"The Amber" and Beach Haven's team wins BIG at 'Parade of Homes' Banquet last night!

Congratulations to Landon Homes' Beach Haven star team for receiving the "Award of Excellence" for "The Amber" home at the Flagler Home Builder's Association 'Parade of Homes' Banquet ceremony on March 19th, 2015! Great job team!

Landon Homes wins big at the Laurel Awards Gala

Landon Homes attended the 2015 Laurel Awards Gala, hosted by the Sales & Marketing Council, on Friday, March 13th. The Laurel Awards is to celebrate the best of the best and recognize the top achievements for sales production and marketing excellence in 2014. We are proud to say that we took home the 'Grand Service Award' for Customer Service and Warranty. In addition, one of our wonderful Sales Agents, Susan Pollan, took home the award for 'Top Producer in the $10+ Million Dollar Circle' category. Congratulations to everyone who won an award! 

High Praise for Landon Homes

Last week we received an email from a home owner who was so impressed with their builder that they took the time to write FHBA (Florida Home Builders Association) to sign the praises of Landon Homes in Jacksonville, FL.  Howard and Melissa McGaffney are set to break ground at Prairie Lakes and have nothing but positive things to say about their homebuilding experience thus far. From the moment Mr. and Mrs. McGaffney laid eyes on Lot 109 at Prairie Lakes, till the moment they signed on the dotted line, they have expressed immense gratitude about their experience with Landon Homes. Mr. McGaffney said that Mr. Ginder, Ms. Matthews, Ms. Mullarkey and Ms. Addison have made them feel as if they are indeed a part of the Landon Homes Family.      http://www.fhba.com/index.cfm?referer=content.contentItem&ID=2504#4

Landon Homes is now selling in Ashford Lakes Estates at Hunters Ridge.

Landon Homes is also NOW SELLING in Ashford Lakes Estates. Ashford Lakes Estates is nestled in the beautiful established neighborhood of Hunter's Ridge. The eco-friendly, tree-studded natural environment has 5 man-made lakes, and is located in Flagler County with an Ormond Beach address. Ashford Lakes Estates offers a lifestyle that is elegant and unique. A neighborhood that offers wooded, estate sized home sites conveniently located close to beaches, shopping, fine dining and golf. Model Coming Soon. For additional information, call 904-567-3430 or visit landon-homes.net.

Community Amenities

Large Pools

Clubhouse

Tennis Courts

Playground

Close to I-95

Close to beach, shopping, fine dining and golf

Schools: Pathways Elementary | David C Hinson Middle School | Mainland High School

Landon Homes Marches Into Literacy

It's “March into Literacy Month” and Landon Homes is helping the Early Learning Coalition of North Florida bring literacy to all children in the St. Augustine area.

According to the National Coalition for Literacy (NCL), roughly 93 million adults in the U.S. have basic and below-basic literacy skills. “For the children, I think owning their own brand new, book could help foster a love of reading,” said Marjorie Taylor of Landon Homes, “and that is a great start to improve the statistics in the future”.

During the Month of March, Landon Homes will be collecting New and Gently Used pre-school books for children ages 0-5 at all of it’s St. Augustine Model Homes.  Additionally, Landon Homes is asking local Real Estate Firms to assist in the efforts by dropping off collection boxes at the offices.  For more information contact Marjorie Taylor, Landon Homes (904) 591-9121.  Visit www.Landon-Homes.net/communities for directions to the models

Book Drop Off Locations

DOWNTOWN AREALandon Homes Old Sebastian Model

3459 DOT Rd.

St. Augustine, FL  320804

Landon Homes Prairie Lakes Model

152 N. Prairie Lakes Blvd.

St. Augustine, FL   32084

Sunstate REALTY

101 LaQuinta Place

St. Augustine, FL 32084

Old Carriage Downtown

92 Charlotte Street

St. Augustine, FL 32084

SOUTH ST. AUGUSTINE
Landon Homes Coronado Model

479 Gianna Way

St. Augustine FL  32086

Florida Homes Realty

184 St. Road 312

St Augustine, FL 32086

Watson Realty Corp.                                          

3505 US 1 South                                                   

St. Augustine, Fl 32086     

Century 21 St. Augustine Properties 

2820 US Highway 1 S

St Augustine, FL 32086   

BEACHES AREAOld Carriage Beaches

400 A1A Beach Blvd.

St. Augustine, Fl 32080

Watson Realty Corp.

3175 A1A S,

St Augustine, FL 32080

For more information about the Early Learning Coalition of North Florida, contact Joan Whitson, Early Literacy Coordinator, 904-342-2267 visit www.elcnorthflorida.org

Landon Homes opens another new model, The Atlantic

Landon Homes opens another new model, The Atlantic, in Old Sebastian Point, located off U.S. 1 and Lewis Speedway in St Augustine. The community is a natural preserve nestled on a point where two rivers meet. The beautiful marsh leads to unspoiled waterfront views and several strands of oak hammocks dot the community and central pond. The Atlantic is a three-bedroom home and includes a flex room with glass French doors. The home features a deluxe master bath with walk-in shower and garden tub, tile throughout all living areas and a large covered patio. Landon Homes offers several open floor plans to choose from, ranging from 1,566 - 2,729 square feet. Homes starting from the $200's. To schedule an appointment or to tour model, call 904-217-7439 or visit landon-homes.net

Landon Homes opens new model, The Vilano

Landon Homes opens new model, The Vilano, located in Prairie Lakes, a quiet country living neighborhood nestled on east side of I-95, off County Road 214, in St. Augustine with prominently rare 1/2 acre lots overlooking beautiful preserve and lakes! The community is situated among scenic trees and beautiful preserve and lakes. The Vilano model features three bedrooms, with a retreat, a three-car garage, large covered patio and a deluxe master bath with walk-in shower and garden tub. Landon Homes offers several open floor plans to choose from, ranging from 1,566 - 2,729 square feet. Homes starting from the $200's. The model is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, 12 noon to 5 p.m. To schedule an appointment or to tour the model, call 904-460-2177 or visit landon-homes.net.

Getting a Handle on Home Building Costs

Home building cost overruns can plague any home building or remodeling project. This occurs so frequently that it is recommended you include a 5 - 10% contingency fund in your budget. This will be used for items that you will have no control over, such as problems found with the land once excavation has begun.

Use the 5 tips in this article to control home building costs & minimize cost overruns.

Tip 1: Planning Your Home Building Costs Take the time to plan on paper what you want your house to look like. When doing your budget, visit stores to look at appliances, fixtures, cabinets, flooring, etc. In doing so, you will have a clearer idea of what you want and more importantly, what it will cost. Then, build that amount into your budget so there are no surprises later.

Tip 2: Specify Home Building Materials When working with a contractor, be sure that the specific materials you expect to be used are included in the bid and subsequently, in the contract. If your plans say wood floors and you are expecting teak and get oak, your recourse is limited because you did not specify it in writing.

Tip 3: Change Orders If you take the time to plan your home building project on paper before breaking ground, you can minimize the number of Change Orders. Change Orders frequently increase the cost of your project because they were not planned for in the original budgeting. If you agree to a change order and there is an expense involved, you are responsible for those costs unless the contractor has agreed he will pay for the change. Depending upon the extent of the change, it can involve modifying the original plans and having the local building authority review the changes including the labor and materials. Always keep an eye on any changes to the original plan and design and take the time to determine the financial impact of the change on your project. Changes to construction projects represent the single most common reason a project goes over budget and/or the completion is delayed. Take the time to plan before you build.

Tip 4: Size, Style and Shape of the Home These three factors can significantly contribute to the cost of building your dream home.

• Size - Work with even numbers and have your home size rounded up or down to increments of two (2) feet. This reduces wasted materials. Also, build a home no deeper than 32 feet to eliminate the need for specially designed trusses.
• Style - Typically, it will cost less to build a two-story home than a one-story home of similar square footage. A two-story home will have a smaller roof and foundation. In addition, plumbing and ventilation are more compact in two-story homes.
• Shape - Having more corners and angles will increase the amount of labor and materials needed to build your dream home. A rectangular or box shaped home will cost less to build.

Tip 5: Two Most Common Times for Cost Overruns The beginning of your home building & construction project - when you are doing excavation and possibly putting in a well. You won't know what is under the ground until you begin to excavate. If you are drilling for a well, you will have no control over how far down you will need to drill for water. This is where having a contingency fund is essential.

The second most common time for a cost overrun is near the end of the project when you are selecting your finishes, i.e., cabinets, counter-tops, lighting and plumbing fixtures, flooring, appliances, etc. If you took the time to shop around before you did your budget, you can more easily stay within your budget when you do your final selections.

Cost overruns are common in any home building project, but with knowledge and planning they can be kept within manageable boundaries.