Davidson Realty, Inc.

Best Day Trips from St. Augustine

September 18, 2025

 | 
Posted by in News

Living in St. Augustine and the surrounding areas – Ponte Vedra, Vilano Beach, World Golf Village and Jacksonville – sure do come with its perks. With some of the best beaches in the state, world-class golf, professional sports and a great culinary scene, Northeast Florida is a spectacular place to live — and it’s only a short drive from some very special places. Just hop in your car, and in a mere 45 minutes to hour-and-a-half, you can be whisked away to find Florida magic, without even having to stay the night.

 

 

Ravine Gardens State Park: 1600 Twigg St, Palatka, FL 32177 (45 minutes from downtown St. Augustine)

Ravine Gardens is a stunning tropical paradise, filled with flowering plants and steep ravines. Located in Palatka, it has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1999. Open 365 days a year, from 8am to sunset, this beautiful park features ancient, narrow and deep ravines that have been transformed into rustic gardens. The park’s two ravines are 70-120 feet deep, with steep 45-degree angle banks, and a creek at the bottom called Whitewater Branch, a spring-fed stream that flows east into the St. Johns River. Over thousands of years, the ravines have become wider and deeper, and can be explored on foot or bike. In 1933, the ravines were transformed into the gardens we see today, with native and ornamental flowers, including up to 18 different varieties of azaleas. The peak flowering season is from January to March, where hundreds of azaleas bloom simultaneously in brilliant colors of white, pink, purple and coral. Large spans of azaleas can be found along trails and ravine sides, creating a spectacular display each year. A wonderful place to visit any time of the year, the annual Azalea Festival is held the first weekend in March and is a great time to soak in the unique beauty of Ravine Gardens State Park. Admission is only $5 per vehicle. Learn more on the park’s website.

Read more

Comments currently closed.

The Most Unique Homes in Northeast Florida

August 21, 2025

 | 
Posted by in News

Whether you’re looking for luxury, history, modern amenities or architectural design, Northeast Florida has some of the most unique and beautiful homes in the state. As a locally-owned real estate company with over 30 years of experience — serving Jacksonville, St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra and St. Johns County — we’ve seen a lot of spectacular homes, and here are some of our favorites.

 

Sinclair Lewis’ Vilano Beach Retreat

Located at 177 Surfside Avenue on Vilano Beach, this historic beach cottage was built in 1916 on multiple waterfront lots. The home sits along a tidal creek connecting to the Intracoastal Waterway, and is a cozy, wood-shingled bungalow that exudes Old Florida charm. It features a giant front porch, coquina fireplace and quaint guest house. It oozes abundant natural beauty, with towering oaks and palms, ferns and tropical trees, a woodshed, raised garden beds and even a hen house. This beautiful retreat is a famous one too — once home to Pulitzer Prize-winning author Sinclair Lewis. In the 1920s, he rented the shingled bungalow to write his novels Main Street (1920), Babbit (1922), Arrowsmith (1925) and his best-known work, Elmer Gantry (1927). Just steps from the beach, this historic property is an outdoor haven in one of St. Augustine’s most desirable locations.

 

Pillars Castle in St. Augustine

Located at 16 May Street in St. Augustine, this one-of-a-kind, pink, historic, luxury estate was built circa 1925. A real-life castle right in the heart of historic downtown, Pillars Castle is a breathtaking and iconic architectural masterpiece. Fully-restored to preserve its historic charm, Pillars is known for its ornate engineering, original stained glass windows, coffered ceilings and stone fireplaces — and recent owners incorporated modern luxury throughout. The beautifully pink castle boasts over 4,400 square feet, a grand hall, formal dining, chef’s kitchen, custom bar and the most perfect private exterior with beautifully landscaped grounds and an elegant courtyard and fountain. Designed by American sculptor C. Adrian Pillars, who lived in St. Augustine between 1919 and 1932, Pillars Castle stands as a symbol of the city’s rich heritage.

Read more

Comments currently closed.

Save The Date! Jim Davidson’s Annual Clay Day

August 5, 2025

 | 
Posted by in News

It’s time to mark your calendars for Jim Davidson’s Annual Clay Day, now celebrating ten years of supporting local charity organizations! Davidson Cares Clay Day is Thursday, October 16th. This highly anticipated event boasts a day of target clay shooting, held at Jacksonville Clay Target Sports, located at 12125 New Berlin Road in Jacksonville. Registration and lunch are from 11:30am until 12:30pm. Shooting begins at 1pm.

 

At Jim Davidson’s 10th Annual Clay Day, participants can shoot 100 sporting clay targets in a fun, communal setting. There is a minimum donation of $500 per shooter. Clay Day is hosted at Jacksonville Clay Target Sports, one of the oldest continuously operating clubs in the United States. Situated on 80 acres, the club features two state-of-the-art 15-station sporting clays courses designed by internationally renowned sporting clays architects and designers, Heyward Cunningham and Rick Hemingway.

Read more

Comments currently closed.

Northeast Florida Market Stats | June 2025

July 21, 2025

 | 
Posted by in News

‘The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees an opportunity in every difficulty.’ – Winston Churchill

 

After three years of elevated interest rates and a cooling sales environment, the market continues to demonstrate evolving opportunities. According to the Northeast Florida Association of Realtors’ June 2025 report:

 

  • Median sales price of $350,000 is unchanged from May and down 1.4% from last year.
  • Closed sales totaled 2,597, a 3.4% dip from May and a 5.3% decrease compared to June 2024.
  • Pending sales saw a notable decline, down 32.5% from May and 31.7% year-over-year, indicating a cautious but watchful buyer pool.
  • Active inventory of 12,364 is up slightly 2.2% from May and 13.3% from last year, offering more choices to prospective buyers.
  • There is 4.8 months’ supply of homes available reflecting a more balanced market between buyers and sellers.

While higher mortgage rates and affordability challenges continue to temper demand, inventory levels remain far more stable than in past downturns, such as the Great Recession, when forced sales drove oversupply. Notably, Florida Realtors reported statewide single-family home prices in May were 2.7% lower than last year, but still an impressive 54% higher than in 2020.

Read more

Comments currently closed.

Sing Out Loud Returns to St. Augustine September 2025

July 9, 2025

 | 
Posted by in News

 

The annual festival celebrates live music & entertainment every Friday, Saturday and Sunday

 

Sing Out Loud is back! The annual festival is an epic celebration of live music and entertainment, and it’s right here in St. Augustine. One of the biggest music festivals in the Southeast, Sing Out Loud brings together an eclectic array of musical acts, from local bands to national headliners. There will be music all over town on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays — and most of it is free! Venues include the St. Augustine Amphitheatre, Sarbez!, Shanghai Nobby’s, Trade Winds Lounge, Spinster Abbott’s, Colonial Oak Music Park, Dog Rose Brewing Co. and Francis Field, which hosts the main stage: the Lively Wildly Showcase on Saturday, September 20th and Sunday, September 21st, 2025.

 

Sing Out Loud began in 2016, with humble but exciting beginnings, and brought together local and regional acts to stages around town. The festival has featured more than 1,500 national, regional and local musicians, and welcomed more than 330,000 live music enthusiasts to St. Augustine. Now in its 9th year, Sing Out Loud continues to attract national touring bands. In 2023, the Black Keys, Maggie Rogers and Mumford & Sons took the stage. Last year, country music superstar Eric Church, JJ Grey & Mofro and Norah Jones headlined. This year, the line-up is even more impressive.

Read more

Comments currently closed.
Older Posts »

Davidson Realty