A comfortable drive through The Neighborhoods of the World Golf Village reveals that homeowners have embraced the landscape theme of their community and have eagerly spent time, resources and energy towards expanding and beautifying the landscape of their homes. Today, the value of ones home is not simply a result of the latest in kitchen, bath and entertainment amenities. More and more, home values improve and climb when the home is graced with a well-designed, beautiful landscape.

According to “Smart Money”, the Wall Street Journal Magazine of Personal Business, a home’s landscaping (or re-landscaping, as the case may be) can immediately add at least 15% to the value of the residence. To put that in perspective, for a $500,000 home, on which you spend $25,000 to spruce up the landscape, even a modest gain of only 7.5% would put $12,500 of straight profit in your pocket upon sale. A 15% gain would mean a profit of $50,000 – an amazing result based on some weekend sweat equity coupled with some professional landscape contracting.

World Golf Village celebrates the recent opening of the 1,000th store for Publix grocers, a 54,000 square foot, beautifully crafted, state-of-the-art grocery store at the Shoppes of Murabella. Publix also continues to operate its first WGV store at West Town Center, making for the ultimate in shopping convenience. The full-service CVS Pharmacy and the Walgreens Pharmacy recently opened and offer care centers and drive-through prescription pick-up. Convenience foods and sundries are provided at the Shell Gas Station and BP Gas Station, both of which have drive-through car washes. Not to be overlooked is the brand-new, Publix-branded Wine and Liquor Store.

Prospective homebuyers, real estate agents and neighbors are invited to join The Neighborhoods of World Golf Village team on Oct. 3rd, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., for the first “Sneak Peek Saturday” at the St. Johns County master-planned, golf course community. Sneak Peek Saturdays are open houses that will be hosted by The Neighborhoods of World Golf Village staff the first Saturday of every month. The events will be held in different model, inventory and resale homes each month. A seasonal edible treat will be served in one home, registration for prizes will be held in another home and attendees will be able to meet The Neighborhoods of World Golf Village staff, ask questions and get more information about the St. Augustine golf homes and the community in a relaxed and informal setting.

Sneak Peek Saturdays will give area new home shoppers an up-close look at the beautiful homes available at The Neighborhoods of World Golf Village, which are built by some of the region’s finest and most well-respected home builders. Over twenty neighborhoods, designed to meet the needs of any buyer, are available, from elegant estate homes to resort style condominiums to active adult homes.

Pick up a map of the Sneak Peek Saturday open houses at the Davidson Realty office, which is at the main entrance to World Golf Village, or at the Gate House, which is at the entrance to King & Bear, three miles west of the main World Golf Village entrance.

See you there!

Did you know that there is an award-winning garden just minutes from World Golf Village? The Arboretum at St. Johns County Agricultural Center is planted and maintained by Master Gardeners with emphasis on seasonal displays of color. The Master Gardeners’ efforts were rewarded this year at the International Master Gardeners Conference in Las Vegas with the “Search for Excellence Award” for demonstration gardens. The University of Florida presented St. Johns County Master Gardeners with first-place awards for the “best” Demonstration and Educational gardens in Florida in 2008 and 2007.

Come get “Drunkin’ fer a Cause” on September 11th to help raise money for charity. Trust me, you have never seen anything like this before! Probably because St. Augustine’s “In Garb Pub Crawl” is the world’s only monthly costumed-period garbed pub crawl and it happens to be right in your backyard. The fun starts at 7 PM and lasts ’til 11 PM.

Dress up and enjoy some history on the second Friday of each month. Only $5 if ye dress in 16th to 19th century period clothing. The group will travel to four different watering holes in the area, starting at Pirate Portraits N’ Treasures on St. George Street, where you can buy yar costumes o’ tickets by 6 PM. No weapons or swords allowed! Arrggh!

Each month, the St. Augustine event benefits a different cause. This proceeds from this week’s pub crawl will go to Diamond in the Rough Farm.

Camaraderie, games, storytelling and more – even bad jokes are allowed as long as you participate!

What if this view is what you woke up to every morning?

This could be YOUR backyard and at an affordable price. Waterbury by the Links offers single-family homes and buildable lots along fairways 2 through 8 of World Golf Village’s King & Bear golf course, the only design collaboration of Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus. These custom built homes and homesites range from the $600s to over a million. Take advantage of the double fairway views, lake-to-golf views or nature preserve views this immaculate community has to offer.

Golf, nature, and beauty right outside your window. Waterbury embraces the golf course, offering exquisite golf homes in Jacksonville plus 21 incredible water-to golf opportunities. A naturally forested conservation area envelops and frames the neighborhood creating 32 private, woodland lots perfect for your dream home. Waterbury also offers its homeowners 37 private and secured homesites, buffered by a planted, evergreen berm.

Waterbury homeowners can access their discreet neighborhood from the main security gate via 1.5 miles of the beautifully landscaped Registry Boulevard or have direct access from SR 16, through the north entrance of the gated community in St Augustine. This neighborhood not only puts you right in the middle of nature, but also gives you quick access to the world outside. The award-winning St. Johns County School, Ward Creek Elementary is only 1,400 feet from the north gate.

Avid golfers, beginners and pros. Players at all levels will fall in love with the beautiful courses at World Golf Village.

Residents at The Neighborhoods of World Golf Village enjoy two world-class championship golf courses year-round. And while the courses at World Golf Village were designed at the professional standard, they were also built for the players that play just for fun.

The King and Bear (pictured) is a 7,279-yard challenging that takes players through sparking lakes, scenic loblolly pines and 200-year-old live oaks. The picturesque course was co-designed by golf greats Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus, and is the only course in the world with that distinction.

The Slammer and Squire was designed by renowned architect Bobby Weed with player consultants and Hall of Fame members Sam (The Slammer) Snead and Gene (The Squire) Sarazen. This 6,939-yard course is set against a backdrop of preserved woodlands and wetlands and offers great views of the World Golf Hall of Fame from several holes.

All of my blog posts seem to start out with how much fun it is to live in St. Johns County – and this one is no exception. I guess that’s because it is true! In addition to an abundance of history, culture and sports attractions, we also have great live music. Downtown St. Augustine’s Concerts in the Plaza are even more special because they are outside under majestic oaks in the oldest town square in the nation – the Plaza de la Constitucion.

Every Thursday evening, from Memorial Day to Labor Day, families gather in the early evening to share a picnic and listen to a variety of music from, bluegrass to blues, jazz to country, swing to folk, and old time to rock.

There are two concerts left in the Concerts in the Plaza‘s 19th season. One is the last regularly scheduled Thursday night performance. On September 3, Gatorbone is scheduled to perform old-time to jazz starting at 7:00 PM. The other is the Labor Day season finale! From 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM, St. Augustine Jazz Society presents The Boston Connection & Gil Surrett and a Jazz Society Jam Session.

Retirees Steve and Gail Archer were drawn to the award-winning Neighborhoods of World Golf Village for the amenities, events and energetic lifestyle at active adult neighborhood The Cascades, as well as the preserved lands, beautiful landscaping, conveniences, shopping and golf.

After years of research and planning, the Archers narrowed down their search for the perfect retirement home to two communities, one in St. Lucie and the other, St. Augustine’s The Cascades at The Neighborhoods of World Golf Village. Upon their very first visit to the neighborhood, the couple knew the St. Augustine active adult community at World Golf Village would be the neighborhood they would call home.

The couple purchased their home in The Cascades in 2006, but finally made the official move into their home this year. They moved from Pennsylvania where they still have friends and family who they now enjoy hosting at their new resort-style home. The Archers spend their days entertaining, going shopping, sightseeing, going to the beach and listening to live music at local restaurants.