Palm Coast, Florida

by Michael Relfe, Realtor®
INI Realty Investments

www.FloridaPremiereHomes.com

Palm Coast is in north Florida, between Jacksonville and Daytona Beach. It's only five minutes from Flagler Beach, on the Atlantic Ocean, and three other beaches, namely Beverly, Hammock and Jungle Hut Beaches. Best of all, compared to any other nice, clean city near the beach, it's very economical to live here.

Palm Coast is like a secret for people looking for a new home to raise a family or to retire. The main reason why it's not so well known yet is because it was only first developed relatively recently in 1969. Originally Palm Coast was a retirement community, but in the last decade many young people and new businesses have moved here. While other towns are closing up businesses or falling to rack-and-ruin, Palm Coast is doing well!

A major difference between Palm Coast and other Florida towns is that it started as a master-planned community right from the start. The result of this is that it doesn't have a lot of the problems that other Florida cities have. For example:

• You don't have that feeling that thousands of people are pressing in on you.
• There is nature and beautiful landscaping.
• Mobile homes are not allowed, thus preventing the price of your home from being destroyed by unsightliness as happens in so many other places.
• Stores don't encroach onto residential areas.
• Traffic problems are greatly minimized.
• There aren't any of those horrible concrete areas, falling apart and covered in graffiti.

(Below) Flagler Beach has a pier, outdoor showers, restroom, restaurants and lifeguards in the busy seasons -

Flagler Beach -

My Australian wife and I love Palm Coast, Florida. We have lived in Palm Coast for eight years. Before settling on Palm Coast, we lived in more states in America than many Americans have visited.  We have lived in Michigan (Farmington Hills), Indiana (Indianapolis), Arizona (Show Low), Virginia (Chesapeake), Texas (Dallas), Iowa (Dubuque) and Australia (Sydney and Melbourne).  Plus I lived in Chicago (Illinois), Missouri (Kansas City), Oklahoma (Tulsa), Idaho (Idaho Falls), California (Los Angeles), Arizona (Phoenix), Georgia (Atlanta) and Indiana (Southbend) before I married.

In addition, we have travelled throughout Florida and dozens of other states.  After many years of looking for the best place to live in the world, we have finally decided that Palm Coast, in north Florida, is the best place to live.  By the way, Palm Coast should not be confused with the ultra-expensive, more humid Palm Beach in south Florida.

Originally we thought, as other Palm Coast residents have done, of moving to St Augustine, which we had visited to see its beautiful historic buildings. St Augustine is the oldest city in America.  But while St. Augustine is a truly beautiful, wonderful place to visit again and again, with some great restaurants, being old has its drawbacks, not least of which is higher prices. You pay for quaintness in America.

Some kind realtor suggested that we drive 20 minutes south and check out the relatively new city of Palm Coast.   We found a lovely, clean city with modern houses for a fraction of the price! 

The City of Palm Coast has 74,000 residents. It is 52 square miles in area. As I said before, Palm Coast did not grow haphazardly like most other cities. The planners worked out where everything should go from the beginning, and what the town should look like.  And they put in lots of flood canals to prevent the flooding that has occurred in older towns like St Augustine or Daytona Beach.

You can see one of the larger canals here, with houses backing onto it, below -

Our Mayor and City Council's has a vision to make Palm Coast a leadership city with a quality of life, access to nature, and professional services unsurpassed in Northeast Florida.

As well as lots of economically priced houses on lots of nearly 1/4 acre, Palm Coast has luxury homes in exclusive areas like “The Sanctuary”, “Hammock Dunes” and “Grand Haven”.  The nice part is, that these developments add to the beauty of the area and quality of life for everyone.

Hammock Dunes -

The bulk of Palm Coast is formed of thousands of attractive, well-priced houses in family-friendly neighbourhoods.  Most houses here are made of concrete and stucco, with a few made of brick.  Which means stronger construction, low maintenance, no termites and longer durability. 

Some homes right now are $45 a square foot, or even less, including the lot.  For example, you can get a beautiful, 5 year-old house that is fully renovated with 3,000 square feet, 4 bedrooms, 2 1/2 bathrooms, a loft and office, and a double garage and screened-in lanai (verandah) for just $140,000 - or less!

Property taxes are around $1,100 - $2,000 a year for normal homes.

Nearly all the homes are on 10,000 square feet, which is nearly ¼ of an acre.  Mobile homes are not allowed.  The council is very good at keeping the place tidy.  The main roads have landscaping. 

And, of course, if you are looking for a luxury home in the $1million+ range, we have plenty of those too.

The new Town Center with a Park and Cinema -

Tall business signs and billboards are not allowed.  Even McDonalds has to have it’s Yellow “M” on the ground, as you can see below! 

There are numerous parks. There are a number of free tennis courts (some seen below), as well as a state of the art Tennis Center.

There are numerous great private restaurants, such as those at "European Village" -

The council hires people to check that front yards are kept in decent condition.  And, of course, we have gated communities as well.  And did I mention, that it’s just 4 minutes from Flagler Beach?

Unlike nearby beaches like Daytona Beach and parts of Ormond Beach, where they have the terrible practice of allowing VEHICLES on the beach, no vehicles are allowed on the beach. That is most fortunate, because there have been a number of deaths from vehicles running over bathers at those other beaches. Who would want children to be on such a beach? Come to our beaches and relax and enjoy nature. You can sometimes see dolphins from the beach.

Flagler Beach is a wonderful beach.  Unlike some California beaches, the water is warm enough to swim in!  And clean.  We don’t have to have pollution warnings.  We personally prefer the clean energy of the waves of the Atlantic Ocean to the ‘dead energy’ that we feel when we have visited the beaches on the gulf.  If you have little ones, the waves disappear at low tide, sometimes leaving little sand “rock pools”. 

In addition, Palm Coast is near three other north Florida beaches: Beverly Beach, Jungle Hut Beach and Hammock Beach. We love to visit Hammock Beach, because it is very secluded, and there are usually few people visiting. The entrance is pictured below.

Hammock Beach. This picture was taken on a Saturday in November, at lunchtime -

There is also the intracoastal waterway (pictured below), the partly natural, partly man-made canal that runs parallel to the Atlantic ocean. So, if you have a boat, or would like one, this could very well be the place for your to be. There are a number of lovely parks beside the Intracoastal.

Pictured below is a nature park between the Intracoastal and Flagler Beach -

Another view of Flagler Beach -

Because of all this, and more, Palm Coast, the best place to live northeast Florida, just keeps on growing, with new stores and restaurants opening, and staying in business, even during the current tough times.

Here are just some of the reasons why Palm Coast is the best place to live in North Florida.
Plus things to do:

In these economic times we live in, one of the things you want to consider especially is, what will the place you move to be like in ten or twenty years time? Here's a clue - see where the money is moving to. It turns out that in the ten years from 1999 - 2009, more money moved to Florida than any other state. $70 billion in fact!

Which shows that more and more people are considering Florida the best place to live.

Relocation for Businesses

We suggest that businesses looking to relocate consider Palm Coast, Florida because:

• No state income tax.
• Employees get to be near the beach, so there is less upset at moving.
• Very cheap land and buildings. Build your dream headquarters or factory.
• Growing, modern city.
• Housing costs are much lower.
• Low property taxes.
• Pro business mayor and city council.
• Best chamber of commerce in the state of Florida.
• Moderate temperatures (therefore lower energy costs)

The synergistic combination of these qualities can significantly add to a companies bottom line.

So, if you are sick of the problems in your own area, and are thinking of moving, plan a holiday in the best place to live in North Florida right now. Where else in the world can you buy an affordable home within a short drive of the beach?

You might like to visit some of the other cities in Florida first, so that when you come to Palm Coast, you will realize what a gem Palm Coast is, and how it truly IS the best town to live in, in Florida.

If you think you might like to own a home in Palm Coast, or to build one, please contact me.

WHY YOU MUST HAVE A BUYER'S AGENT

• As your buyer's agent, my services are free. I work for you and protect your interests in negotiation. In Florida, the seller pays all commissions and by law I claim half of those funds. If you deal with the seller's agent directly, you are dealing with someone who is working for the seller, not for you. That is, you have no representation and the seller's agent keeps all the commission. It makes no difference to the final price whether you have a buyer's agent or not.
  

• Find the home that fulfills your requirements.

• Get the best price for a home. I negotiate without being emotionally involved with the transaction while maintaining confidentiality, loyalty and obedience to you.

• Have reduced liability through disclosures and inspections.

• Save time.

• Minimize inconvenience.

• Receive progress reports.

• Education regarding the transaction process. It's more complicated than you may realize.

• You have someone to talk with about your wants, fears and concerns without affecting the outcome of the transaction.

• I am a Realtor®. Realtors are much more than ordinary Real Estate agents:
• A Realtor is a member of the local state and national Realtor® boards.
• That gives me the power and support of those organizations.
• That gives me the legal right to use standardized contracts in all transactions. These are prewritten contracts used throughout the state, that a buyer does not have to pay a lawyer to create.
• Realtors are bound by a strict code of ethics.

• I am licensed by the State of Florida and as such I can find your ideal property in any city throughout Florida.

I am really looking forward to meeting you, and showing you around Palm Coast!

Michael Relfe
Realtor®
INI Realty Investments

(386) 246-1763
(904) 730-5655 (Fax)

www.FloridaPremiereHomes.com

Email (please type it):

P.S.- Be sure to get the FREE 220 page book about how to buy a home, with all kinds of tips you won't hear anywhere else, the "Ultimate Homebuyers Blueprint" at www.HomeBuyersBluePrint.com

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All photographs are Copyright ©Michael Relfe, 2012

www.FloridaPremiereHomes.com