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Carl and Rosemary Franz of St. Augustine recently mentioned they were looking for a new neighborhood to their neighbor. He just happened to be Grand Haven Realty Broker Sterling
Carl and Rosemary celebrated at the Grand Haven Clubhouse.
Colee. So, on his recommendation, they decided to take a look at Grand Haven. Now they are planning to close on a new home in October and are already enjoying the lifestyle.
Carl Franz(first from left) joins in the hula dance.
“We were looking for a new home and really wanted to live in a fun community,” says Rosemary. “Our neighbor Sterling introduced us to Grand Haven and shortly after our first visit we just knew it was the place for us. Karen Kull and Diane Thornton (Grand Haven Sales Agents) did a great job of helping find a home we really love and getting us introduced to future neighbors even before we have moved in.”
The couple was among the large crowd on hand August 20th for the Luau at the Village Center. Residents and guests enjoyed Hawaiian-style food, fun and entertainment around the pool deck. Carl Franz also joined the conga line and demonstrated his prowess with the hula dancers. According to him, the value offered at Grand Haven was superior to other communities they saw in their search for a new home. “The price of homes here, when you factor in all the amenities and activities, just can’t be beat.”
“This is a great start to our new life at Grand Haven and we haven’t even moved in yet,” continued Rosemary.
“We know it will be even more fun once we’re living right in the neighborhood.”
Visit the Grand Haven Facebook page for more on resident activities, check out the golf club calendar of events, or stop by the Information Center open daily at the main gate to Grand Haven. See us online anytime at Grand Haven Palm Coast.
We look forward to introducing you to this fun community.
It’s hard to imagine Florida not being one of the most desirable places to live or own a second home. The continued tough economic downturn and extended real estate market declines have not dampened the attraction of the Sunshine state.
The past three exceptionally harsh winters in the Northeast and Midwest make Florida’s climate, beaches and lack of a state income tax even more appealing. According to Grand Haven Realty Broker Sterling Colee it is becoming evident that pent-up demand for a relocation is growing among active adults.
“We’ve seen a strong increase in visitors to the website and at our information center this year,” Colee said. “And what folks are saying is they are tired of putting off their plans to move to Florida.”
The noted Case Shiller Index recently ranked the best 15 cities to buy a house in the next five years. According to the Index, Palm Coast is ranked 10th. 
Although they don’t predict a return to positive ground (see our recent post about Grand Haven already seeing price appreciation this year) for Palm Coast real estate until 2012, their note is that it will be “a stunner with a year of 15.2% growth.” Read the their prediction on Palm Coast here. Get more on the story and the complete list of the top 15 cities in this article at the BusinessInsider.com.
Jim Cullis, President of Grand Haven Realty is not surprised that six of the cities on the Index list are in Florida. “The current prices on lots and home sites will never get better than right now. This buyer’s market is not going to last forever in Florida and I think the Case Shiller prediction for Palm Coast is right on the mark.”
Many Grand Haven builders have recently announced new incentives for the summer buying season says Colee. More information can be found on the Grand Haven website or by contacting the Grand Haven Information Center at (800) 957-0213.
In this unprecedented real estate market it’s helpful to keep a couple of old sayings in mind—all real estate is local and location-location-location is everything.
Most everyone has heard these two phrases often but in the current confusing U.S. real estate environment it’s good to keep them in mind. Not all real estate markets are the same and not all neighborhoods are created equal.
Grand Haven continues to buck the national, Florida and local trends posting steady sales activity and price appreciation in the first half of 2011. This good news comes on the heels of the recovering market at the master planned community in 2010. While the numbers are not at the record of the boom years 2004 – 2005, they do clearly indicated Grand Haven bottomed out some time in late 2009 or early 2010 and has since been on a path to recovery.
The first six months of 2011 have shown that there is an active real estate market in Grand Haven with sales figures that are maintaining the pace from 2010. 
The highlight of the data is the average price of existing homes sold in 2011 increased when compared to the same period last year. The number of properties, including single-family homes, condominiums, and vacant lots, sold through June 2011 was stable at 49.
“We continue to see strong traffic on the website and good prospect activity at our on-site Information Center,” Grand Haven Realty Broker Sterling Colee said. “Our sales stabilized the middle of last year and we have maintained positive momentum with average home prices on the rise.”
The strength of Grand Haven in the market is not a surprise according to Grand Haven Realty President Jim Cullis, a 30-year veteran of developing master planned communities and manager of Grand Haven since 1997.
“It’s typically the amenitized master-planned communities that remain the most stable as they offer buyers the best value in terms of lifestyle and amenities, while also providing the safer haven for property appreciation,” Cullis said.
He believes Grand Haven will continue to be a leader in Palm Coast as the local and state market emerges out of the real estate decline. “Our builders are bringing forward new model homes to meet the demand we are seeing from buyers who are purchasing lots again,” Cullis said. “These lot buyers are locking in now while the prices are still very affordable and making plans to build their Florida home in the near future.”
According to Colee, there are about 300 unimproved lots in Grand Haven which he believes makes the community a unique opportunity for new homebuyers in the local market.
“Grand Haven offers one of the best locations and values locally and in the state,” Colee said. “This is the only Palm Coast master planned golf community on the Intracoastal Waterway with neighborhoods where you can buy a new homesite, tour decorator model homes and select from hundreds of preapproved new home plans by some of the area’s best builders.”
Arthur Rutenberg Homes set the standard for Florida Living with his classic home designs that evolved from the first one the legendary builder constructed in the mid 1950s. In the late 1970s the designs began to spread across the state under franchised building companies.
Rod Kimberly and William (Willy) Groff crossed paths about that time in Palm Coast. The two shared interests in home building and an interest in joining the Rutenberg franchisees. Today, as Oceanside Homes and Remodeling LLLP, they have built more than 300 homes with an estimated value of $350 million–many of which are in Grand Haven.
Rod Kimberly and Willy Groff
Rutenberg/Oceanside Homes team continues to be active in the preferred builder program here.
The company was recently featured in the Daytona Beach News Journal and we are pleased to share that story here on LiveGrand. Rod and Willy have a new model underway at Grand Haven. You can see a sampling of their beautiful homes on the Grand Haven website. Oceanside is offering special incentives on their collection at Grand Haven for a limited time. It’s a great opportunity to build your own legendary Rutenberg home in Palm Coast’s legendary community–Grand Haven.
Sterling Colee, Broker
Perhaps the most unique views in Palm Coast is available only at Grand Haven. The only home actually in all of Flagler County that features a rear view of golf course and the Intracoastal Waterway has just come on the market. It’s is located in the prestigious Front Street Village.
This Custom home has a view of golf and ICW on a large estate homesite.
This beautiful custom home at 129 Front Street has 189 feet of frontage along the ICW and is also situated along the 18th Green of the Jack Nicklaus Signature course. It’s just a short walk to the clubhouse along the scenic ICW Esplanade.
“It’s a beautiful custom home and a rare opportunity to have one of the best views in Palm Coast, or just about anywhere in east central Florida for that matter,” said Grand Haven Realty Broker Sterling Colee. “This is a must see property for anyone interested in luxury waterfront and golf course living.”
The home is 3,400 square feet with three bedrooms and baths. It was custom built by Discovery Homes in 2002 and has many special features and upgrades in addition to one spectacular view.
Click here to learn more about this home and all the available properties from Grand Haven Realty.
The Florida real estate market continues to show signs of strengthening at Grand Haven and across the state. According to recent data released by the Florida Association of Realtors and National Association of Realtors, most regions in Florida are seeing strong signs of the real estate recovery. Check this story from the St. Petersburg Times for an excellent recap of the good news.
The news was also good at Grand Haven in the first few months of 2011 with an increase in sales of Home Sites. According to Grand Haven Realty Broker Sterling Colee, the visitor activity was very strong at Grand Haven as was the interest in home sites and new homes.
“We have had six lot closings in the first quarter of this year at an average price of $54,000,” says Colee. “There are two beautiful things happening here. That is twice what we anticipated and at prices slightly higher than expected! Home site sales are an important indicator of the recovering real estate market we continue to see.”
Sales have been across the board including smaller lots, estate lots in Wild Oaks and Intracoastal Waterway frontage.
“These buyers have made the decision to take advantage of the current market,” says Colee. “I would venture a guess and say their next move will be to take advantage of the builder incentives that are being offered.”
Grand Haven Builders continue to bring forward special incentives on their already extremely affordable new home prices. Here are just a few recently announced:
ICI Homes
Purchase before June 1 and receive $21,000 Super Upgrade Value Package including Kitchen, Energy-Star and Florida Living Extras.
Arthur Rutenberg Homes
$15,000 Allowance to be used towards upgrades in the Cabinetry and Countertops in the Kitchen and Master Bath. This offer will expire June 30, 2011
Click here to see all of the current Grand Haven builder offers and special incentives available. You can also preview home sites available for purchase.
According to Colee, the trends reported from 2010 appear to continue signaling recovery of sales volume and prices in Palm Coast. “We will post an update through the first half of the year right here on the Live Grand blog as the MLS data becomes available. I suspect prices will continue to rise through the year and suggest anyone looking to lock in the best deal on new construction act now. Higher energy costs are going to drive up commodities and construction costs will definitely rise.”
To learn more about Grand Haven visit the website anytime or the Visitor Center open daily. Subscribe to Live Grand and you’ll be sure to get emails as we post the latest information here first.
Resale Data Shows Market Rebounding
While the winter of 2011 rages, home sales in Palm Coast, Florida are continuing to thaw—particularly in the area’s premier master planned community Grand Haven.
Based on the 2010 MLS data, there were 90 Grand Haven properties sold in 2010 for $20,402,682. This is an increase of four sales over 2009 in total sales although the dollar volume was down only about 2.5 percent. Overall, there was more activity at slightly lower prices. However, buried in the data are residential price increases explained below. Please read on.
Lot sales volume in 2010 of 26 at $2,300,150 was higher than the 2009 level of 21 sales at $1,960,900. This equates to more lot sales at a lower average price. Lot sales in Wild Oaks were the most active with sixteen sales in both 2009 and 2010. The average price in Wild Oaks dropped from $80,708 in 2009 to $76,603 in 2010. The decrease in the Wild Oaks average price was due to two sales on Scarlet Oak Circle that were sold under $50,000. If you ignore those two severely distressed sale transactions, the 2010 adjusted average was $80,768, which approximates the prior year.
Residential sales in 2010 totaled 64 homes at $18,102,532 verses 65 at $18,986,180 in 2009. Again, this indicates a slightly lower average sales price. In 2010 there were seven condominium sales and none in 2009. This skewed the residential home sales average price. Residential singe-family home prices actually experienced a 2.5% year-over-year increase in 2010, when these condominium sales are factored out. The average price for single family homes in 2010 was $299,351 versus $292,095 in 2009.
The final analysis: sales volume is growing in Grand Haven and, generally speaking, average prices for single family homes are beginning to rise! The average price was up 2.5% in 2010 over the 2009. Sure, these are modest gains, but they represent the first price increases in a few years and likely an indication that prices have already bottomed out with sales volume clearly increasing.
More broadly, the MLS data for 2010 shows 90 Grand Haven properties sold in 2010 indicating a very active market.
Grand Haven’s Builders Go Back to Work!
In 2010, there were also some “green shoots” for the Grand Haven Builders who started 12 new homes for lot owners at an average price of about $456,000. This was twice the volume of 2009 with a surprisingly strong 6% increase in average contract price. In addition, the Builders sold a total of five models and customer ready homes with a volume of $1,888,000 representing an average price of $377,000.
Grand Haven accounted for over 10% of all new home building permits issued in Flagler County in 2010. Countywide residential building permits continued to decline, but at a much slower pace last year showing a 7.6% reduction to 145 building permits. This is still a far cry from the peak in 2004 at 3,939. However, it does look like building permits are about to perk up in 2011.
Grand Haven builders took four of the top seven spots in county residential permit records with Seagate Homes listed as the area’s most active builder at 33 new home permits.
The Grand Haven builders are prepared for a gradual return to normal in 2011. Many new cost-effective plans have been developed and are posted on the new Grand Haven website http://www.grandhavenpalmcoast.com. Grand Haven Builders are planning new models in Wild Oaks and have started two new customer ready homes in Lake Haven.
Conclusion
It’s still a great time to buy or build a new home in Florida, but the great deals won’t last forever. Indications are that Grand Haven, with its superior lifestyle and expansive amenities, has already bounced up from the bottom. As sales volume increases prices are likely to continue a gradual rise.
Now is the time to stake your claim and make your best deal at Grand Haven. The Builders are offering new incentives on top of already low construction prices, excellent financing programs are available and Grand Haven Realty has several special opportunities to buy and save.
Visit the Grand Haven Website for complete details.
Grand Haven has a brand new–but highly familiar team, and a great new website.
Jim Cullis has formed Grand Haven Realty and recently acquired the remaining developer assets and the real estate operation. Jim has a long history with Grand Haven having been involved in virtually every facet of planning and managing this premier master planned community since its inception.
He is joined by Sterling Colee, VP and Managing Broker, along with a sales team that has been assisting Grand Haven buyers, sellers and builders for over a decade. The new GrandHavenPalmCoast.com website is now up and running with a new look and better functionality. It offers quick access to property listings and builder plan offerings plus a wealth of information about the community.
The team has also launched the Live Grand blog and will be posting regular updates on the latest information about the community and special opportunities and promotions. Please check back regularly. Better yet, become a subscriber and you’ll be sure to be among the first to learn of the latest incentives to Live Grand.
Regards.
The Grand Haven Realty Team.
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