Enjoy nationally recognized blues music in Jacksonville Beach this weekend - at the SeaWalk Pavilion starting Friday 5pm, and running until 8pm Sunday. Food, BBQ, and seafood, as well as kids activities, arts and crafts.   For more information, visit the website at http://www.springingtheblues.com  Carol Zingone is a Broker Associate with a 100% Customer Satisfaction Rating in Jacksonville Beach, FL with Prudential Network Realty.  She helps buyers and sellers throughout the Beaches, Intracoastal West and Greater Jacksonville, FL areas. She can be reached at 904/993-9048 or via email at carolzingone@clearwire.net 04/02/2009

The Great Atlantic Seafood Festival is this weekend at the SeaWalk Pavilion in Jax Beach. 12 noon to 10pm, this festival features  Florida's finest seafood, fried, boiled, grilled or blackened. Music for everyone. Arts & crafts, rides and games for the whole family.  For more information, call 904/249-3972.   Carol Zingone is a Broker Associate with a 100% Customer Satisfaction Rating in Jacksonville Beach, FL with Prudential Network Realty.  She helps buyers and sellers throughout the Beaches, Intracoastal West and Greater Jacksonville, FL areas. She can be reached at 904/993-9048 or via email at carolzingone@clearwire.net 03/17/2009

I saw this incredible moth on my house the other day - I have never seen anything like it, and having lived here for almost 20 years, I was quite surprised I had never seen one before. I do not know much about them, apparently, though, per my bug guy who happened to be at my house the same day, they do not live long. Carol Zingone is a Broker Associate with a 100% Customer Satisfaction Rating in Jacksonville Beach, FL with Prudential Network Realty.  She helps buyers and sellers throughout the Beaches, Intracoastal West and Greater Jacksonville, FL areas. She can be reached at 904/993-9048 or via email at carolzingone@clearwire.net 03/07/2009

Songwriters' Concert Sunday, March 8, 6-8 pm at the Adele Grage Theatre716 Ocean Blvd at 7th StreetAs usual, the event will be held inside the theater--and there is no admission charge. Doors open at 5:45 p.m. This event is brought to you by the Atlantic Beach Cultural Arts and Recreation Advisory Committee. Performers, please email or call Mike Shakelford at (904)610-7461. Prepare 2 original songs of 7-8 minutes combined maximum. Our intimate event is a wonderful way for artists to meet and for everyone to enjoy playing and listening to truly awesome talent.  Whether you write, sing, play or simply enjoy good music, plan on being with us. Our musical host, Mike Shackelford and his fellow talented performers from our region will once again transform the Atlantic Beach Theater into a mag... 03/06/2009

Heritage Bank in Ponte Vedra is sponsoring a free shred day on 3/16/09 at their office.  Anyone can bring their paper documents, x-rays, CD's, DVD's, computer hard drives and back up tapes . All documents and materials will be collected in locked secure bins. The bins will be transported to the Shred For Good's secure facility in Green Cove Springs where it it wll be shredded, baled and recycled. This is a great opportunity to dispose correctly of the above items.  Shred For Good is a secure document destruction business that employs people with disabilities. For additional information, please call 904/280-5655.   Carol Zingone is a Broker Associate with a 100% Customer Satisfaction Rating in Jacksonville Beach, FL with Prudential Network Realty.  She helps buyers and sellers throughout... 03/06/2009

Here are the February 2009 stats and February 2008 for comparison - 2009 11 Homes Sold Lowest price: $109,500 Highest price: $400,000 Shortest Days on Market: 6 Longest Days on Market: 223   2008 5 homes sold Lowest price: $221,000 Highest price: $700,000 Shortest Days on Market: 0 Longest Days on Market: 221 There are some interesting conclusions to be drawn from the above date. First, 2009 home sales are up 120% over 2008, which is great news.    However, prices are coming down, as illustrated by the above:  the lowest price home last year was $221,000 which is $110,000 lower than this year.  This is simply a vivid example of supply and demand and their impact on pricing. The office I work in, in Atlantic Beach, listed 52 new properties, and closed 44, which is wonderful news for the ... 03/06/2009

     Beaches Energy is gearing up to offer rebates to customers who go green with their utilities.  If you are considering a high-efficiency AC unit, or a solar water heater, you may want to postpone that decision until the utility provider gets all their details worked out. The program eventually will include a mix of rebates and incentives for those who purchase services from Beaches Energy.   Carol Zingone is a Broker Associate with a 100% Customer Satisfaction Rating in Jacksonville Beach, FL with Prudential Network Realty.  She helps buyers and sellers throughout the Beaches, Intracoastal West and Greater Jacksonville, FL areas. She can be reached at 904/993-9048 or via email at carolzingone@clearwire.net 02/27/2009

As of this very moment, there are 21 bank owned properties, also called REO or foreclosures for sale in the Multiple Listing Service in Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, and Jacksonville Beach. Here are the ones priced under $350,000: America's Cup Circle   3 BR/2 BA , 1188 SF $72,900 Penman Road  2 BR/2 BA ,1211 SF,  $99,900 Main Street, 3 BR/2 BA ,1352 SF,  $132,900 Sunrise Circle, 2 BR/2.5 BA,, 1472 SF,  $174,900 Magnolia Street, 3 BR/2 BA, 1286 SF,  $179,900 Tallwood Road, 3 BR/2.5 BA, 1966 SF,  $194,900 5th North, 3 BR/2 BA 1357 SF,  $235,000 Paradise Oaks Lane, 3 BR/2 BA, 1756 SF, $249,900 Margaret Street, 3 BR/2 BA, 2198 SF,  $275,000 Paradise Lane, 3 BR/2.5 BA,  1952 SF, $279,900 Palm Way, 4 BR/4 BA, 2796 SF , $309,900 23rd North, 3 BR/2 BA, 1898 SF, $325,000 Some of these homes a... 02/22/2009

I know we all talk about how to price homes in the current market.  I myself check multiple avenues to ensure I'm helping my sellers to price their homes correctly.  Of course, this research takes into account the motivation of the sellers, and their timeframe, both of which are crucial components. How do you know if you are, in fact, priced correctly? One easy way is to see how many showings you are getting in the first few weeks of the listing being active.  If you have none, the unfortunate answer is your home is NOT priced correctly for the condition, age, and location of the home. If you have less than 1-2 showings per week, you are not priced correctly also. I am currently working with a seller who has had 8 showings in the first 18 days of a listing - this confirms the home is pr... 02/22/2009

Here is information about this wonderful event that comes to the Jacksonville area on an annual basis: Friday, February 27 Writers' Workshops - FREE 8:30 a.m. Registration/9 a.m. Workshop Best-selling author Steve Berry will host the day long opportunity to talk directly with authors about the basic elements of writing. Book Brunch and Young Writers Awards with David Baldacci 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. $50 (signed copy of book included) Best-selling novelist David Baldacci will host a brunch to discuss his career and current novel Divine Justice, and will present The Young Writers Awards. Saturday, February 28 Book Festival - FREE 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. • National best-selling authors • Book sales and signings • Author panel discussions Children's Chapter - FREE 9 a.m. - Noon • Celebrity readings an... 02/20/2009

I don't know if you were able to watch part or all of the race today, or if you were one of the many who raced - if so, I applaud all of you! I watched near the half-way point, up Seminole Road, and was amazed at how many people I saw not just running or walking but supporting this fabulous cause and event. Many of us have a family member, or dear friend who has been diagnosed with breast cancer, and raced in their honor. The weather today was about near-perfect for the race, and we saw many smiles and happy racers. For official results, or to check your time, go here: http://www.jacksonville.com/2009-02-15/story/262_with_donna Carol Zingone is a Broker Associate with a 100% Customer Satisfaction Rating in Jacksonville Beach, FL with Prudential Network Realty.  She helps buyers and sell... 02/15/2009

Have you noticed how when you yawn, you prompt others to yawn? Or, how you are induced to yawn when you see another person yawn? We know yawns are an involuntary respiratory reflex, which regulates the carbon dioxide and oxygen levels in the blood. Therefore, yawns are, essentially, contagious. My theory on the new "yawn" is the smart phone/PDA addiction. I've noticed when I see someone check their smart phone/PDA for email, or voice mail or to text, I feel absolutely compelled to do so - hence, the new yawn. What do you observe about your own behaviors in this arena, or your coworkers?  You might be curious....   Carol Zingone is a Broker Associate with a 100% Customer Satisfaction Rating in Jacksonville Beach, FL with Prudential Network Realty.  She helps buyers and sellers throughout... 02/15/2009

  This terrific event is next weekend, 2/15/09, in the Beaches areas.   For more information, visit the official website here: http://www.breastcancermarathon.com/ The national breast cancer marathon and half-marathon will begin near the Mayo Clinic Campus in Jacksonville, Florida and follows the course through the unique beach communities of Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach and Atlantic Beach. The course will detour onto 2.5 miles of beautiful hard-packed sand on the Florida coastline, which is perfect for running See the full marathon map here; http://www.usatf.org/routes/view.asp?rID=251513 You can join the general public in cheering on all the participants - have fun, and plan for some traffic delays along the course schedule. Carol Zingone is a Broker Associate with a 100% Custom... 02/08/2009

  Here are the January 2009 stats and January 2008 for comparison - 2009 12 Homes Sold Lowest price: $177,000 Highest price: $1,500,000 Shortest Days on Market: 12 Longest Days on Market: 420   2008 10 homes sold Lowest price: $167,100 Highest price: $400,000 Shortest Days on Market: 1 Longest Days on Market: 301 There are some interesting conclusions to be drawn from the above date. First, 2009 home sales are up 20% over 2008, which is great news.  The price differences are obvious: the lowest price home sold this year is $10,000 higher than 2008, or 6% higher year to year.  The longest home on the market that sold in January 2009, is not, as you might have anticipated, also the highest priced home.  It was a home listed as being sold As Is, which usually implies there may be some chal... 02/04/2009

On Sunday, January 18, in front of Jacksonville Beach City Hall, over 100 people waved Israeli flags and US flags, in support of peace in Israel. "Self defense is not just a basic human right," explained Rabbi Nochum Kurinsky, "it is an obligation.  We are here today to make sure people can hear the other side of the negative media coverage about Israel." The sun was shining as people kibbutzed with old friends and made new friends.  The Jacksonville Beach Police Department was out in full force to make sure the rally for peace went off without a hitch.  The day before Martin Luther King Day, and two days before the presidential inauguration, it was a great day for flag waving. 01/22/2009

 Have you heard this commercial?     It starts with two women talking to one another about one's new home, Female  1: "How can you afford this? You make the same salary as I do! You're only 30 years old!" Female  2: "I know! I called BNI for a list of foreclosed properties and now I have this 4 bedroom 2 bathroom home for less than $300 a month!" Female  1: "That's less than I pay in rent!" Female  2: "Call BNI - and you can find a house just like mine"  That's the general gist, not the exact verbiage. So, I called BNI (Bargain Network) to see what the deal was, more out of curiosity than anything else. They ask for my zip code, and then pull up a list of 9,000 properties for sale, in my area, which include foreclosures, for sale by owners, agent listings - pretty much the soup to nuts ... 01/12/2009

 This only happens once or twice a year, so PLAN NOW and save yourself the long drive over the ditch! Saturday, April 25th, 2009, between the hours of 8:30 am and 3:00 pm representatives from the City of Jacksonville will have a mobile hazardous waste vehicle at Atlantic Beach City Hall (located at 800 Seminole Road, Atlantic Beach, Florida) to collect hazardous waste items such as: paint, paint thinners, rechargeable batteries, photographic chemicals, antifreeze, lawn & garden chemicals, pool chemicals, aerosol cans, pesticides, small propane (lp) tanks, fire extinguishers, thermometers and thermostats, fertilizer, acids, car care chemicals, drain cleaners, varnish/shellac, ammunition, used oil, flares, pc monitors, terminals, cpu's, keyboards, TV's/VCR's, printers/scanners, stereo equ... 01/12/2009

There has been a lot of coverage in the press about the pros and cons of the $7500 first time home buyer tax credit - I personally think the tax credit is a good idea to help eligible first time home buyers stop renting and start building equity. In our particular economy, with the lowest interest rates in four or more decades, any interested party who has good credit (required) and a 3.5% minimum down payment (required), should be researching their opportunities today. Why? For all the benefits of home ownership. You will be building equity versus wasting rent on a place that you will not own.  You will get tax benefits, aside from the above-mentioned tax credit, on your mortgage interest that you pay each year. More importantly, you will have a home to call your own, where you can rai... 01/06/2009

Here are the numbers of active property listings, those under contract, and sold properties for Single Family Homes in Jacksonville Beach, FL  for  2008: Active               771 active listings for Single Family Homes (no condos) Pending               136 pending  (inspections & financing have been done) Sold                      125 sold New Listings       539 Active listings have decreased by 10% year to year, which indicates unmotivated sellers pulling their listings off the market, which is a good thing. The pending listings have decreased 4% year to year, which is basically flat.   New listings have decreased 17% year to year, another indicator that homeowners who were "testing the waters"  have decided to wait the current market conditions out. Sold listings are down 8% year to y... 01/05/2009

Means fog - check out this pic I took of the Jax Beach Public Golf Course this morning:  And, there were GOLFERS out in this fog! 01/02/2009