Lisa Barton

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

• Neighborhood: Innlet Beach
• 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: Innlet Beach as part of Oakbridge, has over 400 residences.
• Size Range: Homes in this neighborhood range in size from just over 1,000 square feet to approximately 2,200 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:  Innlet Beach is a great neighborhood for first time homebuyers and make terrific investment properties.
• Fun Fact: Innlet Beach is just one block from the Ponte Vedra Golf & Country Club.

Who says the real estate market in Ponte Vedra Beach and Jacksonville Beach is soft? Last month (June 2011) my office sold over $19 million dollars worth of real estate -- that's a lot of new homes! This was our best month since June 2006, which was the peak of our real estate market. Interest rates are low, the inventory of homes for sale is high and we live in a beautiful area. Home buyers are on the move!

As you are probably aware, our local real estate market continued to struggle during the first quarter of 2011. Overall, Northeast Florida experienced about an 11% decline in home sale prices when compared to the first quarter of last year. One reason for the continued decline in home values was the large number of short sales and foreclosures which have been dragging down property prices. The number of bank mediated sales for Northeast Florida continued to rise with 57% of closed transactions being distressed sales during the first quarter.

Luxury real estate sales, especially those at the beach, have improved since the worst of the market but continue to be sluggish. Over half of the properties that sold for over $1 million were located in Atlantic Beach, Jacksonville Beach or Ponte Vedra Beach. Of the 23 homes that sold, 17% were distressed sales, demonstrating that all levels of the market have been hurt by the decline in the housing market.

On a positive note, inventory of available homes is down 21% as is the monthly supply of properties on the market. At the end of the first quarter, there was approximately nine (9) months of inventory.  This is bringing us closer to a balanced market where the supply of homes does not excessively exceed the demand for them. Pending home sales are up almost 8%. Interest rates are still at historic lows allowing people to buy more house for their money. These factors combined have led to a 12% increase in the housing affordability index, making this an ideal time to enter or invest in the real estate market.

So, what's happening at the Jacksonville Beaches?

Here's a quick summary of the Willowcove neighborhood in Nocatee. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me.

• Neighborhood:  Willowcove
• Nearest Major Intersection:  Valley Ridge Parkway and Preservation Trail
• Gated: No
• Clubhouse: Yes, all residents of Nocatee have access to the Community Park and Crosswater Hall.
• How Many Homes: Communities in Nocatee continue to expand, so check back often for more information!
• Size Range: Two to five bedrooms in 2,000 – 4,000 square feet depending on model and builder (David Weekley Homes and Lennar)
• Pedestrian-Friendly: Yes, very.
• Recreation: Indoor and outdoor community facilities including sidewalks, cart paths, fitness center, community hall, dog park, and Splash Water Park.
• Nearest Grocery Store: Publix
• LB’s Favorite Neighborhood Feature:  The Willowcove neighborhood entrance is very pretty.
• Fun Fact: Willowcove is very close to the water park! 

Here's a quick summary of the Kelly Pointe neighborhood in Nocatee. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me.

• Neighborhood: Kelly Pointe
• Nearest Major Intersection:  Valley Ridge Boulevard and Nocatee Parkway
• Gated: No
• Clubhouse: Yes, all residents of Nocatee have access to the Community Park and Crosswater Hall.
• How Many Homes: Communities in Nocatee continue to expand. Kelly Pointe will have 176 homes when completed.
• Size Range: Two to six bedrooms in 1,400 – 3,000 square feet depending on model and builder (David Weekley Homes and Richmond American Homes)
• Pedestrian-Friendly: Yes, very.
• Recreation: Indoor and outdoor community facilities including sidewalks, cart paths, fitness center, community hall, dog park, and Splash Water Park.
• Nearest Grocery Store: Publix
• LB’s Favorite Neighborhood Feature:  Kelly Pointe is a great neighborhood for first time homebuyers.
• Fun Fact: I’ve seen deer in this area! 

Here's a quick summary of the Coastal Oaks neighborhood in Nocatee. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me.

• Neighborhood: Coastal Oaks
• Nearest Major Intersection:  Crosswater Parkway and Preservation Trail
• Gated: Yes
• Clubhouse: Yes, all residents of Nocatee have access to the Community Park and Crosswater Hall.
• How Many Homes: Communities in Nocatee continue to expand, so check back often for more information!
• Size Range: Three to six bedrooms in 1,800 – 5,400 square feet with various models by Toll Brothers.
• Pedestrian-Friendly: Yes, very.
• Recreation: Indoor and outdoor community facilities including sidewalks, cart paths, fitness center, community hall, dog park, and Splash Water Park.
• Nearest Grocery Store: Publix
• LB’s Favorite Neighborhood Feature:  This gated community was home to the 2010 Symphony Showhouse.
• Fun Fact: Toll Brothers offers a great relocation package.

Here's a quick summary of the Austin Park neighborhood in Nocatee. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me.

• Neighborhood: Austin Park
• Nearest Major Intersection:  Valley Ridge Boulevard and U.S. 1
• Gated: No
• Clubhouse: Yes, all residents of Nocatee have access to the Community Park and Crosswater Hall.
• How Many Homes: Communities in Nocatee continue to expand, so check back often for more information!
• Size Range: Three to five bedrooms in 2,000 – 3,100 square feet depending on model by builders (Taylor Morrison, Mattamy, and CornerStone Homes).
• Pedestrian-Friendly: Yes, very.
• Recreation: Indoor and outdoor community facilities including sidewalks, cart paths, fitness center, community hall, dog park, and Splash Water Park.
• Nearest Grocery Store: Publix
• LB’s Favorite Neighborhood Feature:  The variety of floor plans. My favorite is the one with the interior courtyard with room for a pool.
• Fun Fact: Austin Park has the quickest access for a Jacksonville commute!

Here's a quick summary of the Riverwood neighborhood in Nocatee. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me.

• Neighborhood: Riverwood
• Nearest Major Intersection:  Coastal Parkway and Nocatee Parkway
• Gated: Yes
• Clubhouse: Yes, residents of Riverwood have access to their own community center and fitness facilities as well as Community Park and Crosswater Hall.
• How Many Homes: Communities in Nocatee continue to expand. Riverwood will have nearly 2,000 residences upon completion.
• Size Range: Two to three bedrooms in 1,300 – 2,600 square feet depending on model by Del Webb.
• Pedestrian-Friendly: Yes, very.
• Recreation: Indoor and outdoor community facilities including sidewalks, cart paths, fitness center, community hall, dog park, and Splash Water Park.
• Nearest Grocery Store: Publix
• LB’s Favorite Neighborhood Feature:  Their 38,000 square foot clubhouse has an indoor pool, fitness center, exercise classes, craft classes, meeting rooms….you name it!
• Fun Fact: The Riverwood site office has the best chocolate chip cookies.

RISMEDIA, February 8, 2011—April 15 will be here before you know it, and for those who have recently purchased or sold a home, there are a number of tax deductions of which you should be aware. One of the best things about owning a home is the fact you can deduct the mortgage loan interest every year on your tax return. 

The deduction that most buyers forget about is points. Points on a home loan are tax deductible if they are used to bring down the mortgage interest rate. 

“Points or origination fees that were paid during the purchase of a home are generally tax deductible in full for the year that you paid them,” said Manhattan accountant Russell Goldstein. “However, origination charges from the lender that constitute a service fee are not tax deductible.”

Next weekend will be a great time to see what's on the market in Florida. The Florida Association of Realtors is holding a statewide open house on March 26th & 27th. Thousands upon thousands of blue balloons featuring the signature Realtor "R" logo will be flying at open houses from the Panhandle to Key West ... and Northeast Florida is no exception. The members of the Northeast Florida Association of Realtors (NEFAR) are gearing up to host hundreds of open houses in our area as part of the second annual statewide Open House Weekend; the largest in the nation. With continuing low interest rates and an ample supply of homes at all price points, the Florida Open House Weekend is a must-do for anyone even considering buying a home. 

I'll be holding one of my featured listings, 221 Royal Tern Road North, open on Sunday, March 27th. This home is located in Marsh Landing Country Club which is one of the prettiest neighborhoods in Ponte Vedra Beach. This is a wonderful house with golf course views, a gourmet kitchen and huge windows. Come by and see me!