Welcome to our Spring into Summer issue of Sand Castles, a luxury, lifestyle and real estate seasonal section. Last year, we moved the spring issue to the end of May and Memorial Day weekend, to accommodate a better timeline after the THE PLAYERS Championship.
It was a good move to relocate to a different slot. And we weren’t the only ones making a move. A lot of moving happened in just one year in Ponte Vedra. In Sawgrass Village, for instance, several businesses and restaurants such as Berkshire Hathaway and Aqua Grill relocated to a different location in the village, with new buildings and great design. Caffé Andiamo stayed in their same location, but had a beautiful redesign. Pineapple Post and Peterbrooke moved into Sawgrass Village from their previous locations and joined new businesses like J Turner & Co and John Craig on Main Street in the village.
It is exciting to see the growth expansion and stunning renovation of Sawgrass Village, which many have described as Ponte Vedra’s own “Town Square.” We live in a beautiful resort community surrounded by unique neighborhoods that border the Intracoastal to the ocean and in between.
Several of these neighborhoods are featured in this issue, with stories that are contributed by eight local real estate agents. They represent some of our area’s best! Katie Hughes from Re/Max Specialist takes us to River Marsh and a beautiful home on the Ponte Vedra River that leads to the Guana. Lisa Barton from Berkshire Hathaway HSFNR takes us to an amazing luxury estate home on the Intracoastal in the Harbour of Marsh landing that is like no other! Linda Ostoski of Watson Realty takes us to Palm Valley to an exclusive Mediterranean resort home on the Intracoastal. Michelle Floyd of Marsh Landing Realty takes us to Marsh Landing and a fabulous home on the Harbour and a jewel of luxury amid a private, gated golf and marina community.
If you aren’t familiar with Marsh Landing’s Found Forest, you can learn all about this unique estate community written from Lurah Patrick of Berkshire Hathaway, HSFNR. Luxury living on Intracoastal at “Watersedge” by Clare Berry of Berry & Co. real estate features a one-of-a-kind hidden waterfront development.
Mother and daughter duo Janet Westling and Allison Ferebee of Berkshire Hathaway HSFNR listed 2 Turnberry Pointe Way – a completely renovated stunning coastal contemporary completely located on the 13th green and water in Marsh Landing. Allison recently began a new career in real estate when she joined Berkshire Hathaway earlier this month, bringing skills learned in the real estate support industry with her.
Barbara Maple writes in “Timeless Elegance” about a magnificent oceanfront estate home amid a lush setting of ocean, shoreline, tropical flora and marine life, with indoor and outdoor entertaining areas.
Staging is an important item to consider when selling your home. Elaine Caldwell, owner and designer of Luxury for Less, inspires us with her article on the benefits of home staging to achieve the best price for one of your greatest investments.
“Market Watch” by Carmen Edwards, broker with Re/Max Specialists, gives us a Beaches real estate update, with statistics that highlight our local market and answers the question, “Is it the right time to buy or sell?”
It is definitely time for a cruise! “Winter is over, summer has not fully begun. This is a great time for a refreshing and relaxing cruise,” according to travel agent Susan Hudson and you can read all about it in her story.Jennifer Logue interviews the local entrepreneurs who recently launched J Turner & Co, a Florida-based furniture and lighting boutique in Sawgrass Village. Marc Turner’s family has been a local fixture in the Beaches community as the owners of Turner Ace hardware, where Mark began his retail career.
Nonprofits play a huge role in our area and have a great impact on our community. The Cultural Center of Ponte Vedra Beach held its 7th annual home tour in April. You can read about the success of the tour from Landrum student Colette Belzer. Emmy Award-winning journalist Nick Zaccardi, meanwhile, has something in common with Colette. He got his start writing articles as a Nease student for the Ponte Vedra Recorder. Now 13 years later, he writes about his beginnings as a writer in Ponte Vedra and explains how those freelance assignments laid the foundation for his career. This is a wonderful story that I hope will inspire many students!
You might also be inspired to cook this Memorial Day weekend by Sawgrass Country Club Executive Chef Michael Ayers as he shares his food memories or his “Bites of Passage,” as he recalls a great recipe taught by his dad during a Memorial Day celebration in 1995.
Our home is our castle and at the Beaches, it is our castle in the sand. From palm trees to sand dunes, golf courses to resort living, Jacksonville, Ponte Vedra Beach and the Beaches communities offer the most desirable real estate in Northeast Florida!
Janet Westling, Realtor
Berkshire Hathaway HSFNR
Sand Castles creator and contributing editor
www.janetwestling.com
