Florida Real Estate News

No matter what else is going on, from time to time everyone is looking for the chance to get away for a while. For those who are looking to benefit from this fact in a number of ways, the reality is that, when the market is a bit slower and homes aren’t selling as quickly even on the Florida Coast, it’s a great time to invest in Florida real estate.

For those who are thinking about investing in Florida real estate, here’s the good news:

• developers are cutting their prices because some properties haven’t been selling as quickly as they could
• properties are increasingly available because there are sellers who have had some trouble with their mortgages and the chaos that you’ve probably heard about on the news

In other words, one of the things that you are going to find is that there are a number of properties out there and available; if you’ve been thinking about investing in Florida real estate, it’s a great time to be looking. Whether you want the chance to check out properties with a water view or an easy walk to the beach or if you want to have a great property where artists will be able to live and to perfect their art, the properties are out there; it’s up to you to find them.

Not everyone fully appreciates the merits of a county fair, and while those who are in New England and the Midwest have mostly made it through fair season, for those who live in Jacksonville and in surrounding areas, the Greater Jacksonville Agricultural Fair got underway yesterday and will be running up through Sunday the 9th of November.

No matter what your interests are, if you’re looking for something that you can do that will be a bit out of the ordinary, chances are good that you’ll be able to find something to catch your eye at the fair. With culinary contests (including the Great American SPAM Championship) and art exhibits, a gem and mineral show, a chess tournament, dog shows, racing pigs, crops and livestock, live music – bringing together rock, country and ‘tween talents – and of course rides and food.

Tickets can be purchased in advance or at the gate, there are special discounts that let those of you who are going for the ride get bargain pricing and the fair runs most evenings. Sometimes it’s great to get out there and do something that’s just not in your everyday routine – and if you live in Jacksonville, the fair fits the bill.

One of the things that you’re going to find with the current real estate market is that if you have always wanted to live in Florida, there are some great opportunities out there. Whether you are looking for a home in Jacksonville Beach or in St. Augustine, whether you’re looking for a condo on Amelia Island or a townhouse in Ponce Inlet or a home within Jacksonville’s city limits, you’re going to find that there are great deals that are there waiting to be discovered.

One of the biggest benefits that you’ll discover about the current real estate market is that for those who have been planning ahead and looking at their goals, those who have been saving and are prepared, is that prices are down. In some cases, you’re going to find that it’s possible to buy a brand new condo for less than it cost the developer to get it standing.

With deals like this, living in Florida isn’t something that you’ll have to just dream about any more – it’s something that you are going to be able to turn into your own reality. So what are you waiting for? Take the time, look at your options and see just how great they are.

If you live near Jacksonville Beach or in any of the nearby communities and you are looking for the chance to make a difference and raise awareness, then you may want to pencil an event onto your calendar for this coming Saturday morning. On November 1, starting at 8am from the Sea Walk Pavilion, you will be able to participate in an awareness walk:

(source)By walking in the 2008 Out of the Darkness Community Walks to benefit the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), you will be walking with thousands of people nationwide to raise money for AFSP’s vital research and education programs to prevent suicide and save lives, increase national awareness about depression and suicide, and assist survivors of suicide loss.

Whether you or someone who you have known has struggled with depression, whether you personally have lost someone to suicide or you want to merely show your support for a cause that rarely gets enough attention – especially given the number of suicides that have taken place by those soldiers who have returned from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan – participating in the Darkness Community Walks will help to make a difference.

If you’re looking for more information, you will be able to find it at: www.outofthedarkness.org.

Every year, there are those college football games that some people describe as “must see.” In the southeastern states, one of those games is between Florida and Georgia and will soon have college fans heading into Jacksonville for the chance to see what happens. Of course, Travel Golf if encouraging those who are going to be in Jacksonville for the game to bring their clubs – and it makes sense:

(source) If you want the best Jacksonville golf courses the area has to offer, you’ll most likely want to head to the beach – that is, to Ponte Vedra.

Stadium course at TPC SawgrassThe Stadium course at TPC Sawgrass is the track most of us are familiar with from The Players Championship. The course went under the knife two years ago, when they re-did the irrigation and doubled the size of the clubhouse. It’s Pete Dye at his best or worst, depending on your opinion of him, where even great shots can produce eventual curses. This is where stadium golf was invented and island greens made famous.

When you live in Jacksonville, this is the type of game that you are going to be able to focus on without having to head out to the stadium but, far more importantly for many, it’s the type of golf that Jacksonville residents are able to take advantage of whenever the mood strikes. Once you’ve been out on the course, you might be surprised too by how often the impulse to get out there catches up to you.

If you have ever been to Amelia Island on Cape Sound, chances are good that the thought occurred to you that, someday, it wouldn’t be such a bad thing to be able to call the area home. Chances are also good, however, that you may have thought that it wouldn’t be possible to get the kind of deal that would make it a reality; it’s time to let go of that way of thinking.

Last night, real estate professionals had the chance to check out the latest condominium residences at Cape Sound; earlier today, home buyers were able to see what all of the excitement was about. If you missed out on the news, you’re in luck: the properties will be shown again tomorrow.

The reason why this opportunity is so fantastic is that not only is an additional phase of the community being released – including those units that are lakefront – but also an announcement has been made that there are a number of Amelia Island condos from earlier stages of development that are available to buyers at new, lower, close-out prices below builder cost.

If you’re looking for a great community and you’d love to call Amelia Island home, check the event out tomorrow: noon to 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 26. The property is located at 1950 Cape Sound Drive, Fernandina Beach, FL 32034 and, if you cannot make it, the Cape Sound sales office is open daily from 10am to 5pm.

One of the great things about living in an area like St Augustine on Florida’s First Coast – an area that is among the oldest in the United States – is that there are myths and legends that abound. And, of course, those tales include talk about ghosts and ghost sightings.

As a result, for those on the First Coast who are looking for something different to do for Halloween, a tour of haunted St. Augustine seems like the thing to go for:

(source)The Walking Tour starts every night at 8:00pm on the north end of St. George St. across from the Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse and 9:30pm on Fridays and Saturdays. This tour features the area north of the plaza including 2 cemeteries, haunted Bed & Breakfasts and other spooky sites.

To Ride, hop aboard the “Ghosts & Legends” Tour to the haunted Lighthouse, listen Your guide tell accounts of unsolved mysteries, murders, scandalous tales, ghostly sightings, and share intimate details of the oldest city in America. Opportunities to disembark for an up-close and personal look will be provided during your ghostly adventure.

It may not be everything that you would expect from a haunted tour, however it’s still a great way to make sure that everyone in the family is able to get into the “spirit.”

One of the things that you are going to find is that, when you are living on Florida’s First Coast, there are numerous opportunities for you to reach out to others. One of those opportunities, particularly for fans of the Jacksonville Jaguars, includes donating food during the annual food drive which has just kicked off:

(source)This week the Jaguars, along with corporate partner Winn-Dixie, moved the chains for a big first down in launching the Jaguars’ 14th Annual Food Drive to benefit thousands of needy families on Florida’s First Coast.

The shelves at the Food Bank are empty, and restocking those shelves with food is crucial as the holidays approach. Support from fans and neighbors by donating non-perishable food items during the next four weeks at area Winn-Dixie stores is the best way to get involved in helping to relieve hunger. Forty-four participating Winn-Dixie stores within Jacksonville are serving as collection sites.

Over the next month, those who live on the First Coast as well as fans who are coming into the area to see the Jaguars will have a chance to donate non-perishable foods at local Winn-Dixie stores, but there will also be a push for donations for those who are attending the Jaguars game in Jacksonville on November 23rd when the Jags take on the Vikings at Municipal Stadium.

One of the best things about living in Florida is the wide variety of inspiration that the area – in particular the First Coast – has to offer to artists. When it comes to the Florida arts and the artists who create them, what you are going to find is that there are always a wide variety of styles and media. Some Florida artists are going to embrace a classic style while others will focus on creating something that is spectacularly modern.

In a similar way, one of the things that you are going to find is that Florida artists all have different materials that they prefer to work with. You will find painters and photographers, you’re going to find that you are able to to find Florida artists who create jewelry alongside those who do woodcrafts.

What you are going to find when you’re living in Florida, one of the things that you’re going to find is that exploring the arts is simple. With museums, open studios and the chance to see artists who are working in the open air, you’ll have to watch out: just as you start to embrace seeing the Florida arts and artists who create them, you may find yourself drawn to your own artistic expression as well.

The beauty of Florida’s First Coast owes a lot of the credit to the shoreline of the Atlantic. Add in a mix of rivers, streams, lakes and other smaller bodies of water and what you are going to find is that the water has a lot to do with the appeal of coastal Florida.

Preserving the environment is important – as is water conservation. Because of this, the focus of the 2008 Northeast Florida Environmental Summit – to be held November 6 from 9am-4pm at the Jacksonville University Davis College of Business – will be on water conservation:

(source)Now in its 10th year, organizers say this year’s event, “Water Wars: Use, Conflict, and the Future,” is especially relevant.

“For a long time people thought of water use conflicts as being a problem only felt by western states,” said Coastal Law Professor Andrew Long, “but we are now seeing these issues arise within Florida, as in the case of the St. John’s, and between states in the southeast.”

Long said panelists at the summit will provide scientific, legal and policy perspectives on water-related issues arising in international, national and regional settings. Further discussions, he said, will include the physical and jurisdictional underpinnings of water use conflicts, the various approaches to effectively handling water shortages, and the water crises bubbling up in Florida.

If you’re looking for more information on the event – including details about speakers and planning to attend, visit www.ju.edu.