Elacora has five move-in-ready homes from the company’s Portada and Serena collections available in Madeira.
They are for a limited time at below appraised value. They are the:
• Genoa, a two-bedroom plus den ranch-style home with 1,797 square feet of living space, priced at $289,900.
• Capri, a 2,140-square-foot den ranch-style home with three-bedrooms, built using energy-saving structural concrete insulated panels and priced at $329,900.
• Portofino, a two-bedroom plus den ranch-style home that is 2,008 square feet, priced at $304,900.
• Villena, a one-story, 2,446-square-foot home with three bedrooms, a den and a three-car garage, priced at $346,900.
• The Catalonia, a two-story home featuring 2,860 square feet of living space designed with four bedrooms (three on the first floor), four baths and a three-car garage, priced at $389,900.
Standard Pacific Homes has opened Artisan Lakes, Nocatee’s newest age-exclusive community.
The 55-plus low-maintenance community is gated and includes private amenities, such as a clubhouse, fitness center, demonstration kitchen, zero-entry pool with infinity edge, pickleball and bocce ball courts, putting green and pocket parks.
Artisan Lakes has 196 homesites with most backing up to a preserve, water or parks.
Homeowners may select from 10 single-story plans, priced from the high $200,000s, and designed for the community.
The homes come with an oversized two-car garage and range from two to five bedrooms, two to four baths and 1,755 to 2,839 square feet.
An optional second floor may be added to any home design to allow for up to 1,246 additional square feet.
Existing-home sales dropped off considerably in November to the slowest pace in 19 months.
But some of the decrease was likely because of an apparent rise in closing timeframes that pushed transactions into December, according to the National Association of Realtors.
All four major regions saw large sales declines in November.
Existing-home sales fell 10.5 percent from October to November, to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.76 million.
It’s the lowest total since April 2014’s total of 4.75 million.
Home sales are now 3.8 percent below a year ago –– the first year-over-year decrease since September 2014.
The South experienced the largest year-over-year sales decrease.
Existing-home sales were down 5.7 percent from November last year.
NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun said several factors led to the decline.
But, the primary reason could be an anomaly as the industry adjusts to the new Know Before You Owe rule.
Sparse inventory and affordability issues also still impede home buying.
But signed contracts have remained mostly steady in recent months, suggesting the sales decline wasn’t because of sudden withering demand.
According to NAR’s Realtors Confidence Index, 47 percent of respondents in November reported they are experiencing a longer time to close compared to a year ago, up from 37 percent in October.
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Network Realty introduced a centralized call center at the company’s corporate headquarters, designed to create a consistent experience for customers and agents.
The call center team — which includes Andrea Nichols, Kristin Gibson, Debbie Simpson and Katie Gibson — has more than 20 years combined tenure with the company.
The center provides coverage hours from 8:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week, making a showing appointment on a Berkshire Hathaway listing seamless. Calls are answered quickly and appointments are booked efficiently.
Call center tools include mobile access with an app for listing agents.
The app is also available to sellers if they wish to confirm or decline appointments directly or view listing activity.
Waypoint Church will celebrate its groundbreaking in Nocatee on Jan. 16. The new church will become the second congregation of Ponte Vedra Presbyterian Church.
A 26-year-old church, Ponte Vedra Presbyterian Church is well-known for its annual Bethlehem visit — an 8,000-square-foot re-creation of the city of Bethlehem — as well as its Sunrise Easter Services at Mickler’s Landing.
Waypoint Church’s 20-acre campus will be behind Valley Ridge Academy in the Greenleaf community.
Over $2.1 million has been raised through the Ponte Vedra Presbyterian Church congregation to start the church. An additional $1.5 million has been pledged.
This campus will also be home to Promisetown Preschool of Nocatee.
Waypoint Church will be led by Jim Huster. The church will hold its first service in September.
The preschool will open in August.