REAL ESTATE NEWS, COMMENTARY & OPINION
This article is one of a series featuring local living options in Amelia Island area golf club communities...
The Amelia National Lifestyle Houses are selling in Amelia National Golf and Country Club, with two homes getting a sales contract just this past week. Ten homes are listed for sale in the local MLS (down from around 28 homes for sale at the highest supply level in 2007). Buyers have been taking advantage of some great home deals in this new home community.
AMELIA NATIONAL GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB, FERNANDINA BEACH, FLORIDA
Amelia National is a neighborhood for those who love golf and desire a resort atmosphere, and is the newest golf club community in the Amelia Island area, with the first new homes completed during 2006. Amelia National offers a country club atmosphere where golf club members can play the championship Tom Fazio-designed golf course. Or perhaps tennis is your game – enjoy three clay tennis courts. Workout in the fitness center, relax at the magnificent pool with gentle fountains, or soak in the hot spa. One of America's top golf course architects, Tom Fazio is recognized for his dramatically beautiful, playable designs offering universal appeal. Amelia National's on-staff golf pros and tennis/fitness pro are available to assist members and offer private lessons and clinics for adults and kids.
Any prospective buyer interested in a golf club community in northeast Florida should take a look at Amelia National Golf & Country Club. It's an amenity-rich community, yet some homes are available at prices below reproduction cost.
Being a new home community with the first new homes completed in 2006, at a time when real estate activity had begun to cool, by early 2007 builders made price cuts to "move” standing inventory homes. Amelia National likely offers some of the best home deals in northeast Florida within an amenity-rich, gated community.
GOLF CLUB LIVING IN AMELIA ISLAND AREA The other choices for golf club, resort-style living with amenities (community pool, tennis courts, restaurant/bar) in the Amelia Island area are North Hampton (located near Amelia National off the Amelia Concourse) or the two golf resorts located on Amelia Island – Summer Beach's Golf Club of Amelia (Golfside North and Golfside South) and Amelia Island Plantation. (MORE ABOUT THESE OTHER GOLF CLUB COMMUNITIES AT THE END OF THIS ARTICLE...) According to the most recent recorded sales data at the Nassau County, Florida property appraiser's office (as of October 22, 2008) there were eight recorded homes sales in Amelia National during the first eight months of 2008 through August, at an average sales price of $390,762. CLUBHOUSE RESTAURANT, BAR AND POOLSIDE CABANA With elegant dining room on the second floor overlooking the golf course and pool, dine at the clubhouse restaurant daily for lunch and Friday evening dinners. Or stop by the club for cocktails at the beautiful bar which serves residents daily -- gather with friends to watch the game. SEE FOR YOURSELF ONLINE. WATCH A SHORT VIDEO FEATURING THE AMELIA NATIONAL GOLF CLUB, in Amelia Island Living's social network web site The community's location, just west of Amelia Island off A1A (called “the gateway” to Amelia), is especially convenient for those who desire quick access to the Jacksonville International Airport, and quicker commute time to Jacksonville, Florida's employment marketplace (as well as nearby Kingsland and St. Marys, Georgia).
There are newer homes in Amelia National available at prices far below what a similar home would cost in the island's two resort golf clubs, Golfside at Summer Beach and Amelia Island Plantation, making it a more affordable gated, 24/7 secuirty golf club for those looking to spend less for golf course living. Also, for those who prefer newer homes, a selection of homes built in 2006 and 2007 are available in Amelia National. As older, established golf clubs, the island's golf resorts' majority of homes were built in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. (More about prices in Summer Beach Golfside and Amelia Island Plantation, later in this article…)
EASY ACCESS TO BEACHES, AIRPORT, JACKSONVILLE COMMUTE
Enjoy golf club living and an amenity-rich community, yet only a short drive away from Amelia Island's 13 miles of beachfront and quaint historic district of Centre Street in Fernandina. (Note that although Amelia National is located off the island, the mailing address is Fernandina Beach, Florida, zip code 32034.) Centrally located off A1A between the Interstate 95 and the island, residents of Amelia National Golf & Country Club are about a 10 minute drive in either direction to the Interstate (west) or the barrier island of Amelia (east).
AN AMENITY-RICH GOLF CLUB COMMUNITY
If you visit Amelia National, don't miss touring the impressive, elegant clubhouse. The posh clubhouse offers a beautiful restaurant and bar. The clubhouse also has a nicely appointed fitness center for property owners in Amelia National. Get a cardio workout on treadmills or stepping machines while looking out over the pool. There's plenty of lounge chairs and umbrella-topped tables available to community members whenever they feel like relaxing poolside. Drinks and snacks are available at the poolside cabana. Near the tennis courts is a tot playground for the kids and grandkids. Since this community is in its infancy, it will be many years before the community is built out. Thus, early residents enjoy fabulous amenities and a serene, quiet atmosphere.
TOM FAZIO GOLF COURSE AT AMELIA NATIONAL GOLF CLUB
Naturally, the Tom Fazio golf course is the centerpiece of the Amelia National community, designed to provide a memorable playing experience, but the neighborhood also features championship-quality clay tennis courts – three courts for tennis fans to play.
For those who like to socialize, there are regularly-planned events held at the clubhouse. The community director organizes activities for the neighborhood, including Friday night dinners at the club, Thursday night “pot luck” casual dining poolside when neighbors can get together to chat, and bring an appetizer. Family nights feature a movie with dinner at the clubhouse and kid-friendly menu. Lunch specials are available daily at the restaurant. Other events include “Girls Night Out” and special holiday events.
AMELIA NATIONAL TENNIS
Amelia National's 3-court tennis facility has a tennis/fitness professional on staff. Tennis clinics are offered for both kids and adults. Both golf and tennis tournaments are organized events at Amelia National.
For those who like to bike, from the main guard house entry area to the back of the neighborhood, it's probably about two miles, so you can get a nice bike ride within the community without having to venture outside.
There are reportedly over 100 property owners in Amelia National Golf & Country Club. When the real estate market cycle turns and the community is further built out over time, the property is platted for 699 homes. However, it will be many years before this community approaches build out. In the meantime, current residents enjoy the peaceful serenity of this quiet community with plenty of acreage left in natural state, and an abundance of wildlife.
Currently, most of the homes that are built are located in phase I which has 159 lots. The residents who live on the streets closest to the clubhouse/pool/tennis complex can easily walk from home in a few minutes to enjoy these amenities. (The nearest street to the clubhouse/tennis/pool with the most homes currently built is Bermuda Drive, in Phase I.)
The phase II section of Amelia National has a handful of homes built. As you continue to drive through the golf course community along Amelia National Parkway into phase 3, it's wide open land – the golf course, the pine forest, lakes, and lots of nature. Residents can take nature hikes along grassy paths around lakes in the rear of the community, with quiet seclusion amongst the tall pines. Enjoy the birdlife which thrives in the neighborhood – herons, egrets, woodpeckers, ospreys, and even bald eagles have been spotted in Amelia National. HOME BUILDER, ICI HOMES, OFFERING HUGE PRICE REDUCTION
ICI Homes has model homes open in Amelia National with a site agent, and has built some of the larger homes in the community. (Visit ICI Homes website at http://www.icihomes.com. ICI Homes has several new/never occupied homes (most around 3,000 SF or larger) still available in Amelia National that have been discounted from their original listing prices. For example, ICI's “Preakness” floor plan on lot 72, located on Starling Court (see photo) a spacious 3,777 square feet with 6 BRs, 5 BAs and 3-car garage is listed in the Nassau County, Florida/Amelia Island MLS (as of October 22, 2007) at $450,000. (This pricing is about $119 per square foot -- that's $264,500 below the original 2007 list price of $714,500.) Someone is going to get a heck of a deal on a beautiful home in a Fazio golf club! (UPDATE: THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN UPDATED 11/5/08 TO INDICATE THIS HOME CHANGED STATUS, AND IS NOW "CONTRACT PENDING" IN THE MLS.) Note that MLS data may contain errors and is not guaranteed.
Naturally, we all wish we could perfectly time the market to sell at the top or buy at the bottom, whether it be stocks or real estate, but even the experts have great difficulty achieving this. For those in the market for a primary residence in a golf club community, who plan on staying put awhile, it appears to be a good time to be a buyer, before the great home deals are gone.
NEW HOME PERMITS DOWN IN NASSAU COUNTY, FLORIDA
In general, in Nassau County, Florida, new home starts are down substantially in the first nine months of 2008, compared to the 865 new home permits reportedly issued back in 2006. 285 new home permits have been issued during the first 3 quarters of 2008 through September in Nassau County, also down from 536 permits issued during 2007, according to data collected by the Northeast Florida Builders Association.
AMELIA NATIONAL LIFESTYLE MEMBERSHIP FEES, COMMUNITY FEES, CDD
RIDE BIKES OR WALK ALONG SIDEWALKS TO NEARBY SHOPPING Residents of Amelia National can also ride a bicycle out of the community for a two-mile bike ride along sidewalks to Lofton Square shopping center (Winn Dixie, Dominos Pizza, Chinese food, liquor store and new phase 2 of the shopping center coming soon). Another shopping plaza next door offers “Going Postal” shipping service, Edward Jones brokerage, Allstate Insurance, and Café at the Hamptons, and Step-by-Step. CHILDCARE CENTER A childcare center, Step-by-Step Learning Center, is located along the Amelia Concourse, less than two miles from Amelia National. Thus, those commuting to Jacksonville or Georgia have highly convenient access to childcare along their route to and from work. Also nearby Amelia National, at the Amelia Concourse intersection of A1A, is the largest shopping center in Nassau County, Florida, with Target, Home Depot, Starbucks, several banks, McDonalds, and other retailers.
While property owners in Amelia National are not required to become a golf club member, all property owners are required to have a “Lifestyle” membership which currently costs around $2,700 annually for use of the community pool and hot spa, tennis courts, fitness facility, playground, and restaurant/bar. All property owners in Amelia National also are required to patronize the clubhouse/pool cabana and spend $900 annually on food and beverage. (For more information about the golf course itself and golf club membership fees, call the Amelia National Golf & Country Club at 904-652-0660.) Amelia National's CDD fees (Community Development District) are around $1,800 annually, assessed on property tax bills. The Nassau County, Florida millage rate for Amelia National property owners is around 14.8 mills per thousand assessed value, at this writing.
If you haven't watched the Amelia National video, glimpse this beautiful golf club community now online. Also check out the official Amelia National Golf & Country Club web site at http://www.amelianationalgolf.com/.
PRICE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ISLAND RESORTS AND THE MAINLAND GOLF CLUBS
There's a substantial price difference between a single-family home in the two “off” island golf communities of Amelia National and North Hampton, versus the island's golf resorts, Summer Beach and Amelia Island Plantation. Thus, if a lower price is the main factor guiding the buying decision, a single-family home in Amelia National or North Hampton will cost far less than a similar-sized home with similar upgrades in Summer Beach Golfside or Amelia Island Plantation.
A large selection of resale homes are listed for sale in the MLS in North Hampton – 55 listed homes for sale according to the Nassau County, Florida/Amelia Island MLS as of October 22, 2008 (the lowest listing prices of homes available in North Hampton are five listings below $300K). Not that MLS data may contain errors and is not guaranteed. Of these four options for golf club living with amenities in the Amelia Island area, North Hampton offers the lowest golf membership fees.
If one desires a newer home built in the last five years, buyers have far more choices in newer homes in Amelia National and North Hampton, since these are the newest golf club communities in the Amelia Island area. Golf Club at North Hampton starting selling new homes back around the year 2001, and was platted for 599 homes. Visit the community's web site at http://www.northhampton.com/. Amelia National is the newest golf club in the local area, with the first new homes built in 2006.
MORE ABOUT THE ISLAND'S RESORT GOLF COURSE COMMUNITIES
Summer Beach and Amelia Island Plantation are stunningly beautiful, gated golf club communities near the ocean. These established island golf resorts (AIP began its community back in the 70s, and Summer Beach in the 80s) feature gorgeous, lush landscaping with ancient oak trees draped in moss. Some homes are easily walkable to the beach. These island golf resorts offer a fabulous setting -- golf club living by the seaside -- with tennis, oceanfront swimming pools, walking trails and a laid-back island lifestyle.
Each home in the two island resort golf clubs is unique. Summer Beach golfside and Amelia Island Plantation homes in the golf course neighborhoods are all custom-built homes by many different builders and various architects, so there's no repetition of the same home within these communities.
By comparison, in Amelia National and North Hampton, there are homes built by several builders, each with a set of floor plans to choose from, so there's a more uniform look to the architectural styles of the homes. (You can, indeed, see repeats of the same floorplan throughout these communities.) Another difference is sidewalks connecting the homes in Amelia National and North Hampton, whereas the island's single-family residential golf resort neighborhoods do not have sidewalks.
HIGHER PRICED HOMES IN SUMMER BEACH, AMELIA ISLAND PLANTATION
The Summer Beach Resort and Amelia Island Plantation golf club neighborhoods are for those looking to spend in a higher price range for a custom-built, single-family, existing re-sale home. As of October 22, 2008, the lowest priced single-family home in the local MLS for sale in Summer Beach Golfside (14 homes listed for sale) is listed at $589,000, or $294 per square foot, for a 3 BR/2BA home sized 2,002 SF, built in 1994. The lowest priced single-family home listed for sale in the local MLS in Amelia Island Plantation's Long Point golf community (a Tom Fazio designed course) is listed at $849,000, or $311 per square foot, a 4BR/3BA home sized 2,726 SF built in the year 2000. (Note that Amelia Island Plantation also has an internal real estate division which lists properties for sale that are not listed in the local MLS.) Visit each community's web sites at http://www.summerbeach.com/ and http://www.ameliaislandplantation.com/.
DIRECTIONS TO AMELIA NATIONAL GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB
Amelia National deserves investigating for those looking to buy Florida golf club real estate. Here's how to drive to the community from Jacksonville or the Jacksonville International Airport, or from south Florida, or Georgia:
From Interstate 95, take the Fernandina/Amelia Island/Yulee exit 373 and head east toward Amelia Island on A1A about ten minutes. Take right turn at the Home Depot shopping center intersection at the Amelia Concourse. Follow the Amelia Concourse to the second traffic light (about 2 miles) and turn left into the Amelia National Golf Club entrance which leads up to the guard house and gate. To preview all available homes for sale, including resales and the few new inventory homes that remain, call a local Amelia Island area Realtor® in advance for an appointment.
For those who wish to visit the Golf Club at North Hampton, it's located along the way to Amelia National, on the Amelia Concourse, with its information center and pool complex at the entrance. Since North Hampton is not gated, the public can drive through the community. The gated golf club communities of Summer Beach Resort and Amelia Island Plantation are located toward the south-end of Amelia Island.
UPDATE: Random visitors cannot drive through the Amelia National community as of January 26, 2009 -- the gates were officially put in operation 24/7. The gated entrance also has security guards on duty 24/7).
Note: Some data in this article was gathered from the Nassau County, Florida/Amelia-Island MLS for the dates noted. MLS data may contain errors and is not guaranteed.
About the author: W. B. Lawson writes tourism, lifestyle, and real estate articles published in Amelia Island Living eMagazine. She's a Florida real estate licensee (the Edwards Company, Amelia Island, Florida).