Davidson Cares Continues to Grow in Size and Impact

August 20, 2021

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Since 2012, Davidson Cares has tirelessly supported local youth-based programs in Northeast Florida. Through various fundraisers, events, raffles, and grants, Davidson Cares is committed to strengthening children. The efforts of Davidson Cares is overwhelmingly supported by the gracious and generous community in Northeast Florida. 

 

 

 

Davidson Cares is proud of the dedicated and talented members of its board. “Davidson Cares recently welcomed four new board members to form a team of twelve incredible members. Together, we look forward to continuing to support local programs that benefit both children and their families,” shares Sherry Davidson, President of Davidson Realty.

 

Steve Canty

Steve Canty is currently the principal (owner) of Shillburn Risk Advisors. Prior, for fourteen years Steve was the owner of The Canty Insurance Agency (Brightway) in Jacksonville. The agency was sold to VyStar Financial Corp in January of 2021. Steve is also a former Senior Vice President of Main Street America Group. Steve is married to Rita B. Canty, a father of three, and a grandfather to two. Steve and his wife reside on the beautiful St. Johns River in St. Augustine, Florida.

 

 

Jim Wheeler

Jim Wheeler is a Program Director for Investing in Kids (INK!), the foundation supporting public schools in St. Johns County.  After retiring from a twenty-six-year banking career in 2014, Jim has worked in education.  He has led the Take Stock in Children- St. Johns County scholarship and mentoring program since 2017.  He has previously served as co-founder of the Community Alliance Funding Education, as Chair of the St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Council, and as an eight-year member of the St. Johns County Planning and Zoning Agency.

 

 

William Li

William Li has been a practicing attorney for more than twenty years in Northeast Florida. He started his career at a boutique law firm in Jacksonville, Florida specializing in real estate development and representing clients in raw land acquisition, due diligence, development, and disposition. After rising to shareholder, William pursued an opportunity with the General Counsel’s office for the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, handling all of the University’s legal matters in real estate, finance, and contracts. However, the lure of private practice brought William back to Jacksonville, where he now practices law again.

 

William is a member of the Florida Bar and is a member of numerous lawyer associations and charities. He is a graduate of the University of Florida (BS) 1996, University of Florida (Masters in Real Estate Finance) 2000, and University of Florida College of Law (JD) 2000. He is a husband and father to twin boys and enjoys spending time with his family, good food, and sports.

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR TOP PRODUCERS FOR JULY!

August 11, 2021

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Davidson Realty is celebrating a great month of July with $14 million in closings and $15.3 million in sales. Our agents continue to work hard to stay knowledgeable of the market including new construction.

 

The Top Producer (most closings) and Top Sales agent for the month is Mirtha Barzaga. While closing four homes for customers in July, she sold 7 homes for a volume of $3.1 million. Mirtha receives great reviews from customers and is extremely professional.

 

 

 

 

The Top Listing Agent for July is Liz Pappaceno. Liz sold over $1.3 million in listings. Liz enjoys volunteering, spending time with family and gaining more skills to help her customers. If you are considering selling your home, give Liz a call.

 

 

 

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3 New Businesses in Northeast Florida You NEED to Visit

July 30, 2021

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The attraction to Northeast Florida is clear. From the beautiful beaches to the dynamic neighborhoods, there is something for everyone to enjoy. In such a fruitful area, new businesses are popping up all around town and we’re sharing a few that are a MUST to visit.

 

 

Jeremiah’s

A Northeast Florida favorite, Jeremiah’s recently opened a new location in Jacksonville Beach. The Orlando-based company has gained popularity across Florida and is the perfect addition to the array of businesses at the beaches. Located at 1500 Beach Boulevard, the new location is just 1.5 miles from the Jacksonville Beach Pier, making it the perfect cool-down hangout on hot summer days! Jeremiah’s iconic bold Italian Ice offers nearly limitless favor combinations for guests. Some fan-favorite pairings include Orange Smash and Vanilla Gelati and Cake Batter Gelati and Chocolate Ice Cream!

 

Buc-cee’s

Although this first of its kind in Florida establishment has been open since February, Buc-cee’s is still stirring up excitement! With more than 104 fueling stations and more then 52,000 square feet it is obvious this isn’t your average gas station. The Texas-based travel shop is located in St. Augustine on 200 World Commerce Parkway near World Golf Village. On February 22, 2021, the day of its grand opening, hundreds waited in line to be the first to experience the impressive display of food, drink, and merchandise. Buc-cee’s patrons can enjoy classic treats like homemade fudge, kolaches, and jerky and more adventurous snacks like pickled quail eggs. This new Northeast Florida landmark is worth a trip…you never know what you might find!

 

Estrella Cocina

And last, but certainly not least… Estrella Cocina – Downtown Jacksonville’s newest rooftop attraction! The Baja Coastal Mexican-style restaurant and bar is part of the new Vystar Credit Union corporate campus. Located on the seventh floor at 100 West Bay Street, Estrella Cocina provides stunning views of the Jacksonville skyline and the St. Johns River! This new downtown hot spot is owned and operated by local restaurateurs Jonathan Cobbs and Dwayne Beliakoff, founders of The Bread & Board. The menu offers unique and intriguing plates like Lobster Veracruzana Tacos and Birria de Res con Consome (a Tijuana- Style Beef Brisket), but don’t forget to sip on one of Estrella Cocina’s specialty cocktails like the Shoreline Smash or the Hibiscus Margarita!

 

Northeast Florida offers a wide variety of things to see, do, and enjoy. If you are interested in calling the First Coast home, don’t hesitate to contact the real estate experts at Davidson Realty. Not only do we love finding a new home for our clients to start their next chapter, we enjoy showing them all the best restaurants, boutiques, and entertainment options to take advantage of in their new neighborhood. Don’t be surprised if you stop by one of these exciting new additions to the area highlighted above!

Real Estate Market Update

July 20, 2021

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“Your talent is God’s gift to you. What you do with it is your gift back to God.” Leo Buscaglia

 

The June Northeast Florida Association of Realtors market stats continue to show rising home prices, a low supply of homes and strong buyer demand.

 

The median sales price for June is $301,000 an increase of 18% over last June’s $255,000. The average sales price is $373,378 which is a 20.7% increase over last June’s $309,269. Pretty staggering increases. For properties that closed in June, 43.3% sold for more than list price.

 

The price increases are driven by high demand and low available inventory. Many experts are predicting the supply of homes will slowly increase. New home construction is increasing. There have been 8,485 building permits issued in the first 6 months of 2021 for the four counties that Northeast Florida Builders Association (NEFBA) tracks. That is over 58% more than the 5,357 permits in 2020 through June.

 

Another good sign for the supply issue is that new listings are up 10.1% over last June with 4,003 new listings. There have been 22,078 new listings in 2021 compared to 21,200 for the first six months of 2020.

 

A survey of Redfin agents shows a slight drop in the percentage of listings engaged in bidding wars. In April, 74.1% of listings had multiple offers, in May it dropped to 72.1% and in June it fell to 65%. It may be buyer fatigue after losing out on several properties or supplies may be increasing some and competition dropping slightly.

 

There were 3,398 pending sales in June in Northeast Florida down 8% from 3,695 last June. We usually see a dip in buyer traffic in June when school gets out and vacations begin. June of 2020 was unusually active as a result of some relaxing of the COVID lockdowns. Year-to-date pending sales are up 18.5%.

 

There were 4,238 homes available for sale at the end of June, down 50% from last June. There is 1.3 months supply of inventory which is down 58.1% from last June but up from 1.2 months in May. A balanced market is 5 to 6 months of inventory.

 

It appears that it will take a few years to get more balance between supply and demand of homes in our area and across the nation. It is unlikely that prices will decline much, if any, until there is a more balanced real estate market.

 

If you have questions or need a trusted real estate advisor, please reach out and we will be happy to share our knowledge as the market continues to change. Have a wonderful summer!

Davidson Cares Welcomes Four New Board Members

July 16, 2021

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Davidson Cares has dedicated nearly a decade to supporting and enriching children throughout Northeast Florida. With the help of the generous and gracious First Coast community, Davidson Cares has raised more than $260,685 for programs to help strengthen families and kids through fundraisers, events, raffles, grants, and community activities.

 

Davidson Cares is proud to welcome four new board members to help further the incredible efforts of this organization. “Davidson Cares is thrilled to welcome these new talents to our team. We are delighted to continue raising money for incredible programs for children and their families,” shares Davidson Realty President, Sherry Davidson.

 

Mirtha Barzaga

Mirtha Barzaga is recognized as one of Davidson Realty’s top real estate agents, both in superior service and production. She launched her business at the height of the economic recession to help customers facing hardship to navigate the real estate process. Thanks to her dedication and eagerness to learn, it was not long before Mirtha’s business took off. Today, Mirtha is regarded as one of Northeast Florida’s premier real estate agents.

Giving back has been a constant throughout Mirtha’s career. She serves as a supporting sponsor for Davidson Cares and Nease High School’s Panther Pride Marching Band and NJROTC. Mirtha also serves on Wards Creek Elementary School’s Advisory Council. Each holiday season, she hosts two food drives to support the Emergency Services & Homeless Coalition of St. Johns County.

In the workplace, Mirtha dedicates her time to Davidson Realty’s mentoring program to help other agents achieve success in real estate.

 

 

Sally Jaudon

Sally Jaudon, along with her husband Tom Jaudon, own Leigh Insurance Agency in St. Augustine, Florida.  Sally started in the Agency as a CSR managing accounts and now holds the position of Vice President/Business Manager overseeing the day to day operations including marketing, growth & accounting. Sally and her team are passionate about providing service to the St. Augustine community and building relationships with the customers at Leigh Insurance, which was founded nearly thirty years ago in 1992. Since Sally has assumed her position, the Agency has been working not only to provide service to current clients, but to also engage in community involvement and educate those who are new to the area about the importance of insurance in Florida. Sally enjoys working alongside her family in the Agency, and outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, sports & her two dogs.

 

 

Erik Wilson

Erik is the husband of Ingrid, his high school sweetheart, and father of four. Erik is a follower of Jesus. He works for Riverside Homes and Wood Development as CFO and obtained his Masters in Accounting from Florida State with an emphasis in taxation. He also graduated from Asbury Seminary in 2017 with a Masters in Marriage and Family Counseling. He has spent twenty years in real estate development and accounting and his faith has led him to walk alongside others in times of need and struggles; hoping to help them lead a life not yet lived.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steve Merrill

Steve Merrill is a Director at Bank of America and is a member of the Client Advocacy and Experience team.  The Client Advocacy and Experience team partners with Sales and Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in structuring and delivering complex loan solutions for clients.  In addition they identify end to end process, service and experience gaps and champion solutions appropriately.  Steve joined Merrill Lynch in 1992 and has held numerous positions up and through the acquisition by Bank of America.  Steve attended Bishop Kenny High School in Jacksonville Florida, and Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida.

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