At Team Kelly and Wanda, we know a thing or two about beautiful homes. Take a few minutes to browse our listings, and you’ll see some of the most spectacular and luxurious homes for sale in Jacksonville and the Jacksonville Beaches. As beautiful as our properties are, though, it’s your personal touches that really make a home uniquely yours. We may sell the best canvases, but it’s up to you to paint your masterpiece.

Obviously, you want your home to reflect your personal taste, from the paint to the furniture to the landscaping. No one knows what you like better than you, but there a few general tips that any homeowner can use to beautify their house and get the most out of their space. Here are a few of our favorite do-it-yourself tips and tricks for decorating your home in Jacksonville.

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

Our homes for sale in Jacksonville are all large, spacious, and attractive. When it comes to interior space, though, there’s no such thing as too much. One of the easiest ways to make your home interior look more open is to use mirrors to create the illusion of space. All you have to do is mount a mirror on your wall and then place a small decorative table against it. It’s a simple, cost-effective way to turn your space into something that seems substantially larger than it really is. By reflecting the table decor, it also creates visually attractive symmetry and lets you get a much larger visual impact out of every piece.

From Functional to Fashionable

Obviously, closets and cabinets are very attractive when you’re looking at new homes for sale in Jacksonville. Everyone loves storage space because it’s so convenient and helps keep your home neat and tidy. A lot of people, though, don’t realize the hidden decorating potential lurking in every hall closet or kitchen cabinet. Simply remove the door, and all of a sudden you’ve got a ready-made niche for anything from art to flowers to books to pottery. If you’ve got more storage space than you know what to do with, get out your screwdriver and and you’re on your way to building your very own art installation. A simple coat of paint on the inside is all it takes to glam up your new showcase.

Lightweight Lighting

Lamps are a great way to brighten up a room and add some style, but wouldn’t it be more fun to make your own? All you need is a clear wine glass, a tea candle, and some decorative paper. Drop the candle into the wineglass and then make a cone with the paper. Slip it over the top, and you’ve got a tiny, beautiful lamp that will add a great accent to any room. Best of all, they’re so small you can move them wherever you want, whenever you want!

These are just a few quick ideas for do-it-yourself home decor. Do some browsing on the internet and you’ll find thousands more. Also, make sure to stop by our contest page! Fill out the form, let us know your favorite home decorating tips, and you’ll be entered to win a $100 Gift Card to Bed Bath & Beyond.

Living in Jacksonville is pretty great, but it’s never better than at this time of year. The season is changing, the sun is shining, and the beaches are open for business. Truth be told, it’s an embarrassment of riches. The beaches and the weather alone are enough to make anyone green with envy. To top it all off, though, we’re rapidly approaching the biggest week of the year for the Jacksonville area.

That’s right, it’s time for THE PLAYERS, Ponte Vedra Beach’s signature golf tournament. Every year, the best golfers in the world descend on our beach communities to compete for one of the sport’s richest prize pools on the historic Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass. THE PLAYERS is known for hosting the sport’s most elite field of competitors and the 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass is home to the iconic island green, arguably the sport’s most famous hole.

Obviously, this is a huge deal for Ponte Vedra Beach and the whole Jacksonville area. It’s a chance to highlight everything the area has to offer, from the weather to the beaches to the restaurants. It’s also a strong statement that, for golfers and golf fans alike, there is no better place to live than Jacksonville.

TPC Sawgrass, which hosts the Valley Course and the world-famous Stadium Course, is just the tip of the iceberg. Jacksonville is home to dozens of world-class golf courses and the luxury communities that go with them. Kelly and Wanda know golf, they know luxury properties, and they know the Jacksonville real estate market better than anyone. If you’re looking to enjoy Ponte Vedra’s luxury golf lifestyle year round, they’re the only call you need to make.

Marsh Landing

Marsh Landing Country Club may not be as nationally renowned as the TPC Stadium Course, but it’s one of the area’s best-loved golf courses. Featuring 18 beautiful holes set in pristine natural surroundings, the course itself is enough to challenge any golfer, from duffer to pro. When you buy a home in Marsh Landing, though, you don’t just get proximity to the course. You get the full Country Club lifestyle, complete with a beautiful clubhouse, a tennis facility, and all of the amenities you expect from a high-end golf community.

The Plantation at Ponte Vedra Beach

Life in The Plantation at Ponte Vedra Beach is the perfect encapsulation of what makes Northeast Florida so great. The Plantation offers 18 holes on a newly-redesigned golf course for the dedicated golfers. For the rest of the family, there’s a full-service beach club and the safe, luxurious environment you expect from a golf community. Whether you want to spend your days on the links, at the beach, or just enjoying the weather with your family in a beautiful environment, The Plantation offers it all.

Palencia

For families, Palencia is like a dream come true. The only thing more spectacular than the 18-hole championship golf course is the world-class amenities, which include a full club house with dining and shopping, a lighted tennis facility, 8 miles of multi-use paths, three baseball diamonds, a soccer field, a basketball court, state-of-the-art fitness facilities with classes, and a pirate-themed playground. It’s the perfect spot for anyone with an active lifestyle or anyone who enjoys luxury living in beautiful surroundings.

Clearly, if you enjoy golf, the outdoors, good weather, and luxury living, Jacksonville is where you belong. Give Team Kelly and Wanda a call today. If there’s a home for sale in Jacksonville, they know it, and they have years of experience helping families find the perfect new house for sale.

Do you remember what it felt like to finally buy a home in Jacksonville? Walking through that door, seeing your pristine new house, just waiting for all of the personal touches that will truly make it your own? It’s like being a master painter staring at a perfectly clean canvas, knowing that you’re about to turn it into your masterpiece.

Of course, as we all know, that feeling is fleeting. Life happens, clutter accrues. Maybe your kids feel that same artistic inspiration, but this time it involves your clean walls and a pack of crayons. Before you know it, your perfect dream house is in need of some serious elbow grease, a few layers of paint, and a thorough dusting.

Don’t let it overwhelm you; it happens to everyone. That’s why Spring Cleaning is such a time-honored tradition. Every year, when the season changes and nature starts to refresh itself, homeowners all over the world take the opportunity to do a little refreshing of their own. With a little bit of planning and some good old-fashioned hard work, you can make your lived-in house as fresh and clean as a brand new home for sale.

To help you get started, we’ve put together a few handy Spring Cleaning tips and tricks. Just follow these simple steps, and you’ll have people saying, “When did you buy this home, it looks brand new!” in no time.

Clean With What You Have

Go into any store, and you’ll find hundreds of cleaning products for every conceivable purpose. Believe it or not, though, a lot of the most effective cleaning products are things you probably have lying around the house anyway. Trying to disinfect that garbage disposal? There’s no need for chemical cleaners. Just drop a whole lemon in there, run it for a few seconds, and voila! It’s as good as new. You can use baking soda and a damp sponge to remove buildup from your dishwasher. Having a hard time getting your toilets clean? Try Tang or powdered lemonade mix. The gritty texture makes it perfect for scrubbing and the citric acid will help loosen up any residue! You don’t need to make a special trip to the store for cleaning supplies, just get creative with what you’ve already got!

Master Your Technique

A tool is only as good as its owner, and using your cleaning tools properly is the key to the best results. Is your sponge getting a little dingy? Don’t throw it out, just get it wet, squeeze it, and microwave it on high for one minute. It’s a great way to disinfect and it’ll save you money. When you sweep, make sure you do it correctly. Pretend you’re rowing a boat, and that the broom is the oar, and you’ll get the best results. When you’re done sweeping, remember to store the broom with the handle side down. It’s easier on the bristles and will make your brooms last longer.

Multitask

The best way to make cleaning easier is to do something else at the same time to take your mind off what you’re doing. Have a ton of laundry to fold? Pull out your phone and call your friends and family. You’ll still be happily chatting away by the time you’re done. No one wants to push around a vaccum cleaner and listen to it, so why not put in some earbuds and play a book on tape for yourself? You might even find yourself vacuuming more than you have to just to make it to the end of the chapter.

With these tips, you can make your house as good as new this Spring. And if you’re looking for a little bit of help, make sure to stop by our contest page. You can enter to win a $100 Gift Card to Amazon! That’s a lot of cleaning supplies!

To us, being in real estate is about much more than helping people buy and sell homes in Jacksonville. It’s about building community, one family at a time. We care deeply about Jacksonville, which is why we’ve lived in the area our entire adult lives. That’s why it’s such a thrill for us to help other people find a home in the city we love. Every family we help find a home for sale in Jacksonville is another building block in a better, happier, friendlier city.

We’re deeply committed to improving the community we live and work in. That’s why, for the last 10 years, we’ve donated a portion of every sale we’ve made to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. It’s a great way to help families when they really need it the most. Here in Jacksonville, our funds help provide badly-needed equipment and hospital additions to Wolfson Children’s Hospitals.

Recently, we were lucky enough to get a tour of Wolfson Children’s Hospital. It was a chance to see all of the fabulous ways our donations are being used to save lives and help families from all over the First Coast. It was incredibly inspiring seeing the thousands of lives they’ve touched and realizing that we made some small contribution to all of that good work.

Keeping families in Jacksonville safe and healthy benefits all of us. We don’t just sell homes in Jacksonville, we live here, and it’s good for us both personally and professionally to make the city a happier, healthier place. That’s why we’re REMAX Miracle Agents, and it’s why we’ll continue to support Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals each and every time we sell a home.

If you want to do your part to help Children’s Miracle Network make Jacksonville a healthier place to live, just click here. Make sure you select Wolfson Children’s Hospital from the dropdown menu to make sure your donation helps families in the First Coast.

We work all over Jacksonville, but we’re Beaches girls at heart. Ponte Vedra and Jacksonville Beach are special places to us. This is where we live, where we raised our families, and where our office is located. We’ll cross the ditch when we have to, but home will always be at the Beaches.

That’s why we’re so happy to support the Beaches Emergency Assistance Ministry, better known as BEAM. BEAM is an amazing charity helping low-income families in the Jacksonville Beaches. From food pantries to nutrition education, social services assistance to emergency financial assistances, the incredible people at BEAM are putting in the hard work to make sure that no one in Jacksonville Beach goes hungry or homeless.

This is a small, dedicated group of people that has already helped nearly 20,000 adults and children enjoy a better life. With a little bit of help from all of us, think of how many more people they could help.

To learn more about the invaluable work BEAM is doing in the Jacksonville Beaches, please visit their website. And if you can donate or volunteer your time, please do! Working together, we can make sure the Beaches remain an amazing place to live.

We’ve already told you some of the things we love most about Jacksonville, but today we want to focus on St. Johns County. The home of Nocatee, Ponte Vedra Beach, and historic St. Augustine, St. Johns County is one of the most beautiful and desirable locations anywhere in Florida. Demand for real estate in St. Johns County is constantly growing, even with all of the exciting new communities being constructed.

Why, though, does St. Johns County attract so many families looking to buy a home? To understand what makes it such an attractive location, you have to understand the unique combination of factors that make the area so perfect for families. With that in mind, here’s a quick rundown of why St. Johns County is such a great place to live.

Location, Location, Location

St. Johns County is full of beautiful homes, but so are a lot of places. What sets a home in St. Johns County apart is where it’s located. Nearly everywhere in St. Johns County is mere minutes from Northeast Florida’s world-famous beaches. Whether you’re looking for beachfront property or something in a traditional suburban setting, St. Johns County has the perfect spot for you, and all of them offer easy access to the local beaches.

Not only is it close to the beach, St. Johns County is home to Historic St. Augustine, the nation’s oldest city. No matter where in the county you live, you’re a quick drive away from the city’s historic landmarks and tours. If you’re looking for a little bit more modern entertainment, it’s only a few hours to Orlando, Disney World, and the rest of Florida’s theme parks.

The Schools

One of St. Johns County’s biggest drawing points for young families is the school district, which is consistently recognized as one of the nation’s best. You won’t find better public schools anywhere in the country, and that’s one of the biggest reasons that families looking to buy a home are drawn to St. Johns County. Buying a home in Ponte Vedra or Nocatee means that not only will your children grow up in a safe, beautiful neighborhood, they’ll get a world-class public education all the way from Kindergarten through graduation.

The Lifestyle

St. Johns County offers a unique way of life that you won’t find anywhere else. There are tons of suburbs in every state, and a whole host of beach communities. There are scores of places with beautiful, sunny weather. What makes St. Johns County so special is how it blends all of those things together to create a lifestyle uniquely its own.

If you’re looking for a beautiful, fun, safe place to raise your family, a place where your kids can get a top-notch education while enjoying the best weather, scenery, and lifestyle you’ll find anywhere, look no further than St. Johns County. And if you’re interested in buying a home in St. Johns County, look no further than Team Kelly and Wanda. We’re the St. Johns County real estate experts and proud residents too. Give us a call and let us show you exactly what the St. Johns County way of life can do for your family.

It’s Valentine’s Day, the holiday all about love. In that vein, we want to talk about why we love Jacksonville so much. We’re lifelong residents, and our passion is helping others experience the one-of-a-kind Jacksonville lifestyle we’ve been enjoying for all these years. We’ve already told you that Jacksonville is one of the most desirable locations for home buyers in the United States. Below are a few of the sweetest things about our city:

The Beach

Let’s face it, there’s a reason people travel from all over the world to enjoy Florida’s beaches. The First Coast is home to miles of pristine oceanfront property and months of sunshine every year. Why settle for a few days of sun and sand, though? Buying a home in Jacksonville means you get to enjoy the laid-back beach lifestyle all year long.

No one is better at helping people find the right beachfront property than Team Kelly and Wanda. We have years of experience helping families relocate to the Beaches, and no one has more intimate knowledge of the local real estate market. Give us a call today and enjoy vacation luxury every day of the year.

The Activities

The beaches are spectacular, but Jacksonville has a lot more to offer than just waterfront luxury. Jacksonville is one of America’s fastest-growing cities, and there’s no shortage of diversions for adults and children of all ages.

If you enjoy shopping, you’ll love living so close to the St. Johns Town Center, one of the most impressive malls in the Southeast. For the sports nuts, Northeast Florida isn’t just the proud home of the Jaguars, it’s home to the most dense collection of world-class golf courses you’ll find anywhere in the world. You can try your luck at the world-famous TPC Stadium Course or watch the pros show you how it’s done at The Players Championship, which hosts the world’s most elite field of golfers every year.

Best of all, Jacksonville families don’t have to look far for the perfect getaway. We’re only hours from Orlando and the theme parks, which means you can take the kids for a Disney day trip any time the mood strikes. Buying a home in Jacksonville means your family will never be at a loss for something fun to do.

The Potential

As amazing as life in Jacksonville already is, it’s only going to get better. The city is growing at a record rate, and spectacular new communities like Nocatee are popping up all over town. Whether you’re looking for the quiet beach life or a little bit of big-city hustle and bustle, Jacksonville has the right neighborhood for you.

Companies are flocking to Jacksonville because of the amazing lifestyle, and the job market here just keeps improving.  For families in Jacksonville, the future is just as sunny as the weather.

These are just a few of the things we love about living in Jacksonville. Give us a call for a guided tour of everything living in Jacksonville has to offer.

Exciting news on the Jacksonville real estate front! There’s a new neighborhood coming to Nocatee! Daniel Park at Town Center will feature David Weekley Homes priced from the high $200s in an urban lifestyle setting. The neighborhood will be within easy walking distance of Nocatee’s shops and dining, which means residents get the feel of urban living inside a beautiful suburban neighborhood.

Don’t forget, Kelly and Wanda are Nocatee Certified Agents, which means they’re ready to get your family into this exciting new neighborhood as soon as it’s available! Check out the link below to learn more about Nocatee’s newest addition, and give Team Kelly and Wanda a call if you want to enjoy the perfect combination of urban lifestyle and suburban luxury!

We’ve already discussed how much proper upkeep can help keep your property value as high as possible. There are lots of little things you can do yourself that will boost your home’s curb appeal and keep the value of your house maximized. It doesn’t take much to slap on a new coat of paint or to spend an afternoon doing some light landscaping.

Sometimes, though, your home is going to require updates, additions, or improvements that are a little more substantial. That’s where contractors come in. A skilled contractor has the vision and expertise to take your home to the next level. They’re capable of doing the big jobs that your average homeowner just doesn’t have the time or skills to handle alone.

Hiring a contractor is a big risk, though. We’ve all heard horror stories of half-finished work, huge budget overages, and shoddy craftsmanship. Don’t worry, though. It’s perfectly possible to hire a contractor who will do your job quickly, perfectly, and on a budget. We’ve put together a few handy tips to help you pick the right contractor for your home.

DO YOUR RESEARCH

This is by far the most important step to hiring the right contractor. It’s a crowded market out there, and plenty of contractors can talk a big talk but aren’t able to back it up when it comes time to complete the work. Smart homeowners never just take a contractor’s word. Luckily, you don’t need to.

There are tons of resources available for homeowners looking to hire a contractor. The most obvious is friends and family. Reach out to the people around you and ask them who they’ve used in the past. It’s a great way to find out who is able to follow through and who doesn’t live up to the hype.

You don’t just have to rely on your personal connections, though. The internet is an invaluable tool for identifying quality contractors. Services like Yelp, Angie’s List, and HomeAdvisor all offer tools for homeowners looking to do some work around the house. Before you make a huge decision regarding your home, make sure you exhaust every possible resource to help you make the right decision for your family.

BUDGET WISELY

Budgeting is crucial. As much as we might wish it was different, sometimes unexpected costs are going to happen. If you set a budget for yourself and then plan a job that pushes that budget to a limit, it’s almost guaranteed that you’re going to watch the cost exceed your expectations.

When budgeting for home improvements, it’s important to give yourself a cushion. Know how much you are willing to spend and then make sure that your planned updates and additions come in a good bit under that price. Understand that you might need to pay for extra labor, higher material costs, and other unexpected expenses and then plan accordingly. Don’t get caught unprepared when those additional expenses rear their heads.

PICK YOUR PROJECTS

It’s easy to get carried away with improving your home, but it’s important to do a risk and reward assessment before you start writing checks. Not every home improvement is equal when it comes to improving your home’s value. If you want the best return on your investment, you should figure out what buyers are looking for and then only do improvements that are going to make your home more valuable and enticing. Obviously it’s fine to spend money to make your home a more important place to live, but if you want to maximize your property value, stick to things that are going to give you the best possible return.

It’s no secret that Nocatee is one of Jacksonville’s most attractive destinations for families. It’s a safe, beautiful neighborhood with small-town charm, big city access, and a constantly growing list of amenities. From water parks to farmers’ markets, convenient shopping to scenic golf cart trails, Nocatee really has something to offer everyone.

For parents, the prospect of moving to Nocatee just got even more attractive. Later this year, Primrose Schools will open an Early Education Center right in the heart of Nocatee. Check out the announcement below to learn more about Primrose and their Balanced Learning approach, and give us a call if you’re interested in giving your family a taste of everything Nocatee has to offer. There’s no one with more knowledge of real estate or houses for sale in Jacksonville’s most exciting up-and-coming community.

Primrose School is Coming to Nocatee!

Those of us who have lived in Jacksonville for years have always known that Northeast Florida is a magical place to call home. Well, it looks like the rest of the country is finally catching up to what we’ve always known! According to a recent U.S. News and World Reports study, Jacksonville is officially one of America’s top 20 destinations for anyone in the real estate market! Check out the article below to find out why families all over the United States are flocking to the Sunshine State, and give Team Kelly and Wanda a call if you’re interested in experiencing everything Jacksonville has to offer for yourself!

The 20 Most Desirable Places to Live in the U.S.