December closed the year with a market that showed resilience and balance across Northeast Florida. Home values continued to trend upward in most counties, signaling sustained demand, while buyer activity remained active even as fewer new listings entered the market. Inventory levels provided more options than earlier in the year, and homes generally took a bit longer to sell, giving buyers added breathing room in negotiations. At the same time, affordability remained a defining factor across the region, with notable differences from county to county. Overall, the month reflected a stabilizing market that continues to reward well-informed buyers and sellers alike. [Read more →]

ICI Homes, a Florida-based custom homebuilder and one of the nation’s most esteemed builders, has proudly donated $247,720 to Builders Care, the charitable arm of the Northeast Florida Builders Association (NEFBA), through its latest Home from the Heart project located in Middlebourne in St. Johns County. The funds raised will support Builders Care’s mission of providing critical home repairs and renovations to low-income, elderly, and disabled residents across Northeast Florida. [Read more →]

Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan recently joined former Mayor John Peyton at the first distribution of books for the “Mayor’s Book Club,” an expansion of Mayor Deegan’s successful River City Readers literacy initiative aimed at giving a free book every month to every four-year-old in Jacksonville. [Read more →]

The Florida Department of Commerce recently awarded a $20 million grant to JEA on behalf of Normandy Village to support the rebuilding of the community’s wastewater infrastructure. [Read more →]

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Springfield Preservation and Revitalization (SPAR) recently announced its acquisition of the historic Drew Residence at 245 W 3rd Street. [Read more →]

The JAX Chamber announced its 2026 Small Business Leaders of the Year. [Read more →]

Jacksonville has earned a place on the National Association of Realtors Housing Hot Spots 2026 list, a recognition reserved for U.S. metro areas best positioned to offer new opportunities for homebuyers in the coming year. After years of tight inventory, affordability challenges, and constrained mobility, NAR’s latest report highlights markets where shifting conditions are beginning to favor buyers, and Jacksonville stands out as one of them.

The report identifies metro areas that outperform the nation on at least five of ten key housing indicators, including income growth, household demographics, job expansion, mortgage-rate sensitivity, and improvements in for-sale inventory. For Jacksonville, the data points to a market where improving affordability is finally converging with strong population growth and increased housing supply.

NAR describes Jacksonville as a market “where migration and inventory meet affordability,” a combination that places it among the top metro areas for renewed buyer activity.

Key findings from the report show:

• Nearly 40,000 more Jacksonville households would qualify for a median-priced home if mortgage rates ease to 6% in 2026.
• Millennials make up 34.2% of households, providing a strong base of demand as rates decline.
• Income growth rose 6.5% from the previous year, giving buyers increased purchasing power.
• Net domestic migration accounts for 1.1% of the population, reinforcing Jacksonville’s consistent appeal to new residents.
• Job growth reached 0.7%, supporting local economic stability.
• Inventory better aligns with local incomes, with a housing affordability match score of 0.73, outperforming the national average of 0.67.

Together, these indicators reveal a market where more buyers, especially younger and newly qualified households, can finally step into homeownership. For several years, Northeast Florida has seen extraordinary demand, limited supply, and rapidly rising prices. According to NAR, 2026 will mark a notable shift: a moderation of mortgage rates, broader inventory levels, and seller expectations that increasingly align with buyer budgets. This creates meaningful opportunity for both sides of the transaction; Buyers gain improved affordability and choices across more price ranges, and sellers benefit from steady demand and a growing pool of qualified buyers returning to the market. As affordability improves, Jacksonville is expected to see healthier market dynamics throughout 2026.

For the 10th year in a row, the Florida Theatre is proud to host their annual holiday movie and food drive benefiting Feeding Northeast Florida and the Northeast Florida community.  The movie this year will be “The Grinch” (2018) and will start at 2 p.m. on Monday, December 29, 2025, inside the historic theatre. [Read more →]

From left, Kristin Keen, Justin Cook, Tina Smith and Lisa Kiral

The Northeast Florida Division of PulteGroup, one of the nation’s leading homebuilders, proudly announces the company’s fourth annual Building Hope Golf Tournament at The Palencia Club raised a record $224,331 for four charitable organizations – Rethreaded, Five Star Veterans Center, the Boys & Girls Club of Nassau County and Isaiah 117 House. [Read more →]