Reading and hearing today's news about our country, I cannot help but wonder, "What Would Thomas Jefferson Do?" What would he be thinking in this political climate and these challenging economic times? I'm certain he would not approve of our situation.  Our visit to the grounds of his home, Monticello, in Charlottesville, Virginia, gave me a deeper insight into the man and what he stood for. One thing I am sure of, he would not be silent.

Nicole Lahti, a mortgage broker from Austin, TX has come up with some very creative, legitimate ways you can come up with a down payment for your new home. First time homebuyers and move up home buyers, take a look at this iist to see which ones can help put you in your dream home.

Home Improvement Tips - Drywall Repair

If you want to upgrade the ceramic towel racks in your bathroom, here's an easy way to repair the drywall to make way for the new brushed nickel or oil-rubbed bronze racks that will give your bath an updated look.

After removing the ceramic towel racks, there will be two holes in the wall.

Cut a wood block that is larger than the hole. Slip it in behind the drywall and secure it with screws, using your screw gun. Frank screws in a screw to hold the block while he places it and anchors it behind the drywall.

Cut a piece of drywall about the size of the hole, fit it in and screw it in place.

Take drywall mud and spread it around the hole, smoothing it. Let it dry. Caveat: DO NOT ever use spackle to repair drywall. Spackle will not blend in like drywall will, and you will always be able to see the repair.

Take a sander and smooth the mud. Let it dry, then sand again. Sometimes I see Frank wipe with an almost dry sponge after sanding.

When it's nice and smooth, take a small paint brush and lightly feather in the paint color around the drywall repair.  You might want to thin the paint a little to help it blend better. If this makes the drywall shrink, just repeat the above steps and when it's dry, paint again. Sometimes the drywall will shrink but not usually. Next, take a roller and paint over the area to add some texture back into the wall, hiding the repair.

That's it! Now you're ready for a new towel rack or hanging cabinet to give your bathroom a fresh look.

Fleming Island Plantation Homes for Sale - Fleming Island Florida

38 Active

12 Short Sales

 7 Bank Owned

50% of all homes for sale in Fleming Island Plantation are Short Sales or Bank Owned. 

57 homes have sold since 11/29/2008, so there is about an 8 month inventory of homes for sale in Fleming Island Plantation.

The best homes at the best price will sell.

Currently there are 9 Contracts Pending. 6 of them are Distressed Sales (Short Sales or Bank Owned), or 67%. All but one are under $300,000. 2 are under $200,000.

Fleming Island Plantation has many amenities, including an 18-hole golf course, two water parks, clubhouse, playgrounds, tennis, and many activities. There are two townhome neighborhoods (one gated), one condominium neighborhood, two paired villa neighborhoods (one gated), one single family neighborhood with lawn care, one single family home gated neighborhood and many other single family neighborhoods.

23 homes for sale in Fleming Island Plantation were improperly identified in the MLS. Please note this if you are particularly interested in homes for sale in Fleming Island Plantation. They may just be listed under the individual neighborhood name.

Active homes for sale range from $163,000 to $2,285,000. Size ranges from 1809 sq. ft. to 5900 sq. ft.

Frank and I are Fleming Island residents. We moved to old Orange Park in 1989 to be close to Frank's family and have lived here ever since except a few years in Orlando. Frank moved to Jacksonville when he was 11, so he has lived here most of his life. We are Top Producers for our company and have earned the Jacksonville Homebuyer Best in Client Satisfaction Award for the last 4 years.

If you are interested in viewing the homes for sale on Fleming Island, we are ready to help you. We have the latest information on the best values on Fleming Island. Please email or call us at 904-673-2308.

Original Photography, All Rights Reserved. *Fleming Island Plantation Homes for Sale November 29, 2009*

All statistical information provided from the NEFAR MLS, deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

November 22, 2009 Market Report

November 15, 2009 Market Report

October 24, 2009 Market Report

October 17, 2009 Market Report

October 10, 2009 Market Report

October 3, 2009 Market Report

September 19, 2009 Market Report

September 26, 2009 Market Report

July 2009 Market Report

Eagle Harbor Homes for Sale

75 Active 

 8 Short Sale

 0 Bank Owned

11% of all Eagle Harbor homes for sale are Short Sales.

The market trends are somewhat down from the from the Eagle Harbor Homes for Sale July 4 Market Report, which listed 97 homes for sale and 15% were  short sales. Active homes for sale in Eagle Harbor are down by about 33%.

99 homes have sold in Eagle Harbor since 11/28/2008. This means we have about a 9 month supply of homes for sale if no other homes come on the market. The best looking, best priced homes will sell.

Currently there are 18 Contracts Pending. 8 of them are Distressed Sales (Short Sales or Bank Owned), or 44%. 2 are under $200,000. 8 are between $200-300,000. 8 are from $300-550,000.

Eagle Harbor has many amenities, including an 18-hole golf course, three water parks, clubhouse, 5 day docks, one community with private docks, playgrounds throughout the community, tennis, a nature preserve, and many activities.

There is one townhouse neighborhood - Pine Lake, one condominium neighborhood - The Enclave, and many single family home neighborhoods Neighborhoods range from patio homes with very small lots, starter homes, production builder homes to custom homes on estate lots. There is something for everyone. Three neighborhoods offer waterfront homes on Doctor's Lake which opens into the St Johns River - The Preserve, Daniel's Landing and Neilhurst.

Active single family homes range from $142,900 to $1,599,000. The smallest home is 1438 sq. ft. and the largest is 5701 sq. ft.

Frank and I are Eagle Harbor residents. We moved to the Jacksonville area in 1989 to be close to Frank's family and have lived here ever since except a few years in Orlando. We are Top Producers at our company, Watson Realty.

If you are interested in purchasing a home on Fleming Island, we are ready to help you. We have the latest information on the best values in Eagle Harbor. Please email or call us at 904-673-2308.

Original Photography, All Rights Reserved. *Eagle Harbor Homes for November 29, 2009*

All statistical information provided from the NEFAR MLS, deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

Eagle Harbor FL Homes for Sale Market Report November 22, 2009

November 15, 2009 Eagle Harbor Homes for Sale Market Report

November 8, 2009 Eagle Harbor Homes for Sale Market Report

October 24, 2009 Eagle Harbor Homes for Sale Market Report

October 17, 2009 Eagle Harbor Homes for Sale Market Report

October 10, 2009 Eagle Harbor Homes for Sale Market Report

October 3, 2009 Eagle Harbor Homes for Sale Market Report

September 26, 2009 Eagle Harbor Homes for Sale Market Report

September 18, 2009 Eagle Harbor Homes For Sale Market Report

July Eagle Harbor Homes for Sale Market Report

SEARCH FOR HOMES

Fleming Island boasts many beautiful communities, including Eagle Harbor, Fleming Island Plantation, Pace Island, and Hibernia Plantation among others.

Here are the statistics on Homes for Sale on Fleming Island. This Report also includes four significant communities on Fleming Island - Eagle Harbor FL, Fleming Island Plantation, Pace Island, and Hibernia Plantation.

Fleming Island Homes for Sale

There is a significant reduction in the homes for sale since the July Market Report. There are about 37% fewer homes for sale on Fleming Island at this time. There is a 47% reduction in the number of short sale homes for sale on Fleming Island.

212 Active

 37 Short Sales (Title still held by Owner)

 13 Bank Owned (Foreclosed, REO)

24% of all homes for sale on Fleming Island are Short Sales or Bank Owned.

Active homes for sale on Fleming Island range from $119,900 to $2,285,000. Sq. ft. sizes range from 1200 to 6495.

Currently, there are 37 Contracts Pending. 21 of them are Distressed Sales - either Short Sales or Bank Owned, or 56%. 12 are under $200,000; 19 are under $300,000. 83% of all Contracts Pending are under $300,000.

Eagle Harbor Homes for Sale

75 Active

 8 Short Sales

 0 Bank Owned

11% of all homes for sale in Eagle Harbor are Short Sales or Bank Owned. This is the lowest % since July 2009.

Currently there are 18 Contracts Pending. 8 of them are Distressed Sales (Short Sales or Bank Owned), or 44%. 2 are under $200,000. 8 are between $200-300,000. 8 are from $300-550,000.

Eagle Harbor has many amenities, including golf course, three water parks, clubhouse, 5 day docks, one community with private docks, playgrounds throughout the community, tennis, a nature preserve, and many activities.

There is one townhouse neighborhood, one condominium neighborhood, and many single family home neighborhoods. Three neighborhoods offer waterfront homes on Doctor's Lake which opens into the St Johns River. Homes on smaller lots (patio homes or golf villas) are located near the golf course.

Active homes range from $142,900 to $1,599,000.

Fleming Island Plantation Homes for Sale

38 Active

12 Short Sales

 7 Bank Owned

50% of all homes for sale in Fleming Island Plantation are Short Sales or Bank Owned. 

Currently there are 9 Contracts Pending. 6 of them are Distressed Sales (Short Sales or Bank Owned), or 67%. All but one are under $300,000. 2 are under $200,000.

Fleming Island Plantation has many amenities, including golf course, two water parks, clubhouse, playgrounds, tennis, and many activities. There is one town home neighborhood, two condominium neighborhoods (one gated), two paired villa neighborhoods (one gated), one single family neighborhood with lawn care, two single family home gated neighborhoods and many other single family neighborhoods. Margaret's Walk is a gated community with riverfront lots.

20 homes were improperly identified in the MLS. That means distressed homes for sale were improperly identified. Please note this if you are particularly interested in distressed properties homes for sale in Fleming Island Plantation. They are just named for the individual neighborhood.

Active homes range from $163,000 to $2,285,000.

Pace Island Homes for Sale

13 Active

 1 Short Sales

 1 Bank Owned

Just over 1% of the homes on the market are Short Sales or Bank Owned in Pace Island.

15 Homes have sold since 11/15/2008. There is a 10.4 month supply of homes on the market.

Currently there are 2 Contracts Pending in Pace Island. 1 is a Distressed Sale (Short Sale or Bank Owned), or 50%.

Pace Island is a guard-gated community about a half-mile south of the bridge coming over Doctor's Lake on Highway 17. Amenities include two community pools, tennis courts, soccer fields, pavilion and day dock. Some homes are water frontage on Doctor's Lake.

Active homes for sale range from $174,900 to $1,950,000.

Hibernia Plantation Homes for Sale

4 Active

0 Short Sales

0 Bank Owned

Two homes have sold in Hibernia Plantation since 11/15/2008. There is a two-year supply of homes at present.

Hibernia Plantation is located in the SE part of Fleming Island and includes riverfront properties. No waterfront properties are active. There are no amenities in Hibernia Plantation, but the oak-lined streets with larger lots are very appealing to many buyers.

Active homes for sale range from $329,000 to $739,000.

Fleming Island Waterfront Homes for Sale

31 Active

 0 Short Sales

 1 Bank Owned

Fleming Island is bordered by water on all sides - there is a portion that was blocked by a storm years ago that is swamp - and there are always homes for sale on navigable water, either canal or waterfront on the St. Johns, Doctor's Lake, Swimming Pen Creek or Black Creek.

3% of Fleming Island Waterfront homes for sale are Distressed Properties. In the July Market Report, 23% or 10 waterfront homes for sale were short sales or bank owned.

Currently, there is one Contract Pending Waterfront Property on Fleming Island and it is a Short Sale.

13 waterfront homes have sold since 11/29/2008. Currently, there is a 2.5 year supply of homes on the market.

Active waterfront homes for sale range from $350,000 to $2,285,000.

If you are interested in viewing the homes for sale on Fleming Island, we are ready to help you. We have the latest information on the best values in the Fleming Island area. Please email or call us at 904-673-2308.

Original Photography, All Rights Reserved. *Fleming Island Homes for Sale November 29, 2009*

All Data Supplied by Northeast Florida MLS, deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

Fleming Island Homes for Sale November 22, 2009

Fleming Island Homes for Sale November 15, 2009

Fleming Island Homes for Sale November 8, 2009

Fleming Island Homes for Sale October 24, 2009

Fleming Island Homes for Sale October 17, 2009

Fleming Island Homes for Sale October 10, 2009

Fleming Island Homes for Sale October 3, 2009

Fleming Island Homes for Sale September 26, 2009

Fleming Island Homes for Sale July, 2009

SEARCH FOR HOMES FOR SALE

Sometimes the sunset just beckons and you have to stop the car, get out and take a breathtaking shot. Yesterday was one of those days. This photo was taken from the public dock on Lakeshore Drive at the end of Harbor Lake Drive. This is looking southwest in the direction of Swimming Pen Creek and Whitey's Fish Camp. Fall in Florida is so spectacular.

Pace Island ~ 1922 Salt Myrtle Fleming Island Florida. Listed at $330,000. Listed by Frank and Sharon Alters ~ TeamAlters.com, Watson Realty FL.

This beautiful custom home is located in the private gated community of Pace Island on Fleming Island. The all-brick home backs to a large lagoon. The homes across the street are Doctors Lake waterfront homes. 1922 Salt Myrtle is in the Pace Gardens neighborhood of Pace Island. If a spacious estate lot with privacy and a beautiful view are important to you, then this home is a must see.

1922 Salt Myrtle has 2362 sq. ft., 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, formal living and dining rooms, family room with fireplace, large screened lanai, spacious deck and park-like back yard with stately oak trees. Custom features include hardwood flooring, crown moulding, chair rail and picture moulding in dining room, palladium windows, jetted tub in master bath, and a window seat built-in in the breakfast nook. The roof was new in Summer 2009.

Pace Island is a guard-gated community of 685 homes, developed from land bought by John and Gussie Pace in 1949. Amenities include tennis courts, two swimming pool parks, two playgrounds, soccer and baseball fields, nature trail to pavilion and day dock for residents.

The offered price of $330,000 is an excellent value for this prestigious gated community home.

If you would like a private showing, we would be happy to help you with this delightful Pace Island private gated community home.

OakLeaf Plantation is a Master Planned Community in the town of Orange Park Florida in the northwest corner of Clay County. With many homes for sale, both resale and new construction, OakLeaf offers something for every lifestyle. Since the first houses came out of the ground in 2003, OakLeaf has spawned a host of schools, a regional shopping center (Village Center) at one end and a couple of others along the way and there is still room for future development, both commercial and residential.

The people behind OakLeaf Plantation are The Hutson Companies, a local developer with more than thirty years of experience and community participation. Their vision for a community where you can live and work close to home, that would be family-friendly and also a great place for singles and empty-nesters, is realized in the OakLeaf plan.

There are two multi-million dollar Athletic Centers for residents. There are two water parks with waterslides, spraygrounds, a lap pool and lagoon pools. The Centers also feature Clubhouses, fitness centers, soccer and baseball fields, basketball and tennis courts. Altogether, it is over 50 acres of fitness and fun activities for all OakLeaf Plantation residents. Golf is available at Eagle Landing.

The Centers also feature Clubhouses, fitness centers, soccer and baseball fields, basketball and tennis courts. There is a Field House at the Athletic Fields. Golf is available at Eagle Landing. There are playgrounds throughout the neighborhoods.

OakLeaf Plantation is divided into two separate geographic areas with many neighborhoods in each. OakLeaf Village is situated east of Branan Field-Chaffee Road, while Plantation Oaks is on the western side of Branan Field-Chaffee. An Athletic Center is in each section. The Mixed-Use Area borders Branan Field-Chaffee Road and OakLeaf Plantation Parkway. Eagle Landing at OakLeaf Plantation offers golf for OakLeaf residents. It is south of Plantation Oaks and adjacent to OakLeaf Plantation but its developer is East West Partners. It has its own Amenity Center and does not use the OakLeaf facilities.

There are single family homes neighborhoods, with prices starting in the low $100,000s to the mid $400,000s. The lowest price home that has sold is $22,000 for an unfinished Panitz home sold in March 2009, and the highest price is $600,000 for a 4,385 sq. ft. home sold in September 2007. These numbers are from the NEFAR MLS.

There are multi-family neighborhoods, including townhomes and condominiums. The highest price paid was $243,746 for an 1800 sq. ft. townhome in April 2006 in Briar Oaks Townhomes. The lowest price paid is $77,000 for a 1,440 sq. ft. townhome in Cambridge that was a short sale. It sold in August 2009.

Future plans for OakLeaf Plantation - There is a planned public library. New High School will open August 2010. Plantation Oaks BLvd. will have a fly over Branan Field-Chaffee Road. The Outer Beltway is planned to go down Branan Field-Chaffee Road. This will make OakLeaf Plantation an extremely convenient location.

Oakleaf is a CDD community, which means it has its own governing board and an annual fee which is billed as an Ad Valorem tax on your property taxes. Part of it is to pay the bond the developer issued to build the community, and the rest is for Operations and Maintenance of the facilities.

If you want to find out more about Oakleaf Plantation, we would love to help you.

Some cats have the life. This Tabby was nuzzling up against our son's hand while lying on a captivating chair in the sun on the Greek Island of Hydra, where there are no motorized vehicles allowed. Talk about the life! He never has to worry about an encounter with a speeding car or motorcycle. Plus, he gets to live in one of God's most gorgeous areas.