NEWS BRIEFS
ON RARE RIVERFRONT PROPERTY, OLD SAN JOSE GETS NEW BUILDER
In another sign that the new-home market is finally rebounding, Old San Jose on the River, an elegant development located on San Jose Boulevard near Jacksonville's historic San Marco neighborhood, is being reborn with a revamped concept and a new builder.
Old San Jose, which occupies extraordinarily rare St. Johns River real estate just minutes from downtown, was first announced in 2007. But when the downturn hit shortly thereafter, it stalled and then sputtered to a halt.
Colorado-based Condo Capital Solutions, which purchased the note for Old San Jose in 2010, has tweaked the plan to emphasize single-family homes, although there are still luxurious riverfront condos available in an existing five-story building.
And they've hired veteran Jacksonville builder Lee Arsen-ault, president of New Leaf Construction, to head construction. Arsenault, who's been building homes in Northeast Florida for more than 28 years, was previously a senior vice president at The Vintage Group and part of the senior management team at Arvida/St. Joe.
Most recently Arsenault has headed his own company, and has concentrated on residential remodeling. "I've been really blessed," he says. "This is a special piece of property."
In the original plan, Old San Jose was slated to be all multifamily. Now, it will consist of 27 beautiful single-family homes and eight triplexes built by Arsenault's company.
There'll also be five riverfront homesites, on which buyers may use Arsenault or bring in their own builders.
The homes being built by New Leaf will reflect the eclectic architecture of the surrounding historic neighborhoods, Arsenault says.
"We're thrilled to have Lee join the Old San Jose team," says Victoria Robbins of Victoria Robbins Realty, the company responsible for sales and marketing of the community. "There has been significant interest from buyers, so we look forward to meeting and exceeding those requests with the expertise and guidance of Lee and his team."
Old San Jose's existing condominium complex, which has 18 units including penthouses, is now at about 50 percent occupancy. Units range in size from 1,700 to more than 3,000 square feet and are priced from the mid-$300s to $799,000.
The Mediterranean-style amenity center features a fire pit and an out-door kitchen and swimming pool along with a fitness center and a large community gathering room with a kitchen.
Old San Jose will also offer private riverfront access via a community dock and meticulously maintained gardens.
The community, located at 5000 San Jose Blvd. in Jacksonville, offers easy access to I-95, the San Marco retail district and downtown Jacksonville.
PROGRESSIONS
Toll Brothers has announced the promotion of Greg Netro to vice president of its North Florida Division. Netro, who joined the company in 2001, was named senior project manager in 2007 then assistant vice president in 2011. As division vice president, Netro will supervise communities such as Coastal Oaks at Nocatee in Ponte Vedra. ... The PARC Group, developer of Nocatee, was recently named Developer of the Year at the Northeast Florida Builders Association's (NEFBA) annual Laurel Awards ceremony. PARC Group partners include Rick Ray, Greg Barbour and Roger O'Steen. The company has won this award for five consecutive years. ...Riverside Avondale Preservation has recognized The John Gorrie: A Condominium with the organization's Outstanding Multifamily Renovation award. The team for the project, in which the old John Gorrie High School has been converted into condominiums, includes Delores Barr Weaver, project leader; Gordon's Castle, contractor; and Rob Overly, architect. ...Bellagio Custom Homes has hired Melissa Pomp as design coordinator. Pomp, a licensed interior designer, has more than 10 years of design experience working with Arthur Rutenberg Homes, Robb and Stucky, Builders Design Studio and the Sherwin Williams Corporation. ... Old San Jose on the River has added Brenda Harris to its sales and marketing team. Harris has more than 10 years of experience in luxury home sales in Northeast Florida and has worked with builders in several popular St. John's County master-planned communities.
WHO DO CUSTOMERS LOVE? IT'S MATTAMY
Mattamy Homes Jacksonville has earned Avid Ratings' Diamond Award for Best Customer Experience. The company topped all U.S. builders in an index of customer satisfaction.
Over 97 percent of local Mattamy buyers said they would recommend the company to family and friends. Those same buyers gave the company an Avid Index score of 282 out of a possible 300 points.
Canadian-based Mattamy expanded into the U.S. in 2003. The U.S. Group has divisions in Jacksonville, Orlando, Charlotte, Phoenix and the Twin Cities area of Minnesota.
Avid Ratings, founded in 2003, maintains the largest homebuyer survey database in the industry. Avid assesses homebuyers' experiences and then provides focused business solutions and training to improve referrals, margins and long-term customer loyalty.
GROWING CONSUMER CONFIDENCE SPARKS RESURGENT HOME MARKET
The immediate future of the homebuilding industry along the First Coast looks bright, with promising economic news and improving consumer confidence finally signaling the end of the housing downturn.
The building industry has led the U.S. out of every recession so far, and I believe that our industry will contribute significantly to turning the economy around this time as well.
Here on the First Coast, we're already making great strides - and national industry publications are taking notice. Builder magazine recently named Jacksonville the fourth-healthiest housing market in the U.S., while Realtor magazine predicted housing permits locally will nearly double in 2012 from the previous year, to more than 4,000.
Additionally, the latest economic reports show Jacksonville adding more jobs right now than the state and national average. That's probably one reason that local consumer confidence is at its highest level since before 2008, according to a University of Florida survey released last month.
Historically low interest rates coupled with shrinking new-home inventory makes now the perfect time to consider buying a new home.
As the new president of the Northeast Florida Builders Association (NEFBA), I'll continue to foster the association's commitment to affordable housing so everyone has the opportunity of achieving the dream of home ownership.
I'll also help our membership accomplish industry goals by ensuring that we speak with one voice. The builders in Northeast Florida are energized by the positive outlook for our area, and are looking forward to an exciting year.
BARBARA MOORE
Division President, Lennar Homes
President, NEFBA
Barbara Moore, currently president of the Northeast Florida Builders Association, has been Jacksonville Division President for Lennar since 2007. Previously she held similar positions at Beazer Homes in Jacksonville, Ashton Woods Homes in Houston, Texas, and Pulte Homes and The Ryland Group, both in Greenville, S.C. She earned an undergraduate degree in business management and a master's degree in urban and regional planning from Florida State University.
NEW BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT
S&S CREATIVE CABINETRY
S&S Creative Cabinetry, pro-viding hand-carved and custom details for residential and commercial projects, has just opened its doors. Mike Schoenfeld is the company's CEO and vice president of sales and marketing.
"We can build practically anything from wood," Schoenfeld says, including custom interior and exterior doors, wood beams and moldings. "Our desire is to create bea-utiful and fashionable products for our clients' homes that can't be found at your normal cabinetry showrooms and home centers," he adds.
The company, an affiliate of Lumber Unlimited, is located at 4150 Springrove Street on Jacksonville's Northside. The phone number is (904) 400-7010 and a website will debut shortly.
MODEL SPOTLIGHT
MATTAMY HOMES AT RIVERTOWN
Mattamy Homes has opened two new models in RiverTown, a master-planned community boasting 3.5 miles of St. Johns River frontage. There are 58 acres of greenspace with parks and walking trails as well as a central event lawn. Along the river are day boat slips, a community dock and a fishing pier. The RiverHouse and Amenity Center, set to open in May, encompass a fitness facility and meeting rooms as well as a junior-size Olympic lap pool and a child-friendly zero-entry pool with a cork-screw slide. Top-notch St. Johns County schools, shopping, dining and recreation are nearby. Mattamy is offering stylish single-family homes on 50-, 60- and 70-foot grand lots. Here are the company's two newest RiverTown offerings:
The Laurel
Price: Starts at $253,000
Size: 2,873 square feet
Notes: Four bedrooms and three bathrooms with a downstairs master suite; study, bonus room and formal dining room; durable Hardie siding.
The Periwinkle
Price: Starts at $249,990
Size: 2,571 square feet
Notes: Three bedrooms and two-and-a-half bathrooms with a downstairs master suite; first- and second-floor laundry rooms; durable Hardie siding.