Help! A strange thing happened when I printed this photograph from my Kodak Easy Share camera... these odd circles just appeared. People who have seen the picture have offered several theories explaining exactly what they believe them to be. Several people have suggested that they are orbs, which supposedly represent spirits around St. Augustine's Cathedral Basilica. That's eerie. Another few people have suggested that the circles are the result of moisture on the lens. It was, however, a dry evening. I really have no idea what they are, but they definitely make the photo more interesting! If you have any ideas about their origin, please let me know. 05/15/2012

With Spring in full bloom now is the time to work on your home's exterior. Adding color can add some mega curb appeal.  Here are 13 Ways to add curb appeal, from painting the front door, to adding a colorful garden path, your home will look more inviting in no time!   To make your entry more welcoming VIP Staging loves to add a pot of colorful flowers, such as geraniums. They are hardy and provide a nice contrast to the color of  most homes in St. Augustine. 05/03/2012

Cypress Lakes Elkton Florida homes for sale. Must see! This house is priced at $20,000 lower then any comps in this sub division. Gorgeous 5 bedrooms 3 baths, 2 car garage 2 story custom, quality built home located in Cypress Lakes by St Johns County Golf Course. Former River City model home with many upgrades including: double vanity in master bathroom, garden tub, separate shower, crown moldings , french doors, cathedral ceilings, tile and hardwood floors. Ceiling fans in all bedrooms. Finished 2 car garage is heated and cooled. Making a total of approximately 3400 sf of heated, cooled space in this home. Gas fire place in family room, large screened lanai, gourmet kitchen with all appliances, recessed lighting, beveled edge counter tops and tiled back splash. Solid concrete block con... 04/26/2012

Davidson Realty Inc.’s Women’s Mixer is back again with even more vendors! This year, we have over 20 women business owners or representatives pulling out all the stops. This event is free and open to the public, so make sure to grab your girlfriends and join us for lots of fun! Complimentary cocktails, wine, and food will be served as you shop all the great discounts and special offers. Most vendors will have giveaways and prizes!  Don’t miss the opportunity to get expert advice, shop, or simply browse services and products while enjoying a cocktail with the ladies! Participating vendors:• Cakes by Sue (custom cakes for birthdays and special occasions) – Sue Henry• Pampered Chef (kitchen essentials and accessories) – Carol Brown• Wine of the Week (personalized wine gifts) – Kim White• ... 04/18/2012

St. Augustine, FL was named by Forbes Magazine as one of the Top 10 Prettiest Towns. According to the Forbes article, The City of St. Augustine was chosen on the natural beauty, a unique identity and the combination of the two.  Forbes Magazine describes St. Augustine as :  " Founded in 1565 by Spanish explorers, St. Augustine is the oldest city in the United States occupied by Europeans (take that, Jamestown!), and it remained in Spanish hands until it was traded to the British for Havana. But the town has retained much of its Spanish past in some of its homes and larger architecture. “Castillo de San Marcos, the formidable 17th-century structure built by the Spanish to defend La Florida, is the country’s oldest fort and boasts impressive turrets, a moat, and even a double-drawbridge,”... 04/04/2012

      Recent College Graduate Gift Ideas:   Business clothes~ Great Idea Luggage~ hmmm only if want it Booze~ I'm sure they had enough! Furniture~ maybe Stocks~ Don't trust it :( Trip~ If they have the time Gift Card~ Not much thought and they'll know it :(   Consider setting up an account strictly for saving for their first home purchase. THE AMERICAN DREAMTO OWN YOUR OWN HOME Congratulations to all recent grads! May you enjoy every breath you take through your journey of life!   04/03/2012

JUST SOLD! Sevilla at World Commerce Center!   Just Sold! This gorgeous home in Sevilla at World Commerce Center! Sevilla has a new community called Sevilla World Commerce Center, which is just across from the World Golf Village community and minutes form I-95 in St Johns County with a St. Augustine FL address. This first time homebuyer made the smart decision to buy a home for less money than he was paying in rent. Now he has the satisfaction of owning his own home and paying himself every month instead of his landlord!  Give us a call or text at 904-673-2308 to see if you can stop paying rent and own your own home! It makes sense for so many people. 03/25/2012

The HUGE Kick off party for the Artbreaker's even HUGER Art & Music Festival has been postponed.  So, if you thought you missed it... you did not! It will be held this Wednesday evening March 29th.  Join us for food, fun and a mini concert by Rock and Roll Hall of Famemember Terry Sylvester of The Hollies at The Groove Cafe.  The event is from 5 until 9 pm.  Admission is free and a portion of all food and beverage sales will be donated back to Artbreakers.  Terry Sylvester will take the stage about 7:30 pm for a mini-concert and will be available for autographs and photos after the show.  The Groove is located next to Tim's Wine Market in Sea Grove Main Street on Anastasia Island This concert is the kick-off party for Artbreakers Music and Art Festival May 18th and 19th at the Fountain ... 03/25/2012

5 Mistakes To Avoid Before Buying A Property In St Augustine FL If you are thinking about buying a property within the next year, there are certain things that you should avoid doing as they may limit your ability to get a mortgage. Below are 5 mistakes to avoid before buying homes in St Augustine FL. 5 Mistakes To Avoid Before Buying A Property In St Augustine FL Major Purchases Lenders evaluate the percentage of your debt to your overall income. Making large purchases either on your credit cards or with new loans may significantly shift that percentage. In general, the higher your debt, the less you will qualify for on a mortgage. This is especially important after you have found a home and have started the mortgage process. Lenders may re-check your credit report immediately before f... 03/25/2012

Many seller actions can affect a home sale. Some typical seller mishaps when listing homes in St Augustine are worse than others. Sellers can avoid the mistakes shown below: Not Focusing on the Staging or Cleanup It can be difficult to keep a property presentable at all times especially while still occupying it. Sellers must spend time staging and cleaning prior to property viewings and open houses. Buyers tend to notice little about a property and more of the mess inside, so not paying attention to cleaning will make your property less interesting. Buyers assume that sellers who do not clean their home also ignore necessary repairs. Home staging and cleaning up helps St Augustine homes sell faster and for more money. Making Listings Difficult to Show The more complicated it is to see a... 03/02/2012

                                                                                                                         World Golf Village is located west of I95 in St John’s County, FL.  It’s residents enjoy world class amenities as this wonderful community’s name implies. The World Golf Hall of Fame is an added attraction with an annual expected visitor rate 1 million annually. A host of top rated restaurants and lodging is also located within the development.  Two highly rated golf courses: King & Bear, and Slammer & Squire are located within. Census records indicate that approximately 3500 homeowners call this community their home with a median household annual income of $72,000. Construction began and sales were strong in 1998 and continued throughout 2007. This is the second post... 02/28/2012

On May 18th and 19th Artbreakers and St Vincent’s Medical Center present a Music & Art Festival in St. Augustine at The Fountain of Youth. This 2 day event features comedy, music, art and health and awareness with a primary focus of helping under served and uninsured cancer patients in St. Augustine and St. Johns County.  Friday night will include a Vaudeville Show and Ballroom – Swing Dance. Saturday afternoon there will be live music featuring local talent, a health and wellness fair and an Art Fair featuring local painters and sculptors.  Saturday night will feature a British Invasion theme concert featuring three bands.  Opening will be local favorites “The Falling Bones” followed by “The Cryers” a Beatles and British rock tribute band. Our headline act, Denny Laine, an original me... 02/26/2012

    WORLD GOLF VILLAGE-St Augustine-ST JOHN’S COUNTY-FLORIDA 32092      World Golf Village in St John’s County is located specifically west of I95. It’s residents enjoy world class amenities as this wonderful community’s name implies. The World Golf Hall of Fame is an added attraction with an annual expected visitor rate 1 million per year. A host of restaurants is also located within the development.  Census records indicate that approximately 3500 homeowners call this community their home with a median household annual income of $72,000. Construction began and sales were strong in 1998 and continued throughout 2007. This is the first post of statistics as the market continues to improve in 2012.     ACTIVITY STATISTICS FOR CURRENT DATE February 10, 2012 AND CLOSED PAST 365 DAYS World ... 02/10/2012

It feels like spring is in the air here in St Augustine Florida, even though it is just the beginning of February.  Home Depot is busier than ever with residents starting their Spring projects early this year. Homeowners should estimate the potential change in the value of their real estate versus the cost of specific changes before performing any work. Some upgrades are more advantageous than others in elevating a home’s value. Below is information on St Augustine Florida home repairs that increase home values. Recommendations on St Augustine Florida Home Repairs That Increase Home Values Home owners often hope to regain the entire amount of money spent on repairs when they go to sell their property. This is a natural tendency, but unfortunately, it is not supported by what is seen in ... 02/06/2012

UPDATE: BEACHES ON VILANO REOPENS AT 4 PM ON 2/3/12----HOORAY! Beaches on Vilano, a fun restaurant in Vilano Beach, sent out the press release below announcing their closing on February 1, 2012. Jan 31, 2012 - St. Augustine, Fla.  – Beaches on Vilano opened its doors on Vilano Beach in May 2011, confident it would be a prosperous venture. Despite a relatively good winter so far, we have not been given the full year to continue the momentum we have created; therefore, we are closing our doors Feb. 1, 2012. “Rick and I have thoroughly enjoyed providing our customers’ with the quality experience, closing the doors was not an easy decision, but under the current circumstances, it’s the only option. We have had such wonderful customers at Beaches on Vilano that I want to continue to offer so... 02/02/2012

Attend the St Augustine Repeat your Wedding Vows event held February 12, 2012 at Ripley’s Belive it or Not Museum. Repeat your wedding vows Feb. 12 and help Ripley’s break another World Record. St Augustine Repeat Your Wedding Vows Event Details Feb. 12 at 2pm. Ripley’s Believe it or Not! Museum in St. Augustine, Fl will attempt to host the world’s largest wedding vow renewal ceremony. Ripley is looking for couples who would like to participate in this special activity, just two days prior to St. Valentine’s Day. Check-in will begin at noon Feb. 12th. Couples need to bring proof of their existing marriage and a photo ID to present at check-in. To register, email the name of the bride and groom along with the state and date of the original wedding to mock@ripleys.com. Visit the 2012 Repe... 01/22/2012

St. Johns County School District retained the No.1 title in Florida for its High Schools based of FCAT scores. The Florida's Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) are based on performances including graduation rate, participation and performance in accelerated programs, and college readiness skills. In all, the district has two A schools, four B schools and one M school, based on the 2010-11 state assessment. A’s went to Allen Nease and Ponte Vedra high schools. B schools are Bartram Trail, Creekside, Pedro Menendez and St. Augustine high schools. M stands for “maintaining” and is applied to St. Johns Technical High School, which for 2009-10 received an F.District officials have disagreed with that F score, arguing the school is designed as an alternative school and uses a different rati... 01/05/2012

St. Augustine and St. Johns County 24 Hr. Market Report for January 5, 2005 shows that there were 18 homes with price adjustments.  It appears that the Sellers are understanding that even in the active St. Augustine real estate market, the correct list price is vitally important. Nearly 25 homes were re-listed in the last 24 hours, catching up the large end of year expired listings.     01/05/2012

St. Augustine, St. Johns County 24 Hr. Market Report for January 2, 2012 shows quite a few of the end of the year expired listings have been renewed.  Which leads me to think that agents that were out listing new homes yesterday, forgot to renew their expiring December listings! Not surprising at all that there were no closings during this 24 hour period as it was New Year's Day.     01/05/2012

Recently I attended a Date with Destiny event in Palm Desert with Tony Robbins. We had an amazing week of growth, learning and friendship. One of the things that he had us do was to take a look at what the purpose of our life was and to write a mission statement or purpose about it. This was something not just off of the top of your head, but something that he wanted us to pull from deep inside, write down, and then use as an inspiration all through the years to come. It was amazing to see that some people had no idea of what their purpose was, some knew right away, and some, after much deliberation came up with something totally different than what they would have thought would be their mission or purpose.Do you know what your purpose is? Life without purpose is certainly less motivati... 01/01/2012