HOLD HANDS 4 HAITI ~ ATTENTION FLEMING ISLAND RESIDENTS! Calling ALL FLEMING ISLAND RESIDENTS - you can do something to help the victims of the Haiti earthquake. Hold Hands 4 Haiti is coming to Fleming Island! Saturday, February 20, 2010 10:00 AM Hold Hands from Doctor's Lake to Black Creek Join us as we symbolically hold hands from Florida to Haiti, from Fleming Island to Gressier. Your tax deductible gift will go directly to feed, heal and clothe the Haitian people so devastated by the recent earthquake. FISH Ministries is sponsoring the event. They have been involved in Haiti for over 20 years serving the commnities of Grassier, Jeremie and most recently, Boucan Carre. They were feeding an average of 1,400 children a day, but now they are struggling to do much, much more than just fe... 02/09/2010

I am sitting and reading my favorite paper, in my favorite Fleming Island Florida coffee house.  On the Week in Review page there is a wonderful headline:  "Quality Today-Success Tomorrow".  This is from the New York Times, and once a week I sit and relish the news from all over. However, this struck me as very interesting.  It is an article about the Toyota situation, which I am happy to say our local Jacksonville Toyota dealerships have taken grasp of and forged ahead on.  Back to the article.  It states the following: "Life, goes the cliche, is just high school writ large, and in the senior class of automakers, Toyota was the straight-A student who wrecked the curve for everyone......The performance didn't just make Toyota look great; it made rivals look daft......" and goes on to sa... 02/08/2010

Get Green! ~ Forever Green Grass for Fleming Island FL Residents Our Fleming Island yards have really taken a beating this winter. This morning we woke up to frost on our roof and crunchy grass as we waved good-bye to my visiting sister and her husband. In February? Isn't Spring right around the corner? Never fear, there is a local business that can take the brownish blahs right out of your yard. Forever Green Grass will transform your lawn from the winter doldrums to the envy of the neighborhood. According to their web site, the spray lasts for up to 3 months per treatment - just in time to sell your house! It is acrylic-based, 10 parts water to one part color. Forever Green says it is non-toxic, friendly to the environment and safe for children and pets. That would make it ~ GREEN :) ... 02/07/2010

Hospitality helps sell a house. The little things that Sellers can do to make a Buyer feel welcome and at home when looking at their house do make a difference. Fleming Island residents with homes for sale can take a tip from our Sellers who just sold a home after 5 days on the market. Coffee and home made baked cookies and drinks entice Buyers to relax and spend more time looking at the home. The smell of baking is irresistible when walking in a home. Imagine the Buyers' delight when there are cookies to go with that heavenly scent. Realtors use food to attract other agents to Broker's Opens and to invite the agents in their office to stay longer on a tour of new listings. The same tactic works with Buyers. The longer they spend in the home, the more they can slow down and take in the ... 02/07/2010

Really and truly I did not know that I would find a kernel of wisdom in the Sunday Times Union.  I read our local paper daily, and generally enjoy the Life section, the Metro section, the first section that highlights our local news. But tucked away on page E-7 was my horoscope!  I am an Aquarius.  While this is not such a big deal, and goes along the lines of we all have birthdays and all have a horoscope that we either pay attention to (or not), they can be sort of fun.  This week mine reads:  Today is an 8.  If you think love and work don't mix, you're mistaken.  You can love what you do and do what you love. Today is Super Bowl Sunday.  I know that we originally were going to Mellow Mushroom on Fleming Island to watch the big screen, but that changed.  I have shown homes this weeken... 02/07/2010

So, what can we say about money?  And how shall we tie it to Fleming Island Florida?  Let me lay this out-- a non-REO, short sale, or severely damaged home in the general Fleming Island Florida area will run about $200,000 What that means is that your search should start at $150,000 and go to about $210,000.  Or to whatever amount you qualify for.  Note the qualify.  Before beginning a home search one should always visit and get to know a home loan person.  Preferably with a well known lender--one that other lenders and companies will recognize.  Are you with me, that part is important? Once you have in hand that pre-approval letter, which these days may cost the amount of a credit pull, you are ready to GO!  Call your Realtor (me, at 904-710-0581) and pull up your listingbook.com accou... 02/06/2010

The choice is simple:  seller owned, REO (real estate owned), and short sale.  And the choice is simple, when do you  Mr. and Mrs. Future Homeowner wish to be moved in? Let's look at the short sale:  buyer consult, pre-approval, view a few homes, find the home of your dreams, try to 'guess' or calculate how much the seller's lien holders will let it go for, write offer.  Receive offer back in the form of contingent contract.  Hope the seller and their agent get all the packet together and send off to lien holder.  (drum your fingers and wait)......wait a little longer.  THEN bingo!  Approval but not at the offered price, and without the paid costs as hoped for.  Either accept, decline, or negotiate--- And the REO:  buyer consult, pre-approval, view a few homes, find the home with the gr... 02/06/2010

This is a true story about my new friends and their search for a new(er) home in Fleming Island Florida! To start this off I have to say that she and I had been working over the phone for quite some time.  We had looked at floorplans, builders, and all kinds of areas.  Then we walked into THE HOUSE, and it went like this: Him:  Wow, let's walk out the back dock. Her:  Look at the kitchen!  Check out the outdoor patio breakfast nook! Him:  Wow!  The BBQ can go right here. Her:  Kitchen. Him:  Game room. Her:  Master bedroom. Him:  Dock and boat slip. Need I show more?  When I meet with a new buyer the first thing we do is write the top 5 things for him, and the top 5 things for her.  Then I give them homework--find 5 things in common and agree to them!  The look on her face, and on his f... 02/03/2010

Our Governor has taken steps to deal with the increased foreclosures in our state. Fleming Island real estate won't be as affected by these steps as some areas, as our foreclosure rates are under 7% of all real estate for sale. As a state, one out of every 95 houses in Florida were in some stage of foreclosure, and we ranked #2 in the country in 2009 for foreclosures. The task force is named Florida Home Ownership Promotes the Economy. Representatives include Tony Hill (D-Jacksonville), other elected representatives, lenders, Bankers, representative from Florida Association of Realtors, Chief Financial Officer of Florida, Alex Sink. Lt. Governor Jeff Kottkamp and Sink are both members of the task force together with Senators Bill Posey (R-Rockledge),Tony Hill (D-Jacksonville), Franklin ... 02/02/2010

Fleming Island Florida Homes For Sale - Market Report Fleming Island Florida Homes For Sale - Real Estate Market Conditions For December 2009 There are currently 252 single family homes for sale in Fleming Island. The average home price is $397,576 with a price range from $95,000 to $2,285,000. There are 47 homes that are pending/under contract on Fleming Island. In the the month of December there have been 23 homes that have sold and closed on Fleming Island. The average closed price of $259,0090 with an average of 104 days on the market. Year to date there has been a total of 302 homes that have sold on Fleming Island with an average sold price of $263,656 with an average of 112 on the market. Highest home sale YTD on Fleming Island was $1,350,000 and was on the market for 690 days. ... 02/02/2010

Let's take a moment to explore the Fleming Island Florida real estate statistics for January 2010.  Criteria set is:  single family detached homes, resale, active listings reflect ALL active unless otherwise noted, all else is January 1-January 31, 2010. Good stuff!  Check this out, and make sure when you searching for a home to keep your parameters in mind! Status # of Units Active 201 Pending 12 Sold 6 Expired 25 Withdrawn 3     New Active for Jan 58   Price Band Homes Sold $100,000-199,999 1 $200,000-249,999 3 $250,000-299,999 1 $300,000- 1 So, with a total of 6 homes sold and closed in January 2010, and inventory of 201 active in January 2010 and with 58 coming on market as new (the 58 IS part of the 201 units) I believe it may be safe to say Fleming Island Florida is still a buyer'... 02/01/2010

Eagle Harbor FL Homes for Sale 93 Active  8 Short Sale  3 Bank Owned 12% of all Eagle Harbor FL homes for sale are Short Sales. The market trends are somewhat down from the from the Eagle Harbor FL Homes for Sale July 4 Market Report, which listed 97 homes for sale and 15% were short sales. Active homes for sale in Eagle Harbor are down by about 4%. 99 homes have sold in Eagle Harbor since 1/31/09. This means we have about an 11 month supply of homes for sale if no other homes come on the market. The best looking, best priced homes will sell. Currently there are 16 Contracts Pending. 9 of them are Distressed Sales (Short Sales or Bank Owned), or 56%. Eagle Harbor FL has many amenities, including an 18-hole golf course, three water parks, clubhouse, 5 day docks, one community with priva... 01/31/2010

Eagle Harbor FL Out Ranks Other Planned Communities in the Jacksonville FL Area Last week when I was doing my weekly Market Report for Eagle Harbor and other communities on Fleming Island, I wanted to find out how Eagle Harbor ranked with other planned communities in our area. I know how it compares to Fleming Island Plantation, but what about Oakleaf, Julington Creek, or even Palencia? The answer: Eagle Harbor has the lowest percentage of Active single family home distressed property sales (short sales and bank owned) of any of the Master Planned Communities in the entire Jacksonville area that were examined. What does this mean to Eagle Harbor residents? It means that your investment in your Eagle Harbor home is as sound, even more sound, than residents in any other community of its t... 01/31/2010

Fleming Island Florida is more than just a great place to live, it's a way of life.  It is the way you know your Publix cashier.  It's the way you appreciate pedestrian traffic.  It's knowing that pick-up will go on at 3pm at THAT court in your neighborhood. It's knowing that you are home. In a typical planned urban development (PUD) you have townhomes and condos, starter homes, the middle-ground-where-did-all-these-people-come-from homes, and the grand mansion type homes.  The beauty of this is you can stay where you are planted and simply move up or down, or laterally--depending on need, desire, and space. Today I had the honor of holding open a 'starter home'.  This is not your usually Plain Jane with four walls home.  Nope!  This is an unusually calm, peace filled, serene home on wa... 01/31/2010

Fleming Island FL Residents, Your Cell Phone Numbers Go Public This Month! This is not a hoax. Check out the web site below. REMEMBER: Cell Phone Numbers Go Public this month. REMINDER.....  all cell phone numbers are being released to telemarketing companies and you will start to receive sales calls.    .... YOU WILL BE CHARGED FOR THESE CALLSTo prevent this, call the following number from your cell phone:    888-382-1222. It is the National DO NOT CALL list. It will only take a minute of your time.. It blocks your number for five (5) years. You must call from the cell phone number you want to have blocked. You cannot call from a different phone number. If you have your cell phone registered as a business, the exemption does not apply, according to an agent in our office.HELP OTHERS BY... 01/28/2010

Eagle Harbor Florida Home Sales for 2009 Here is a quick overview of the 2009 home sales in Eagle Harbor, Florida. There were 97 homes sold in Eagle Harbor in 2009 which was more than what sold in 2008 with only 95 sales. Out of the 97 sold homes sold in Eagle Harbor 5 were bank owned, 17 were short sales, and 75 were regular resales. Looking at the numbers it's showing that short sales and bank owned properties made only 23% of home sales in Eagle Harbor.       All statistical information was obtained from NEFMLS. Information is deemed to be reliable, but is not guaranteed. 01/26/2010

  Fleming Island Plantation Homes for Sale - Fleming Island Florida 39 Active  6 Short Sales  8 Bank Owned 36% of all homes for sale in Fleming Island Plantation are Short Sales or Bank Owned.  52 homes have sold since 1/24/09, so there is about a 9 month inventory of homes for sale in Fleming Island Plantation. The best homes at the best price will sell. Currently there are 8 Contracts Pending. 7 of them are Distressed Sales (Short Sales or Bank Owned), or 99%. All but one are under $300,000. Fleming Island Plantation has many amenities, including an 18-hole golf course, two water parks, clubhouse, playgrounds, tennis, and many activities. There are two townhome neighborhoods (one gated), one condominium neighborhood, two paired villa neighborhoods (one gated), one single family neigh... 01/24/2010

Eagle Harbor FL Homes for Sale 84 Active  9 Short Sale  3 Bank Owned 17% of all Eagle Harbor FL homes for sale are Short Sales. The market trends are somewhat down from the from the Eagle Harbor FL Homes for Sale July 4 Market Report, which listed 97 homes for sale and 15% were short sales. Active homes for sale in Eagle Harbor are down by about 14%. 96 homes have sold in Eagle Harbor since 1/24/09. This means we have about a 10.5 month supply of homes for sale if no other homes come on the market. The best looking, best priced homes will sell. Currently there are 15 Contracts Pending. 5 of them are Distressed Sales (Short Sales or Bank Owned), or 33%. 2 are under $200,000. 6 are between $200-300,000. 8 are from $300-500,000. (Pending sales as of 1/24/10). Eagle Harbor FL has many amen... 01/24/2010

Fleming Island Homes for Sale January 24, 2010 (Fleming Island Florida) Fleming Island boasts many beautiful communities, including Eagle Harbor, Fleming Island Plantation, Pace Island, and Hibernia Plantation among others. Here are the statistics on Homes for Sale on Fleming Island. This Report also includes four significant communities on Fleming Island - Eagle Harbor FL, Fleming Island Plantation, Pace Island, and Hibernia Plantation. Fleming Island Homes for Sale There is a significant reduction in the homes for sale since the July Market Report. There are about 36% fewer homes for sale on Fleming Island at this time (down from 339 Active). There is a 51% reduction in the number of short sale homes for sale on Fleming Island (down from 69). 214 Active  34 Short Sales (Title still he... 01/24/2010

The Bridge over Doctor's Lake to Fleming Island FL is being widened to six lanes from four lanes. It's not a long bridge, just long enough to let you know you've passed over a body of water onto land. There are marinas on both of the South sides. To the east is the mighty St. John's River, about three miles wide at this point and to the west Doctor's Lake, four miles long and a mile wide. Homes flank the shores of the River and Doctor's Lake. Fleming Island is a GREAT place to live! Come take a look! 01/24/2010