I never did own a home by myself. We got engaged around the time I had a down payment saved. Convenient for him, right?

In my mind, there's something incredibly grown up about owning a home. I pictured myself tending to my lawn and organizing cocktail parties, painting the walls and choosing the decor without compromise. When I work with single first time homebuyer clients to purchase their home, there's always a bit of envy. Don't get me wrong, I love my husband BUT...I've never been able to decorate without compromise. I've never bought my favorite home either because when you're buying with someone else there will always be compromise involved.

So if you find yourself single and deliberating about whether or not to buy a home, go for it!! There may never be another time in your life when you can paint the walls fucshia (unless you have an incredibly tolerant partner).

But here are the other reasons:

Historically the rate of home appreciation is steady and you can actually enjoy the investment.

Home prices are at an all time low combined with historically low interest rates. This means in a market like Jacksonville, you actually can buy for less than you can rent.

Even if the market drops a little more, the drop won't be as much as what you've saved in lower interest rates. The difference of even 1% in interest rates on a $100,000 loan is about $60 a month. Over a 30 year loan that's a savings of $21.600.

Here's the best part...if you outgrow your home, you can rent it out and let someone else make your mortgage payments for you...kind of like what you're probably doing now if you're renting ;) And even if you don't have children and think you might never have them, buying in an area with good schools is going to be important when you want to rent your home out.

And lastly, how many more pairs of shoes do you really need?

If you are thinking about buying your first home in Jacksonville contact your Jacksonville Realtors for Life -- Jami Shapiro and Erica Jolles at (904) 201-9276.

To learn more about us and how we can help with all of your Real Estate needs visit www.JaxRealEstateForLife.com

WOW!!!  If you are looking for preschool and after-care options in Julington Creek Plantation look no further than THE ACADEMY AT JULINGTON CREEK.  We had a chance to tour the 20,000 sq ft facility and were so impressed we wanted to share it with you!!!  Join us as the Executive Director, Marcia Pozin tours us around the Center and educates us on all the different school and program options.