Nocatee sees most new home starts in 2010Back to News

The Florida Times-Union

Nocatee, a 14,000-acre development straddling the Duval and St. Johns county line, was the metropolitan area's fastest-growing planned community in 2010.

At 189 starts, the community and its seven active development projects took the top spot, according to a report from Houston-based Metrostudy. Richard Ray, managing partner of the PARC Group Inc., said 707 houses are either built or under construction in Nocatee.

Last year, the community opened its water park, fitness club and the first phase of its network of paths for golf carts and other low-speed vehicles. Its 30-year plan calls for it to have 14,000 homes when complete.

Ray said his outlook for Nocatee and Jacksonville's new home industry at-large is good.

He said there's perception in the market that all home prices continue to fall. But that's a result of the impact of distressed sales - foreclosures, short sales and bank-owned sales - on the overall existing home market. Traditional existing home prices, like new home prices, are stable, he said.

Northeast Florida Association of Realtors spokeswoman Melanie Green said NEFAR sales data supports Ray's assertion.

She said the data shows median sales prices for traditional sales of existing homes increased eight months out of the last 12.

Daniel Davis, executive director of Northeast Florida Builders Association, said the new housing market has plenty of positive signs for 2011.

"I believe we're going to continue to improve," Davis said. "Parade of Homes was a huge success - we had great traffic - and I think that's a great indicator. I guess people have more confidence in the economy."

Davis said the slowly strengthening market is allowing some area builders to bring in new staff or re-hire workers who had been laid off due to the downturn that started in 2007.

"I think many of our members have learned to survive and succeed with less staffing and harder work. They're taking more time in staffing back up. It's going to be a steady improvement," Davis said.

Of the metropolitan area's top five development communities in 2010, four were in St. Johns County, according to Metrostudy. Close behind Nocatee at 122 starts was Durbin Crossing in northwest St. Johns County. The Aberdeen subdivision, located near Durbin Crossing, had 81 starts; and both Murabella, in St. Johns County near International Golf Parkway and Florida 16, and OakLeaf Plantation, which extends into Duval and Clay counties, both reported 66.

Despite St. Johns County's strong showing in the top five, Duval County actually boasted the highest total new home starts in 2010, with 1,052. St. Johns County finished second, with 948. Clay County reported 378 starts and Nassau County had 181.

kevin.turner@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4609