4 EASY WAYS TO INCREASE THE VALUE OF YOUR HOME

April 14, 2021

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Posted by in News

Increasing the value of your home is ALWAYS a good idea. Staying on top of home maintenance and projects will ultimately allow you to get top dollar for your home when the time is right for you to sell. “Homebuyers will appreciate that you took good care of the home and will happily pay more for a home when they don’t have to make major changes themselves,” shares Davidson Realty President, Sherry Davidson. 

 

Curb Appeal

First impressions are important! Continually spending time on your landscaping and the outward appearance of your home will enhance your curb appeal. Luckily, yard care is relatively inexpensive and depending on the current state of your yard, could be tackled simply with fresh mulch or a few new flower beds. Walkway lighting is another easy and affordable way to elevate your curb appeal while providing a functional illuminated path to safely use your walkway at night. Additionally, routinely walk around the exterior of your home and look for any cracks or damage that needs repair. 

 

Fresh Paint

A fresh coat of paint can truly transform a home. Whether you are interested in selling your home this year or in ten years, routinely examining and updating the interior can make your home more attractive to potential buyers. When selecting a paint color that will appeal to an extensive audience, pale gray, oatmeal, and other cool, natural tones are current fan favorites because of their adaptable nature and ability to enlarge and brighten spaces. Some of our favorite paint colors include Snowbound and Passive from Sherwin Williams

 

Energy Savings 

Energy-efficient upgrades not only help the environment but save homeowners money and time by requiring less maintenance. Consider switching to energy-efficient light bulbs or installing a smart thermostat that will learn your preferences and automatically adjust the temperature to save energy. Adding more insulation is another way to improve energy efficiency in your home. Good insulation will keep your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer while using less energy. 

 

Cosmetic Touch-Ups 

If you make repairs and improvements as needed, you will avoid bigger, more expensive projects and ensure your home is well maintained. “Your home is one of your most expensive assets. When buyers see items that need to be repaired or maintained, they question if the home has been well cared for. Buyers will pay retail versus wholesale prices for an updated and well-maintained home,” shares Sherry.  Patching up holes and dents in walls or moldings, fixing a squeaky door, or repairing a running toilet are easy DIY repairs that will refresh your home.  Replacing the hardware in your kitchen or updating ceiling fans or light fixtures are small updates that will make a HUGE impact. 

 

If you are interested in learning more about the value of your home or are interested in selling your home, trust the real estate experts at Davidson Realty.

Meet St. Johns County’s Newest Master-Planned Community – SilverLeaf

February 12, 2021

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If you drive around St. Johns County, you will see new businesses and developments popping up on every corner. And this growth has no plans of slowing down. St. Johns County is not going to stop growing any time soon. An upcoming jewel in the highly coveted area: SilverLeaf. SilverLeaf is a master-planned community that is family-friendly and features resort-style amenities with no CDD fees. “Our customers are drawn to SilverLeaf because of the location and convenience it provides as you can easily get to any destination from SilverLeaf. The community in St. Johns County is thriving and a wonderful place to call home,” shares Davidson Realty President, Sherry Davidson. SilverLeaf is zoned for 10,700 dwelling units, 2,650,000 square feet of mixed-use commercial space, and more than 3,500 acres of beautiful conservation land. Once complete, SilverLeaf will be one of the largest community development in Northeast Florida.

 

SilverLeaf will be home to several neighborhoods with homes for families and individuals with a size, price point, and style for everyone. SilverLeaf maintains the high standards of quality and detail that are a trademark of The Hutson Companies, well-respected developers of the community. The Hutson Companies bring more than forty years of development, construction, and community involvement to bring the vision of SilverLeaf to life. Each home in SilverLeaf will be expertly crafted to exceed expectations.

 

From the miles of walking and bike paths to the resort-style amenity center, this family-oriented community offers residents countless opportunities for activity and entertainment. However, the attraction to SilverLeaf doesn’t stop once you leave the community. St. Johns County is home to the #1 Public School District in the State of Florida with a one to eighteen educator to student ratio. It also doesn’t hurt that St. Johns County has the lowest property tax rate in the Northeast Florida Region and is ranked the healthiest county in Florida.

 

The builders in SilverLeaf are the best and brightest in Northeast Florida. Each builder brings unique character to their homes to ensure each home in SilverLeaf is distinctive.

 

Riverside Homes:

Award-winning homebuilder, Riverside Homes, is bringing its thoughtful floor plans and quality construction to SilverLeaf Village, one of the premier neighborhoods within SilverLeaf. Riverside Homes range from 1,570 square feet to more than 3,700 square feet on spacious 43′, 53’, and 63’ lots. With 18 plan options to choose from, there is a broad selection of home designs so you can find the perfect fit for your family. Home prices start in the $300s.

 

View an exclusive look at SilverLeaf’s ideal location (Part 1), amenity center (Part 2), and Riverside Homes model (Part 3) in our “Get to Know SilverLeaf” video series with Sherry Davidson and the owners of Riverside Homes, Matt Roberts, and Chris Wood.

 

MasterCraft Builder Group:

MasterCraft Builder Group is building semi-custom homes in SilverLeaf Village. Each home by MasterCraft Builder Group is thoughtfully designed and provide luxury features standard. Most of MasterCraft’s homesites offer preserve and lake views providing both privacy and serenity. MasterCraft Homes in SilverLeaf Village are starting in the $300,000s and will range from 1,480 to more than 3,980 square feet on 43’, 53’, and 63’ lots. 

 

Emerald Homes:

D.R. Horton is proud to bring Emerald Homes to SilverLeaf. Emerald Homes luxury homes will feature state of the art smart home technology for their one and two-story open concept home plans. Emerald Homes promises elegant exteriors and high-end features to deliver elevated design to your dream home. Homes will range from 1,646 to more than 2,896 square feet starting at $348,990. 

 

Dream Finders Homes:

Dream Finders Homes will offer both single-family homes and maintenance-free townhomes with a variety of designer features to customize your dream home to SilverLeaf neighborhoods, Holly Forest and Meadow Ridge. Homes in Holly Forest will feature 20’ and 24’ townhome lots and 53’ and 63’ single-family lots ranging from 1,250 to more than 3,000 square feet. The single-family homes in Meadow Ridge will place homes on 43’ and 53’ homesites. 

 

Ashley Homes:

With twenty-two floor plans to choose from, Ashley Homes is excited to bring their quality construction and unique floor plans to SilverLeaf. Ashley Homes provides the ability to customize your floor plan and feature to make your home your own. Standard features in Ashley Homes at SilverLeaf include gourmet kitchens and energy-efficient materials. 

 

With so many options to choose from and the current state of the real estate market, it is imperative to have a real estate agent help guide you through the new build process. “Davidson Realty agents work with builders continuously in various new construction communities. Our agents will get to know the needs of your family and will be able to suggest features and ideas you may not know about to ensure your family finds their perfect fit. The Davidson Team will help guide you through the process, help you negotiate with the builder to get the best pricing for your new home, and be your advocate if anything isn’t as you expected.”  The Davidson Realty Team is equipped with the knowledge of the area, market, and SilverLeaf community to help you successfully secure a new home for you and your family in SilverLeaf. Contact our office today at (904) 940-5000 to find your new home in SilverLeaf.

Real Estate Market Update

November 30, 2020

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“It is not joy that makes us grateful; it is gratitude that makes us joyful.” David Steindl-Rast

 

I am very grateful to everyone that supported the 2020 Davidson Cares Clay Day! Thanks to your generosity we raised over $40,000 to be split evenly between Builders Care, St. Augustine Youth Services and Investing in Kids.

 

The Northeast Florida Multiple Listing Service shows continued buyer demand and low supply. There were 3,192 closed sales in October which is 24.5% more than the 2,564 last October. The spring buying season got delayed, but we are up 5.6% for year-to-date closings over last year.

 

Pending sales of 3,153 are 18.4% more than the 2,663 pending sales last October. We are up 10.2% year-to-date.

 

There are 6,109 active listings which is down 34.5% from the 9,332 last October.

 

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) 2020 Buyer/Seller Survey has some interesting findings. “The coronavirus, without a doubt, led homebuyers to reassess their housing situations and even reconsider home sizes and destinations,” says Jessica Lautz, vice president of demographics and behavioral insights for NAR. “Buyers sought housing with more rooms, more square footage and more yard space, and they may have desired a home office or home gym. They also shopped for larger homes because extra space would allow households to better accommodate older adult relatives or young adults that are now living within the residence.”

 

The 7 Buyer pandemic-related trends:

  1. Multigenerational homes grow in popularity
  2. Homes are pricier
  3. Shorter house tenures expected
  4. More renters become owners
  5. Buyers love suburbia
  6. Searches speed up
  7. Certain buying segments grow

The 7 Seller pandemic-related trends:

  1. Looking to upsize
  2. Feeling urgency
  3. Technology’s importance grows
  4. Incentives haven’t disappeared
  5. Equity gains
  6. Long-timers appear more motivated to move
  7. Desire to live close to family remains strong

It will be interesting to see future housing trends. For now, we are seeing multiple offers on listings and many potential sellers are on the sidelines.

Real Estate Market Update

October 14, 2020

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“A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.”

Christopher Reeve

 

2020 has certainly presented some overwhelming obstacles and I have seen many heroes step up to help others. Many generous people are supporting our Davidson Cares Clay Day on October 29th and the charities are so grateful. You can still register to shoot or buy raffle tickets at DavidsonCares.com.

 

The Northeast Florida Association of Realtors market stats for September show continued strong demand for homes in Northeast Florida. There were 3,307 pending sales in September 2020 which is 36% more than the 2,436 in September 2019. We are up 9% year-to-date over the same period last year.

 

The inventory of homes for sale of 5,869 is down 39% from last September. This is the lowest level of inventory we have seen in this market. During the 2003 to 2005 timeframe when inventory was very low, there were still around 7,000 homes on the market.

 

The month’s supply of inventory is at 2.0 months. A balanced market is 5 to 6 months of inventory.

 

The median sales price is up 8% and the average sales price is up 10% year-to-date due to the increased demand and low supply.

 

Dr. Brad O’Coonor, the Florida Realtors Chief Economist provided some insight at the recent Florida Realtors convention. “The pace of residential building is still behind last cycle’s highs, and while building has continued through the pandemic as construction was deemed an essential occupation, costs of materials and labor have increased. Safety protocols for workers, some disruption in supply chains, and increased demand for materials all have translated into cost increases. Coupled with some uncertainty in lending, relief on the supply side is not coming from new construction.  For existing homes, the tap is dwindling to a dribble as current homeowners are living in their homes for an average of 10 years compared to only seven during the early 2000s. Uncertainty in the economy is also prompting people who can to stay put. That said, demand continues to be strong, as those who were sitting on the sidelines are feeling the pull to jump into a home for the first time or finally trade up, fueled in large part by record-low interest rates and the desire to upgrade to more “pandemic friendly” homes and locations. This all leads to an imbalanced market with demand outstripping supply, particularly in the single-family home category.”

 

It is a great time to sell your home! If we can be of any assistance in understanding the market or the value of your home, please let us know.

 

Enjoy the baseball playoffs and all the other great sports. Go Braves!

July Real Estate Trends – Local Market Shines Against National Market

August 21, 2014

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“Too many of us are not living our dreams because we are living our fears.” -Les Brown

There is still a lot of fear and uncertainty about the economy and the national real estate market. The real estate trends have been more positive locally. The Northeast Florida Association of Realtors July market stats continues to show pending sales increasing, inventory of homes for sale decreasing and median and average sales prices increasing. All very positive. Read more

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