There are a lot of great things happening in our St. Augustine golf course community these days! The closings in our market area are up 14.6% over last year. There have been some small increases in price in our 32092 zip code the last two months. There are currently 32 homes under construction in the World Golf Village. Here are my top 5 things you need to know:

1. There are 6 new models in The Cascades and 12 homes currently under construction and plans to start several more.
2. There are new owners in Isle of the World. All the existing buildings have been purchased and will be completed soon. The site has been cleaned up and looks so much better.
3. One building in Laterra Links has been completed with 3 additional buildings still under construction.
4. The Laterra Spa is reopening in November. This might be my favorite. I can’t wait to check out the improvements the new owner has made.
5. A custom home is under construction in Oakgrove Estates. One new home was completed in the Crest and two additional homes are under construction. A new home is also under construction in LakeWood. There  is great construction activity in the King & Bear!

If you have any questions on new or existing homes in World Golf Village, please contact one of our great St. Augustine Realtors at Davidson Realty, Inc. Make sure to check out the new construction when you’re out taking photos to win an iPad!

What do you have going on Thursday nights? I bet it doesn’t compare to the great music and atmosphere of Concerts in the Plaza! Have you heard about this? Thursdays at 7 PM up until Labor Day you can listen to a wide variety of music in St. Augustine’s Plaza de la Constitucion for FREE! All you have to do is bring a lounge chair or a blanket to sit on. You can even have a nice picnic dinner with your family while enjoying blues, bluegrass, jazz, country, swing, folk, or pop rock.

There is even a concert tonight, August 12th – Big Pineapple will be playing some Hawaiian Jazz!

Ok, so coming up:

August 19: Mischief Express (Popular American Jazz Standards)

August 26: Rob Peck & Friends (Acoustic R&B/Classic Rock)

 September 2: Skin ‘n Bonz & The Big Hungry Boys (Old-Time & Bluegrass)

September 6: The St. Augustine Jazz Society

This is a great way to spend a date night or a night on the town with the family and who could ask for more when it’s free! And, what better place than downtown St. Augustine with all the beautiful oak trees and quaint little shops. It’s the perfect place to relax or get up and dance. Go out and try something new on a Thursday night and let us know what you think!

Check out this website to see a map to the Plaza or to get any more information: http://www.staugustinegovernment.com/sites/concerts-plaza/index.cfm or call (904) 825-1004

If you weren’t able to make St. Johns County School Superintendent, Dr. Joseph Joyner’s very informative presentation at Davidson Realty’s Davidson Speaker Series a couple weeks ago, you might not be aware of these very impressive facts. Here are 5 reasons parents should choose to send their kids to our schools:

1. St. Johns County Schools ranked in the top 14% of the nation in “What Parents Want” in public schools.
2. Our schools received first overall ranking out of 67 counties on FCAT scores
3. On the Florida Comprehensive Achievement Test (compared to other districts in the state) Grade 3, 4, and 5 took first place in both reading and math. Grade 9 and 10 took first in reading. Grade 11 took third in science. The list goes on and on!
4. The School System has received an A grade eight years in a row (one of only 10 school districts in the state)
5. And, lastly, we are lucky enough to have Dr. Joseph G. Joyner as our Superintendent. He was the 2009 Florida Superintendent of the Year!

Dr. Joyner also explained how selective the process is in choosing teachers for your children. He listed future plans to expand the schools to accommodate more children. He talked about how even with budget cuts, the children’s activities and fun have not been sacrificed. The schools still provide art and PE, which a lot of schools can’t say. These really are only a few reasons why our school system is excellent. For more information go to www.stjohns.k12.fl.us

Royal Pines is a very special place to me – one where I spent my childhood and teen years. I still think of it as home and cherish all the memories I have of taking our golf cart around the Village with friends and swimming with my brothers and our black lab, Bella, in my parent’s pool. Now, I am lucky enough to make new memories in Royal Pines – watching my brother fish, my dad cook, and drinking champagne with my mom on our screened lanai while admiring our beautiful view of the lake as the sun goes down. You could say I’m a Royal Pines expert and I’m going to let you in on 5 things that make Royal Pines so unique:

1. Royal Pines is the only neighborhood with 5 foot sidewalks on both sides of the road
2. The community is surrounded by a 40 acre lake
3. Royal Pines is home to the developer of World Golf Village, the President of Davidson Realty, and 3 Davidson agents!
4. And, it’s home to a turn-of-the-century cast iron crane fountain
5. Each home within the Jacksonville golf course community has its own unique style

These Jacksonville golf course homes start in the $400,000s and builders featured are Rutenberg, North Florida Builders, Providence Homes, and The Vintage Group. 

While picking a builder or a previously built home is a monumental decision for the homeowners, it is not the most important element when all is said and done. You and your family are what makes your house a home and what makes Royal Pines such a special place to live!

In July, we will be opening the gates of our one-of-a-kind Jacksonville golf course community! July’s Sneak Peek Saturdays will feature Jacksonville golf course homes in the King & Bear. Tour the homes and be sure to check out our Swim and Tennis Center where all our social happenings take place. Fall in love with our resort-style amenities; a Junior Olympic-sized adult pool, kiddies’ pool, tennis courts, a fitness center, a clubhouse where tons of events take place, and more!

In World Golf Village, we like to celebrate the 4th of July all weekend long. Join us on Friday, July 2nd for the World Golf Village Community Fireworks Show. Bring blankets or lawn chairs and relax around the Walk of Champions before the big event. Then, join us for Sneak Peek Saturdays on July 3rd from 1-4 pm and you may be lucky enough to win a beach basket full of summer fun. If that just isn’t enough for you, make sure to book a tee time at the Slammer & Squire or King & Bear course for the 4th!

There’s a neighborhood for everyone in the King & Bear, so come out and find your perfect fit. For more information on the Community Fireworks Show call (904) 940-4123 and for more information on Sneak Peek Saturdays call (904) 940-5000. We look forward to showing you around our home!

GroveWood can be described in many ways – a beautiful single family neighborhood engulfed by nature, a family-oriented community full of activities, or a collection of 122 unique homesites inside The Village. But, I am here to tell you what you won’t read on a website; the inside scoop about living in the community I call home.

You know you live in GroveWood if:

You see a golf cart pass by every 30 minutes & you always want to hop on!

There’s a block party every night & all neighbors are invited

You land boat on Boat Landing

You go through a box of Capri Suns everyday

Your golf cart has as many miles as your car

Your neighbors discipline your kids

On June 5th we are kicking summer off right in the premiere active adult community, The Cascades! Not only can you tour attractive single family homes, but you can check out their 22,000 sq. ft. grand clubhouse, indoor and outdoor pools, bocce ball court, tennis court and all the other fun summer activities this community offers! So, come on out between 1 and 4 pm and see why it is called an active community for yourself!

Not only are we opening the gates of this beautiful neighborhood for your viewing, we are also offering an awesome register to win prize! At one of the open houses, you can register to win a night’s stay at The Renaissance Resort at World Golf Village on July 2nd for the World Golf Village Community Fireworks show! With one of the largest fireworks displays in Northeast Florida right outside your window, you are sure to fully experience this St. Augustine golf course community. 

No one can explain life in The Cascades better than the residents themselves, so with the help of Jerry Shagam (a Cascades’ resident and friend of Davidson Realty) I narrowed down the list of why the neighbors say they bought and love to live in this spectacular active adult community.

1. Amenities: The Cascades offers a 22,000 sq. ft. clubhouse with indoor and outdoor pools, a sauna, billiard room, card room, ballroom, tennis courts, and more!

2. Privacy: This is a gated community with 24 hour security

3. Activities: There are a myriad of diverse events happening every day. One neighbor says, “We constantly have to turn down invitations to do things or go somewhere. It’s great. If anyone is bored here, it’s their own fault.”