GOLD Award for Beach Haven's 'Amber' Custom Built Home!

Big things happening for Landon Homes at the St John's County Parade of Homes Banquet last night.   

Landon Home's Beach Haven neighborhood were among the nominees at the event. Landon Homes brought home the GOLD Award for Palm Coast's Beach Haven 'Amber' new home design.  A big congratulations goes out to Cathy, Charles and Jill for an amazing job on the Amber model.  

St John's Parade of Homes Tour starts tomorrow, 8/30 and runs until 9/14. Be sure to stop by our model homes. Beach Haven is Palm Coast and Moses Creek in St Augustine.

At Landon Homes, You Can Design Your Own Home!

They say that the home is where the heart is, where you hang your hat and where spend a majority of your time. Your home should be exactly how you want it to be, and at Landon Homes, we understand this. 

You may have an idea of what you want your dream house to look like, so we have dozens of floor plans for you to choose from. With our customizable floor plan system, you can upgrade and add-on to meet the needs of your family. 

Get inspired by visiting our website, and looking through our communities. You are sure to find a floor plan that suits you. We are always having open houses and community events, so make sure to 'Like' us on Facebook and 'follow' us on Pinterest to stay informed. 

If you need to move quickly, we have properties built all over Jacksonville and St. Augustine Florida, and as as Jacksonville's best custom home builder, Landon Homes has many premium properties to choose from. Contact Landon Homes today to meet one of our realtors to help you to choose the best custom home for you and your family. 

Just got pre-approved for a home loan! Now What?

First of all, congratulations in being one step closer to being homeowner! Buying a home is a big step in life and it takes you that much closer to living the American Dream!

Looking for a new home is just as exciting as it is stressful.  Purchasing a home is a huge undertaking - it requires a lot of thought and research. Buying a new build construction house by one of Jacksonville's best builders is an ideal situation.  Contact a friendly agent at Landon Homes today to help you look through our Jacksonville and St. Augustine communities to find the home that suits your needs. 

When you find your house, you just know it. Homeowners insurance may not be the first thought you have when you start thinking about buying a house.  

Here are a few house-buying tips to be aware of, from an insurance point of view:

• Make sure you choose your own insurance
• Find out how far is the nearest fire station
• Is your home part of a homeowner’s association?  Check your association’s Master policy.
• Is the home located in a flood zone?  You might need flood insurance.

Make it just the right size: Featuring 'The Sarah' Floor Plan, Benton Lakes is building NOW!

Starting at 2841 square feet, 'The Sarah' is a family-friendly floor plan with plenty of options. This beautiful Landon Homes property has multiple front of the house designs to choose from, an optional second floor, and guest suite, this floor plan has something for everyone. 'The Sarah' also has lots of master suite options, including dual master suite options, full pool bath and optional bonus room. 

Benton Lakes, one of Jacksonville's most desired neighborhoods nestled in charming Mandarin. We feature a variety of unique home designs on large homesites. With its convenient location in Mandarin, located off of Hood Road, Benton Lakes is close to all Mandarin has to offer. Benton Lakes is just minutes from I-95 and I-295, and allows for quick access to downtown Jacksonville, Historic St Augustine, and many of the city's top business centers. With the Avenues Mall, and St Johns Town Center just around the corner, shopping, dining and entertainment are endless. Benton Lakes is built by the best home builders in Jacksonville, FL: Landon Homes. 

Maple Lakes Drive

City: Jacksonville, FL 32226	Price Range: From the $260's	Contact: Susan Penta
County: Duval	SQ Ft Range: 2050-3551	Ph: 904-868-8986 Get Started Today

Schools: Mandarin Oaks Elementary | Mandarin Middle School | Samuel W Wolfson High School

When You're Moving Your Home

Who doesn't want to learn something new - especially when it comes to tips on moving!  If you're getting ready to embark on the daunting task of moving your household, here is some advice on how to make this transition easier:

Making a list
It may seem redundant, but writing everything down, keeping a list of your things will help with record keeping, and make sure that you don't miss anything! Before you pack  your first box, create a simple record keeping system. A computer-printed list of numbers with a space to write the contents works great, or have a spiral-bound notebook. Place a number on EVERY box you pack and list the contents on your list. 

Packing Central

Make a central location for all your packing supplies: your labels, marking pens, box tape, and other supplies. Strong plastic packing tape,  unprinted newsprint and packing paper or bubble wrap to wrap will cushion household good

Be Specific

When writing a description of the box contents, be specific. Write what kind of dishes and which books. 

Be Prepared

Have about 10 boxes set aside to use for last minute items on moving day, such as bedding, clothing, and cleaning supplies. You'll need strong plastic packing tape to close up the boxes securely. Use unprinted newsprint (newspaper can stain your items) or packing paper or bubble wrap to wrap and cushion household good. Again, you'll need lots more supplies than you think, so get extra so the packing can go smoothly. Return any unused supplies after the truck is packed.

Use your luggage.
Fill your luggage and duffle bags with clothing, sheets, towels, and paper goods. Even for local moves you'll be able to quickly spot your navy suitcase holding your favorite sweaters, whereas "Box #189" might remain elusive for days.

Sell an Old Home to Young Buyers

Selling any home can be very challenging, especially depending on the market. But if you have an old home and want to appeal to young buyers in their 20s and early 30s, you may need to take some extra steps.

First, you'll need to assuage the fears of those young buyers about maintaining a home that was around during the real "Mad Men" days. Second, you'll need to showcase the features that have the most appeal to young couples and families. The following eight tips won't cost a lot of money, and they could reap you an early offer.

Pre-Inspect your home

One of the most difficult decisions for home sellers is to figure out how much to spend on home improvements before putting the house on the market.

"I always recommend paying for a home inspection, especially if the owners are elderly and have not had the money or energy to keep the house in good repair," says Lane Tharp, a Realtor with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Dunwoody, Ga. "An inspection will help determine if there's anything that absolutely must be done before putting the house on the market."

In addition to a general home inspection, Debby Strott, manager of Weichert Realtors' Morristown West office in Morristown, N .J., recommends that homeowners get the heating and air-conditioning system cleaned and inspected. She suggests having septic systems pumped.

"This provides peace of mind for buyers," Strott says. "You can put the service contract or reports with your marketing materials."

Buy a home warranty 

Strott recommends that sellers buy home warranties that cover repairs for the systems (electrical, plumbing, heating and cooling) and appliances in the home. Most home warranties are available as one-year policies and provide coverage while the property is on the market and after the closing.

A home warranty costs around $300 to $400 and reassures buyers that they won't be faced with a major repair expense in their first year of homeownership, Strott says.

Offer a possible expansion or renovation plan

"Most Realtors know a contractor, so it would be fairly simple for a Realtor to get a ballpark estimate of sample fit-and-finish renovation projects such as replacing the flooring or renovating a bathroom," says Scott Lacey, a renovation specialist with Weichert Financial Services in North Providence, R.I. "Younger buyers don't always realize that everything they see can be changed with a renovation. If they like the home based on the location, the schools and the general style, they can be persuaded to buy if they can see the possibilities that come with a renovation."

Sellers can pay for simple drawings that show some renovation options that would work well with the home's configuration and its lot.

Strott recommends that sellers find out about any permit issues with an expansion such as height or setback restrictions or wetland and to include that information with marketing materials.

Provide Loan Renovation

Mortgages are available that allow homebuyers to borrow money to buy the home plus money to pay for renovations. The most popular renovation mortgage program is called the FHA 203(k). The loans are insured by the Federal Housing Administration .

"Younger buyers who are looking at homes that are 20 or 30 years old are likely to look at the kitchen and baths and want to renovate," Lacey says. "A seller can provide information about an FHA 203(k) loan with their marketing materials to show buyers that they can wrap renovation costs into their mortgage."

Lacey says listing agents should prepare a cost analysis of a standard mortgage and an FHA 203(k) loan to demonstrate the availability of the loan program and to show buyers what the mortgage payments would be based on prospective renovation plans at various price points such as $5,000, $25,000 or $50,000.

Help! Now I Own Two Houses!

You had your dream home built and now it's ready for your family to move in, but now you have your existing home to sell! Don't panic!

Despite their best efforts, this does happen to some homeowners. There are options to get you through to the next phase.

Bridging the Gap

The help from this is literal. Bridge Loans are created to bridge the period between when you close on your new house and when you get your money from the sale of your existing house. This can be used to help with the down payment, closing costs and easily repaid with the sale of the home you are moving out of. This can be a pricey option, as the fees are higher up front, but consider the benefits of not having to worry about the transition from old house to new.