Waterfront residences at The Palazzo on St. Johns begin in the $400,000s

The Condo Group has announced Nancy Wahlke as sales specialist at The Palazzo on St. Johns, a waterfront condominium community in Jacksonville. The Condo Group was recently selected by Tampa-based firm Forge Capital Partners as its Northeast Florida partner to represent The Palazzo.

Wahlke has nearly 40 years’ experience selling real estate in Ohio, Illinois and Florida. She relocated to Jacksonville in 2003 from the Chicago area, where she was twice named Sales Person of the Year by the Sales and Marketing Council of Greater Chicago.

“I count many past customers as lifelong friends,” said Wahlke. “I am excited to meet prospective homebuyers and the opportunity to market the beautiful condominium homes at The Palazzo on St. Johns.”

Located near the Jacksonville neighborhoods of San Jose and Mandarin, The Palazzo on St. Johns is centrally located to all that the area has to offer. Priced from the low $400,000s, homeowners at The Palazzo enjoy sweeping views of the waterway from their three- or four-bedroom luxury condominium home. Each residence features superb amenities including a private elevator landing, hardwood floors, nine-foot ceilings, gas fireplace, luxury finishes and more, all while being within minutes to fantastic restaurants and shops.

“We are so pleased to have Nancy as part of our team. Her real estate experience and knowledge is an excellent contribution,” said Michael Bugg, Principal, The Condo Group.

For more information about The Palazzo on St. Johns, visit www.PalazzoOnStJohns.com or call (904) 627-4762. The Palazzo on St. Johns is located at 3958 Baymeadows Road, Jacksonville, Fla. and its Sales Center is open Monday to Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday noon to 5 p.m.

One-of-a-Kind Luxury Community Offers Location, Luxury and Lifestyle

The master-planned community of Tamaya is coming to life, offering an unmatched combination of natural beauty, Old World-style architecture and exceptional amenities.

“Tamaya is an extraordinary community that is absolutely one-of-a-kind,” said Don Wilford, North Florida division president of ICI Homes. “Our community is rich in character and quickly attracting discerning homebuyers seeking a special place to call home.”

Tamaya’s new grand entrance fronting Beach Boulevard is well underway with completion anticipated in early 2016. The entry way will lead to a tree-lined boulevard and a magnificent two-story gatehouse that residents and guests will pass through to enter the neighborhoods at Tamaya. The community’s new grand entrance will provide a warm and inviting welcome to residents and guests, and be the gateway to Tamaya’s beautiful parks, meandering walking trails and luxurious Mediterranean-style homes.

Construction is underway on the crown jewel of the community, its $11 million Residents Club. A gathering place for entertainment and get-togethers, The Residents Club will be the community’s go-to place for fitness, wellness and relaxation.

Designed exclusively for Tamaya homeowners, the Residents Club will feature a resort-style pool and outdoor recreation areas, including tennis and an event lawn. The clubhouse will span 10,000 square feet and contain nearly 4,500 square feet of interior fitness space including an expansive cardio room and a separate yoga and pilates studio overlooking a garden and fountain area.

The Residents Club will offer numerous social gathering places to enhance the community living experience including a spacious great room with catering kitchen, a clubroom, a covered porch and an outdoor patio. In harmony with Tamaya’s Mediterranean influences, the clubhouse will exude a comfortable elegance with contemporary Italian Renaissance style. The interior design will highlight a neutral color palette with striking blue accents, clean lines, wood flooring and luxurious features and finishes. Completion of the Residents Club is anticipated in late summer 2016.

“Our Residents Club will be the focal point of our remarkable community, offering a wonderful setting for families to connect and experience the Tamaya lifestyle,” said David Haas, chief development officer at ICI Homes of Tamaya. “Residents will enjoy an unmatched combination of world-class amenities, convenience and award-winning homes by ICI Homes.”

ICI Homes of Tamaya offers a wide variety of distinctive, flexible and customizable home designs showcasing Tuscan, Mediterranean and Spanish architectural influences. The plans feature flexible spaces for living and entertaining, spectacular outdoor living space and generous storage spaces. Homes range in size from 1,400 square feet to more than 4,000 square feet and range in price from the $300,000s to $600,000s. ICI Homes is known for its ability to completely customize a floor plan to uniquely suit the homeowner while delivering the highest quality craftsmanship, personal service and value.

ICI Homes has an excellent selection of move-in ready homes available for purchase at Tamaya.

• The Egret IV, a five-bedroom, four-bath home with bonus room offering 3,405 square feet of living space. Priced at $593,950.
• The Portofino, with three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a bonus room and 2,947 square feet of living space, priced at $489,900.
• The Scarlett, a 2,321-square-foot courtyard-style home offering three bedrooms and two baths, priced at $424,185.

Tamaya offers proximity to top-rated Duval County public schools – Kernan Trail Elementary, Kernan Middle School and Atlantic Coast High School. The community is located near many excellent private schools, universities and colleges. Residents also enjoy easy access to the Jacksonville area’s corporate, medical, shopping and entertainment centers.

The best way to envision life at Tamaya is to visit the community and its model park and vision center. ICI Homes has eight designer-decorated model homes available at Tamaya. The community is located off Beach Boulevard, midway between Kernan and Hodges boulevards in Jacksonville, Fla. For more information, call (855) 279-6053 or visit www.TamayaFl.com.

The Northeast Florida Builders Association (NEFBA) Gala on Friday, Nov. 13, is a highlight of the year. This grand event caps the year for NEFBA  builders, developers and associates with an evening of excitement, fine dining, entertainment, valuable prizes and an unparalleled opportunity to socialize and network.

Themed “The Rat Pack,” this year’s Gala will be at the Prime Osborn Convention Center from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.. Black tie optional, the Gala’s tickets are $125 per person and include dinner, open bar, casino games, a silent auction and prizes.  NEFBA will award one Grand Prize winner a $5,000 trip to Napa Valley. To register for the event, visit here.

From the St. Johns County Visitors & Convention Bureau:

TripAdvisor has once again named St. Augustine to its Top 25 Traveler’s Choice Awards. The newest ranking, determined by TripAdvisor users, placed St. Augustine among the Top 25 U.S. Destinations to Visit. This Traveler’s Choice award joins other recent TripAdvisor awards on St. Augustine’s metaphorical shelf, which includes the Top 25 Beaches to Visit in the U.S. and the Castillo de San Marcos as a Top 25 Landmarks to Visit in the U.S. With this most recent ranking, St. Augustine can now be found in 3 out of 7 of TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Best of Travel categories.

St. Augustine was one of only three Florida cities to be included in TripAdvisor’s Top 25 Destinations. The city ranked #21 with Miami ranking #14 and Orlando close behind at #18. As a Top 25 Destination, St. Augustine was honored for its romantic setting and deep history.

As Florida’s only town to have a landmark on the TripAdvisor list, St. Augustine’s Castillo de San Marcos ranked as the 23rd Top Landmark to see in the U.S. The Castillo de San Macros is the oldest masonry fort in the U.S. and represents the important role the Spanish founded city has had on U.S. history. Other landmarks on the list include the Golden Gate Bridge, the Lincoln Memorial and the Statue of Liberty.

In January, St. Augustine was ranked #9 in the Top 25 U.S. Beaches, noted for pleasant travel year round. Other Florida beaches making the list include Siesta Key, St. Petersburg, Pensacola, Clearwater, Panama City, Fort Myers, Hollywood and South Beach.

The “Best of ” lists are created based on the quantity and quality of traveler reviews and only 1% of destinations on TripAdvisor are awarded with Traveler’s Choice Awards.

Located midway between Daytona Beach and Jacksonville, Florida’s Historic Coast includes historic St. Augustine, the outstanding golf and seaside elegance of Ponte Vedra and 42 miles of pristine, Atlantic beaches. St. Augustine is the oldest continuously occupied European settlement in the Nation founded in 1565.

For more information on events, activities, holiday getaways and vacation opportunities in St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra & The Beaches, go to the Visitors and Convention Bureau website at www.FloridasHistoricCoast.com.

From left, NEFBA President, Rick Morales; Jacksonville City Council President-at-Large, Greg Anderson; HabiJax CEO and President, Mary Kay O’Rourke

Habitat for Humanity of Jacksonville, Inc. (HabiJax) and the Northeast Florida Builders Association (NEFBA) recently partnered to complete the HabiJax – NEFBA 24-Hour House in New Town. The two organizations recently worked to build a home for a Jacksonville man over the course of two 12-hour days. The home is located at 1439 Windle Street among other HabiJax-built homes.

“We are grateful for all of our volunteers and for the many in-kind donations provided by companies and individuals throughout Jacksonville who contribute to the success of projects like these,” said Mary Kay O’Rourke, HabiJax’s CEO and President. “NEFBA has been great to partner with and we look forward to working with them in the future.”

The 2015 NEFBA President, Rick Morales, selected HabiJax as his organization of choice to partner with for the annual President’s Project, of which the goal is to positively impact the community. This is the third consecutive year a NEFBA president has selected HabiJax as its organization of choice.

More than 30 organizations contributed funds, materials or volunteer hours to the 24-Hour House, totaling $93,000.

HabiJax has provided housing services to more than 2,000 families in Jacksonville since 1988 and is the largest affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International in the United States. Due to its commitment to making a greater impact in Jacksonville neighborhoods and revitalizing the historic New Town neighborhood, HabiJax has built more than 250 homes there to date.

From left, NEFBA President, Rick Morales; Jacksonville City Council President-at-Large, Greg Anderson; HabiJax CEO and President, Mary Kay O’Rourke

Habitat for Humanity of Jacksonville, Inc. (HabiJax) and the Northeast Florida Builders Association (NEFBA) recently partnered to complete the HabiJax – NEFBA 24-Hour House in New Town. The two organizations recently worked to build a home for a Jacksonville man over the course of two 12-hour days. The home is located at 1439 Windle Street among other HabiJax-built homes.

“We are grateful for all of our volunteers and for the many in-kind donations provided by companies and individuals throughout Jacksonville who contribute to the success of projects like these,” said Mary Kay O’Rourke, HabiJax’s CEO and President. “NEFBA has been great to partner with and we look forward to working with them in the future.”

The 2015 NEFBA President, Rick Morales, selected HabiJax as his organization of choice to partner with for the annual President’s Project, of which the goal is to positively impact the community. This is the third consecutive year a NEFBA president has selected HabiJax as its organization of choice.

More than 30 organizations contributed funds, materials or volunteer hours to the 24-Hour House, totaling $93,000.

HabiJax has provided housing services to more than 2,000 families in Jacksonville since 1988 and is the largest affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International in the United States. Due to its commitment to making a greater impact in Jacksonville neighborhoods and revitalizing the historic New Town neighborhood, HabiJax has built more than 250 homes there to date.

The Women’s Board of Wolfson Children’s Hospital has announced its 39th Annual Art & Antiques Show will take place Dec. 3 to 6 at the Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center, 1000 Water Street.

“The Women’s Board is thrilled about this year’s offering of events at the Art & Antiques Show,” said Show Chairs, Sheila Collier and Christy Martin. “There is a wonderful variety of nationally acclaimed lecturers and internationally recognized art and antiques dealers. This is a highly anticipated annual event in our community, which will benefit the great facilities and programs at Wolfson Children’s Hospital.”

Art & Antiques Show lecturers include acclaimed designers Alexa Hampton, Barbara Westbrook and Richard Keith Langham, antiques experts Juli Catlin and William Nash, as well as historian and author Dr. J. Michael Francis.

The Art & Antiques Show will begin on Thursday, Dec. 3 with a Sneak Peek from 5:30 to 8 p.m. which includes the Benefactor Preview. Jacksonville native and financial expert Alexa von Tobel is the featured speaker that evening.

Show hours on Friday are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; and Sunday 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets are available online at www.artandantiquesshow.com, by calling (904) 202-2886 or by email at [email protected]. Daily admission to the show is $15 and lecture tickets are $30. Corporate sponsorships are available.

For further details and a complete show schedule, visit the Art & Antiques Show website at www.artandantiquesshow.com.

GreenPointe Communities, LLC, has unveiled plans for outdoor-inspired amenities at TrailMark, a new master-planned community in northern St. Johns County. Located near World Golf Village, TrailMark has been designed to inspire discovery, connection and enjoyment of the natural environment.

Encompassing approximately 1,300 acres, the TrailMark neighborhood has been carefully planned around the landscape’s natural features. With impressive oak tree hammocks, winding nature trails, waterways and lakes, TrailMark’s architectural design will capture Old Florida style and celebrate its authentic North Florida location and history.

“Our Welcome Center and amenities will be the community centerpiece of TrailMark,” said GreenPointe Communities Vice President of Land Development Chris Kuhn. “The community’s unique North Florida location and geographical features are forefront in our designs, and they showcase TrailMark’s beautiful waterways and natural surroundings.”

Groundbreaking is set to begin next month on the amenities and Welcome Center with a planned opening in Summer 2016. The community design team includes Ervin Lovett Miller (ELM) of Jacksonville and Ansana Interior Design of Orlando, which is bringing a “Rustic Modern” approach to the Welcome and Amenity Center design. Inspired by a refreshing mix of modern and reclaimed materials, the design will combine mid-century thinking with turn-of-the-century charm.

The Welcome Center will receive visitors to the community and be an excellent place to begin discovering the TrailMark lifestyle. Separated by a covered breezeway, the amenity center will feature a state-of-the-art fitness center, a free-form resort-style pool with beach entry and play fields. Plans also call for the Camp House, a lakeside pavilion designed as an iconic neighborhood structure alongside a large central lake, providing residents an outdoor gathering place in the heart of the community. The amenity center and Camp House are planned as destinations within the community, offering gateways to neighborhood gatherings and friendships. The first phase will include the beginning of an expansive trail system, a recreational amenity that will connect residents to their community. Future plans include a kayak launch along scenic Six Mile Creek, which leads directly to the St. Johns River.

“TrailMark is one of the most exciting new projects underway in Northeast Florida in recent years,” said GreenPointe Communities Marketing Director Gaynelle James. “The community is secluded but close to everything today’s homebuyers want and need. We look forward to welcoming many happy homeowners in the near future.”

TrailMark will feature a variety of local and national builders with home designs ranging in size and style to meet the homebuyer’s lifestyle needs and interests. Homes are priced from the mid-$200,000s and up.

D.R. Horton will celebrate the opening of its first decorated model home at TrailMark on Oct. 24-25. With stone accents to complement the community’s Florida vernacular style and appeal, the Destin II model features an open, spacious floor plan with four bedrooms, four baths and an upstairs bonus room designed as a family hangout area.

Designed by the award-winning Micamy Design Studio, the model’s natural color palette was inspired by its St. Augustine location. With blue and green accent fabrics throughout, the furnishing’s soft ash wood accents reflect a hint of driftwood to keep the ambiance light and airy. The upstairs bonus room includes a table and seating to accommodate games and homework and a large chalkboard for keeping score or brainstorming.

Additionally, D.R. Horton has 10 Quick Move-in homes under construction at TrailMark. The company’s homes are planned to be available for move-in Fall 2015.

GreenPointe recently welcomed Landon Homes to TrailMark. The company’s single-family, one- and two-story homes, ranging in size from 1,700 square feet to 3,791 square feet, will feature both traditional neighborhood and conservation area settings.

TrailMark is located within the top-rated St. Johns County School District. The community’s proximity to Interstate 95, Jacksonville and St. Augustine will offer residents quick access to entertainment, shopping, dining, employment centers and more. For more information, visit www.TrailMarkLiving.com.

New Arcadia Showhome Complete

The Plantation at Ponte Vedra Beach is one of the most sought-after communities in Northeast Florida. With its exclusive country club lifestyle, the prestigious community has been a top choice among homebuyers for years.

The tremendous interest in the distinguished resort lifestyle community includes homes by elacora at The Plantation at Ponte Vedra Beach. The company is building innovative and exceptionally high quality new homes on the last piece of undeveloped land in the Ponte Vedra Beach community.

“elacora offers the best of both worlds at The Plantation at Ponte Vedra Beach,” said Victoria Robbins, exclusive agent for elacora Northeast Florida. “Many buyers want to live in a private, established community, but they want a new home that is energy efficient and designed to meet the needs of today’s lifestyle. Our new homes are expertly crafted and beautifully built with included innovative and luxurious features to delight even the most discriminating home buyer.”

Originally established in the mid-1980s, The Plantation is a pristinely manicured community in a beautiful section of Ponte Vedra Beach. With only two dozen elacora home sites available, interested home buyers are encouraged to visit elacora in The Plantation at Ponte Vedra Beach soon.

Homes by elacora at The Plantation at Ponte Vedra Beach are priced starting at $549,900. Prospective buyers are invited to view the company’s available homes including its newest showhome featuring the Arcadia plan. The two-story home features livable, flexible spaces including a den and an upstairs game room. The Arcadia is priced at $727,700.

The Arcadia is one of several homes by elacora available for move-in. Visitors to the community may tour the company’s stunning Muirfield showhome furnished and decorated by Barbara Ondo Design Group.

Homes by elacora at The Plantation at Ponte Vedra Beach are well suited for a Florida lifestyle. Innovatively designed with the latest in technology and green building practices, elacora homes feature gourmet kitchens with furniture-quality cabinetry and stainless steel appliances, luxurious designer bathrooms, spectacular outdoor living areas and three-car garages. All of elacora’s plans feature spacious open and flexible spaces for living and entertaining along with abundant personalization options for adding bonus space for additional bedrooms, an office or a game or media room. Landscaping and lawn care maintenance is managed by the community’s Homeowner Association as an added bonus.

The Plantation at Ponte Vedra Beach is a premier club community featuring an 18-hole championship golf course designed by Arnold Palmer and Ed Seay, a tennis center with seven Har-Tru® tennis courts and a private beach club with a junior Olympic-size swimming pool that is a 10-minute bike ride from the front gate. The club’s 25,000-square-foot clubhouse offers several dining options and includes a fully equipped and staffed world-class fitness center. elacora’s homes at The Plantation at Ponte Vedra Beach are being built adjacent to a new community park, featuring an open air pavilion, a large fenced-in playground, full-sized croquet court and open space for sports and activities.

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Network Realty’s
Agents are Well Prepared for Transition

If you’re buying or selling a home in Northeast Florida, some recent federal changes with regulatory compliance could impact your transaction.

As of Oct. 3, the TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosure Rule went into effect for most home sales nationwide. The rule is administered by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a governmental division created to address money and consumer finance issues.

“The intent is to make residential real estate transactions and the lending process easier to understand for homebuyers,” said Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Network Realty Founder, President and CEO Linda Sherrer. “It is designed to eliminate many of the complexities of the current process, making the lending and closing process a better experience for everyone involved.”

The impact of the new forms and the waiting periods touches everyone involved in residential real estate transactions including homebuyers and sellers, real estate agents and brokers, lenders, title insurance and settlement services providers and homebuilders.

The TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosure affects most consumer loans secured by real estate. It debuts two mortgage loan disclosure forms and installs new waiting periods for closing most real estate loans, including FNMA, Freddie Mac, USDA, VA, FHA, other government-backed and conventional loans and some owner-financed transactions.

When applying for a loan, the Loan Estimate Disclosure Form replaces the Good Faith Estimate and Truth in Lending disclosures. It shows the borrower the sales price, loan term, type of loan and rate-lock information. It also shows the loan amount so borrowers will need to make sure it accurately reflects their available down payment.

The form must be given to the borrower within three business days following a loan application. A seven-business-day waiting period is mandatory before a borrower may sign loan documents after receiving the documents and informing the lender of his or her intent to proceed.

The second component is the Closing Disclosure, which shows transaction terms and costs. The Closing Disclosure must be received by the borrower three-business-days (as opposed to the previous one-day requirement) before he or she signs loan documents.

“The Closing Disclosure is intended to reduce surprises regarding the amount of cash borrowers will need to bring to the closing table,” said Broker/Executive Vice President Christy Budnick. “The three-business-day waiting period gives borrowers more time to read their final closing documents and ask questions so they fully understand what they are agreeing to prior to the closing date.”

While the TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosure is positive for all involved parties, its implementation has created some challenges for lenders and settlement agents. For buyers and sellers, the downside with the new rules is that loans will take longer to process.

“Real estate professionals and lenders need to set the right expectations with buyers,” said Alan Copertino, General Manager of Gibraltar Title Services. “Lenders will require more time to process mortgages. This will result in longer periods between contract and closing, typically 45 to 60 days.”

Additionally, the new rules give all-cash buyers who are not dependent on bank financing an advantage in a hot or competitive real estate market.

More than ever, buyers and sellers need a team of expert professionals in today’s real estate market. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Network Realty Realtors are trusted advisors and valued business resources – it is what differentiates the company from the market competition.

The company’s agents have spent months preparing for the new TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosure Rule, undergoing Gibraltar Title Services sponsored training programs and developing plans with lenders and title agents.

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Network Realty is a partner of Gibraltar Title Services, which provides title insurance and real estate closing services for its clients. Gibraltar Title’s professional staff has extensive real estate and closing experience. The company provides loan closing services to many lenders doing business throughout the nation and is an agent for a number of major title insurance companies. Connect with the best at www.FloridaNetworkRealty.com.