Homes For Sale in Saint Augustine Florida Don’t Get Any Better Than St. Augustine Shores

Homes for sale in Saint Augustine Florida truly do not get any better than the St Augustine Shores neighborhood.  Located 4.5 miles south of downtown St. Augustine, this picturesque community has something for every home buyer.

Currently the St. Augustine Shores is a community of more than 3,421 housing units, with more than 6000 residents.  The homes range from early phase homes from under $100,000 and up, to new luxurious designer homes starting in the $300,000.  If you’re looking for homes for sale in Saint Augustine Florida, the St Augustine Shores is for the home buyers seeking their first home, the home buyers looking to scale-down, or the professional hunting for a premier neighborhood featuring a luxury homebuilder.

While searching for homes for sale in Saint Augustine Florida many home buyers take into account the schools a potential home is zoned for.  St. Johns County School District has been repeatedly named as the #1 school district in the state of Florida.  There is a middle school and a high school near the community with W. Douglas Hartley Elementary, an award winning school in St. Johns County, located within the Shores.  

The amenities available in this community mean people searching for homes for sale in Saint Augustine Florida should take a look at The St. Augustine Shores.  For golfers, there is the St. Augustine Shores Golf Club, a private 18 hole, par 70 course for the veteran and novice golfer.  St. Augustine Shores also has more than 150 miles of bike paths, sidewalks, and 14 lakes/ponds for residents to enjoy walking, biking, or jogging.

Best of all, The Riverview Club, located within St Augustine Shores consists of fourteen manicured acres overlooking the Intercoastal Waterway.  Complementing the breathtaking views are a 75' x 100' swimming pool and a five-hundred foot pier into the Intercoastal Waterway with gazebo providing an exceptional opportunity for anglers, wildlife observers, and sunrise/sunset seekers who reside in the St. Augustine Shores.  The Riverview Club also has a kiddie play-ground, a wildflower area, volleyball, horseshoes, a picnic area, and a large sports field. There is a 5500 sq.ft. ballroom, a game room, a card room, a library, and kitchen facilities available for rental. 

St. Augustine Shores is a neighborhood you should consider when looking for homes for sale in Saint Augustine Florida.  This neighborhood has the perfect home for everyone, a ton of great amenities, a top ranked school district, and extremely low HOA fees.  TEAM JOHNSON specializes in homes for sale in Saint Augustine Florida and is quickly becoming an expert on the St. Augustine Shores.  We would love to help you, whether it be your first home or your last home, give us a call.  

Team Johnson

3505 U.S. 1 South

St Augustine, FL 32086904-495-0146Click Here to Search the MLS Like an AgentView My WebsiteClick Here to Email Me

Team Johnson of Watson Realty Corp Joins Leading Real Estate Companies of the World

TEAM JOHNSON of Watson Realty Corp., a 5 member real estate team serving Northeast Florida, has joined Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® (LeadingRE.com.)

Leading RE's membership worldwide is by invitation only. Worldwide membership of LeadingRE consists of recruits from 500+ top notch real estate firms with over 4,600 offices and 140,000 sales agents in more than 30 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, South America and South Pacific. To quote the company, "Members of LeadingRE must maintain high performance standards in order to retain membership, and the network must perform to continue earning the loyalty of its members."

What does this mean to our customers?  TEAM JOHNSON already is a leader in the northeast Florida real estate market.  We have successfully closed over 10 million dollars in real estate transactions in one year.  We have been the top listing team and top selling team in our office for the past two years.  We continue to keep up with the constant changes in the real estate market.  For buyers we will guide you through the buying process from start to close and all the details in between will be covered too.  For sellers our detailed “Marketing Plan” is second to none and we treat every listing as if it were our only listing.  Now that we have joined Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®, we have access to a wide range of brokerage services to further strengthen our marketing presence and offerings.

TEAM JOHNSON of Watson Realty Corp will also have the opportunity to collaborate with other "best in class" firms from around the world for idea-sharing, referrals and business development opportunities at conferences and online through the network’s private interactive community.  When we refer our customers to other agents we do not stop there.  We follow up with our affiliates and are in constant contact.  We expect the same quality and work ethic from these other agents that you expect from Team Johnson.

Whether you are moving across the street, across town, across the country, or across the globe let TEAM JOHNSON assist you.  Call TEAM JOHNSON at 904-495-0146 or email us at teamjohnson@watsonrealtycorp.com

TEAM JOHNSON

Watson Realty Corp.

3505 US 1 South

St Augustine, FL 32086

904-495-0146

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Specializing in Residential Real Estate in…

Fruit Cove, Elkton, Hastings, Ponte Vedra, Ponte Vedra Beach, St. Augustine,

St. Augustine Beach, Switzerland, Bardin, Bostwick, Crescent City, East Palatka, Florahome, Georgetown, Hollister,  Interlachen, Palatka, Pomona Park, San Mateo, Satsuma, Welaka, Bunnell, Flagler Beach, Palm Coast, Green Cove Springs, 

Keystone Heights, Fleming Island, Jacksonville, Middleburg, Orange Park, 

Penney Farms

St. Augustine, FL Real Estate Market 1st Half 2013

Real estate news look fantastic for sellers. (but there are hidden concerns within these great looking statistics).

The market statistics for the first six months of 2013 are to going to make a seller/owner's mouth start watering and at first impression, this would be terrible news for buyers.  WELL THAT'S BOTH RIGHT AND WRONG.

Closed/Sold transactions for the first six months of this year as compared to same period last year increased almost 14%. At the same time, the average sales price of a residential transaction rose almost 11% too. 
FANTASTIC! WONDERFUL! UNBELIEVABLE!

Well... that is both good and bad for homeowners.  Good in that prices have finally showed strong consistent recovery from the last several years of a depressed real estate market.  Bad in that when prices rise, there is a certain segment of the buying public that are then forced out of the market or they have to settle for less house.  Also, the tax man is also salivating so that property assessments and therefore property taxes can begin to increase!

Finally, the main concern for current events in regards to real estate is that interest rates have dramatically risen just in the last two weeks.  A 30 year mortgage a month ago would have an interest rate of around 3.5% and currently that same mortgage is hovering around 5%.  WOW!!!  This alone will eliminate some buyers and make it more difficult for still others to obtain financing and could stymie this robust growth. 

Overall, every line item statistic is looking very good in that the available inventory continues to shrink and buyer demand is still currently strong.  If you have been "sitting on the fence", "thinking about selling your home when the market comes back", or "maybe in six months when I return to the area";  STOP!  GET OFF THE FENCE!  LOOK AT THE THINGS THAT CAN CHANGE IN 6 MONTHS!

If you are a buyer looking at the perfect time to buy, it has already begun to pass you by; BUT IT IS NOT TOO LATE!

Sellers/Owners call "Team Johnson" today and let our superb marketing program get your house marketed and sold for top dollar.

Buyers call "Team Johnson" call "Team Johnson" today and let us help you find the good deals and best financing options for your particular situation.

904-495-0146
teamjohnson@watsonrealtycorp.com

Why It is Great to Live in St. Augustine, FL

St. Augustine, FL is truly a great place to live.  Located midway between Daytona Beach and Jacksonville, Florida’s Historic Coast includes historic St. Augustine, the outstanding golf and seaside elegance of Ponte Vedra Beach, 42 miles of pristine, Atlantic beaches – the same beaches that greeted Ponce de Leon in 1513 when he discovered and named La Florida, an area whose boundaries encompassed what would later become the eastern United States. Several members of TEAM JOHNSON have been long time residents.  Two members have grown up, gone to school, bought homes in St. Augustine and are now raising their families here.  We cannot imagine living anywhere else.  We are not alone in our sentiments. 

*Trip Advisor has ranked St. Augustine among the Top 10 U.S. Destinations to Visit
*U.S. News and World Report named St. Augustine one of the Top 10 Best Places to Live
*Forbes Magazine placed St. Augustine in the Top 10 Prettiest Towns in the U.S.
*National Geographic named St. Augustine one of the Top 10 Best Places in The World to View Holiday Lights.

After a very busy week of listing and selling homes for sale in St. Augustine, TEAM JOHNSON decided to take a day to see what our great city has to offer.  It was very tough to decide which of the many great attractions we would see but we decided to take a tour of el Galeon, play putt-putt golf along the city's bay front of the Matanzas Inlet, and finish with dinner at one of the area’s best restaurants.

EL GALEON

When you visit el Galeon you get to take a step back in time.  With information about 16th century European sailing techniques and technology, as well as important Florida history exhibits, El Galeón will tell the 500 year story since the arrival of Juan Ponce de León on the eastern shore of Florida.  El Galeón is a 170 foot, 495 ton, authentic wooden replica of a galleon that was part of Spain’s West Indies fleet. Florida.  While in port, the 170 foot, 495 ton authentic wooden replica of a galleon that was part of Spain’s West Indies fleet will be open for public visits. Information and tickets for El Galeón are available at www.vivaflorida.org or at ticket booths at Ripley’s Red Train Tours and the St. Augustine Visitors Information Center. Tickets are $8 for children age 12 to 6 years and $15 for adults. Children age 5 and under are free. The ship will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the St. Augustine City Marina. The St. Augustine story is a compelling narrative of exploration, innovation and enduring spirit. It is marked by many milestones, including the first permanent European settlement in the United States, founded in 1565, and the first port to develop into a center of trans-Atlantic trade and commerce. St. Augustine’s bay is indeed America’s oldest seaport.

Bay Front Mini Golf

Located next to the Bridge of Lions in the heart of historic downtown St. Augustine, Bay Front Mini Golf was a fun course and is great for the whole family! Bayfront Mini Golf originally opened in 1949 it the oldest miniature golf course in the oldest city! It was recently renovated and has been restored it to its original look.  Enjoy the picturesque view of the inlet, Anastasia Island, and the downtown St. Augustine skyline while playing miniature golf.  They also offer a great snack bar which provides ice cream, snacks and cold drinks, perfect for a hot day. 

The Columbia

Founded in 1905 by Cuban immigrant Casimiro Hernandez, Sr., the Columbia Restaurant is Florida’s oldest restaurant, and the largest Spanish restaurant in the world.  It began in Tampa’ Ybor City as a small 60-seat corner café known for its Cuban coffee and authentic Cuban sandwiches.  To this day, over 100 years since it first opened, the Columbia remains in the same family.  Over the years, Columbia Restaurant has attracted some of the most well-known athletes and enterainers from yesteryear to today.  From Babe Ruth to Derek Jeter, Lou Piniella, Ken Griffey Jr. and Barry Larkin, from Liberace to Bruce Springsteen, Steven Tyler of Aerosmith and Brian Johnson of ACDC, from Jack Dempsey and Rock Marciano to Evander Holyfield, from Marilyn Monroe and Liza Minelli to Bo Derek, everyone enjoys the Columbia.  Other recent visitors include George Clooney, Stephen King, Bryant Gumbel, Brooke Shields, and Lauren Hutton.  This is one of St. Augustine’s best restaurants and it is located right in the heart of the historic district.


TEAM JOHNSON does more than just help people buy and sell homes in St. Augustine.  We truly believe this is a great place to live.  Gene and Libby settled here over 25 years ago.  They have operated several businesses, raised their two children, and look forward to their retirement in this great town.  Shalynn and William grew up here, were educated in the St. Johns County schools, the best in the state, and have now bought their own homes and are raising their families here as well.  We know the area from both a business and a personal point of view.  Let TEAM JOHNSON help you with all your real estate needs.  Give us a call at 904-495-0146 or email us at teamjohnson@watsonrealtycorp.com

Is Now the Time to Buy or Is Now the Time to Sell?

We are in a buyer’s market.  The market is now a seller’s market.  Now is the time to buy.  Now is the time to sell.  Interest rates are low.  Interest rates are soaring.  CONFUSED???  With all the mixed messages out there, many consumers are confused as to what they should do.  This week’s blog post will explain what type market we are currently in and what current interest rates mean to people trying to buy homes in St. Augustine and northeast Florida.

For the past several years the St. Augustine real estate market, just like the rest of the country, has been a market favorable to buyers.  Average prices of homes dropped drastically, interest rates were low, and there was a lot of inventory.  There was also an influx on new construction communities will nice incentive packages.  Over the past several months real estate around the country but especially real estate in St. Augustine has begun to change.  We have now entered a seller’s market.  The inventory levels have dropped drastically.  In some neighborhoods there are no houses for sale at all.  Due to the low inventory, list prices are on the rise.  Sellers also do not have to make as many concessions during closings (i.e. paying closing costs)

Last week interest rates also took a major jump.  This is being caused by changing monetary policies by The Fed, stating they will no longer be printing more money.  The stock market has also been climbing causing people to remove their money from mortgage bonds and place it in the stock market so they can get a better return on investment.  Due to the Dow Jones drop yesterday interest rates have stabilized today.  Current interest rates as of today are the following:
               FHA        4.25%
               VA          4.25%
               Conv       4.75%
               FB          4.25%

So what does this mean to you, the consumers?  If you are wanting to buy a home in St. Augustine or any of the surrounding areas, you need to begin the process now.  With interest rates on the rise you will qualify for less than you did a month ago.  If interest rates continue to rise you will qualify for less tomorrow than you do today.  If you are wanting to sell your home in St. Augustine or any of the surrounding areas now is the time to do it.  Inventory levels are dramatically reduced from just a few months ago and the market will yield you more money than in previous months.  Whether you’re wanting to buy or sell TEAM JOHNSON can help you.  We have a 5 member team each with our own specialties.  We will work hard to achieve a sale.  Give us a call today at 904-495-0146 or email us at teamjohnson@watsonrealtycorp.com 

Team Johnson Gives Back

TEAM JOHNSON is the number one producer in our office.  We sold more homes in St. Augustine than anyone else in our office for 2011 and 2012.  Part of our success is, unlike most real estate teams, we are not 5 real estate agents all doing the same job.  Each of our 5 team members have their own areas of expertise when it comes to buying and selling real estate.  3 members of our team took last weekend off from selling homes in St. Augustine and donated their time, talents, and expertise to a charity organization centered on children. 

Cheers for Peers (CFP) is a non-profit professional musical theater program.  Their mission statement is to present quality theater for family audiences and school assemblies in the St. Augustine area.  CFP’s program offers students a unique and amazing opportunity to learn in a professionally structured environment.  CFP provides children of all backgrounds an opportunity to experience quality theater productions.  Their singing, acting and dancing skills are developed in a disciplined classroom atmosphere. The students then test these skills through performance.  The audience applause strengthens their self-confidence and positively reinforces their hard work.  CFP's mission is to produce high quality musical productions, nurture imaginations & creative thinking skills, build theatre audiences of the future and create a memorable family experience.

Gene Johnson is the leader of TEAM JOHNSON.  He has an extensive background in accounting and business management in addition to being a top real estate agent in St. Augustine.  He used that business knowledge to manage the front of the house.   He collected the ticket money and helped this non-profit entity with very little resources stay in budget and even raise some funds for the continuation of the program.

Libby Johnson is the TEAM JOHNSON REALTOR handling buying and selling homes in the St. Augustine area.  She also has over 20 years experience teaching the arts to children of all ages.  She was the main teacher for these children, some of them having never even seen a stage let alone act, dance, and sing on one.  Due to casting changes she even donned the apparel of the teacher “Ms. Grouchstick” and the “Witch” in the musical. 

Shalynn Johnson is the TEAM JOHNSON member that handles all the marketing.  Her marketing efforts ensure that TEAM JOHNSON, as well as our listings, are marketed to the world!  She also has over 20 years experience in the performing arts.  Unlike Libby, Shalynn chose to stay behind the scenes of this musical.  She set up the theater’s sound and light system.  When show time came she used her extensive technical background to run the light board and the sound board.

All together these three members of TEAM JOHNSON donated hundreds of hours of knowledge and expertise to this program.  Gene, Libby, and Shalynn had fun meeting the children and their parents who were involved in this program and the shows were great, rewarding, and fun too!  For more information on this charity organization please call TEAM JOHNSON at 904-495-0146 or email us at teamjohnson@watsonrealtycorp.com

Obtaining Homeowners Insurance in Florida During Hurricane Season

June is here and Floridians know what that means, hurricane season is upon us.  Hurricane season for the Atlantic runs from June 1^st through November 30^th.  Throughout that time there may only be a few tropical depressions swirling around or there could be back to back storms headed towards the U.S.  This could create a problem for people looking to buy or sell a house during this six month span.  Do not panic though.  Ironically, this six month span is also the busiest time of the year for real estate transactions.  This week’s blog will have tips for ensuring a smooth transaction during hurricane season.

If you are planning to finance your home it is important to remember that any mortgage lender will require that the buyers provide proof of homeowner’s insurance coverage on the day of the closing.  Failure to do so will result in the lending company’s refusal to release the funds and the closing will at best postponed or outright cancelled.

As a storm develops insurance companies will suspend issuing homeowners insurance policies until the storm passes, even if the area is not in the direct path of the storm.  It does not take a direct hit by a storm to cause damage.  The Florida Realtors®/Florida Bar Contract for Sale and Purchase contains within it a clause that extends the closing date for a period of time in this event; however, it could impact other areas such as interest rates, points and closing costs, homeowner’s insurances rates, etc. It is important to know.

There is a very simple way to avoid this happening.  Start shopping as early as possible for homeowner’s insurance.  These types of storms can pop up out of no where.  A great time to start would be as soon as you have an executed contract on the property.  Narrow down your choices and as soon as you feel good about your loan being approved or you have been informed by your lender; go ahead and have your insurance company "bind" your policy.  You will be required to write a check at the time of application and the policy will become effective on the date of closing.  If the sale falls through for whatever reason or you are delayed you can always cancel the coverage and request a refund from the insurance company for any unused premiums.  Make sure you talk to your local insurance agent before signing anything.

TEAM JOHNSON can help navigate you through a successful sale even in the middle of hurricane season.  Each of the members on our team have been long time Florida residents for a minimum of 20 years.  We have seen some of the worst seasons for the state of Florida including the record setting 2004 where we had 4 hurricanes (Charlie, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne).  Give us a call at 904-495-0146 or email us at teamjohnson@watsonrealtycorp.com