New Communities in Northeast Florida With Natural Gas

May 26, 2025 by Pam Leave a Comment

New Communities in Northeast Florida With Natural Gas

This is a new trend that new homes in the Northeast Florida area are in neighborhoods with natural gas. Before I get started, I’m going to be mature today and not make any jokes about gas. Just in case you were expecting any. Not happening. Not even a whiff of one.

What if you’re not wanting gas? I hear ya, because I wouldn’t want gas appliances either. Check out my blog post about new homes in Northeast Florida that are not in natural gas communities.

New Homes With Natural Gas in Northeast Florida:

New Homes With Natural Gas in Duval County Florida:

New Homes With Natural Gas in Clay County Florida:

New Homes With Natural Gas in St Johns County Florida:

New Builds in Northeast Florida Without Home Owners Associations

May 18, 2025 by Pam Leave a Comment

New Builds in Northeast Florida Without Home Owners Associations

New Homes Without a Homeowners Association

Yes, you read that right……NO Home Owners Associations!!!!

These homes for sale in Northeast Florida are brand new, but do not have a Home Owner’s Association, also known as HOAs. The majority of these homes are usually not in a subdivision. They could be on a street with new builds, or by itself as investors buy up vacant land and build new homes. Maybe a tear down and new home built.

So, don’t expect amenities. Like probably zilch. The pay off is you won’t have someone measuring your grass height.

I’ve included single family homes in Northeast Florida. Plus I broke it down to Duval, Clay and St Johns Counties.

Free Ebooks for Buyers and Sellers

Preparing Your Home To Sell
Home Buyer Guide

New Homes in Northeast Florida

New Builds in Duval County

New Builds in Clay County

New Builds in St Johns County

Down Payment Assistance Programs in Fl 2024

January 18, 2024 by Pam Leave a Comment

Down Payment Assistance Programs in Fl 2024

I’m sure you’ve heard the “experts” weigh in on the reason people are having a hard time coming up with enough money to purchase a home. They say it’s because of buying super duper latte double espresso frappuccinos and avocado toast, but if you just make all that at home, or starve, you too can become a home owner. Throw in a Netflix subscription and you’re doomed to be a renter forever.

Alas, there is hope for you coffee, avocado toast and streamer loving folks to be able to buy a home, even if you’re not made of money or have a load of money saved.

Income and purchase price limits based on the county you want to purchase in.
First time home owner, meaning you can’t have owned a home within the past 3 years.
Some programs the funds are fully forgiven, a 2nd mortgage or not forgiven. (I’ll explain more below)
Minimum credit score of 640
Home buyer class
Have to work with an approved lender. I got ya covered on who is approved.

Down Payment Assistance Programs in Florida

The Florida Assist

Up to $10k, on Conventional, FHA, VA and USDA loans
No interest, non amortizing 2nd mortgage

Not forgivable. I mentioned this above. What that means is at some point you will have to pay this back. You won’t be making any monthly payments like a normal mortgage though. If you refinance, sell, transfer title or pay off the first mortgage, you will have to pay this off.

The Florida Homeownership Loan Program Second Mortgage

10k
3% fully amortizing mortgage
15 year term

This is one that you will have a monthly mortgage payment, separate to your first mortgage. If you sell, transfer, refinance or the first mortgage is paid off, you have to pay the remaining balance off. Since this is a 2nd mortgage with a payment, that will have to be factored in as well. Which is a great reason to get pre-approved with a lender before you start looking for homes,

3%, 4% and 5% HFA Preferred and HFA Advantage PLUS Second Mortgage

Borrower can receive 3%, 4% or 5% of the total purchase price towards down payment and closing costs as a 2nd mortgage.
Forgivable. Forgiven at 20% per year for 5 years when you use specific conventional loan products (TBA & HFA advantage or preferred). So let’s say you decide to sell, but have a couple years to go on the 5 year term. You’ll have to pay off the remaining balance of the 2 years. That will need to be considered along with the payoff of your first mortgage.

FREE First Time Home Buyer Guide

So there you go folks, a few different options for you to be able to purchase a home. All this information comes from Florida Housing Finance Corporation, so make sure you click that link to find out more. If you need a real estate agent knowledgeable in these programs, I am here for you. Remember the lender has to be approved in order to help you utilize these programs, so reach out so I can give you their information. My email is pam@pamgraham.com or call/text 904-910-3516.

5 Credit Tips to Increase Your Credit Score

July 15, 2022 by Pam Leave a Comment

5 Credit Tips to Increase Your Credit Score

Tip Number 1:

Pay your payments on time. I know what you’re thinking….. duh. I like to make sure I’m perfectly clear on what I’m telling you. Like to the very obvious. I’ll explain why. One time I was doing a buyers consultation with a couple who is interested in one of my listings. It was going great. Super nice couple. I gave them a lenders name and number. They contacted her later in the day. Not long after, she contacted me and told me they would not qualify for a mortgage, because they were currently in foreclosure on their current home. They thought they could really buy another house while they were going through foreclosure. I was a little surprised, but if you don’t know, you don’t know. So after that I just wanna make sure I explain myself well.

Now the other thing is, that just because you don’t pay on time doesn’t mean that it’s automatically going to be reported on your credit, if you’re a few days late. So let’s say your car payment is due on the 10th of each month, but this month you pay it on the 12th. While you will have to pay a late fee more than likely, it’s not gonna be reported on your credit as a late pay. Now, if you were supposed to make your June payment, but you weren’t able to make that payment until July 11 or even the 10th, they can report it on your credit as a 30 day late and that will drop your score a lot. Like I’ve seen 100 point drop before.

Tip Number 2:

Be an authorized user on someone else’s credit card. I wish I knew this one years sooner, so I could have helped my kiddos out. Here’s how it works…..It needs to be someone who has a long history of paying on time and having the card a while. The balance can’t be too high, 30% or less. If it’s higher or maxed, it will hurt you. I would suggest it’s someone you have easy access to talk to. Parents for example. So you ask them to add you as an authorized user on their credit card. The creditor will send a card with your name on it, but really, your parents can just cut it up. The next billing cycle it will be reported to your credit, which should increase your score significantly. Now, here’s the caveat to this…..if they fall on hard times and start maxing it out or having 30 plus days late pay, your credit is going to feel the negative impact on this. That’s why it needs to be someone you have easy access to. Make it clear that if something happens and they can’t pay, that they remove you from their credit card before a late pay hits. Once you’re removed, you won’t have any negative impact to your score. So, there is some risk.

Tip Number 3:

If the risk of number 2, makes you super uncomfortable, there’s still another option. Which is, get a secured credit card. Now, this won’t be a quick assist to raise your score, but it’s something that you will have total control over. You go to your bank with say $500 and you open an account with your funds. You get a credit card, that you use just like an unsecured credit card. Buy gas, pay it off each month. Keep your balance 30% or less. In 12 months with on time payments, you should be able to switch it to an unsecured credit card, but you will see your credit score rise before that time.

Tips Number 4:

Let’s change it up to talk about bad debt. If you have a charge off, dispute it, and report that it’s not your debt. That forces the creditor to prove it. They will have 30 days, and if they don’t show proof, it will be removed from your credit. Repeat if it doesn’t work the first time.

Tip Number 5:

If you choose to pay off bad credit, try to negotiate with the creditor to remove it from your credit report altogether once it’s paid. Sometimes paying off the debt doesn’t help you or your score. Which, sounds weird I know. Sometimes a lender will recommend for older debt, not to waste your time with it. Meaning, don’t pay or dispute it. So make sure you talk to your lender and find out the best way to proceed. A good loan officer should be able to give you sound advice on how to improve your score.

Bonus Tip:

While Credit Karma can be a tool to help you keep an eye on your credit reports and scores, it is not an accurate representation of your credit. A better choice is MyFico. This is the same scores your lenders will see. You can pay for all 3, or sign up for a membership.

Here’s a link on how to prepare for a mortgage. Go check that out for more info!

If you have questions that I may not have answered here, reach out to me. If you need lender recommendations, also reach out to me. My email is pam@pamgraham.com and my direct number is 904-910-3516. Text or call.

Cost of Living In Jacksonville Florida 2021

October 30, 2021 by Pam 1 Comment

Cost of Living In Jacksonville Florida

Today’s blog post is about the cost of living in Jacksonville Florida for 2021. If you prefer videos, scroll down a little to see the video. I’m also going to cover St. John’s and Clay counties as well. From housing costs, to my own utilities, cost of some food items and more. Let’s dive in!

First let’s talk about the median sales price in 2021. These numbers reflect September 2021.

Median sales price-

Jacksonville– 268k 2021 225k 2020

St Johns– $437,750 2021 $358,455 2020

Clay County– 295,181 2021 $239,990 2020

Median rental prices– From our MLS residential homes

Jacksonville– $1865 September 2021

St Johns– $2,500 September 2021

Clay County– $1864 September 2021

Average rentals– apartments 3 Bedrooms, 2 bathrooms

Jacksonville– $649-$4,450

St Johns– $2,300-$2,500

Clay County– $1100-$2,000

Let’s go back to housing. I get asked all the time what the property taxes are here in Jacksonville, which isn’t a simple answer. So, I’ll give you an example. This will be based on If you homestead your property, which means you claim it to be your primary home, the house you live in. House in Jacksonville that is assessed value 250,745k house. With the 50k exemption, which isn’t the full 50k when applied to schools, their taxable values are: $225,745 and $200,745. Their tax bill is:$ 3,894.05. If you want to learn more about property taxes, I’ve included the links below:

Jacksonville Property Appraisers

St Johns County Property Appraisers

Clay County Property Appraisers

We have no state income tax, less tax filing. No sales tax on certain food in the grocery store. Our gas prices are running around $3.19 (went up since the video was filmed), which is what I’ve seen in Orange Park and parts of Jax as of October 29 2021.

Wonder bread is about 2.58 a loaf, Good Seed bread is $5.34

Eggs are @ 4.27 for 36 eggs (In the video the cost is different, due to when I filmed it).

Milk is about 3.43 a gallon.

I’m a chuck eye kinda gal, which runs about $9.98 a pound (In the video the cost is different, due to when I filmed it).

Brussel Sprouts: $2.98 a bag

Broccoli florets: $1.25 bag

Next, I’ll share my utilities with you. Well, at least what they run me. My cable, internet and home phone runs about $217 a month. Yes, I have a home phone. I don’t even know my number. I only got it, because it was cheaper that way. Go figure. My water runs about $60-$70 a month, electric is all over the place, but lowest can be around 100, highest was I believe under 200. I know, that’s vague. It was summer time.

Last thing to add is daycare costs. So many different prices, but I found infants can run about $170-$220 a week. Could be more or less. Before and after school care can run between $95-$120, again it could be more, could be less. Sooo expensive these days. My daughter received a quote of $500 a week for 3 days. 9 month old and a 2 and half year old. That’s crazy! I’m glad to be out of that stage.

If you’re looking to move to Jacksonville and got questions, call or text me at 904-910-3516.

See below for free guides and links to search for homes in Jacksonville.

Are you a home owner in Jacksonville and wondering what the home values are like in Jacksonville? Check out What’s my Jacksonville Florida Home Worth?

Free Guides on the Home Buying & Selling process:

Free Home Seller Guides
Preparing Your Home To Sell

Free Home Buyer Guides:
The Home Buyer Guide

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Homes For Sale in Jacksonville

Homes For Sale in Orange Park

Homes For Sale in Fleming Island

Homes For Sale in Green Cove Springs

Homes For Sale in Middleburg

Homes For Sale in St Johns County

Rental Scams in Northeast Florida

October 9, 2020 by Pam Leave a Comment

Rental Scams in Northeast Florida

This post has been in the works for awhile, but I keep finding new scams popping up to add to my list. I can’t wait as they are getting bolder and the frequency has increased. In this blog post I’ll share links and actual screen shots of the scammer’s ads, so you can get an idea of what to look for.

At first the scams seemed to be just on Craigslist. The scammer would take a house listed for sale and create a rental ad, using the description and photos, then advertise it for rent. Cheap rent, which would get people to call of course. Eventually the scammer would ask for the prospective tenant to mail them the deposit and first month’s rent in order to get the keys. No keys ever sent. Here’s one that happened in 2019: Jacksonville Craigslist rental scam

I found another one from Craigslist: Jacksonville CL Rental scam This one was from 2018.

There are some companies who specialize in rentals that allow the prospective tenant to be able to let themselves into a rental to take a look without an agent. Scammers are getting those codes, advertising the rental for cheap, then send a fake application and lease. The prospective tenant sends a wire or money orders to the scammer. Here’s one that was in St Augustine: Rental scam in St Augustine. This family already moved in, when a rep from the rental company came to show it.

I spoke to a lady who’s daughter was scammed, and actually met the scammer at an office! She moved in and eventually the real owner came knocking on the door when they realized someone was living in the house. I tried to find the article for her situation, but didn’t have any luck. I did find one where two local losers in Jacksonville scammed a family, causing them to lose about $3,500 in deposits. Local losers scamming people for rentals. They were arrested.

Now, due to the covid, some scammers are using that as a reason not to meet. Here’s a lady who lost a couple thousand on a rental scam in Jacksonville. Covid rental scam.

Facebook Marketplace is another place for scammers. Here’s some screen shots of two I found:

scam number 1 scam ad

Scam number 2

Now, you have an idea of how the scammers advertise, and get away with stealing money from people. Now, I’ll talk about how to prevent it.

Here are some red flags:

Tell you they are out of state or country and can’t show it to you in person
Use covid as an excuse not to show it
Ask you to wire or send a money order to get the key
Low rental amount (If it sounds too good to be true, it’s not true)
Including all utilities in the rental amount.

If you come across one that has your spidey senses are tingling here’s some things to do to find out of it’s a scam:

Google the address. If it’s listed for sale or for a higher rental amount, call that person. Usually, it’s a real estate company with the legit listing.
Check public records to see if the name matches. Now, if you find that it does match, you’re not in the clear yet. Public records is as it sounds…..public, so the scammer can get this same information.
Contact the scammer and ask them questions, like how to set up a showing. If the address isn’t listed, ask them for it. Some will avoid certain questions.
Ask them if they are a real estate agent. If they say they are, Look up their name at: My Florida License. Ask them what their license number is. Who their broker is. If an ad doesn’t have their company name, it could be a scam. In Florida, we are suppose to disclose our brokerage name.
truepeoplesearch.com can give you info on the owner, including contact info. Not always accurate, but another avenue to help try to make sure you’re not dealing with a scammer.

If you can, work with a licensed real estate agent or company. I realize property management companies can have more rules in place, than private owners, so it’s not always feasible. So, if you choose to go the private owner route, do your research and be safe!

Now, if you want to avoid rental scams altogether, you can buy your own home. Maybe you think that’s not possible due to credit or no down payment. Check out my blog posts I wrote about just for buyers: Home Buyer Tips

You can check those out, without an agent bothering you. If you do have questions and want to talk or text, mu direct number is 904-910-3516.

Free Guides on the Home Buying & Selling process:

Free Home Seller Guides
Preparing Your Home To Sell

Free Home Buyer Guides:
The Home Buyer Guide

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