by Michele Newbern Gillis
Staff Writer
When the Boyetts wake up every morning, they can walk out their door into the sand and feel and see exactly what buyers of oceanfront property want, an ocean breeze and a beautiful view.
“When you go to bed at night, especially on the ocean, you can’t wait to wake up and go out and get the newspaper,” said Holly Boyett. “It’s just the best feeling to wake up on the ocean.”
They bought the home 11 years ago when they lived in Atlanta and finally decided to pull up roots and relocate to their Jacksonville Beach oceanfront home for good.
Now Holly and her husband James have opened a new real estate company, Buy Oceanfront Realty, LLC. to make other’s dreams a reality.
Holly was a Realtor with Buckhead Brokerage and then Re/Max Greater Atlanta for 26 years.
James is a graduate of Harvard Medical School. He is licensed in dentistry and law, but practiced primarily as a surgeon for 35 years in Florida, Georgia and Alabama. When he decided to retire from the medical field, he got his real estate license to join his wife in this new venture. They both have their Graduate of the Realtor Institute designation.
“Our primary specialty will be to work with buyers that want to live on the ocean,” said Holly. “We do not want to list homes, but we would like to hear from people who are interested in selling and we will just keep a little file of people who would sell at a certain price. We will show buyers what is actually listed and then show them our little secret file.”
They Boyetts have a large circle of influence still in Atlanta and intend to get many of their buyers from there.
“We just started our advertising campaign,” she said. “We have a doctor coming in from Atlanta that wants to look and we are also showing lots to people from there.”
Holly said she and her husband are also finding contacts near their home; they are talking to people who live on the ocean because, she said, they usually have a friend that is looking for an oceanfront home.
With all their combined years of service to the respective industries, the Boyetts now find themselves in a situation where they can pick and choose their customers and then give them the time and dedication they need.
“It won’t be everyday, but then someone will come along and we will be able to really give them dedicated service,” said Holly. “It’s very hard to find available homes on the ocean.”
Married for 32 years and grandparents of four, they have joined the Northeast Florida Association of Realtors and the Ponte Vedra Inn and Club in hopes of meeting new people in the area and possibly making some contacts.
The Boyetts plan to keep their office in their home and not get any bigger.
Both Holly and James have ties to Jacksonville Beach from their past. As a child, James and his family used to visit often.
“I grew up in Waycross and Jacksonville Beach was our beach,” said James. “We came there a lot when I was a child. It’s like coming back home again.”
Holly lived in Jacksonville in the early 1960’s and taught school.
“We lived in Atlanta and we wanted to be able to get here and get back relatively easily. It’s a five and a half hour drive. Further south you don’t get that. Plus it’s nice to have the seasons. I think Jacksonville is the best city in Florida.”
Though they have never worked together before, they are both enjoying the new found partnership.
“I think it’s going to work out,” said James. “As long as she is the boss it will be fine. She is the broker.”
“My husband is my top associate,” joked Holly.
Holly compared the Atlanta market to that of Jacksonville and basically said the Atlanta market is soft right now.
She said there are a lot of homes on the market that stay on the market, where here other Realtors have told them that the average life of a listing is two to three weeks.
“It’s much different here,” said James.
Prior to real estate Holly raised her children and was a junior high math teacher.
“I told my husband I wanted to go back to school to get my degree in accounting, but to do that it was very expensive,” said Holly. “He said that I should get my real estate license instead. I said ‘Oh no!,’ I don’t want to do that.’ He said he thought I could, so I took the course. I took to it like a fish in water. The first year I was No. 1 in my office. It fit my personality my analytical brain.”
Her husband was very supportive
“I gave her the $12 for the course,” said James. “It was the perfect job for her.”