Communities around the world have watched as their beloved local businesses struggle to stay afloat and as entire industries are impacted by COVID-19. Few know the impacts as innately as the real estate industry, which has seen their sales impacted and also watched as their clients were forced to shut their doors.

“At the outset of 2020, we were projecting to have one of our best years; it seemed like everything was leasing and selling very quickly,” said Jessica Long, sales associate with Beck Partners. “As the pandemic unfolded, we saw a halt in many deals that we were working on.”

Jessica focuses on commercial real estate and is involved in the International Council of Shopping Centers, which allows her to network with shopping center owners and tenants from around the country and update them about how the Northwest Florida market is growing and how their brands will succeed in this market.

“It’s been very hard to watch tenants who have put their dreams and life savings into these businesses, and seeing them go out of business is heartbreaking,” said Jessica.

While Jessica works with and promotes commercial shopping from all over the United States, the pandemic has made her even more conscious of the need to support local brick and mortar businesses. Jessica knows she’s not alone in this sentiment as she has witnessed community members rallying together in support of local businesses, whether through donating, ordering online or buying gift cards.

Resilient businesses have pivoted in creative ways that allow customers to access their products and services — including installing drive-thru windows, delivering products and more.

Jessica was born and raised in Pace, Florida, and earned a degree in commercial real estate from Florida State University. Upon graduation, she felt drawn to live and work in Pensacola because she was inspired by its rapid growth and the potential of the city. Knowing Beck Partner’s reputation for excellence, she set out to work for a company that would continue investing in its community.

Although much of 2020 was an unstable time for the real estate market, the fourth quarter has brought an increase in people becoming more comfortable with leasing and selling property again. Jessica believes there will always be a demand for retail and office space, but she is also aware the dynamics are changing largely because of the pandemic.

Many companies and businesses are working and hiring remotely or spending less time in the commercial spaces they have. Still, Jessica is hopeful, noting that the pandemic has caused many to come up with new business concepts and pursue more innovative ways of working.

One of the many unique aspects of Beck Partners is that they take the time to get to know the inner workings and foundation of each business. In doing so, they are able to find locations that will be most profitable and enjoyable to each business. This ensures the greatest success rates even during uncertain times.

Beck Partners has an in-house insurance and property management department. This makes it easier for clients to utilize those services at one well-rounded shop. As investors, they are also cognizant of any deterrents that could arise and are ready to combat those in order to locate the best deal for each client.

“We want to make sure we are a resource during this trying time,” said Jessica. “Our first calls to clients when the pandemic hit weren’t about real estate; we were checking on their families to see what we could do to ease their stress and worry. Our company has over 60 years of experience, and we deeply value the relationships we have built in this community throughout the years. We want to continue to see it grow for generations to come.”

Beck partners  |  125 W Romana St, Suite 800, Pensacola  |  Mobile  |  Tallahassee  |  Jacksonville  |  (850) 477-7044  |  TeamBeck.com

Lawrence Davidson

Velda Oaks, a newly developed Premier Fine Homes community in Northeast Tallahassee features move-in ready homes. 

Tallahassee’s residential housing market appears to be heating back up after years of experiencing a slow burn, according to prominent brokers and builders.
“We are finally seeing signs of life. The market has been steady over the last eight years, but we are finally entering a growth market,” said Thomas Asbury Jr., internal operations manager for Premier Fine Homes. “From a new-construction perspective, yes, there has been a resurgence in the residential home market. We have almost doubled our sales for 2016 compared to 2015.”

Over at Naumann Group Real Estate, broker/owner Jason Naumann concurred that there is a big demand for new construction.

“The residential single-family housing market has been busier this year so far than we ever had for our company,” Naumann said. “To give you an idea, we have more transactions and more dollar volume year-to-date than we had in 2005-2006. Now, the prices obviously are not where we saw them in 2005 and 2006, but they’re climbing back up. So the activity is by far there.”

First-time homebuyers, downsizers and seniors are all looking for new homes, according to Naumann and Asbury.

“Every market segment we have is buying. You have first-time homebuyers, downsizers, empty-nesters, professionals, move-up buyers,” Naumann said. “What I primarily have been focused on personally is an active lifestyle-type product with great location for people who are wanting to downsize. More of that niche, park-like neighborhood, not these big projects.”

Asbury said that Velda Oaks, a Premier development and a high-volume community located off of Velda Dairy Road, started out as a neighborhood for all demographics, but it now appears that more people in the 55-plus age tier have bought homes there.

“As we build our final two homes, we have found that over 85 percent of the homeowners in this community turned out to be ages 55-plus. Velda Oaks transformed into a front-porch, active adult community all on its own,” he said.

Meanwhile, Ox Bottom Crest, another Premier development off of Ox Bottom Road, allows for all types of families, with the popular amenities everyone looks for.

Lawrence Davidson Ox Bottom Crest embodies the needs of Tallahassee residents through desired amenities and an aesthetically pleasing environment.

“For example, the schools zoned for this area cater to families, (and) low-maintenance living caters to active adults and empty-nesters,” Asbury said. “Ox Bottom Crest has an HOA (homeowner association) that takes care of your lawn while home owners are out of town or on vacation, helping create a carefree atmosphere.”

People are looking for new construction, good locations and good amenities, and certain developments are being sold out rather quickly, Naumann said.

“We’ve got a new neighborhood off of Hi Lo Way that we sold out of, lot-wise, immediately, just as soon as we brought it to market. We have a project in SouthWood that we’re selling the heck out of,” he said. “We’ve got the Windsor Trace project we sold, and in the Braemore Park community that we’re doing next to Tallahassee Nurseries, I’ve got 28 single-family homes there. I have 53 people registered to buy them. I’ve not advertised once. I do not have any signs out. Just word of mouth.”

The southeast and northeast sections of town remain popular, top-selling regions.

“These two specific regions of the city are undergoing new commercial and retail complexes and are a major factor for the continued increase of residential sales,” Asbury said. “What buyers look for when searching for a new home is a lifestyle. They want a place where they can raise families, be active and feel safe.”

Overall, Naumann said many new developments are being very successful at meeting consumer demand.

“The project that Premier is doing at the corner of Ox Bottom, that’s been wildly successful because it’s really the only single-family, new-construction product out there. And Centerville Conservation has been very successful because it’s, you know, probably the only other one,” he said. “Other than that, it is lots here and there that people have been buying and building on. SouthWood continues to be extremely active with new construction because it’s a neighborhood that has the amenities in place. It has the golf course and tennis courts and pools and all that stuff, and people are drawn to that. Welaunee is coming online, but that’s still probably a year away. That will be a big draw for people, but until then, there’s not a whole lot of choices.”

So what exactly are the hot new trends in home features? Asbury said it’s all about luminous interiors and energy-efficiency.

“White cabinets, white backsplash and white tile,” he said. “The brighter, the better. Accent walls and energy-efficient homes. We build all of our homes to FGBC (Florida Green Building Coalition) and Energy Star standards. Sustainable products such as siding, shingles and low-E windows. Product warranties, which all combine into low-maintenance living.” 

EMERALD COAST

• The St. Joe Co. has proposed to expand and update the current West Bay Sector Plan (which calls for an age restrictive retirement community similar to The Villages) by adding approximately 46,192 acres of land that the company owns to the immediate west. While the majority of this land is located in Bay County, a small component is situated in Walton County. 
• White-Wilson Medical Center opened a satellite family medicine and immediate care clinic at 8990 Navarre Parkway in late 2013. The group also has locations in Fort Walton Beach, Destin and Niceville. 
• 30Avenue, a new upscale mixed-use town center, is currently under construction in Santa Rosa Beach. Phase I of the massive 16-acre project will be ready for tenant build-out in July, with Phase II to be completed by summer 2015. 30Avenue has provided 50 construction jobs and will bring approximately 75 permanent positions once completed. CORR Group Inc. will be handling all 37 leases.

CAPITAL CORRIDOR & SURROUNDING AREAS 

• The Best Western Plus Tallahassee North Hotel located at 2727 Graves Road, previously a Comfort Inn, reopened its doors March 3 with all new furniture and facilities. It is now owned by Philip Murphey.
• Cascades Park in downtown Tallahassee celebrated its grand opening on March 14. The newly designed park features a 1,500 seat amphitheater, an interactive fountain with over 60 jets, several miles of trails and a historic electric building that will soon be transformed into a brewery and restaurant. 
• The Brass Tap, a beer, wine and cigar bar with roots in the Tampa Bay area, has signed a lease with NAI TALCOR for the Midtown Centre, with plans to open in late April. 
• Peter Brown Construction, a division of Moss & Associates, recently completed Florida State University’s new Honors, Scholars and Fellows House — the Johnston Building Annex. Formally dedicated March 6, the four-story, 37,000-square-foot annex located in the heart of the FSU campus is designed to create an academically inspiring setting and promote intellectual exchange among honors undergraduates, graduate students and graduate fellows.
• The freestanding CVS Drug Store on West Hampton Springs Avenue in Perry is for sale for $1,831,000 ($161.68/PSF) through Sperry Van Ness  SouthLand Commercial.