Real Estate Market Update

October 19, 2021

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“In playing ball, and in life, a person occasionally gets the opportunity to do something great. When that time comes, only two things matter: being prepared to seize the moment and having the courage to take your best swing.” – Hank Aaron

 

A lot of wisdom from Hank Aaron. I hope you are enjoying watching the MLB playoffs.

 

The Northeast Florida Association of Realtors market stats for September show similar trends to the last few months. Prices are still rising at double-digit rates, with plenty of buyer demand, and a small supply of homes available.

 

The median sales price in September is $307,230 setting a record. This price is $7,000 more than August and $50,000 more than January 2021. This is an increase of 19.7% over last September.

 

The average sales price in September is $370,751 which is up 16.9% over last September. Numbers don’t always tell the human impact. We are seeing so many buyers on the sidelines right now because the homes they would like to buy between $300,000 and $400,000 are very difficult to find and get an offer accepted.

 

Our local buyers are competing with the strong influx of out-of-town buyers who consider our local area home prices more affordable compared to their previous market. The buyers wanting to use VA or FHA financing are also struggling because most sellers prefer cash or a conventional loan.

 

Affordability has impacted pending sales which were 3,201 in September, down 5.1% from last September, but up 10.9% year-to-date. Also, closings of 2,945 down 12.5% from last September, but up 12.9% year-to-date.

 

We are still seeing multiple offers, with 35.5% of homes selling over list price but that is down from 44.3% in July and 40.6% in August. Homes are still selling quickly with days on market at 30 days down 51.6% from last September when it was 62 days.

 

The market has calmed a little and possibly more buyers that have been sidelined will be able to find the home they want. I am very optimistic about the Northeast Florida real estate market. It is a great time to sell. Please let us know if we can assist you in any way.

 

Thanks for all the support of Davidson Cares Clay Day! We sold out for the first time ever.

 

A group of Davidson Realty agents are participating in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s on Saturday, November 6th at UNF. My mother and so many others suffered from this horrible disease. We would love to have you join us!

Davidson Cares Clay Day Raffle Provides Fun Incentives While Supporting Worthy Causes

September 23, 2021

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Davidson Cares is gearing up to host their 6th Annual Clay Day on October 21, 2021, at Jacksonville Clay Target Sports. This event is dedicated to raising money to support three local charities that make a big impact in the community: St. Augustine Youth Services, Investing in Kids!, and Builders Care. 

 

“Davidson Cares Clay Day is such a special event. The First Coast community comes together to have some fun and raise money for three organizations that are helping families and children in Northeast Florida thrive,” shares Davidson Realty President, Sherry Davidson. 

 

In addition to the fun and safe team shooting experience at Clay Day, Davidson Cares is selling raffle tickets for two exciting prizes which include a Concerts for a Cause pod and a Yeti Cooler with bottles to stock your bar! “The raffle is a fun element to Clay Day. We are thankful to Mark Sherman at Atlantic Trust Mortgage for sponsoring the cooler prize and to Leigh Insurance Agency for donating the Concerts for a Cause tickets,” shares Davidson. “Tickets are 1 for $10 or 15 tickets for $100. The winner will be announced during the awards celebration at the shoot on October 21, 2021. However, the winner does not have to be present to claim their prize.”

 

The cooler and cocktail raffle items are a hit every year at Clay Day! This year a Yeti Tundra Haul Wheeled Cooler will be filled with thirteen bottles to stock your bar to entertain family and friends. 

 

This is the first year Davidson Cares will be offering a pod at Concerts for a Cause. Chris Shee and MasterCraft Builder Group began the concerts last year. The first concert benefitted Investing in Kids! (INK!) and raised more than $35,000 for the organization. The concert series continued to be a success as the second concert, featuring Diamond Rio, raised more than $70,000 for the Alpha Omega charity. 

 

The winner of this raffle prize will enjoy a relaxing outdoor concert in a pod that hosts eight. Food and a refillable cooler with beer, hard seltzer, and water is provided. With four concerts planned per year, the winner can select which concert they prefer to attend as the artists are released. Concerts for a Cause is a wonderful event to enjoy and support a local charity! 

 

Davidson Cares Clay Day 2021 is sure to be one to remember. Davidson Care encourages the First Coast community to join in their efforts by attending the event, buying a raffle ticket, or making a donation online to support the children and families in Northeast Florida that need it most. 

 

Real Estate Market Update

September 22, 2021

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“Fear does not stop death. It stops life. And worrying does not take away tomorrow’s troubles. It takes away today’s peace.” Unknown

It is easy to agree with the truth of this quote, but much harder to live it.

 

The Northeast Florida Association of Realtors market stats for August continue to show rising prices, continued high buyer demand, and low inventories of available homes. The most recent trend we are seeing is double-digit rent increases.

 

“Put simply, August trends suggest rents are making up for lost time. Rents remained low during some of the worst months of the pandemic, growing at a sub-2% pace from September 2020 to March 2021, which is also when for-sale home prices were growing by double-digits,” said Realtor.com Chief Economist Danielle Hale.

 

Many buyers are unable to find a suitable home to purchase and have been forced into the rental market. According to Apartment List, rents in Jacksonville have risen 19.7% since August 2020, and 4.4% since July 2021.

 

There were 3,787 new listings in August, up 5.7% from last August and 6.7% year-to-date. The builders are also adding more homes. Industry sources predict an 11% to 12% increase in housing starts for 2021 or about 1.55 million units. That would be up from 1.38 million housing starts in 2020, which was a 7% increase over 2019. (Business Journal article) Builders are still being delayed by materials like windows and appliances and labor shortages.

 

The good news for buyers is that the frenzy of competitiveness of the spring market has cooled a bit. Some sellers are still pricing their homes very high, but many buyers are no longer willing to pay the prices they were during the spring and the homes are sitting or the sellers are reducing the price. While 41.0% of homes sold over list price, that is down from 44.8% in July.

 

There were 3,424 pending sales down 2.0% from last August, but up 12.4% year-to-date. Closed sales of 3,200 were down 3.1% from last August, but up 15.6% year-to-date.

 

The median sales price of $300,000 is up around 14% month-over-month and year-to-date. The average sales price of $362,699 is up 14.2% month-over-month and 17.7% year-to-date.

 

There are 4,651 homes available for sale which is down 37.2% from last August and we have 1.4 months of supply available. Five to six months is a balanced market.

 

While we are seeing more homes come available, the buyer demand remains very strong. We should continue to see prices increase, multiple offers, and increased rental rates.

 

Please come join us on October 21st for our major fundraiser, Davidson Cares Clay Day. We support Builders Care, St. Augustine Youth Services, and Investing in Kids. Go to DavidsonCares.com and register or buy a raffle ticket for one of our great prizes.

 

We appreciate your support and referrals. Please let us know if we can assist you in any way.

Davidson Cares Clay Day: Supporting Programs to Enrich the First Coast

September 20, 2021

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Davidson Cares Clay Day is only a few weeks away, and the excitement to raise money to support efforts to enrich First Coast children and families is mounting. The 6th Annual Clay Day will be held on October 21, 2021, at the Jacksonville Clay Target Sports. “Davidson Cares looks forward to Clay Day all year! It’s inspiring to see so many support the youth-based organizations that are near and dear to our heart,” shares Davidson Realty President, Sherry Davidson. To date, Davidson Cares has raised more than $267,000 for worthy causes in the area and looks forward to accomplishing their goal of raising more than $60,000 at Clay Day 2021. The funds raised at Clay Day will be evenly distributed between three local organizations that are focused on strengthening youth and families in Northeast Florida: St. Augustine Youth Services, Investing in Kids!, and Builders Care.

 

 

St. Augustine Youth Services

St. Augustine Youth Services (SAYS) is a non-profit organization that has been serving children in its residential programs for boys since 1989. Over the past thirty years, SAYS has provided treatment to thousands of children who have suffered abuse or neglect in St. Johns, Flagler, Volusia, and Putnam Counties. “Our relationship with SAYS started when my daughter visited the campus and met a six-year-old boy who told her how safe he felt at the group home. We then learned that this boy would age out of the program at eighteen and, although they may still be in high school, are not prepared to live independently,” shares Davidson. “The funds raised by Davidson Cares will go towards an independent living facility where these young men can stay, with some supervision, while they finish school and find a job.”

 

Investing in Kids!

Investing in Kids! (INK!) helps fund efforts that directly benefit both educators and students in the St. Johns County School District. Established in 1994, INK! is devoted to fostering success for students and teachers through funding, initiatives, and inspiration. “Davidson Cares has always supported local schools, but after seeing the impact of the Five Learning Years (FLY) and Take Stock in Children programs, I joined the INK! Board of Directors,” shares Davidson. FLY provides tutors to work with Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten students that are in need of literacy intervention. Take Stock in Children is a statewide program that gives low-income, at-risk students the opportunity to escape the cycle of poverty by offering students college scholarships and mentoring. “The graduation rate for students in the Take Stock in Children program is nearly 100% and the students are thriving in college. So many lives have been changed by these two programs,” continues Davidson.

 

Builders Care

Builders Care is a faith-based nonprofit organization dedicated to providing quality, affordable to no-cost construction services to those in need of critical home repairs. “When I was asked to join the Builders Care Board of Directors, which is the charitable arm of the Northeast Florida Builders Association, I was amazed at what this organization has accomplished for Jacksonville’s most needy families,” shares Davidson. Since 2001, Builders Care has served more than six hundred families to total more than $6.5 million worth of construction work for those who otherwise couldn’t afford it. For many, Builders Care is the last hope to maintain quality of life in their home. “Builders donate material, time, and money to ensure people can remain in their homes with dignity. Davidson Cares is proud to support this incredible organization,” continues Davidson.

 

It is evident that these three organizations make an incredible impact in the First Coast community. Davidson Cares is proud to support their efforts and encourage the entire Northeast Florida community to join in their efforts whether it’s attending the 2021 Clay Day, buying a raffle ticket, or making a donation online, every dollar makes a difference.

Davidson Cares Continues to Strengthen the First Coast

September 9, 2021

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Davidson Cares is dedicated to supporting and uplifting youth throughout Northeast Florida. Since 2012, Davidson Cares has tirelessly worked to strengthen families and children by raising funds for local programs including public schools and non-profit youth organizations. 

 

With the help of the First Coast community, Davidson Cares has raised more than $260,000 to help support vital programs. This incredible work would not be possible without the Davidson Cares Board of Directors. Together, this team of twelve has gone above and beyond to help pursue the mission of Davidson Cares. The board recently welcomed four new board members and looks forward to continuing to raise money for worthy causes at the Davidson Cares Clay Day on October 21, 2021. In addition to the Board Members we previously introduced, these long-standing board members bring a wealth of knowledge and commitment to Davidson Cares. 

 

Troy Silhan

Troy Silhan is a Mortgage Banker with Bank of England Mortgage. Since joining Bank of England Mortgage in 2009, he has closed more than 1,400 purchase and refinance transactions all over the country, totaling more than $250 million dollars. For four consecutive years, Troy has been named #1 Loan Officer in the 904 by Void Magazine. Troy is a Florida native, who earned his degree in Communications and Business Management from the University of North Florida. He is married to his college sweetheart, Jessica, and they have two amazing children. He believes in achieving success by treating others how you would want to be treated.

 

 

Peyton Davidson

Peyton Davidson is a Jacksonville native and holds a BS in Advertising from the University of North Florida. She has spent the last twelve years leading marketing programs in the real estate, development, and homebuilding industries. She is currently working as the Marketing Manager for Providence Homes, Jacksonville’s leading home builder in energy efficiency. In her free time, Peyton enjoys watching college football and taking her English Bulldog, Sir Chumwell, swimming at the beach. She is also involved in many charitable efforts including St. Augustine Youth Services, SMC Cares, and Builders Care.

 

Jim and Andrea Gallagher

Originally from the New England area, Jim and Andrea Gallagher relocated to Florida in 2005. After spending nearly two years in Sarasota, the Gallaghers established roots in St. Augustine, where they live to this day. Jim is currently the Vice President and Branch Manager at the Charles Schwab Jacksonville Branch and Andrea is the Sales and Training Manager at Davidson Realty. Jim and Andrea have been married for more than twenty-five years and have two amazing children; Jay, who is 21 and a senior at Florida State University, and Gillian, who is 16 and a junior at Nease High School. Jim and Andrea enjoy the outdoors and have fully embraced the Florida beach lifestyle! They are also deeply devoted to their New England sports teams as well as Florida State University.  

 

 

Davidson Cares is fortunate to have these incredible Board Members who are passionate about helping youth and families in Northeast Florida. Support the efforts by joining Davidson Cares for Clay Day 2021 on October 21st!

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