Lisa Barton

The Ponte Vedra Realtor Council is a social/educational organization that hosts four meetings a year for real estate agents in Ponte Vedra Beach. As the Chairman this year, one of my responsibilities is to arrange speakers for our group. Today's speakers were Janet Herrick and Adam Hoyles of Onsite Environmental Consulting. OSE assists property owners and potential buyers by conducting site assessments for wetland delineation, environmental permitting, listed species studies, dock permitting, water quality monitoring, etc. They work closely with many of the regulatory organizations to help property owners understand how their property can (and cannot) be developed. Both Janet and Adam were dynamic speakers and, fortunately, there was time for real estate agents to ask questions about specific issues. 

Here are a couple highlights from their presentation:

1. What are wetlands and why are they important?

• Act as filtering agents, remove toxins and excess nutrients from the water.
• Stabilize the shoreline and provide flood protection.
• In hurricanes, they reduce the storm surge.
• Illegal to dredge or fill without a permit.
• You can hand clear a wetland, but not root rake it.
• You cannot plant sod in a wetland.

2. What are conservation easements and what rules govern them?

• A restrictive easement that allows for natural uses only.
• A protected area for conservation use to ensure habitat for wildlife, protection of wetlands and water quality.
• Governed by a Water Management District if in a subdivision, or by the Department of Environmental Protection if property is a single family lot not associated with a subdivision.
• You cannot cut down any plants, clear the property or plant sod.

Onsite Environmental Consulting's offices are located in Jacksonville and they also consult in St. Johns County, Nassau County, and Clay County. 

Here's a quick summary of the Lakeside neighborhood in Sawgrass Players Club. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me.

• Neighborhood: Lakeside
• Nearest Major Intersection:  Solano and TPC Parkway
• Gated: Yes
• Clubhouse: The Ponte Vedra Golf & Country Club (formerly known as Oakbridge Country Club) has tennis, a pool, golf, and dining. You must be a member or a member guest to access these facilities. Only a few blocks away is the TPC Clubhouse which is open to the public. There are a variety of membership categories available depending on how much you want to play golf.
• How Many Homes: Lakeside has less than 20 residences.
• Size Range: Two to four bedrooms
• Pedestrian-Friendly: Yes, very.
• Recreation: There is a very large playground with basketball courts, soccer fields, jungle gym, walking trails and covered picnic tables in Oakbridge. 
• Nearest Grocery Store: Publix, Winn Dixie, and Fresh Market are all close.
• LB’s Favorite Neighborhood Feature:  Houses in Lakeside sell quickly.
• Fun Fact: Most houses have cute interior courtyard entry ways.

In a recent article in the Florida Times Union, the Northeast Florida Association of Realtors (NEFAR) reports a strengthening real estate market in our region with improvements in year-over-year sales, pending sales, median price, and inventories.

Review of data over a longer term suggests that the Jacksonville real estate market hit bottom earlier this year and is beginning to recover. Closed sales are up about 1.5% from this time last year and pending sales (sales that have not yet closed) shot up 24.4% from this same time last year.

Median sales price, which has been decreasing in recent years, increased 2.2% since August 2010. And, the average sales price has also increased by 6.6% in the same period. Inventories of available homes have started to decline, another positive indicator of an improving market.

Here's a quick summary of The Players Club Villas neighborhood in Sawgrass Players Club. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me.

• Neighborhood: The Players Club Villas
• Nearest Major Intersection:  Solano and TPC Parkway
• Gated: Yes
• Clubhouse: The Ponte Vedra Golf & Country Club (formerly known as Oakbridge Country Club) has tennis, a pool, golf, and dining. You must be a member or a member guest to access these facilities.  Only a few blocks away is the TPC Clubhouse which is open to the public. There are a variety of membership categories available depending on how much you want to play golf.
• How Many Homes: The Players Club Villas has 101 condos.
• Size Range: These units range in size from approximately 1,500 to 2,500 square feet.
• Pedestrian-Friendly: Yes, very.
• Recreation: There is a very large playground with basketball courts, soccer fields, jungle gym, walking trails and covered picnic tables in Oakbridge. 
• Nearest Grocery Store: Publix, Winn Dixie, and Fresh Market are all close.
• LB’s Favorite Neighborhood Feature:  The Players Club Villas community has its own pool.
• Fun Fact: You can fish from your deck from many of these condominiums.

Here's a quick summary of the Salt Creek neighborhood in Sawgrass Players Club. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me.

• Neighborhood: Salt Creek
• Nearest Major Intersection:  Solano and TPC Parkway
• Gated: Yes
• Clubhouse: The Ponte Vedra Golf & Country Club (formerly known as Oakbridge Country Club) has tennis, a pool, golf, and dining. You must be a member or a member guest to access these facilities.  Only a few blocks away is the TPC Clubhouse which is open to the public. There are a variety of membership categories available depending on how much you want to play golf.
• How Many Homes: Salt Creek has nearly 177 residences.
• Size Range: These homes range in size from 2,400 to nearly 5,000 square feet and have various combinations of bedrooms and baths.
• Pedestrian-Friendly: Yes, very.
• Recreation: There is a very large playground with basketball courts, soccer fields, jungle gym, walking trails and covered picnic tables in Oakbridge. 
• Nearest Grocery Store: Publix, Winn Dixie, and Fresh Market are all close.
• LB’s Favorite Neighborhood Feature:  Salt Creek is in the newer part of the Sawgrass Players Club and homes are set on large lots.
• Fun Fact: My children like to fish in the lagoon.

Here's a quick summary of the Sawgrass Island neighborhood in Sawgrass Players Club. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me.

• Neighborhood: Sawgrass Island
• Nearest Major Intersection:  Solano and TPC Parkway
• Gated: Yes
• Clubhouse: The Ponte Vedra Golf & Country Club (formerly known as Oakbridge Country Club) has tennis, a pool, golf, and dining. You must be a member or a member guest to access these facilities.  Only a few blocks away is the TPC Clubhouse which is open to the public. There are a variety of membership categories available depending on how much you want to play golf.
• How Many Homes: Sawgrass Island has nearly 60 residences.
• Size Range: These residences tend to be quite large with smaller homes approximately 3,900 square feet ranging upward to more than 8,000 square feet.
• Pedestrian-Friendly: Yes, very.
• Recreation: There is a very large playground with basketball courts, soccer fields, jungle gym, walking trails and covered picnic tables in Oakbridge. 
• Nearest Grocery Store: Publix, Winn Dixie, and Fresh Market are all close.
• LB’s Favorite Neighborhood Feature:  This is the most upscale neighborhood in Sawgrass Players Club.
• Fun Fact: Many of the homes are on the TPC golf course and have spectacular views of THE PLAYERS Golf Tournament.

You've probably been hearing a lot of conflicting information regarding the housing market. Some of the national sound bites are encouraging, and some, well...not so much. The local real estate trends provide a more reliable and truer view of what's happening here in our backyard. When reviewing market indicators, it's important to realize that trends vary by indicator and market recovery won't occur everywhere all at once. Let's breakdown what happened in the Ponte Vedra Beach and Jacksonville Beaches markets over the second quarter of 2011: 

Overall, buyers in Northeast Florida absorbed homes more quickly than last year. Month Supply of Home Inventory is down 28.5% to an 8.4 month supply. New listings also decreased almost 20%. Pending home sales (an indicator of homes that are scheduled to close in the near future) are up 34%. The Housing Affordability Index (HAI) continued to climb for the Jacksonville area. At the end of the second quarter, the HAI was up 6%, suggesting that buyers have a great deal of "buying power."

Some of the individual Jacksonville Beaches areas trends were:

Ponte Vedra Beach: 

• Inventory continued to drop with 22% fewer homes on the market this summer than last.
• The number of homes sold as stressed sales dropped from over 30% to less than 22%.
• Average sale price is up! (Yes, you read that correctly.) The median sale price of homes sold in Ponte Vedra Beach in June was well over $300,000.
• The luxury market continues to show signs of growth. 

The St. Johns County Board of Commissioners has proposed a 0.75 millage rate increate on property taxes in St. Johns County. While the County budget will be reduced for the fifth consecutive year, the proposed millage rate increase is designed to maintain county programs and services near current levels. There will be two public meetings held to give voters a chance to voice their opinion about this important issue. The first meeting will be held on September 6th and the second meeting will be held on September 20th. For more information you can visit the County website. This site provides helpful information about how the property taxes on your home may be impacted if this increase is approved. 

Here's a quick summary of the Seven Mile Drive neighborhood in Sawgrass Players Club. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me.

• Neighborhood: Seven Mile Drive
• Nearest Major Intersection:  Solano and TPC Parkway
• Gated: Yes
• Clubhouse: The Ponte Vedra Golf & Country Club (formerly known as Oakbridge Country Club) has tennis, a pool, golf, and dining. You must be a member or a member guest to access these facilities.  Only a few blocks away is the TPC Clubhouse which is open to the public. There are a variety of membership categories available depending on how much you want to play golf.
• How Many Homes: Seven Mile Drive has 130 residences.
• Size Range: This neighborhood has homes ranging from 2,500 to 5,000 square feet with the majority of homes falling around 3,500 square feet.
• Pedestrian-Friendly: Yes, very.
• Recreation: There is a very large playground with basketball courts, soccer fields, jungle gym, walking trails and covered picnic tables in Oakbridge. 
• Nearest Grocery Store: Publix, Winn Dixie, and Fresh Market are all close.
• LB’s Favorite Neighborhood Feature:  The vista at the top of the hill as your coming down Seven Mile Drive is really beautiful.
• Fun Fact: The biggest hill in Ponte Vedra is in Seven Mile Drive.

Here's a quick summary of the Hammock Cove neighborhood in Sawgrass Players Club. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me.

• Neighborhood: Hammock Cove, part of The Coves
• Nearest Major Intersection: Solano and TPC Parkway
• Gated: Yes
• Clubhouse: The Ponte Vedra Golf & Country Club (formerly known as Oakbridge Country Club) has tennis, a pool, golf, and dining. You must be a member or a member guest to access these facilities. Only a few blocks away is the TPC Clubhouse which is open to the public. There are a variety of membership categories available depending on how much you want to play golf.
• How Many Homes: Hammock Cove has nearly 65 residences.
• Size Range: Residences in this neighborhood tend to range between 1,800 and 3,100 square feet.
• Pedestrian-Friendly: Yes, very.
• Recreation: There is a very large playground with basketball courts, soccer fields, jungle gym, walking trails and covered picnic tables in Oakbridge.
• Nearest Grocery Store: Publix, Winn Dixie, and Fresh Market are all close.
• LB’s Favorite Neighborhood Feature: Hammock Cove is a cozy and friendly neighborhood.
• Fun Fact: This neighborhood is great for trick-or-treating.