The time has come to send us photos of your Easter best! We want to see it all: pastels, bonnets, costumes, bunny ears and cotton tails! Man, woman, or child – even pets are welcome! We want to reward the photo you’re most proud of or embarrassed by with a $100 gift certificate to Kilwin’s Choclates & Ice Cream and that will buy A LOT of chocolate! 

We are collecting photos now, so send em’ over to pdavidson@davidsonrealtyinc.com and they will be posted on April 5th for the voting to begin. Our Facebook fans will decide the winner, who will be announced on April 15th. Make sure to get all your friends and family to vote for your photo to help you win! You just have to be a fan of the page to vote.  Let’s get the Easter fun started!

The World Golf Village neighborhoods of Turnberry, Royal Pines and St. Andrews welcome “sneak peekers” on April 3rd with all the heralds of Spring, from blooming flowers to chirping birds and, of course, an array of lovely homes.  Treats will be served during the open house event from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. and visitors may enter to win an brunch for two  at the Renaissance Resort in WGV.

Each of these family-oriented neighborhoods offers its own distinctive ambiance and advantages.  Turnberry features homes in the $200,000s and homesites that make the most of its beautiful lakes and nature preserves.  Families enjoy lots of “play” time at the neighborhood swimming pool, basketball court and gathering room.  At Royal Pines, handsome custom homes start in the $400,000s and feature distinctive architectural details and elegant designs. Royal Pines residents have access to all the amenities of World Golf Village, as well as their own neighborhood park with a turn-of-the-century crane fountain.  An intimate enclave of 64 patio homes, St. Andrews offers low-maintenance living without any sacrifices. Starting in the $200,000s, the homes at St. Andrews are idyllically situated around a lake and residents enjoy a lakeside pool.

Get ready to win some great stuff! This month we are starting Post For Prizes, a Facebook contest, to thank our fans for following us. Every other month, we will ask questions for you to comment on and the best answer will win our prize for the month. We have a range of prizes and this month’s will be golf for 2 on your choice course – Slammer & Squire or King & Bear.

We’re kicking it all off on March 16th and we want to know your favorite golfing quote. Start thinking and remember to post for the prize!

Pastel Princess.  Dapper Dandy. Outrageous Bonnet. We want to see your most amazing, showstopping, unforgettable Easter outfit ever.  Man, woman or child.  No matter your age. Show us the one outfit you’re most proud of, or embarrassed by.  Everyone will get to vote for the best and the winner will receive a sweet extravaganza from Kilwin’s.  Watch for the call for photos coming soon!

I started to work for Jim & Sherry Davidson (pictured below), the master developers of World Golf Village, about 10 years ago. I remember Sherry taking me for a tour of the King & Bear at World Golf Village right after I joined the team. There were two homes in Bearsford, one in Kingsbury and one in Waterbury by the Links. That was it…four total homes. Today, there are almost 700 homes behind the gates of King & Bear. So, I guess you can say I have seen World Golf Village evolve over the years. However, that wasn’t the true beginning of the World Golf Village story. It actually started many years before the first homes were built!

Over the years I worked with Jim & Sherry and the rest of the Davidson team, I have heard bits and pieces of thousands of stories about the early days. Jim recounts making deals on nothing more than a handshake with honorable men and Sherry tells of how exciting it was when a UPS delivery truck bounced down a dirt road and found the construction trailer for the first time. Along the way, they ran into difficult times and colorful personalities. And they found a way to survive both!

Each month, we introduce you to a resident of The Neighborhoods of World Golf Village. For February, we talked to Jason Hill. Jason moved into TuscanWood about two years ago with his wife and children. Meet Jason…
 
1. What is your favorite thing about living in WGV?  

THE AMAZING LANDSCAPING AND WILDLIFE, THE TREES AND FOLIAGE MAKES IT FEEL AS IF THE NEIGHBORHOOD HAS BEEN HERE FOR AT LEAST 50 YEARS.
 
2. What one goal do you hope to accomplish this year?  

I JUST OPENED UP A NEW LAW FIRM HERE IN THE WORLD GOLF VILLAGE AREA, SO MY GOAL IS TO GROW THE LAW OFFICES OF CURTIS & HILL, P.A. INTO ONE OF THE PREMIER LAW FIRMS IN NORTHEAST FLORIDA.
 
3. Is justice or forgiveness more important?

WHILE I BELIEVE STRONGLY IN JUSTICE, FORGIVENESS IS MORE IMPORTANT FOR A LONG AND HEALTHY LIFE.
 

It was 2:00pm Wednesday afternoon when I received a text from my husband.  A group of corporate people were in town and would meet us for dinner in St. Augustine at 6:00pm that evening.  My first thought was thank goodness I recently had my hair and nails done. Then I panicked- I have nothing to wear!  I’ve recently lost a lot of weight and have a very limited selection of clothing that fit without safety pins.  I admit I am a seasoned shopper so normally this would be a wonderful challenge. I would head to the St. Johns Town Center in Jacksonville or my favorite, the Mall at Millennia in Orlando and return with several options, but the clock was ticking. Where do I find the perfect Little Black Dress in St. Augustine?

Aaron and Kate McDaniel are the winners of our Happy Couple Photo Contest. The Heritage Landing residents won folks over with their lovely beach embrace photo, getting the most votes and great support from friends and family.  Davidson Realtor Lyn Sappington was the McDaniel’s Agent when they moved into Heritage Landing in January, 2009, and she was not surprised that they won the contest.  She said, “Kate and Aaron are a wonderful and loving couple that truly enjoy each other’s company, which makes them a pleasure to be around.” They look forward to a romantic dinner at Le Pavillon in St. Augustine (the grand prize) when Aaron returns from his Iraq tour of duty in May.  We wish them all the best!

Our next Sneak Peek Saturday Open House will be March 6 from 1 to 4:00 PM at The Neighborhoods of World Golf Village. This time we are doing it a little differently! Instead of touring homes in a neighborhood, we are focusing on homesites in the King & Bear.

There will be five featured homesites. On each of these sites, there will be a tent with refreshments, as well as a knowledgeable professional – including custom homebuilders, lenders, or a Realtor from Davidson Realty. They will share information with you on the advantages of building custom homes in Northeast Florida over buying existing homes. They also will be able to talk about the best ways to position a home on the sites to maximize views and solar efficiency, among other things.

If you visit all five of the featured homesites, you will be entered to win a $100 gift card to Donavan’s Pub – in honor of the upcoming St. Patty’s Day!

We also will provide a map of the neighborhoods so you can visit other golf course and preserve homesites at your leisure. Just let me know if you have any questions or suggestions about our next Sneak Peek Saturday!

Many years ago, before World Golf Village was even imagined, much of the land here was either pine plantations or dairy pasture.  The pastures were adorned with majestic Live Oak trees.  The trees, livestock and wildlife co-existed and the trees thrived in their native habitat.

All too often some of our most beautiful trees are sacrificed by the development around us.  There are many special preserved trees in World Golf Village, but the most famous of them all, a prestigious Southern Live Oak stands in Heritage Park, in the King & Bear neighborhood.  In pre-design and development plans for our St. Augustine master-planned community, the tree, known as The Heritage Oak, stood right in the path of a planned major thoroughfare, Oakgrove Avenue.  Through intrinsic design and environmental sensitivity, Oakgrove Avenue was re-designed to preserve the tree and make it a neighborhood landmark.  This was a major accomplishment and a testament to the commitment to excellence by Davidson Development.