I'm Glad Atlantic Beach Has Photographers More Faithful Than I Am!

I hope I'm holding my own on the good works needed to get to heaven, because I sure am paving a road to somewhere else with a lot of good intentions!

I didn't get out and about in Atlantic Beach during Tropical Storm Fay and take photographs like I intended to, so I'm really glad some others did!

From what I've seen and heard, aside from some power outages, Fay didn't cause anyone too much trouble in Atlantic Beach.

I don't know nana_cindy42 on flickr, but she posted a short video from her home in Atlantic Beach, as well as some great stills from other spots around the beach showing Fay's powerful wind and rain.

I don't know nickytheblade on flickr either, but she posted a couple of early shots of Fay taken on August 20 (Tuesday) at 12:30pm from 1st Street in Atlantic Beach - one directly over the water and one that included people on the beach.

On youtube I found some more Atlantic Beach neighbors I don't know, stonewareporcelain and wadefallin, who both posted short videos of Fay in Atlantic Beach, and you'll see they were actually in the same location (but took different footage). What are the odds of two different people shooting the effects of Fay in Atlantic Beach from the same spot?! Pretty amazing!

I am impressed and inspired by these amateur photojournalist neighbors! Hopefully the next time I'll start getting out there more with my camera!

Not that I want a next time..

You hear that, Gustav? Don't bother getting yourself "organized" into a tropical storm or hurricane!

Just stay away!

Here's the Latest Data on Local Real Estate Sales...and All Real Estate is Local!

All real estate is local - that's a fact! Don't worry about what you read in the national media. Don't even worry about what you read about the State of Florida. Just pay attention to what's happening in your backyard.

Here are the details from the latest Market Watch Report from the Northeast Florida Association of REALTORS® for 2Q 2008 property sales in Atlantic Beach, zip code 32233:

Avg Price	Price Chg*	# Sold	# Sold Chg*	Avg DOM	% of Asking Price
$350,500	-29.89%	46	15.00%	142	90.1%

*Compared to 2Q 2007

If you're interested, you may click on this link for the full Market Watch Report for Duval County for 2Q 2008, which includes the labor market, the overall housing market stats and detail for other zip codes in Duval County.

Atlantic Beach real estate sales seem to be kind of a good news/bad news story - the percentage change in the number of homes sold in Atlantic Beach is the only one in Duval County that increased, yet the percentage change in price, the number of days on the market and the percentage of asking price that homes in Atlantic Beach sold for is about average.

Interesting.

Jacksonville is #9 of Forbes 10 Best Cities to Buy A Home!

Those of us who live here already know it, but it's nice to see "someone in the know" acknowledging that, Jacksonville, FL is one of the 10 Best Cities to buy a home! Right now! Read more on what's good about Jacksonville in this July 2008 Forbes article.

Those of us who live here know that if Jacksonville is great, Atlantic Beach is even better!

Have You Checked Out The New Atlantic Beach Blog?

I read about mayportcorridor.blogspot.com in the Beaches Leader a few weeks ago and, like a lot of interesting items I read, I intended to check it out. Also like a lot of my intentions, it took me several weeks to get to it...but I'm really glad I did!

Lindsay, Jonathan, Erin and Mo have done a great job in getting a conversation going about the issues facing the western area of Atlantic Beach!

I love Atlantic Beach, and I'm proud of its residents, government, public servants, and sense of community. I believe Atlantic Beach is one of the few areas left where a true sense of community spirit still exists.

In many ways I think of Atlantic Beach as a secret treasure, and I consider myself fortunate to have lived here for over 15 years. Here's why:

• Miles of non-commercial oceanfront- thank you city fathers past and present!
• Superb parks and community events - thank you Timmy Johnson!
• Involved citizens - too many to thank individually!
  
• Eclectic home styles - thank you homeowners, architects and builders!
  
• Many wonderful shopping/dining options within walking distance to many residents - thank you merchants!

Atlantic Beach is a close-to-idyllic place to live. All the active and neighborly residents, city commissioners, city employees, and business owners contribute to this precious pearl we call home.

I am well aware of the areas that need improvement, in some cases significant improvement, for Atlantic Beach to become the best it can be. Those areas are being addressed in a very effective way by the authors of, and commenters on, Mayport Corridor -What's Happening. Kudos to Lindsay, Jonathan, Mo and Erin for getting the ball rolling, and to the city for approaching the areas needing improvement head-on! Brickbats (as Folio Weekly would say) to the parties who diminish the desirability of Atlantic Beach! Drug dealers, owners of substandard properties, criminals, listen up! The proud people of Atlantic Beach are banding together to reclaim their jewel!

I look forward to good things ahead, and I want to be one of the people taking the steps that will get us there!

My Fun Time With Obama and McCain

Real estate has been a little slow in Atlantic Beach lately, so I decided to have some fun!

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