Florida Real Estate News

It almost goes without saying that those individuals and families who have made the choice to buy an oceanfront home in Florida have a love of the water. Whether it’s a matter of listening to the crashing tides, going out onto the water in your boat or diving in and exploring the world under the water’s surface, you’re going to find that when you live on the Florida Coast, there’s always something to discover.

Don’t believe it? Newly discovered coral reefs off the Jacksonville shore serve to prove it:

(source) More than 300 deep-water coral reefs have been discovered during the past 10 years from off Jacksonville’s coast down to South Florida.

But the three reefs discovered during the recent trip, dubbed “Catalyst One,” were a surprise to researchers.

“Over the past 30 years of work out here we never had a good map of the bottom,” said John Reed, a professor and scientist with Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at FAU, in an online journal about the trip. “Our seven-day mission resulted in some spectacular data.”

Reed has studied the deep coral reefs off Florida’s east coast for decades and has discovered reefs in water 1,000 to 3,000 feet deep.

The new reefs were found 35 miles off the coast between Cape Canaveral and Fort Pierce at a depth of about 450 meters, or about 1,500 feet.

You might not have the opportunity to be out on the water and doing the research, you may not have all of the same tools as the researchers, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t get out there and do some exploring of your own. When you live in an oceanfront home on the Florida coast, you’ll find that exploring the ocean is something that you can do at any point in time.

There are people out there who think that the only way to take advantage of the Northeast coast of Florida is going to be to live in Daytona Beach or Ponce Inlet or St. Augustine where they will be able to choose to live closer to the beaches. However, if you’re living in Florida and you call places like Jacksonville home – slightly more inland cities on the coast – you’re going to find that it’s still easy to get out there and spend time on the water.

Here’s just one statement of what you can do to know that you can get out on the water when you’re living in the Jacksonville area:

(source)Consistently rated as the top beach area in Jacksonville, Atlantic Beach is not the most crowded beach in the area but it is a favorite of both vacationers and locals alike. Great swimming, surfing and kayaking opportunities abound at Atlantic Beach. There are more popular beaches in Florida a little farther south, but many people often overlook some great spots in the Jacksonville area.

In other words, if you’re looking for the chance to get out and you live in the Jacksonville area, then you owe it to yourself to check out Atlantic Beach and other areas that will create great opportunities for you.

When it comes to looking for Florida, different people are going to find themselves looking for something completely different than others. Just because you are looking into Florida real estate doesn’t mean that you’re looking for the same things – some people will be looking for coastal real estate in Florida while others might be just as content to look at living inland; some folks are going to be looking into condos while others will look at townhomes and others will look at single family homes.

However, regardless of what you are looking for when you’re looking for Florida real estate (and especially if you’re looking for real estate in places like Ponce Inlet, Jacksonville Beach, St. Augustine, Jacksonville and similar communities that are located on the “First Coast”), you’re going to find that there are some key things to consider:

• Make sure you know what your sense of style is.
• Know how much space you want or need your home to have.
• Focus on whether you’re looking into a home for a permanent residence or simply a vacation property.
• Get a sense of what you’re looking for in your community.

Just by taking these steps when you’re thinking about buying Florida real estate, you can be sure that you’re coming closer to finding the home that’s right for you.

One of the great things about living in the Northeastern coast of Florida is that, if you love boating, you’ll have plenty of fantastic opportunities to get out there on the water. Whether you head out by boat simply because it relaxes you or you love the fishing – it doesn’t matter; what matters is the fact that it’s so easy to get out on the water.

If, however, you are going to be out on the water over the next couple of days, here’s something that you should be aware of:

(source)Researchers from Florida State University are looking for a right whale that was tangled in debris off St. Johns County coast.

The whale vanished Friday near Crescent Beach before researchers could finish freeing it. The whale had some kind of rope or line wrapped around it. They organized a team that removed about 360 feet of line and attached a buoy with a transmitter to track the whale’s location, but the buoy isn’t transmitting.

In other words, if you’re going to be out boating – and especially if you live in the area and are going to be traveling to the south – near your coastal Florida home, you’re going to want to be sure that you’re keeping an eye out.

One of the things that is fantastic about living on Florida’s First Coast – in communities like Jacksonville, Jacksonville Beach, Daytona Beach, Ponce Inlet and St. Augustine – is the history of the area and how much has been done to preserve it over the years. The challenge, of course, is that while there are plenty of efforts to preserve the history of the First Coast, there are other situations in which it’s not a top priority:

(source)The City Council of Jacksonville, Florida, may be about to destroy our nation’s FIRST settlement seeking religious freedom, and the site of the First Thanksgiving, between these French Huguenot settlers and the local Timucuan Indians? The Jacksonville (Florida) Port Authority wants to do exactly this in order to create a terminal for Carnival cruiseships, and Jacksonville’s City Fathers just may approve their request to alter our publicly-approved Comprehensive Plan in order to do it. The situation looks grim for both American history and democracy.

Mayport Village, a part of Jacksonville, Florida, is the nation’s oldest settlement founded in search of religious freedom (1562) – older than St. Augustine, and half a century older than Plymouth or Jamestown. The Village is under immediate threat of being bulldozed into oblivion by Florida’s notorious growth machine.

Now, everyone who is looking to travel out of Jacksonville is going to look at things one way while those who are passionate about historic preservation are going to look at it in a different way altogether. Those who are committed to historic preservation are – as the excerpted article states – involved in an effort to take action; is it something you want to act on?

One of the greatest things that you’re going to find about living in Florida is that, if you have an appreciation for the arts, it’s easy to make a connection with others who are passionate about the arts and to take part in activities that are geared toward those who, like you, want to share their experience and get feedback from others.

One great option is to participate in the Spoken Word gatherings each month at the Ritz Theater & LaVilla Museum:

(source) Spoken Word is a monthly gathering of artists, writers, and others who enjoy poetry, storytelling and music. On the first Thursday of each month, the lobby of the Ritz Theatre & LaVilla Museum becomes a casual cafe style setting for live open-mic performances by local poets, playwrights, orators, musical vocalists and anyone who has words to share. for more information visit www.ritzlavilla.org

By participating in events like this, you’re going to find that you are in a great position to share your work, to meet new people and to get involved with your Florida community. Similarly, just by checking out the events you’re likely to find that – even if you haven’t been much of an artist or all that inspired in the past – it’s a great way to spend an evening.

For those who are still trying to decide whether or not they are interested in buying a waterfront home in Florida, the reality is that this holiday season is likely to be a lot like it’s been in the past: maybe you’ve got cold weather and are thinking about how much you’d like to be out for a round of golf rather than shoveling snow. Maybe you’re one of those folks who always finds themselves planning to go away for the holidays and booking flights and reserving a favorite hotel room months and months in advance for yourself and your family.

If you had a Florida waterfront home of your own, planning for the holidays would be a lot simpler.

For example, if you had a Florida waterfront home of your own, you wouldn’t have to pack everyone up to watch sunrise from the beach; instead, you’d be able to put on a pot of coffee and to head out onto the front porch. If you have relatives who always say, “we’d love to join you but we don’t want to spend the money on a hotel room,” you’ll find that you are able to put them up without a fuss.

In other words, imagine just how different it could be to spend next year’s holidays in a Florida waterfront home of your own – after all , there are plenty of great deals out there just waiting for you.

One of the things that you’re going to find when you are looking into buying a home in Florida is the fact – particularly right now – it’s possible to get a great price, especially if you are looking into Florida condos. Whether you are interested in finding a Florida condo that gives you a spectacular view of the sea or you are thinking about buying a Florida condo that will put you in the midst of the events that you’re passionate about, right now you are going to find that those condos are available and that you can get a great deal.

Of course, what you are going to find is that the more that you look into Florida condos, the more likely that you are going to be to be able to find the home that really suits you. Rather than just looking at condos that are available in Jacksonville Beach, for example, you might want to branch out and look at homes in Daytona Beach and Ponce Inlet as well.

No matter what you ultimately choose, of course, when you are looking into Florida condos, you are going to find that the right home is out there – and along with it will come all of the benefits and amenities that you’ve been looking for.

One of the great things about living in Jacksonville, Ponce Inlet, St. Augustine and other similar areas is that it creates the opportunity to interact with the environment in different ways. Those who want to get out there and simply see what’s out there will be able to look to the area’s rivers and coastline and to see the natural beauty that exists. Those who are passionate about the environment who are living on Florida’s First Coast are also going to find that they are in a position to learn a lot about wildlife that is natural to the area.

One way to explore the Florida environment – especially when you’ve got kids in the family – is to spend some time at the Jacksonville Zoo where you will be able to learn more about local species as well:

(source) Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens announced the arrival of 15 new American alligators that were released into its Wild Florida exhibit. On November 26th crowds of Zoo visitors watched in awe as the Herpetology staff carried the alligators into the exhibit, removed the tape from around their large mouths and coaxed them into the water as the animals hissed and snapped. The 15 females, range in size from four-to-seven feet long and weigh between 41 and 86 pounds and came from the Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, Florida where they were all hatched. The new alligators replaced the six that were over 50 years-of-age, three of which passed away over the last year, and the rest were shipped to other facilities to make room for the new residents.

Executive Director, Dennis Pate said, “The alligator is one of our most popular animals. They, along with our Zoo’s other native species that live in Wild Florida, help to educate and enhance our visitors’ experience.”

When you’re checking out the exhibit, you’ll be able to learn more about maintaining the natural environment around you in the area that you choose to call home.

One of the things that you are going to find when you start to look into living in one of Florida’s First Coast communities – whether you are looking into a home in St. Augustine, Ponce Inlet, Jacksonville Beach, Daytona Beach or Jacksonville – is that while the beaches have a great deal of appeal for those living in the area, one of the biggest benefits is that there are plenty of opportunities for those who want to get into (and stay in) shape.

Simply put, those who are in the Jacksonville area and who call the First Coast home are likely to find themselves taking advantage of the health benefits of running on the beach rather than on paved surfaces – between increased resistance and less impact on one’s knees, the opportunities are idea. Likewise, those who are looking to get out and enjoy biking, those who want to take hikes through natural areas and those interested in participating in a variety of sports are going to find that the area has a lot to offer.

One of the best things about living in an area where it’s easy to just get outside and to get into shape is that all of a sudden you have fewer excuses. As a result, you’ll be able to meet your neighbors, make sure friends and to just enjoy the whole experience more.