The Northeast Florida Association of Realtors’ (NEFAR) 10th Annual Bass Fishing Tournament benefiting Haven Hospice is almost here! Grab your family and plan for a day of fun at the dock on April 27th. Not only are fishermen invited to do what they love for a great cause, there are many activities for the whole family from 11 am to 5 pm!
Some of the great family-friendly activities include a kids’ casting tournament, kids’ fish tank fishing experience, opportunities for pictures with alligators and other reptiles, a variety of delicious food and merchandise vendors, music, raffle prizes, and more! The Humane Society will be present with a pet adoption tent for all you animal lovers.
We are back with President of Legacy Builders of North Florida John Unkefer to explore how the custom home building process differs from buying a production home with a national builder. As John explains in the video, many people are intimidated about the custom home process, but Legacy Builders of North Florida walks you through the entire process step-by-step.
For those of you in the buying market, it is very important to know that building custom does not mean more expensive. It means you have more choices and the opportunity to spend money where you want to in the house and also economize in other areas. Throughout the design and specification process, you decide if you prefer granite in the kitchen, the bathrooms or both. You choose the level of cabinets and decide tile versus wood. John and his team use all that information to help you lay out your perfect home on a budget that works for you!
As previously discussed, “St. Johns Harbour” was permitted in 1986 with no specific development concept in mind other than lots of development rights on lots of acres. From 1986 until 1991, the project evolved into a resort oriented community anchored by the proposed PGA TOUR Hall of Fame. The PGA TOUR Hall of Fame was conceived by the then Commissioner of the PGA TOUR – Mr. Deane Beman. In 1990, Deane decided it was time for the TOUR to have its own Hall of Fame. The PGA of America had its Hall of Fame in Pinehurst, NC. With the TOUR’s headquarters in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL., Deane decided the TOUR’s Hall of Fame facility needed to be located somewhere in the First Coast area (preferably south of Jacksonville, FL). The reasoning was quite simple: 1) The proximity to PGA TOUR headquarters would facilitate project management. 2) Being south of Jacksonville on I-95 would capture all of the I-95/I-10/I-295 tourist traffic destined for South Florida. 3) Locating in the city of Jacksonville would provide an opportunity to solicit governmental financial support due to the project’s anticipated impact on local tourism.
Comments Off on The History of World Golf Village – Part VI “The Name Change Game: St. Johns Harbour to Saint Johns – Home of the PGA TOUR Hall of Fame”
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.
John Unkefer, President of Legacy Builders of North Florida, established his company in 1997 and has over 28 years of construction experience, specializing in crafting custom homes. Davidson Realty President Sherry Davidson and I sat down with John to learn more about Legacy Builders and their custom building process.
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.
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.”
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.
The Meadows is a quaint, family-friendly community located less than two miles from the neighborhood shopping center, Murabella Plaza, in World Golf Village. It was designed and developed with affordability in mind, plus all the relationship benefits of living in World Golf Village. Come along with Davidson Realty agent Lynn Whitley and I as we explore The Meadows!
Despite taking over two (2) years to complete and costing $3.5 million, the Modification of Development Approvals and Environmental Permitting process experience was not that bad. Involved in the process were St. Johns County (SJC), Northeast Florida Regional Planning Council (NEFRPC) and the State of Florida – Department of Community Affairs (DCA). The DCA also coordinates with other state agencies such as the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT).
Comments Off on The History of World Golf Village – Part V Modification of Development Approvals and Environmental Permits “I’m From the Government and I’m Here to Help you!”
The Northeast Florida Association of Realtors’ (NEFAR) 10th Annual Bass Fishing Tournament benefiting Haven Hospice is almost here! Grab your family and plan for a day of fun at the dock on April 27th. Not only are fishermen invited to do what they love for a great cause, there are many activities for the whole family from 11 am to 5 pm!
We are back with President of 
As previously discussed, “St. Johns Harbour” was permitted in 1986 with no specific development concept in mind other than lots of development rights on lots of acres. From 1986 until 1991, the project evolved into a resort oriented community anchored by the proposed PGA TOUR Hall of Fame. The PGA TOUR Hall of Fame was conceived by the then Commissioner of the PGA TOUR – Mr. Deane Beman. In 1990, Deane decided it was time for the TOUR to have its own Hall of Fame. The PGA of America had its Hall of Fame in Pinehurst, NC. With the TOUR’s headquarters in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL., Deane decided the TOUR’s Hall of Fame facility needed to be located somewhere in the First Coast area (preferably south of Jacksonville, FL). The reasoning was quite simple: 1) The proximity to PGA TOUR headquarters would facilitate project management. 2) Being south of Jacksonville on I-95 would capture all of the I-95/I-10/I-295 tourist traffic destined for South Florida. 3) Locating in the city of Jacksonville would provide an opportunity to solicit governmental financial support due to the project’s anticipated impact on local tourism. 
Whether you’re building a home, renovating or just looking to do a small upgrade, a visit to 
John Unkefer, President of 
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. 
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. 
Despite taking over two (2) years to complete and costing $3.5 million, the Modification of Development Approvals and Environmental Permitting process experience was not that bad. Involved in the process were St. Johns County (SJC), Northeast Florida Regional Planning Council (NEFRPC) and the State of Florida – Department of Community Affairs (DCA). The DCA also coordinates with other state agencies such as the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). 
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