Welcome to Jacksonville

Does 60 seem old to you? It doesn't to me-at least not anymore. But while an individual who lasts six decades is hardly noteworthy, an organization that accomplishes the same feat deserves a salute and a celebration.

So that's what we're doing in this issue of Jacksonville Homebuyer. The Northeast Florida Builders Association is marking its 60th anniversary, and we're helping to commemorate the occasion with a fascinating special section tracing the history of this remarkable amalgamation of builders, developers and suppliers.

After all, NEFBA has impacted the lives of virtually everyone in Northeast Florida-and will impact the lives of those still to come. Chances are, a NEFBA member will build the home you plan to buy. Chances are, a NEFBA member will loan you the money to buy that home and provide the furnishings that will make it uniquely yours.

A NEFBA member even published this magazine.

It's easy to forget how important homebuilding is to the economy in Northeast Florida. In fact, it's safe to say that this particular industry has kept us-and the rest of the country-out of a far more serious recession than we would have experienced otherwise.

But more than providing jobs for your neighbors and shelter for you, the building industry in Northeast Florida quietly helps those who can't help themselves. Through the NEFBA Charitable Foundation and Builders Care, the association and its members renovate homes for the working poor and the elderly, bolster children's charities, build shelters for battered women and help the homeless learn job skills.

In fact, I'm not aware of any trade or professional organization that does more to make Jacksonville and the surrounding area a better place in which to live. Congratulations, NEFBA, on 60 years of building our community-literally and figuratively.

In addition to the NEFBA salute, in this issue we'll take a look at the burgeoning second-home market (it's not just for the wealthy anymore) and explore the wonderful world of color (it's okay to go a little crazy). And, as usual, we've included colorful neighborhood profiles, an objective guide to public and private schools, lively insider tips, fun facts and the most comprehensive community directory ever compiled for the region.

I'd also like to remind you to visit our Web site-www.neflhomebuyer.com-where you'll find an array of news you can use, including stories, searchable directories and dozens of helpful links. There's even an interactive feature allowing you to request more information about the communities, products and services you see advertised in our pages.

If you forget the Web address, don't worry. We've bought an array of commonly used key words that should prompt any Internet search engine to take you directly to our site.

Welcome to Jacksonville!