The real estate market has been steadily improving this year and the so-called icing on the cake is the increase in new home sales.  At Davidson Realty, a whopping 45% of their closings in November were new construction, and they have closed 85 new construction sales so far in 2013.  A healthy real estate market is good for the economy and new construction is especially fruitful. According to the National Association of Home Builders, each new home provides approximately three new jobs for a year and an additional $90,000 in tax revenue. The Commerce Department reported that sales of new homes were up by 25% in October nationally.

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Whether you’re building a home, renovating or just looking to do a small upgrade, a visit to Atlantic Stone & Tile’s showroom is sure to provide inspiration.  Located off U.S. 1 just south of International Golf Parkway, Atlantic Stone & Tile features some of the world’s most beautiful tile, stone and mosaics. The company started in 2009 as a broker of tile and stone for large commercial projects nationally then opened its St. Augustine showroom in March 2012 to service local homeowners, designers and builders.  Owner Tim Jackson has specialized in tile import, distribution, wholesale and installation for more than 20 years.  We recently talked with him about Atlantic Stone & Tile.

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An article in the March 6th edition of The St. Augustine Record, “Property values rising in St. Johns County” by Peter Guinta, reported a 1.2 percent increase in property values over the last year – the first increase in the past five years.  The article also notes an increase in building permits – a trend that started in 2012 and has continued into 2013.  There were 187 single-family home permits issued in January 2013 and 194 in February putting St. Johns County in the top five counties in the state for single-family home permits.

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St. Augustine Academy of the Arts, the area’s premier arts center, takes the stress out of after school transportation for parents and puts the fun back in afternoons for kids. The center now provides after school pick-up and transportation to the center for several local schools, including Wards Creek Elementary, Mill Creek Elementary, Palencia Elementary, and Pacetti Bay Middle.

Says Artistic Director Tasha Wells, “The kids are always excited to get here and start moving after a long day at school. This program gets the kids here safely and also helps parents with after-school logistics.”

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The process of getting a mortgage was, for the most part, taken for granted before the recession.  But times change and getting a mortgage became a major headache.  Bank of England (BOE), however, bucks the trend by offering excellent communication and customer service throughout the mortgage approval process.  “Bank of England has been very effective at getting transactions closed for our customers in World Golf Village and throughout Northeast Florida,” explains Sherry Davidson of Davidson Realty. “In many banks, customers are not given personalized service and it is hard to get anyone to care about the timing of the closing. With BOE, they strive to close transactions in 21 days and you can get someone to help if your transaction has an issue.”

Bank of England is a state chartered, full-service FDIC insured bank founded in 1898 in England, Arkansas.  BOE’s corporate headquarters is in Little Rock, Arkansas; one of the company’s top mortgage divisions is located in Northeast Florida. Although BOE is licensed to do business in all 50 states, its Northeast Florida mortgage banking center primarily focuses on doing business in our backyard – a benefit to homebuyers looking to purchase in World Golf Village, the 210 corridor, and throughout St. Johns and Duval counties.

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Feb
 
26
 

Arthur Carlo is a World Golf Village resident who has given back immeasurably to the community he calls home.  Art has served as the President & CEO of Cascades Homeowners Association since 2007.  We recently had the pleasure of talking with Art.

Q: How did you come to call Cascades home? My wife, Rosalie, and I wanted to live closer to our grandchildren.  We looked at several 55+ communities in Florida, including in Orlando and North Florida.  From the moment we drove into World Golf Village, we were impressed.  The landscaping and the planning gave the community a welcoming sense of arrival.  When we toured Cascades and learned about its amenities, it clearly was a notch above.  I call it a cruise ship lifestyle without the water. Then Rosalie fell in love with the kitchen and we knew it was home!

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It was a welcomed mid-week treat when I headed just 10 minutes down the road from World Golf Village to the St. Augustine Visitors Center to view the Picasso Art & Arena exhibition that arrived February 1st.  I love an “art break” for clearing the mind and inspiring creativity, and I didn’t have to trek 30 minutes into Jacksonville to visit MOCA or The Cummer.  My daughter Gracie and I took our field trip after school.

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Jan
 
15
 

Nease Graduate Jay Owen Builds Successful Web Development & Design Firm

From its headquarters in World Golf Village, Design Extensions has attracted clients throughout North America who seek the firm’s expertise in web design, online marketing and graphic design.  Design Extensions was founded in 1999 by Jay Owen and today its team of five create websites, design logos, produce brochures, plan pay-per-click and other digital campaigns, among other marketing activities for a wide range of clients.  We recently talked with Jay Owen to learn more about his business.

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Move over cupcakes.  Frozen yogurt is the new favorite treat.  You can serve yourself, mix and match flavors, and get exactly the amount you want.  Then create your own masterpiece by choosing from a variety of toppings.  Frozen yogurt is also a slightly healthier dessert choice since it’s non-fat, but that’s beside the point because it tastes creamy, sweet and delicious!  So I was thrilled when a new Yogurt shop opened in Palencia.  A few days ago my friend and I went to visit Yogurt Motion located in the Palencia Commons. We met the owner, Scott Sance, who was glad to talk to us about the new, self-serve frozen yogurt shop.

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Local Irish pub Donovan’s is located at Plaza Palencia, just southeast of the intersection of International Golf Parkway and US-1. With great Irish-inspired food, good service, and a genuinely sincere staff, this fun bar and restaurant is a nice place to relax, watch some football, and enjoy a comforting meal.  I have been going to Donovan’s ever since I can remember (I’m 12 now), and it is definitely one of my favorite restaurants.

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