Northeast Florida received good news about the residential real estate industry in March as the Northeast Florida Association of Realtors reported both home sales and prices rose in February, according to the Jacksonville Business Journal and The Florida Times-Union.

The newspapers reported March 17 that closed sales increased 1.7 percent in February compared to February 2013 and the median sales price of all homes increased to $138,743 from $137,050 year over year.

In all, NEFAR reported 1,550 homes sales in February, with 2,076 sales pending – which is also an increase over the 1,819 pending sales in February 2013.

EverBank and the Jacksonville Jaguars are teaming up to provide funding and volunteers to build a new home this spring for Habijax, the Financial News & Daily Record reported on March 12.

In fact, the effort began in early March and should result in a completed home by April 25 for an eligible family which has completed more than 300 hours of volunteer work, participated in a financial literacy workshop and completed other Habijax program requirements.

EverBank employees and Jaguars players, coaches and staff as well as members of The Roar cheerleading square are helping out with the building project.

And more good industry news – building permits for homes also have been rising this year compared to any similar period since the housing market collapse, according to a March 14 article in The Florida Times-Union.

The story said the Northeast Florida Builders Association reported that 890 permits had been issued for single-family homes in a four-county Northeast Florida area in January and February, compared to 835 during that same period last year.

That figure is well above the 504 in 2012, the newspaper reported.

What’s News – Residential Real Estate last month passed along reports of Richmond American buying land in Northeast Florida – and has another item to share this month about Richmond American adding two more tracts in St. Johns County to its portfolio.

The Jacksonville Business Journal reported March 10 the national homebuilder paid $4.9 million for 70 home sites on 20 acres in Glen St. Johns, a community in northern St. Johns County at St. Thomas Island and Leo Maguire parkways.

The company also paid $1.067 million for about five acres at 4955 Palm Valley Road, which it will develop into nine home sites.

In February, the newspaper reported Richmond paid $8 million for about 10 acres in Jacksonville Beach, where it plans to build Ocean Terrace – a high-end residential community of 59 homes.