RAP Annual Meeting

The annual meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, February 19 at 6:30pm at The Church of the Good Shepherd. We are planning to have the annual preservation awards, we will vote in the new slate of board members and enjoy a special guest speaker. Please put it on your calendar

I Have A Historic Building

Now What Do I Do?
Planning your restoration project

Friday, Feb 8th
9am to 3:30pm
Flagler College in St. Augustine

The Florida Trust for Historic Preservation will be hosting a program titled: "I Have A Historic Building, Now What Do I Do? Planning your restoration project." Participants will learn how to assess their historic buildings, and hear about federal, state and local financial incentive programs. Speakers will offer tips on implementing the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation, creating a project timeline and budget, the process of working with local permitting agencies, and how to find restoration contractors and suppliers. Fees and registration information can be found at www.floridatrust.org/workshops.

National Trust for Historic Preservation Accepting Nominations for 2008 National Preservation Honor Awards

The National Trust for Historic Preservation is now accepting nominations for the 2008 National Preservation Honor Awards. The coveted annual awards recognize singular success in preserving, rehabilitating, restoring or interpreting America’s architectural and cultural heritage. Winners will be announced at the 2008 National Preservation Conference in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which will run from October 21-25, 2008. Read more.

Neighborhood Watch Meeting

RADO is holding a neighborhood watch meeting at their office (881 Stockton Street) next Tuesday, January 8 at 6:30pm. There’s been numerous burglaries in the area, mostly from College Street north, between Stockton and King. There is a core group of neighbors from that area already, but everyone's participation is encouraged. The best way to put a stop to this kind of activity is to be aware of what is going on, know who your neighbors are and report EVERY suspicious activity to the Jacksonville Sheriffs Office.

The initial meeting is mainly a meet and greet to get to know everyone and network. Please spread the word to anyone else you know who lives in this part of Riverside, it would be really helpful.

Good News and Bad News

The latest statistics at Trulia have a mixed bag to offer as far as home prices go in Avondale. The fact that they are mixed has got to be good news, especially in this market. First, for the bad news. It isn't surprising in light the fear mongering news media that for the Average Listing Price dropped 7.2% to $390,421 in the past month (week ending Nov 28). The bright side of the story is that the Median Sales Price for the quarter ending Nov '07 rose 4.0%
to $245,000. AND the Average Price per Square Foot also ROSE to $181. That was a modest 1.7% – BUT it did rise!

Riverside was also a mixed bag but it, too, had more on the positive than negative side.
These numbers are also for the quarter ending Nov 28, 2007. The Average Listing Price rose to $502,093. That's a 9.7% increase. The Average Price per Square Foot also made gains of a whopping 12.8% to $123. The Median Sales Price was the sore spot with a 5.0% loss to $211,000. And according to Trulia's heat map, the most popular neighborhoods in Jacksonville, Avondale was numer one and Riverside was number two.

So take that news people! Where's your housing bubble now? Historic homes are and ALWAYS will be a good investment. And for all of you who are looking to buy, you couldn't find a better place to live!

More Art in the 5 Points Area

If you are out this Saturday running errands, checking out garage and estate sales, taking a nice long walk to work off some of that extra weight that you may have given yourself over the holidays, stop by Starbucks at 10am at the corner of Riverside and Margaret and be a part of a video project that one of the contributors at JaxCAL is creating to capture your 911 story.

Lee Harvey @ Fuel