St. Augustine, the Nation's oldest city, has been selected as one of Florida's Seven Wonders by the readers of the Miami Herald.  Yippee! Our fine city finished third from among nearly two dozen candidates for inclusion on the list of Florida's most inspiring and beautiful locations. To determine the Sunshine State's seven wonders, the Herald asked for nominations and then listed the twenty-one most popular on their website.  Nominees could be natural or man-made - but had to reflect the state's beauty, history or culture. Throughout the month of June, Herald readers were asked to vote for their favorites.  Additionally, you could visit their website to select your candidate. I asked many people in St. Augustine to vote for our wonderful city. The winners will be formally announced  Jul... 07/16/2007

Historic Downtown: Lets start out with the heart of St Johns, the Historic district. July 4th will start out at 6 pm with a "bang" of a different kind... enjoy big band favorites with the All Star Orchestra at the Plaza de la Constitucion adjacent to the Bridge of Lions. The festivities continue when the traffic detours with the closing of the Bridge of Lions from 8:30 pm to 10:30 pm, so that the main event can begin with the real "bang" ... at 9:30 pmEnjoy the fireworks reflecting off the Matanzas and listen to the choreographed soundtrack, which will be heard all throughout the historic bay front areas. Local radio stations will simulcast the soundtrack if you can't make it to the front of the show, listen to WFOY (1240 AM) and WSOS (94.1 FM) St Augustine Beach: If the Historic distri... 07/04/2007

What is going on in our local market? It is a GREAT time to buy!! There is a huge inventory and interest rates are still at all time lows.On the other hand-- if you are looking to sell-- do not lose hope-- with some professional guidance in pricing your property correctly-- you can still sell your property at a decent price. Sellers need to be aware that you need to price your home where you expect it to sell at --- the days of pricing your home high for some "wiggle room" are over--- price it right in the beginning and sell it. Buyers are not willing anymore to make offers on homes that are over-priced to begin with, like they have been in previous years.Make sure that you and your Realtor do a thorough market analysis of your neighborhood before deciding on a price. This is the most c... 06/26/2007

We have all heard the rumors...from neighbors, relatives or friends. There are a wide variety of myths floating around about what you should and shouldn't do to improve your credit reports and credit scores. The buck stops here! TrueCredit has exposed these urban legends to provide you and your informers with the truth about credit:1. Your score will drop if you check your credit - Fortunately, this one is definitely not true. Checking your own report and score is counted as a "soft inquiry" and doesn't harm your credit at all. Only "hard inquiries" from a lender or creditor, made when you apply for credit, can bring your credit score down a few points. Worried about damaging your credit while shopping around for a loan? Multiple inquiries for the same purpose within a short amount of t... 06/26/2007

When you've found the home of your dreams, you don't want to delay in producing your offer to purchase, so it's a great benefit to know what to expect in advance. While there is no foolproof formula for negotiating a fair price, you can begin by looking at recent sales in the neighborhood and comparing their list price to their final sale price. If homes are generally selling at 5% below list, you have that starting point for determining your offer. Once a price has been accepted, it's time to put it into high gear by obtaining your financing, scheduling a home inspection, and establishing a closing date. Your offer should be contingent upon securing a loan and a satisfactory "walk-through" before closing.Earnest money, or the "deposit" on your purchase, will be placed in escrow. It wil... 06/26/2007

In slower housing markets, most sellers understand that attracting buyers becomes more of a challenge. With more homes for sale at ever more competitive prices, buyers tend to have more power to choose and negotiate under these circumstances.What steps can you take to insure a faster sale at a higher price? First, seek representation. Over the last ten years, the number of homes that sold "by owner" fell by one third, and that statistic includes all markets, both hot and cool. What does that trend mean? Sellers have come to realize that real estate professionals are better equipped to produce top dollar offers, especially in slower conditions.In 2006, the National Association of REALTORS® reported that the median selling price for homes listed through agents was 16% higher than those ho... 06/26/2007

Attracting buyers has turned into quite the competitive sport. Once you catch a buyer's attention with a favorable asking price, how do you encourage them to select your home from the other choices? Namely, assault their senses!Since first impressions do count, you should start at the front door. Apply a fresh coat of paint and new hardware. On the inside, paint the walls with neutral colors. Designers recommend golden beiges and sandy tans.Now make the buyer's eyes dance around the home, taking in shiny new faucets, bright light fixtures, and attractive doorknobs and cabinet pulls. Like jewelry that accessorizes your home, these details can make quite a statement about your pride of ownership.Another way to show off is to reduce your furnishings by at least 25% throughout the house, ev... 06/26/2007

As a seller, you'd prefer a nice clean, unconditional offer at full price, right? One way to encourage such confidence among potential buyers is to have an inspection report available during showings, as well as any receipts (or estimates) for repairs. Why order an inspection when the buyers will probably do so anyway? Because when you take the initiative and perform repairs before listing, you are basically presenting a clean bill of health for your home.Prelisting inspections are becoming a popular way to give sellers an edge in competitive markets. Taking such action also provides a great opportunity to take care of problems that otherwise might come back to bite you. Buyers today are armed with more knowledge than in the past, and they recognize the security offered when the seller ... 06/26/2007

Have you ever heard of the "home staging" profession? These individuals assist sellers with presenting their home in a fashion that will increase the likelihood of a full price offer. While the value added by such professionals is often worth the investment, many sellers can put the basics into action themselves, and enjoy the same benefits.There are several "quick fixes" that stagers commonly recommend, and here are some highlights for your consideration as you prepare to market your home.First, the dirty work. You've got to clean your windows, but don't forget about washing all the screens to let in as much sparkling sunlight as possible. In tiled bathrooms, clean and regrout the floors. You know what they say about cleanliness!Second, create space in two ways. In the kitchen, roll aw... 06/26/2007

In slower housing markets, most sellers understand that attracting buyers becomes more of a challenge. With more homes for sale at ever more competitive prices, buyers tend to have more power to choose and negotiate under these circumstances.What steps can you take to insure a faster sale at a higher price? First, seek representation. Over the last ten years, the number of homes that sold "by owner" fell by one third, and that statistic includes all markets, both hot and cool. What does that trend mean? Sellers have come to realize that real estate professionals are better equipped to produce top dollar offers, especially in slower conditions.In 2006, the National Association of REALTORS® reported that the median selling price for homes listed through agents was 16% higher than those ho... 06/26/2007

Keller Williams® Realty of St Augustine would like to invite everyone in the community to get involved in helping out one of our fellow Agents, Barrie Higgins and also KW Rosa Cares. We are holding a garage sale and bake sale on Saturday June 19th, followed by a silent auction Thursday June 21st at the Chamber Mixer. The benefits from these functions will benefit Barrie Higgins and KW Rosa Cares so come out and help us raise money for these worthy causes. Barrie Higgins, a St Augustine Keller Williams Realtor® is medically uninsured, and through her battle with cancer and has been overwhelmed with mounting medical billsKW Rosa Cares is a non-profit charity funded through donations and fundraisers by the associates of Keller Williams of St Augustine. Keller Williams ® believes that givin... 06/08/2007

Fiddler's Green is now owned by St. Johns County. The closing happened on Tuesday, May 8th for $5,500,000. Saturday, May 5th they served their last meals to the public. On Sunday, May 6th, they had a Farewell Party for family, friends, selected customers, and supporters. We had a great time. Here are some pictures I took: Fiddler's Green Farewell Party  06/02/2007

The 3rd Annual St. Augustine Regional chapter of the Women's Council of REALTOR'S Golf Tournament will be held June 18, 2007 at Marsh Creek County Club on Anastasia Island in St. Augustine. Registration for golfers and sponsors is currently open and filling up fast. Please visit http://wcrstaugustine.org to get forms or contact me at 904-823-0027. The tournament benefits St. Augustine Youth Services and the Women's Council of REALTOR's, both non-profit organizations. 05/26/2007

Here are a Few of my Featured listings , for more listings or if you would like to add your listing of St Augustine Real Estate, please visit my site   Distinctive Properties your browser not compatible Get your own TruliaMap Trusted real estate team Producers Realtors with Keller Williams Realty St Augustine Florida 05/15/2007

Fresh, Update listings for St Augustine Florida real estate provided by Trulia and Mitchell Jamel "Producers" your trusted real estate team with Keller Williams realty. For the latest and freshest news related to St Augustine real estate tune in to this feed, you can subscribe by selecting the rss feed icon on the bottom right side of the page.Producers your trusted real estate team, Realtors with Keller Williams realty Saint Augustine, Florida.   05/12/2007

If you are a homeowner in St Augustine Florida and you need to sell your home in the next few months then please read on.Currently we have over 100 Sales per month In St Johns Countythat means you have an Opportunity to sell your homeIt all about the Correct pricing of the homePut the Trusted Real estate team to work "Producers" My Outlook for Single Family homes pricing will flatten out as we start to reduce Inventory, condos are a different story with a builder surplus, I would expect prices to decline for the next few months. Listing your Home | Free home Sellers reports | Home Value 05/08/2007

Here's your chance to be notified of all new listings in St Augustine, Palm Coast, Jacksonville, World Golf Village, Vilano Beach, St Augustine Beach & Ponte Vedra Beach Florida  that meet your criteria, absolutely FREE!Not only will you be notified by email of all new listings that match your search criteria within our website, but your home search will also be compared against other participating agents listings within your desired area(s). All new listings added to the system that match your criteria will be emailed to you.Your Trusted Real Estate Team - Producers - St Augustine Florida - Keller Williams Realty - Realtors 05/01/2007

What would you say to a Townhouse with over 1050 Sq Ft under air 2 Bathroom & 2 1/2 Baths ? Priced at $126,800? that makes this brand New Townhouse the St Augustine Real Estate Deal of the week or should I say Steal! this can be yours for less then your current Rent, First time home Buyers and Investors now is the time to Contact me! Investors Rents are from $900 -$1000 which make this A "10 Factor"   04/30/2007

Are you looking for a Deal? Can you close in 30 days or less, if so Do I have a deal for you.2 Bedroom 2 Bath 1272 First Floor with lake or Preserve view (only 10 units left)Offered from $167,000 ... These unit are brand new, calling all investors, this is a great opportunity to buy this centrally located condo minutes from Historic St Augustine, Anastasia Beach and the Outlet Malls.Please contact me for more Information, Your Trusted Real Estate Team - Producers - Realtors - St Augustine Florida  04/26/2007

I am happy to report the return of our Bluebird of Happiness to the Vilano Beach Town Center. The Bluebird of Happiness is a tall bird (I'm guessing about 8' tall) that was two oranges on top of each other that used to be in front of Newt's Hotel. He was originally orange and arrived in Vilano in th 1940s encouraging people to purchase orange juice. He was a local icon in Vilano Beach for years. Some years ago he wandered out and left Vilano and ended up in a person's yard in North City (the development on the west side of Vilano Bridge). When that home was sold, the Bluebird went with it. The current owners have agreed to let him come home in exchange for a plaque recognizing them.I'm so glad he is home, but he is in disrepair. I am hoping some local students take on the task of re-pai... 04/23/2007