St. Johns County is known for its great climate, beautiful beaches, charming historic downtown, great restaurants and shopping.  This is why many families choose to live in homes in St. Augustine.   NOW there is another reason.  It has just been announced that St. Johns County Schools are NUMBER 1 in the State of Florida!     Click here to learn more...   Marjorie Taylor is a licensed Real Estate Broker and community leader representing Homes in St. Augustine and Watson Realty Corp.   She is passionate about helping clients buy and sell Homes in St. Augustine and Homes in St. Augustine Beach, Florida. www.TheBestAgentInStAugustine.com 904-591-9121 06/20/2009

The Player's Championship is back for this week, 5/4-5/10/09.  This awesome event features top golfers from all over the world and is held in Ponte Vedra. Tickets are still available for this event (visit http://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/r011/ to purchase tickets), or you can watch the golf on TV.  TV times are also on this website. Please keep in mind we have many tourists visiting our local area this week, so restaurants may have longer than usual waiting times, and we'll have more traffic. The primary traffic will be on A1A heading to the and from the tournament, so early in the morning and in the afternoon, you will want to budget extra time to get around. Have a great TPC week! Carol Zingone is a Broker Associate with a 100% Customer Satisfaction Rating in Jacksonville Beach, FL ... 05/04/2009

John Foley, the General Manager of Seaboard, called me this afternoon to inform me that garbage pickup for the South Ponte Vedra area will be moved to Mondays starting May 25th, 2009. They will mail a letter to the impacted residents and also place information on their front door to alert them to this change. Recycling and yard trash pickups remain on Wednesday. This change impacts properties from 3rd Street (the castle and the way to Cap's) north. This is a welcomed change and one that Friends of A1A championed. The residents on A1A in South Ponte Vedra have complained for years about trash blowing on A1A Scenic & Historic Coastal Byway, as garbage pick up has been on Thursday. As there are many vacation rentals in the area, many didn't put their trash out until Saturday or Sunday when... 04/29/2009

  At the end of December, 2008, the overall market in Ponte Vedra Beach North continued to decline, creating great investment opportunities.                                                          Dec.2008       From Dec.'07        Year to Date New Listings 23 -14.8% 369 -23.9% Closed Sales 4 -60% 85 -33.1% Median Sales Price $630,000 -12% $650,000 -7% Sold Price vs. Listed Price 82.5% -3.8% 87% -3% Average Days on Market 211 +91.5% 141 +18% Single Family Inventory 135 -15.6%     Townhomes / Condo Inventory 41 -4.7%      These statistics are from the Northeast Florida Association of Realtors, (NEFAR) and do not include private sales, or sales from non-members.  While Ponte Vedra Beach is a high end market, it has not been untouched by foreclosures due to aggressive condo investments an... 02/10/2009

Heritage Bank in Ponte Vedra is sponsoring a free shred day on 2/3/09 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 Vanguard GMAC.  She helps buyers and sellers throughout the Beaches,... 01/23/2009

News from the website of my friend Rabbi Nochum Kurinsky...  You are what you write. How Graphology can shape your life. Chabad at The Beaches will host renowned Graphologist Yaakov Rosenthal. Mr. Rosenthal will return to the Chabad's Center for Jewish Life in Ponte Vedra January 13th at 7PM.  Yaakov Rosenthal of New York, an increasingly popular international lecturer and renowned graphologist, will present a lecture titled"Discover the Real you... The Kabbalah of Handwriting"  For eighteen years, Mr. Yaakov Rosenthal has been helping people discover themselves through their handwriting. Renowned Psychologists, school guidance counselors and social workers use his services on a regular basis. He has been lecturing on the subject for over 13 years.  Yaakov Rosenthal learned under the wo... 01/06/2009

Chabad at the Beaches sponsored its annual Grand Menorah lighting at the Hilton Garden Inn in Ponte Vedra Beach today.  With Zahava's famous falafels and latkes, free crafts and face painting for the kids, it was the usual warm and welcoming family event that we have come to expect from Chabad.   The Menorah was lit by Hanaya Zrihen (bottom right), who designed and made the Menorah for Chabad at the Beaches.  And as long as we have a minyan... might as well pray!                         And check out Rabbi Kurinsky's cyber-sidder!                      And what is Chanukah without a make it yourself menorah?                     And Zahava's falafels and  latkes?                          And how about a serious game of dreidel?                        Happy Chanukah to all who celebrate th... 12/24/2008

Ponte Vedra Florida Homes There are many different communities in the Ponte Vedra Florida area to suite any home buyers lifestyle and budget. Below I have posted links to some of the larger communities in the Ponte Vedra area that are featured on my main website. Each community profile includes homes for sale, photos of amenties, community information, as well as all of the homes for sale in each Ponte Vedra Community. Plantation Oaks Ponte Vedra Homes and Real Estate |  Plantation at Ponte Vedra Country Club Community | Sawmill Lakes Ponte Vedra Florida Homes | Sawgrass Country Club Homes and Real Estate For Sale | Harbour Island Ponte Vedra Florida Homes and Real Estate | Marsh Landing Country Club Community | Azalea Point Ponte Vedra Homes | Cypress Creek Sawgrass Florida Community |... 09/07/2008

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT)  has begun work on the much needed intersection improvements at A1A (AKA S. Ponte Vedra Blvd.) and Mickler Road. The improvements include adding a light and a turn lane. These improvements should help this accident-prone intersection.  The FDOT will be holding an open house on Thursday, September 4th to discuss the improvements. All are invited. Here are the details: FDOT Open House When: Thursday, September 4, 2008, 1-2 p.m. and 5-6 p.m. What: Open house to discuss a road construction project at Florida A1A and Mickler Road Who: Transportation officials will be available Where: Crosswater Community Church at 1050 Florida A1A N. The $2.2 million project, which was set to begin Tuesday, will involve resurfacing portions of the road and inst... 08/31/2008

Life in Ponte Vedra Beach certainly has its perks. Miles of gorgeous, white sand beaches, year-round, mild temperatures and excellent cultural and recreational opportunities make this exceptional, St. Johns County city a highly desirable place to call home. Luxurious Living along the Coast With the Atlantic coast as its backdrop, Ponte Vedra beach boasts some of the most valuable real estate in Northeast Florida. Breathtaking, oceanfront and gated communities dot the landscape, making Ponte Vedra beach homes– especially those along Ponte Vedra Boulevard – often exceed $10 million. Oceanfront lots are highly sough after; although, due to their often-extravagant price tag, many buyers are instead searching for existing, older Ponte Vedra real estate that they can tear down and rebuild to ... 07/06/2008

Trends in eco-friendly architecture and green living have made their way to our outdoor living spaces, bringing drama, interest and excitement to the backyard of many Ponte Vedra beach homes. Ponte Vedra builders are responding to their homeowners’ desires for outstanding outdoor spaces by incorporating them into their overall home design. And the result is nothing short of spectacular. Say Good-Bye to Commonplace Small, cramped backyards with concrete patios and a few plastic lawn chairs are certainly a thing of the past. Instead, imagine a backyard oasis designed with entertaining in mind. A stainless steel, commercial grill sits in the corner, alongside a fire pit, an infinity-edge lap pool and tropical plants at every corner. Outdoor rooms created with stunning, natural materials, l... 06/30/2008

Ponte Vedra Beach North -  Florida is one of the most sought after communities for buyers looking for  Northeast Florida real estate - with A1 schools, easy access to Jacksonville Florida and St Augustine - and boardering the Atlantic Ocean Beaches. Ponte Vedra Beach North Fl is home to luxourius homes, condos and townhomes. These communities, located in northeast St Johns County, give private access to Atlantic Beaches,resort style living, and A1 schools.  There are several condominium communities in this area.  Seahawk is another community that was built in the mid 1980's that offer Ponte Vedra Condos in a community with resort amenities. The Palms at Marsh Landing are newer Ponte Vedra Beach condos built from 2004. This is a great time to consider condos in these First Coast condo co... 06/07/2008

Springtime in South Ponte Vedra is always a special time of year.  Fresh leaves on the trees, flowers popping out, cool nights and mild days, this is quite a "slice of paradise" to be living in!  Within a short distance of my home, I can be walking along the beach enjoying the Atlantic ocean, dipping my toes in the Intracoastal waterway, riding my bike through scenic trails in Guana State Park, or relaxing at the pool at the Serenata Beach Club with "a cool one" on the table by my chair.  South Ponte Vedra has a lot to offer with oceanfront or ocean access homes... and... a lot of really nice people as neighbors. What a great place to live! 03/13/2008

January 2008..... Right whales are now  spotted regularly along the coastline in the Ponte Vedra Beach - South Ponte Vedra - Vilano Beach area.  Just this past week, a mother and her calf were spotted very close to shore in the Turtle Shores - Beachside area.  I had the good fortune to be there and watch the two giant sea creatures for almost 30 minutes. Right Whales are baleen whales belonging to the genus Eubalaena. Right whales can grow up to 60 feet long and weigh many tons. Their rotund bodies are mostly black, with distinctive callosities(roughened patches of skin) on their heads. They are called "right whales" because long ago whalers thought the whales were the "right" ones to hunt, as they float when killed and often swim within sight of the shore. Populations were vastly reduc... 01/12/2008

I just spotted my first Right Whale of the season. I called her into the Right Whale Hotline (1-888-97-WHALE). Julie at the hotline contacted Fish & Wildlife (FWC). FWC sent out two planes to investigate. They determined it was a Right Whale with her calf. This particular Right Whale was first spotted two weeks ago and has been hanging out in our area from Flagler Beach to S. Ponte Vedra. I guess she found a great spot and decide to vacation here. Her name is Arpeggio (no, I didn't name her). She is very distinctive in that she has a scar on her right shoulder. So, if you see her and her baby swimming around, welcome them to our wonderful area. And if you don't live here, please come experience St. Augustine and the surrounding area. I'd love to show you around. 12/15/2007

I've got a great friend, at the tail end of a horrendous divorce. She's found a terrific rental, close to her current residence, and is moving in the middle of this month.With the portability portion of the tax reform, it would appear she can "port" her savings from her current house, despite the fact that she is not selling the house to her now ex-husband, but I thought I'd post it to A/R to see what advice, suggestions, etc. others may have.Does anyone have an idea about how this could work for someone in this type of situation?Appreciate all input! 12/07/2007

I visited a notable new community in my area today: Nocatee, and talked with a site agent about the traffic, and business in general.She shared all the subdivisions increase traffic once their models are open (no surprise), and this community's models were 3 weeks behind schedule.The builder is offering an upgrade packge, worth about $75K, in flex money for buyers to upgrade, add a pool, etc.   Standard features in these homes include granite counters in kitchen, 42" cabinets, stainless steel appliances, 10' ceilings, wireless internet throughout house, Jacuzzi garden tub in master bath, pedastel sinks - and prices will be $375K - $550K.I completely endorse upgrade packages, but with these types of finishes, how many buyers would be completely fine buying the same house for $75K less?Wh... 10/04/2007

Gorgeous country club  estate home, custom built in 2001.  Master bedroom & bath, formal living and dining room, laundry room, eat in kitchen and family room on first floor.  3 bedrooms, 3 full baths, wood paneled office, bonus room over garage, and sun drenched office on second floor.  Exclusive third floor views of Guana Preserve from conservatory.  Approximatley 5800 SF featuring saturnia tile and hardwood floors throughout.  Please contact Carol Zingone for more information. 09/18/2007

What a way to start your day... a brisk stroll along the beach by the Atlantic ocean.  One of the joys of specializing in oceanfront and ocean access houses, condo's, and lots, is meeting someone that you recently helped find that beach access home. When a real estate professional can help fulfill the lifelong dream of a home buyer... what a great feeling.  And to have that buyer come up to you months and even years later to thank you for making that dream come true in their lives makes for a very special feeling.Here in the Ponte Vedra Beach, South Ponte Vedra, Vilano Beach area, we enjoy a highly residential atmosphere along the ocean with limited commercial impact.  But the two commercial areas... the Sawgrass area in Ponte Vedra Beach http://www.pontevedrachamber.org/, and the excit... 04/09/2007