Take Note

CLAY  COUNTY
Hampton Golf was chosen to manage the golf course and club facilities at Eagle Harbor in Fleming Island. The company will add about 160 staffers and will be responsible for the club’s golf, tennis, food and beverage, pool and hospitality needs, including booking tee times and managing the facilities. 

DUVAL COUNTY
CornerStone Homes’ newly launched website, mycornerstonehomes.com, offers information about the builder’s floorplans, available homes and communities in Northeast Florida. Visitors can view design center and model home photos that offer customization ideas and designer tips.  Also on the site is information about nearby schools, shopping and other services as well as a mortgage calculator and links to apply for mortgage financing.  A convenient mobile application offers easy access with handheld devices. 

The sales team at Ocean’s Edge at Jacksonville Beach is celebrating its recent sales success – 16 contracts worth $3.8 million – with a limited-time offer: All closing costs and pre-paid escrow expenses will be paid by the developer. For a two-bedroom home, that translates into $7,800 worth of savings.

Prudential Network Realty is working with Immersive Design Studio to develop next-generation virtual home tours that will enable real estate professionals and customers anywhere in the world to come together and exchange thoughts in real time. Prudential Network Realty will serve as a test market for the new technology, known as the Prudential Real Estate Collaborative Innovation Partnership.

Urban Trust Bank has expanded its mortgage division and the new Jacksonville Beach office, located at 1400 Marsh Landing Parkway, will be its first freestanding mortgage office. Urban Trust Bank makes local credit decisions, which allows the bank to customize mortgages to meet individual needs.

The Northeast Florida Association of Realtors has created a new, six-page Short Sale Seller Advisory available on its Web site, www.nefar.com/short-sale-seller-advisory.php. There visitors will find information about predatory short sale “rescue” scams and fraud against sellers. Also, Florida residents can learn about free services such as housing counseling and information on bankruptcy and foreclosure.

Mattamy Homes has acquired 75 homesites at Cedar Bay and plans to build three- and four-bedroom single-family homes priced from the $160s. The homes will range in size from 2,000 to 3,000 square feet. The builder’s model home is expected to be open for viewing in January.

Aurora Custom Homes recently completed a 10,000-plus-square-foot home at the beach that features xeriscaping, a type of landscaping that uses plants native to Florida in an effort to reduce water consumption. The builder chose tall shade trees, a drip irrigation system tied into an underground rainwater collection cistern, strategically placed bioswales and installation of permeable surfaces.

ST. JOHNS COUNTY
Durbin Crossing is Northeast Florida’s fastest-selling residential community so far for 2010, according to Metrostudy, a research firm that compiles and analyzes housing statistics. The company reported a total of 150 construction starts and 161 closings for Durbin Crossing in the second quarter. Starts for Durbin Crossing in 2010 were up by 18 percent over the previous year.

Construction is under way on a luxurious, energy-efficient custom home in the Oakgrove Estates neighborhood at King & Bear in World Golf Village.  The 5,520-square-foot home has a three-car garage and sits on an oversized estate homesite with mature live oak trees. Features include a vaulted, open-beam ceiling, a double-sided fireplace, built-in cabinetry, professional-grade appliances and collapsible sliding glass doors. The home, by Bourré Construction Group, is scheduled for completion in March 2011.

Ryland Homes is showcasing its new Florida Series at Durbin Crossing. The Palm Collection offers eight floorplans ranging in size from 2,200 to 3,196 square feet with prices starting at $229,990. Ryland is showing off its new designs with two new model homes: The 2,090-square-foot Clearwater model has four bedrooms, two bathrooms, flex space and two-car garage while the 2,847-square-foot Inverness model features four bedrooms, two-and-a-half bathrooms and a two-car and tandem garage.

The first of four new condominium buildings by Legacy Builders of North Florida is complete at Laterra Links in World Golf Village. The new building contains two Pebble Beach and Pinehurst units, each offering granite countertops, custom cabinetry and state-of-the-art appliances. Three more buildings are under construction and expected to be complete in early 2011. Homes at Laterra Links are priced from the mid-$300s.

Standard Pacific Homes has purchased 32 estate homesites at Whisper Ridge Reserve near MuraBella. Most of the homesites, which are about one-third of an acre in size, offer either water or nature views. Homes will range in size from about 2,200 to 4,000 square feet and feature four to six bedrooms with up to four bathrooms and a three-car garage.  The homes, which will be built to Energy Star specifications, will be priced starting in the mid-$200s. There are no Community Development District fees at Whisper Ridge Reserve. 

Toll Brothers has Quick Delivery Homes available at Coastal Oaks at Nocatee in Ponte Vedra. The 3,350-square-foot San Tropez Heritage, which is priced at $494,986, offers four bedrooms and three-and-
a-half bathrooms. The Vanwick Heritage has four bedrooms and two-and-a-half bathrooms in 2,793 square feet and is priced at $389,993. Also available for sale is the 2010 Designer Showhouse built for the Guild of the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra’s annual fundraising event. The 5,014-square-foot Marquis model is priced at $989,651.

Wellington Homes is now offering 65-foot homesites in MuraBella priced from $149,990. Several of the company’s most popular models may be built on the homesites as well as a new entry: The Weston. This versatile plan offers the option of three, four or five bedrooms ranging in size from 1,544 to 3,105 square feet.