Oak Valley and Russell’s Pond subdivisions in northwest Tallahassee with nice homes

Off of N Monroe, or Hwy 27, in northwest Leon County, just outside ot Tallahassee, Florida, sit two single family home subdivisions: Oak Valley and Russell’s Pond. Most of the homes were build after 1990. The homes are very affordable, have three bedrooms and two baths, nice yards, front and back, and a pond in the community.

Most of the homes in these two subdivisions, are contemporary in style, with or without ranch style home features, but there are some small ranch style homes as well.  Some homes have brick exterior, some vinyl siding, and some wood, or hardie board. Although, the homes are relatively small, (most under 1500 square feet of heating and cooling space), they come with popular features that so many buyers like: walk-in closets, cathedral, or vaulted ceilings, open floor plans, ceiling fans, and some with fenced in back yards, not to mention all the many other characteristics.

Both neighborhoods are close to several parks, both with recreational facilities, and a playground. One of the parks is situated on Lake Jackson, which is one of the biggest lakes, among the many lakes in Leon County, Florida. This park has bike trails, hiking trails, a boardwalk along the lake, with a view of a lake ecosystem, and there are picnic pavilions with grills, for big groups, as well as small groups. One of Tallahassee’s and Leon County’s newest schools, Canopy Oaks Elementary School, with just down the road. There is a new athletic community park next to this school, with soccer, tennis, running, and baseball facilities. Canopy Oaks Elementary is a very good school, but I am partial, my son attends there, and is a happy Cardinal. The school’s website is, http://www.canopyoaks.leon.k12.fl.us/ 

Russell’s Pond subdivision has 141 homes.
There are 9 homes currently listed with real estate companies, with the average price of $149,633. Since January, 1 home sold, and the sold price was, $145,000.

Oak Valley subdivision has 159 single family homes. There are 5 homes currently on the market with real estate companies. The average home price is, $167,00. Since January, 1 home sold, and for the price of $145,000.

As a real estate agent, I always like talking homes and neighborhoods with people. If you would like to know about other neighborhoods in and around Tallahassee, Florida, please let me know. If you are from Tallahassee, Leon County, and have information about neighborhoods, that you would like me to post, please tell me. I am always looking to learn more about the many neighborhoods from people who have lived there man years, or from the birth of neighborhood.

Please read my other real estate blog posts on this site, and don’t forget to leave a comment. Blogging is sharing ideas, and learning from one another.

Kenneth Fach, REALTOR, ePRO
Weichert, REALTORS-Anchor
1607 Village Square Blvd., Suite B103
Tallahassee, FL 32309
Cell 850-339-5753, Web http://KennethFach.com
Blog http://KennethFach.wordpress.com

Each office is independently owned and operated.

Lake Jackson in Leon County Filling Up

Fo several years now, Lake Jackson, in northern Leon County, Florida, has been basically a dry lake with pockets of water here and there. That is due to the sink hole, recently established in the lake. I remember back in the late 90’s, Lake Jackson, was filled with water, and the Tallahassee residents and visitors to the area would go fishing, boating, and swimming in the lake and experience nature all around the lake in the many parks, and nature zones around the lake. Then, the drought came, the land became drier, the lake lost water, and the sink hole sucked out much of it. Oh, it was still beautiful, with parks around it, and the ability for people to hike down into the lake bed where before that was not possible with the water.

Now, the lake is changing. Lakes, like real estate, pass through cycles. I learned back in college geology, that the land is always changing, weather patterns change, rivers change, mountains change. Basically, the earth does not sit still. Change is an absolute in this world. Think of wood. As a kid living in New Mexico, I walked through the land and picked up pieces of rock, petrified wood, really. That hard substance was once part of a tree. Over time it hardened and became petrified. I do not know the process on the top of my head, but time works on nature.

 Recently, in my beautiful northwest Florida, we have received more rain, and this has been great for gardens, and the many lakes and rivers in this region. Leon County, Florida,  alone has over 60 lakes, and much of Leon County is Tallahassee, the capital, of Florida, as well as the home of two big Universities, and two nationally and internationally recognized science and technology research centers.  Lake Jackson is one of the largest lakes in Leon County.

The Lake Shore road area around the southern side of Lake Jackson is a hilly area, with big ranch style homes, with spacious yards built years ago. Each home has a unique appearance, different from the others. These are the big estates of the area. On the east, southeast side of the lake, are smaller homes, and many homes under $200,000. On the west side of Lake Jackson, are newer single family home developments, homes valued under $200,000, as well as spacious lakeside estates over $400,000. On the west side is one of the newest elementary schools in the county, Canopy Oaks Elementary. I have heard nothing but good about it, and my son goes to school there. A new recreational park with baseball, soccer, walking/running path, and tennis courts has recently been built there. On the northern side of Lake Jackson, there are fewer homes, and more nature. There are some very big estates and to get to them, you drive down thick canopy covered roads. There are also older neighborhoods with smaller homes valued under $180,000. When people leave Tallahassee, going north, northwest, they will probably pass by Lake Jackson, as one of the areas main roads, Hwy 27, or Monroe, is a north-south corridor.

You see, I live across the street, Highway 27, from Lake Jackson, one of Leon County’s largest lakes. I am now seeing the lake almost filled up full with H2O, like it had been for so many years. We have been having a lot of rain and that has contributed to filling up Lake Jackson again. I mean, rain, rain, rain. Now, I can walk from my home, over to the lake, and really see a big lake. It is beautiful. The people who bought big ranch styles homes, with over 2000 square feet of living and heating area, years ago along the lake, homes that are now valued over $300,000, have been looking out their back windows at tall grasses, and shrubs, instead of water, but now, they are seeing water again. They are again, where they want to be, by a water filled lake. However, there are still areas with the grasses and shrubs, and not all the homes are on the water, but my, what a big difference that in the recent years. The geology of the lake is again changing in its cycle.

The real estate markets are also changing in their cycles. We have beautiful homes that have gone down in value, that before, would have been out of financial reach for many. Homes come on the market, and are sold, some are sold faster than others, and some stay on the market for some time. There are more homes for buyers to choose from today, which is good for buyers. For sellers, they can sell depending on how they price their homes, or they can wait for change in the market. Changes always occurs, as we see in nature.

Kenneth Fach, REALTOR, ePRO Certified
Weichert, REALTORS-Anchor
1607 Village Square Blvd., Suite B103
Tallahassee, FL 32309
Cell 850-339-5753  http://KennethFach.com
My blog http://KennethFach.wordpress.com

Each office is independently owned and operated. 

My Leon County Florida Backyard View

My home sweet home. In the picture you see what I see looking out from the back of my house in northwest Leon County, Florida, just outside of Tallahassee.

It is not the greenest appearance of nature since the picture was just taken, here in December. Most of my life I have had nature scenes similar to this in the back of my home. I feel blest to have experience nature up close. Photosynthesis is working right before my eyes and I am breathing good air. Deer, rabbits, fox, turtles are some of the inhabitants out in that green zone separating my home from Little Lake Jackson.

I don’t usually pass a day without admiring this forested area and expanse of privacy. Other neighbors have a simillar view, a view that I hope they admire and rejoice in as much as I do.

My love of flora came from my early beginnings, those first 9 years
of my life in southern California. Dad often took me camping in Sequoia National Park, Yosemite National Park and elsewhere. Dad took me out rock hunting in nature to find rocks for his awesome Japanese Garden that he built in our California backyard. During that time, I also was active in Cub Scouts, (and later Boy Scouts). When we moved to New Mexico, where I lived for 2 years until age 11 or 12, I joined the boy scouts, and went camping almost twice a month. Dad also, took me hiking, rock hunting, and taught me about rocks. We explored abandoned ghost towns that were sitting in isolated regions of New Mexico. I spent much time in the outdoors with dad, growing up.

Then there was Grandpa Fach. He owned a canyon outside of Albuquerque, over 300 acres I believe. He used to take me on mountain hikes and taught me about the flora and fauna of his canyon. He was a naturalist among many other things. He kept a record of the number of bird varieties showing up in the canyon.

To this day, I am the happiest man on earth when I am in the presense of trees, green nature around me, (and maybe some rocks to go with it).

A Neighborhood We Had to Come Home To

My wife, son, and I sold our beautiful Lakeside neighborhood home in northwest Leon County, just outside of Tallahassee,  after living there for a number of years,  and thought we would go west, to better opportunities. We did so much to our beloved home in Lakeside: painted the walls several times throughtout the years we lived there since we built the Leon County, Florida home in Lakeside Subdivision, had fun decorating with accessories, furniture, rearranging furniture in innumerable ways it seems, and had a remarkable vegetable and flower garden. Our son had a very attractive child’s room. We were proud of our home and what we did. People often are proud of what they put into their homes, but when opportunity knocks, many of us will leave our homes to establish roots and work on a new home elsewhere.

I started working in Pensacola, Florida, in real estate sales. Did good considering I just entered that profession earlier that same year, about 6 months earlier.  I listed and sold properties. I was developing a client base. Everything was looking GREAT. Wife was about to get a new job in Pensacola working for a state laboratory. Then, came Hurricane Ivan, and dad passed on just prior to the hurricane. My world changed somewhat. Dad’s loss was tremendous, and a surprise to all of us, as Dad was healthy all his 82 years and never suffered illness.

The hurricane destroyed so much of Pensacola’s homes, and real estate listings were torn asunder. I saw gorgeous beach front homes and estates destroyed by tornados as a result of the hurricane. I lost clients and customers. Homes I was selling or going to sell had trees lying in the living room or elsewhere. Roofs were missing. Several customers lost there jobs and could therefore not buy a home. So many tears shed by so many people. Horrible!

I came back to Tallahassee, moved into a rental property we own, where my wife and son were residing in the interim, until they were going to join me in Pensacola. We lived for about a year and a half in the rental before looking for a single family home to buy. As it turned out, our eyes were looking back at the neighborhood we loved so much: Lakeside Neighborhood in northwest Leon County, outside of Tallahassee, and beside one of the biggest lakes in the area, Lake Jackson.

We looked and looked, for the right home. Then, we saw a home for sale exactly next to the home we lived in. We had to consider it. We liked it very much. We bought it. Does it ever happen that we leave our neighborhood and return only to live right next door to where we lived before? This happened to us. We love our Lakeside community. We love the friendliness, the green zone in back with deer, rabbits, fox, abundant bird life and Little Lake Jackson. We made the right decision.

Kenneth Fach, REALTOR, ePRO Certified
Weichert, REALTORS-Anchor
1607 Village Square Boulevard, Suite B 103
Tallahassee, Florida 32309
Direct/Cell/Text  850-339-5753   http://KennethFach.com

Each office is independently owned and operated.

What is happening to beautiful Lake Jackson

Tallahassee and Leon County is a wonderful place to live in. So many benefits, and so many natural habitats, lakes, forests, and parks to enjoy the area’s nature. However, unfortunately, we have four politicians on the Leon County Commission that are pro growth and anti environment. There record proves this.

I believe we need a balance, of growth and protection of the ecology in the region. We have a wonderful Comprehensive Plan protecting our area’s resources, but that plan has been breached it appears, and attempts are being made to change it, or abuse the plan, a plan well thought out in prior times.

On October 26, 2004, the Leon County Commissioners voted 4 to 3 against protecting Lake Jackson, which is one of the biggest lakes in the area. There are over 60 lakes in Leon county. Lake Jackson has been a popular place for fishing, boating, swimming, and for having picnics in the parks around the lake. It is an important habitat for many species of flora and fauna. Instead of continuing the protection of this ecological zone, it now appears that beside Lake Jackson,  across Hwy 27 N, which goes right by Lake Jackson, there will be 13 3-story apartment buildings with 312 units, 175 single family homes, and 120,000 square feet of commercial development, and about 15 acres of parking. I happen to live in a nearby subdivision of beautiful single family homes. In my community, we are offended by the actions of the County Commision. Of course, having an apartment sprawl next door to homeowners, will certainly have an impact on home values. This is usually the case where apartment complexes appear next to single family developments.

 For more information about the issue, go to http://LakejacksonAlliance.org. There you will find the history the the Lake Jackson lawsuit, pics of the lake and surround area, documents and who voted for who. The information above comes from this website.

Those who voted against protecting Lake Jackson are:
Bill Proctor, Jane Sauls, Rudy Maloy, and Tony Grippa.

Those who voted in favor of protecting Lake Jackson are:
Bob Rackleff, Cliff Thaell and Dan Winchester. My applause goes to these individuals who see that the proposed Planned Unit Development will harm the ecology of the Lake Jackson zone, and present a water drainage issue as well. They see that it will present traffic problems causing congestion around typically peaceful neighborhoods.