Paradise found in Northeast Florida real estate offerings

For many Jacksonville residents, life doesn’t get any better than coming home at the end of a long workday to the soothing ocean views or riverfront vistas.
Both can be found in the towns of Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Jacksonville Beach and Ponte Vedra Beach. Known for their relaxing atmosphere and sense of community, they are strung together like gems on a necklace. Each offers a host of fine local restaurants, eclectic shops and an active outdoor lifestyle with its own unique flavor, from the quiet charm of Atlantic Beach to the posh country club setting of Ponte Vedra.
According to Don Cline, broker/manager of Prudential Network Realty’s Beaches & Arlington office, the area is also surprisingly affordable.
“The Beaches market offers something for everyone, whether it’s a large estate or a small beach cottage,” said Cline. “There are nearly 100 homes available priced under $200,000 right now as well as estates worth millions.”
Framed by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Intracoastal Waterway to the west, the Beaches offer abundant waterway access for surfing, fishing, water skiing and more, with magnificent views as an added bonus. Cline also pointed out that many residents are drawn to the area not only by their similar interests, but by the simple fact that many businesses are easily accessible by walking or biking.
“Nearly everyone has a bike or a scooter,” he said.
The Northeast Florida real estate market at the Beaches was affected when the economy began its slide, just like other parts of the city and the rest of the country. Cline said the effects were not nearly as severe, however.
In some parts of Jacksonville, for example, the housing inventory is still at an all-time high. But at the Beaches the numbers more closely resemble those of April 2006, before the industry took its downward turn. In fact, overall inventory is down 23 percent for September 2011 compared to September 2010 and prices have begun to rise in certain pockets of the beach.
“In condominium sales alone, sold listings are up 26 percent and active inventory has dropped 46 percent,” Cline said. “No doubt the time to buy is here.”
Cline’s office has been serving the Beaches Arlington area for over 23 years. There are 50 agents on staff, from 30-year veterans to newcomers just starting out in the last few years. All of them bring value to the table with their extensive knowledge, as well as their enthusiasm, for the market and the area.
Another key person on Cline’s staff is Kristen Gibson, whose official title is Director of First Impressions.
“Kristen greets everyone who walks through the door or calls by phone and schedules every showing,” Cline said. “Other than the agent who works directly with a client, this is one of the most important jobs in our office.”
Like all real estate agencies in Florida, Cline’s office allows its clients to choose how they want to be represented: no brokerage, transaction brokerage or buyer brokerage, which creates a single-agent relationship whether buying or selling. His associates take to heart the terms and duties of single-agent representation as directed by the state and Prudential Network Realty is one of the few companies that offers this representation.
Among those duties: dealing honestly and fairly; loyalty; confidentiality; obedience; full disclosure; accounting for all funds; skill care and diligence in the transaction.
Like all Prudential Network Realty employees, Cline’s team believes in giving back to the community. Their efforts include collecting backpacks filled with school supplies for foster children at the beginning of the school year, giving to the USO to support the military, and donations to animal shelters.