“We've been incorporating green elements into our designs for quite some time,” Long said. “Our focus in residential construction these days is to design with those green building elements that bring the homeowner a return on investment in three to five years, not 10 to 20 years down the road.”

Long believes increasing the ROI will make green building more acceptable with new home buyers when the market recovers.

“I don't think green building will take off in the residential market unless you can get that ROI to come back to the owner more quickly,” he said. “People move more often today, so most buyers need that financial incentive to go with green building elements, and all of them come at a price.”

.Statistics show homeowners can save up to 30 percent on household energy bills through improvements made during construction, such as sealing air and duct leaks, adding insulation, adding window shading or energy-saving, low-emittance “e-glass,” and installing a solar water heater.

J.A. Long, Inc. Design Builders is based in Orange Park and has been a custom builder in the First Coast since 1972. A family-owned business founded by John A. Long, the company has built a reputation for quality, personal service and unique home design – constructing custom homes in communities including Fleming Island, Eagle Harbor, Eagle Landing, the Jacksonville Golf and Country Club, Pablo Creek Reserve, and World Golf Village.

While Long admits that he and other builders are using the FGBC certification to differentiate themselves from their competition, his personal interest in the topic was the overriding reason he pursued the new designation.

“I was introduced to the concept when the initial push in green construction practices started about 15 years ago,” he said. “Certainly, homes are more efficient today than they were 30 years ago, but there's still a considerable opportunity for greater home energy efficiency.”

Statistics show that a home owner can save between 20 to 30 percent on household energy bills through improvements made during construction – such as sealing air and duct leaks, adding insulation, and even installing a solar water heater. As for remodeling or “retrofitting” to make an existing home more energy efficient, Long says he first looks to increase wall and attic insulation, window shading or the introduction of energy-saving, low-emittance “e-glass,” and making sure doors and window seals are tight.

In residential construction, Long says he's focused on green building elements that will bring the homeowner a return on the investment within three to five years – not 10 to 20.

“I don't think you'll ever get green building to really take off in the residential market unless you can get that ROI to come back to the owner more quickly,” he said. “People typically move every five to 10 years, so most buyers need that financial incentive to go with green building elements, and all of them come at a price.”

Consumer reluctance to go green was recently confirmed by Mintel, a Chicago-based market research company that tracks buyer trends and attitudes. While Mintel's latest data shows that hard-core environmentalists remain committed to paying the price of green (36 percent of consumers surveyed say they almost always or regularly buy green goods), that number shows no growth over the last year, compared to the prior year when the same number tripled. With the economy stalled, the cost of going green has become an impediment. Fifty-four percent of respondents say they would buy more green products if they were cheaper.

"People's priorities have changed because of economic hardship," Mintel said in its analysis. "A substantial number of shoppers are now struggling just to provide the basics for their families, so green living is no longer top of mind for many Americans."

Despite this fact, the government has clearly made it a top priority. From President Barack Obama to federal, state and local legislators, all are pressing and passing laws aimed at helping taxpayers and businesses go green. In Jacksonville, the city will soon become one of only two cities in Florida to offer and fast track financial incentives for builders that construct facilities which are certified by the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program.

Ellen Reed, the Vice President of the North Florida Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council, notes that Jacksonville has already hired a “sustainability officer” to shepherd green projects through the process, assist in training other staffers and keep the City abreast of technologies and trends in green building.

“In Florida, as in the rest of the country, we're seeing more green building movement in commercial construction,” Reed said. “With the slow down the economy, many commercial property owners are now sitting and waiting on the market to rebound, so they're more apt to make their buildings more efficient so they'll be in a better position to sell later on.”

She says they are seeing more green building in all types of schools (K – 12 and colleges) and government buildings. That's probably due to government action. Last June, the governor signed a law that all newly constructed or renovated buildings paid for with state funds must be built to LEED standards.

Reed, who's also the director of business development for Breaking Ground Contracting in Jacksonville, says their company has build seven LEED-certified projects and has 15 LEED-registered projects on the books. Currently, the company is working on an $800,000 addition at Discovery Montessori School in Jacksonville Beach, where they are pursuing LEED Silver certification.

“You receive different certifications depending on how many green building elements you have,” said Paul Hoffman, a vice president with Auld-White Constructors. “There's a point system involved. Buildings can be simply Certified, or Silver, Gold and Platinum – which is the highest designation.”

A few years ago, Hoffman said Auld-White wanted to get involved in green building, but suffered the “Catch 22” that most builders face

“You can't get a green project until you build one,” he said.

The company had already completed design for an addition at Bishop Snyder High School when they decided to pitch the school, and its students, on a redesign aimed at making the new building “green.” In addition to improving energy efficiency, buildings are also constructed to offer healthier living conditions. Hoffman says this includes the use of non-toxic low- or zero VOC paints. (Volatile Organic Compounds, or VOC, is a key ingredient in standard oil-based paints. Long term exposure can lead from minor eye and skin irritation to major kidney and liver disease in extreme cases of prolonged exposure.) They also modified the heating and air conditioning system so ducts were adapted to avoid mold growth (in addition to being more energy efficient), and added air filtration systems and thermostat controls.

“With LEED, you typically incorporate all the green elements when you begin, so it becomes more expensive when you retrofit a project,” Hoffman said. “But we wanted to get one under our belt, so we went to the school administration and then we presented the plans to the students. The students actually signed a petition to make the addition green.”

While it cost an additional $48,000, which Auld-White paid for out of pocket, to add LEED elements to the nearly $1.8 million project, the school became the second in the nation to become certified under the new “LEED for Schools” rating system. Also, to achieve the LEED innovation credit, the high school added sustainable building to its school curriculum.

The company's second green project was completed last year on Community First Credit Union of Florida's new branch office at Beach and Hodges boulevards.

Marketing Director Kim Deppe says that as a “community-based” non-profit business, the credit union has a history of supporting sustainability projects such as offering loans for solar water systems and loan discounts for members purchasing hybrid vehicles.

TTV Architects Inc. designed the environmentally-friendly structure, that features restroom accessories which save thousands of gallons of water and a landscape design that minimizes watering requirements.

“Most of the construction materials we used contained a portion of recycled content and were purchased from vendors located within 500 miles to reduce environmental impact of transporting materials,” Deppe adds.

But the major energy cost savings have come from the sun, and without solar power. While they used the same floor plan as that used for the credit union's Baymeadows location in 2006, Auld-White worked with TTV in developing a more energy-efficient design.

“By changing the orientation of the building to take advantage of natural sunlight, using skylights, the building is very bright,” said TTV Architects President Tri Vu. “Also, the artificial lights are on sensors so that they ebb and flow with the need to keep a constant light level in the building.”

As a result of all these efforts, power usage at the new branch is 35 percent less than the Baymeadows Branch. Last summer, the “green branch” used about 12,000 kilowatt hours less during June, July and August.

While there are savings in energy costs, some builders like Long worry that it may not be enough to coax most builders, and home buyers, to go green. That sentiment is echoed by Daniel Davis, the executive director of the Northeast Florida Builders Association. He says his members are cautious about adding green building components that could drive up the prices of homes and buildings.

“Right now, we need to do everything we can to help the industry get back on its feet,” Davis said recently. “I think that all the industry members want to protect the environment, and we will do everything we can to balance that.”

To help entice builders, the Jacksonville City Council is considering allowing developers and builders to be refunded some of the costs of attaining LEED certification – with refunds ranging from $500 to $2,000 based on the level of LEED certification attained.

But regardless of incentives and costs, some homeowners will still bite the bullet and build green for purely altruistic reasons.

Ponte Vedra resident Gail Greenblatt, a former school teacher and self-described “environmental advocate,” was involved in the nature conservancy in her college days – decades before it was known as the “green movement.” She had already placed a cistern in her backyard to catch rain water, switched from incandescent to fluorescent lights, and applied special film to her windows facing south and west to thwart the sun's heating rays of summer, when she decided to go solar.

Three years ago, with electricity prices skyrocketing, she had a solar water heater and an entire solar electric (called a photo voltaic) system installed at her home – one of the first fully solar-powered homes in Ponte Vedra – while taking advantage of federal and state tax credits to off-set the $15,000 cost of the photo-voltaic system and $5,000 solar hot water system.

“Since I'm retired and older, I doubt I'll ever recoup that investment,” she said. “That's why I think it's terrific that homebuilders are now gravitating to installing solar systems and other green products when they build a home. It's easier to absorb when the cost is included in the mortgage.”

Company owner John A. Long, whose family-owned company has built hundreds of custom homes over the last 35 years, most in Clay County, says the landscapes, water elements and other environmental features in the county are accented when they design a home.

“Visually, there is a broader tree canopy compared to most areas north of us in Duval County that you can capitalize on during design,” Long said. “Also, lot sizes tend to be larger and there are many opportunities to build on waterfront lots. From a builder perspective, you can use and maximize the impact all of these aesthetic elements in how you position the home on the lot and through the design phase.”

Long notes that the best of those elements can be seen at Preserve 33 – a two-story, 4,543-square-foot home the firm built in Eagle Harbor that's nestled on a large, 2.39-acre, heavily-wooded lot featuring a 700-foot walking deck that leads through natural wetlands to a 300-foot dock over Doctor's Lake.

Prudential Network Realty's Judy Fields, who has worked as a realtor in Clay County for 25 years, echoes Brinkman's sentiments on the area's attributes that are attractive to home buyers – especially those who want to live on the water.

“Most people moving to Orange Park are attracted by the same things….proximity to work, access to a good school system, lower taxes and the family atmosphere,” Fields said. “With waterfront properties, there are more affordable rates here than across the river. Plus, you have Doctor's Lake, which is more protected. It's much easier to access by jet skis and small boats and also offers a safer boating experience for families.”

Fields is listing agent for a 2,688-square-foot home at 6541 River Point Dr. in Green Cove Springs. Priced at $450,000, the ranch-style home was built in 1983 and is located on a deep-water canal that leads to the St. Johns River. The home's nearly 120-foot-wide backyard abuts the river.

“This is a great home that I don't think will be on the market for long,” she said. “It was on the market in 2006 for $799,000 and definitely offers affordable waterfront living.”

On the north side of Doctor's Lake, RE/MAX Realtor Linda Bayles is touting the attributes of a home she's listing at 2950 Magnolia Dr. – an older property that can be purchased as is for $399,722, or purchased with the tear-down and construction of a new, custom home on its waterfront lot for $775,000.

“Most people either go to a model home or have a lot and match up with a builder when it comes to new construction, but I actually came up with a design and worked with J.A. Long to further develop it and cost it out,” Bayles said. “We came up with a construction cost of $87-per-foot for a 4,200-square-foot, five-bedroom home.”

Bayles relates that the lake was named “Doctor's Lake” because many physicians built homes on the lake's north side starting in the 1950s.

“These homes are older and offer a great opportunity as tear-downs for new construction,” she said. “The time has never been better. Builders are hungry for work and their prices are coming down. This is by far the best time to buy or build on the water.”

While Bayles agrees that most people don't think of waterfront properties when they think of Clay County, they need to “guess again.”

“I would say that Orange Park actually has more waterfront opportunities than the beaches or the Intracoastal,” she said. “You have the St. Johns River, which puts you only 35 minutes from a football game downtown or a little longer to reach the ocean, and you also you have Doctors Lake and even Black Creek, where you can jet ski and fish. Clay County is actually more of a boater's paradise – and in more ways than one.”

Long said the company never had to advertise to get sales before; clients found the company on their own. Now the company is revisiting its sales and marketing plans and making adjustments. A revamped Web site was part of that initiative. “We're also working with Realtors, building those relationships and really focusing on getting our name out there, getting back into different parts of town. We have also spent a lot of time reviewing our rules, procedures and policies to find ways to make us more efficient.”

For example, the company is making better use of available technology, such as e-mailing specs and schedules to subcontractors so changes are made on the spot.

After a quarter-century in business, Clary & Associates, which provides professional surveying and mapping services for everything from residential and commercial developments to transportation projects, was able to rely on its experience to plan for and adjust to the downturn in the housing industry and the economy.

Greg Clary, founder and president of the company, said client diversification is key to surviving changes in the market.

“We've built a staff of talented employees and brought in the newest technology, providing that to the marketplace so the clients can be served in the most efficient way possible, and that has paid off,” he said. “Over our 25 years, I have seen the work flow or demand shift up and down. That's the way it is now. It's tough for a lot of folks. That's been the business model from Day One, to offer services to all the various types of clients and governmental agencies that may need surveying and mapping.”

Clary said by having a diversified client base, his company is able to transition easily from one project type to another, keeping his workers busy and all his clients happy.

Veronica Whitaker, owner of Inspired Personal Chef, recently cooked up some changes in her business plan.

“The biggest change is Inspirations Café,” Whitaker said. “Originally, we would go to the home of the client to prepare their meals on a weekly basis or monthly basis. I found that to be economically disastrous based on fuel costs and labor costs.” And, due to the sluggish economy, “I had several clients who said, 'I don't know if we can keep the meals. Can we go to two days a week or three days?' It got very sporadic, which made me uncomfortable.”

Now Whitaker is partnering with Brooks Family YMCA to open Inspirations Café. “So, clients can come to me,” she said. “And I'll have a bigger audience to prepare meals for.”

Whitaker's company also runs a lunch program at a private school and a catering service. For those business streams, she's been controlling inventory by fine-tuning portion sizes, which cuts down on leftovers but still leaves her customers sated.

Nottingham said controlling inventory is always important, especially when things are slow. “If you have a retail store, avoid adding new pieces to the showroom [that are similar to what is on display] if you can arrange to drop-ship for that client. Sometimes people don't need things right away and prefer to have them drop-shipped [sent directly from a wholesaler].”

“While we have built custom homes in the Jacksonville Country Club and World Golf Village, most of our work has been focused near our home base in Orange Park,” Long said. “We've been concentrating on Eagle Harbor, Pace Island, Eagle Landing and scattered waterfront builds for the most part. We'll continue to build in these areas, but we are certainly branching out to secure more new home construction in Duval and St. Johns counties.”

Long concedes the company is building fewer homes compared to three years ago when the housing market was “white hot.” However, the company is on track to complete 13 projects this year – including two waterfront homes on the St. Johns River – and has been supplementing their business by focusing more on major home renovation projects over the last two years.

“We have a great group of subcontractors we've come to know over the last three decades, and getting into renovation projects has helped us retain those relationships and generate another revenue stream while we wait for the residential housing market to rebound to normal levels,” said CEO John A. Long.

J.A. Long, Inc. is based in Orange Park and has been a custom builder on the First Coast since 1972. A family-owned business founded by John Long, the company has built a reputation for quality, personal service and unique home design with superior value – constructing custom homes in some of the most prestigious neighborhoods and communities including Fleming Island, Pace Island, Magnolia Point, Paradise Moorings, Romeo Point, World Golf Village, Eagle Harbor, Eagle Landing, and the Jacksonville Golf and Country Club. For more information, contact 904-264-3073 or visit www.jalong.com.

“Even if their older relatives aren't actually moving in, these amenities also make it easier to when those guests visit,” Long said. “We're seeing a trend in adding design modifications that make homes easier to navigate – from building larger door frames and hallways to adding high-seat toilets and slope-in showers. We also added slopes to the exterior doors so they have no step-down and still allow for adequate drainage when it rains.”

That trend is backed by a recent poll taken by the National Association of Home Builders, in which 75 percent of re-modelers said they were getting more requests for “aging in place” projects and 60 percent had already completed similar jobs. Among homeowners, 75 percent said those projects were for “future needs”—which included 53 percent who said they were living with older parents.

Universal design has come a long way from ugly grab bars and toilet seat extenders. Even the bathroom grab bar, the appliance most associated with old age, has been given a design upgrade by companies like Moen – which offers a variety of styles and finishes that can be matched to other faucets and bathroom hardware in a home.

Other universal-design features include commercial, non-stick tile in bathrooms and kitchens, lever handles replacing doorknobs, dimmer lights with arthritis-friendly rocker switches, and even anti-scald devices to keep water temperatures safe and steady.

According to Leon Harper, a founding member of a coalition of gerontology and design activists, the typical American home is made for able-bodied young adults and sold “as if this is all they need for the rest of their lives.”

"It's not that older people or middle-aged people become disabled and become a burden on society," Harper said. “The time the first kid breaks their leg and can't use the bathroom, or they have the first illness and can't get up and down the stairs, they begin to think, 'I'm stupid. I'm useless.' “ But he tells everyone, "It's not you, it's the house."

And universal design is not just making its mark only on single-family homes.

Realtor Cici Anderson of Prudential Network Realty says several of the condominiums at the exclusive Marina San Pablo have universal design elements – including a 1,727-square-foot, fourth-floor condo listed at $639,000.

“The seller walks with a cane, so as the original owner of the condo he had the shower modified so it can be accessed by a wheelchair if necessary, along with grab bars inside that match the rest of the faucets and fixtures,” Anderson said. “Since the condo is accessible by elevator, and the entire building and clubhouse are fully accessible by wheelchair as well, that one modification in the condo itself made it very easy for the owner to navigate the entire property – and is a great selling feature for buyers who have limited mobility.”

Long expects the universal design movement will only get more popular.

“The idea is to make homes and furnishings that work for everyone of all sizes, shapes, ages and abilities,” Long said. “The movement will probably continue in new homes and home remodeling, based on the amount of time and effort our industry is taking to inform custom and tract builders of universal design and the attention being paid by manufacturers in coming up with appliances and fixtures that are both stylish and functional.”

J.A. Long, Inc. can be reached at 904-264-3073 or at info@jalong.com. For more information, visit www.jalong.com

Cici Anderson can be reached at 904-537-0457 or at cici.anderson@prudentialnetworkrealty.com. For more information, visit www.cicisellsjax.com

For more information on universal design, visit the North Carolina University's Center for Universal Design at www.design.ncsu.edu/cud

In general, the toughest sell is people who bought at the height of the market, says Zur Attias of The Attias Group at Barrett & Company in Concord, Massachusetts. But even for those homeowners, selling now may make sense as long as they can at least break even.

He argues that almost every one forgoes something, and probably several things, that he or she wanted when buying a house. For instance, the home may be in the right school district but on a busy street. Or it may be in a great neighborhood, but it's not the right style. These are things Attias calls “unchangeables.” He says it's a good time to sell if a seller can get rid of the most negative unchangeables in his current home and replace them with better unchangeables in a new home. Once the market really turns around, the growth will be bigger in the better house, he predicts.

Further, buying a new home can make the trade an even better financial decision over the long-term. This is especially true when you consider that the carpet, tile, HVAC, appliances, roof, windows, countertops, cabinets and paint are new. These items will not need replacement or updates for many years. Additionally, in Florida, many older homes may not meet the more stringent building and wind codes of today.

Ultimately, when you buy a new home, you can take comfort in the fact that your new home has all the latest designer features, including the latest energy savers, an efficient heating & cooling system, 35-year architectural shingles, the latest termite treatment & protection, double pane insulated windows that meet today's wind codes and the latest threaded rod hurricane tie-down system (easier & cheaper to insure). These features result in lower maintenance costs, lower utility costs and cheaper insurance.

When purchasing a new home, a buyer gets all of the benefits mentioned above along with a beautiful new home that reflects their personality and style -- a home that makes a first and lasting impression.

Best Cities For Bargain House-Hunters
by Matt Woolsey

Property sharks looking to take advantage of local housing slumps are doing their best to time the market, searching for the precise moment when prices bottom out before taking a bite.

They'd be smart to look for markets where job growth is strong, foreclosures are relatively low and inventory is high. With these factors in place, buyers can still dictate terms of sale and negotiate prices, but aren't as exposed to the economic and lending risk problems that have sunk many markets around the country.

Good places to look? Salt Lake City and Raleigh, N.C., where there are plenty of sellers slashing prices, but not because of a lending meltdown.

Complete List: 10 Best Cities For Bargain House-Hunters

Timing a market is tricky business, and prices alone may not be the best way to determine a bargain opportunity.

What you need is a buyers' market, where there is healthy job growth and more houses available than people to buy them. This is not due to foreclosures and economic downturn, but to overbuilding that should balance out in time.

These markets "are where you have high inventories but pliable borrowers, with lenders willing to deal," says Anthony Sanders, a professor of finance at Arizona State University.

This is what's happening in Houston. Compared to housing prices in other cities, Houston real estate has always been a bargain, which is part of why the population has expanded so much since 2000. Jobs are being added to the books at the sixth fastest rate of cities measured, and while the city has had more than a few foreclosures, especially in Harris County, it hasn't taken a huge overall hit. Based on inventory levels and construction projects in the works, buyers still have good standing to negotiate price.

Behind The Numbers
Our list includes 2006-2007 data on job growth, from the Bureau of Labor statistics; foreclosure data from RealtyTrac, an online database of foreclosures gleaned from multiple listing services, bank-owned properties, bankruptcy records, loan histories, tax liens and lender information; and ZipRealty (nasdaq: ZIPR - news - people ), an online firm that tracks vacancy rates through multiple listing services.

In addition to Houston, Salt Lake City and Raleigh, what we found were soft markets such as Orlando, Fla., Charlotte, N.C., and Jacksonville, Fla., where the damage from risky lending isn't as drastic as other parts of the country, and where employment growth suggests inventory can burn off at a healthy rate.

And because overextended developers picked up too much land during the bubble - and are motivated to sell - some lots are becoming dirt cheap. Land prices (often the single biggest expense for custom homes) in certain areas have fallen more than 20% in the past year or two.

"In terms of finding land you want at a good price, this is the best market that I have seen in my 30 years of home building," says Carl Heldmann, builder and author of Be Your Own House Contractor.

Contractors, meanwhile, are scrambling for your business thanks to a 34% decline in new-home starts. "Because of the slowdown, we are getting bids that are right in line with our price range," says Billie, 34. "And it's not like you have to get on a waiting list for six months."

Of course, building a home isn't something you should enter into lightly. It's a huge commitment - of both time and money. And just because prices are relatively cheap now doesn't mean you should rush out to break ground, especially since a poorly thought-out dream can quickly turn into a nightmare.

On the other hand, if you've always wanted a custom-designed home, today's market makes it easier and cheaper to realize your plans.

Developers and builders are also getting more creative about setting themselves apart from the competition, says J.A. Long Chief Operating Officer Randy Long. “They're using green design, equipping entire neighborhoods with natural gas, and making hot items like summer kitchens or mother-in-law suites standard amenities,” Long notes.

The best news is that buying a home remains an excellent long-term investment by just about every measure. “Real estate is a home, a shelter from the elements, a hedge against inflation and a place to raise your family,” says broker Rob Holland of Marsh Landing Realty. “All with tax benefits.”

Here's what else our panelists had to say about what to expect in the housing market this year:

Question: What is the outlook for the building industry for 2008?

Randy Long: The market still has an over supply of investor resales and new homes, but I think that recovery will continue slowly. There are still a lot of buyers out there because of relocations, people desiring bigger or nicer homes and enlarging families – including a segment of the population taking in elderly parents.

What are the major factors influencing your outlook?

Randy Long: Unfortunately, there's still a lot of negativity in the media regarding housing issues. We've also heard from customers who are eager to begin designing a custom home but are facing uncertainty in selling their current one. One additional strain on the building industry is the effect of impact fees on new developments.

Are you employing any strategies to help with market conditions?

Randy Long: We've certainly stepped up advertising directly to customers and Realtors and have lowered prices. But, we've also focused on using innovative and exciting strategies in the homes we're building, adding popular features like summer kitchens, upgrading to wood and tile flooring and using green building techniques.

Are there any new building trends that buyers should be aware of in the upcoming year?

Randy Long: We expect the popularity of mother-in-law suites for aging parents, outdoor living areas with summer kitchens and multi-use entertainment rooms to continue. Homes will also continue to be more efficient and green as more builders become affiliated with organizations such as the Florida Green Building Coalition.

Q: Are there differences in marketing a lot compared to a home?  Cummings: With a home, a buyer can see, feel and touch it and can better visualize what it would be like to live there.  It's similar to selling pre–construction, but there you have a rendering of what the condo or new home will look like.  With a lot, a buyer has to use their imagination to really see what their home would look like situated on the lot.  In terms of advertising, it's about the same.  You might go to higher–end publications because of the price points on the land, but you would do that with a higher priced home as well.  For example, I have lots in Ashton Oaks in Mandarin now, and I have to consider the size of the other homes already in the neighborhood, in addition to the property, in targeting to the right market.

Q: Are there any differences in the demographics of those who purchase a lot?  Cummings:  Not really.  I've had buyers who are young professionals, more established buyers who have had homes built on lots before, and older retirees who are downsizing.  The only thing they typically have in common is that they know what they like in a home and want it personalized to fit their needs, whether it's a certain architectural style, the size, the views from inside, and other specific wants like those.

Q: When buying a lot, what should the buyer keep in mind?  Cummings:  Certainly, their personal preferences on lot size and location, access to utilities, surrounding zoning and, in some places, the composition of the soil is important.

Q: For residential lots, how is the pricing right now?  Cummings:  Lots are priced pretty well right now.  If a buyer is looking at lot for building their own home, they will find sellers who are willing to negotiate.

Q: From a builder perspective, J.A. Long purchases lots for constructing custom homes.  What do you look for in a lot? Long:  We really look for properties that have a “wow factor” to them – something that creates emotion for the eventual buyer.  We also look for amenity centers, golf & country clubs, nice trees and, of course, waterfront opportunities – whether its water view or access.

Q: What about the land itself?  Long: When buying a lot, we look for a combination of things.  First, the look and visual landscape of the site are important. We also look for lots with a nice tree canopy.  You also want to check out the soil conditions.  You don't want too much clay in the soil, which makes the house more prone to settling later.  You want nice, compact buildable soil conditions.  Also, the height of the site is important.  While you can add fill to level out a lot, if you have to add to much soil it will eventually kill the trees, so it's important to check the county's requirement for the finished floor elevation when you choose a lot.

Q: Where are you buying lots now?  Long: We're always looking for good lots where we can build.  Since we're based in Orange Park, we have several lots in the Fleming Island and Oakleaf areas, but we've begun focusing on lots and possible deals in other parts of town like Mandarin, St. Johns County and areas around Butler Boulevard.  We especially look for good waterfront property. We typically own between 15 to 25 lots at any given time.

Q: Are there any bargains out there?  Long: We haven't been in any serious negotiations lately, but generally I think lot owners are more willing to listen to an offer now.  They're more realistic about the market conditions and not so focused on getting rich with a piece of property, so someone buying a lot today will be in a better negotiating position than they were a couple of years ago.

Q: How about large tracts of land?  Mousin:  Large tracts of land, and I'm talking about anywhere from 50 to 100 acres or larger for residential development, and especially those with entitlements or the permitting and zoning completed, would be of interest now to some investment groups who are willing and able to buy now at the right price and hold. National builders, or even smaller builders with land inventory, need some time to absorb that inventory. Large land owners who don't have to sell are holding on until the market improves.  That's not to say they won't negotiate if they are financially motivated and need to sell the property.

Q: What types of uses do you generally find with large tracts?  Mousin: Many are zoned with an agricultural classification, for cattle, crops, and timber uses, for example.  The uses vary from single– and multi–family development, for mobile home lots, or for retail.  For individual residential buyers, what has become popular are “gentleman's farms” of five to 20 acres.  These buyers are generally those who have never owned land before, but who want to enjoy the space with a house, barn and maybe a few horses.

Q: How did you get into selling large tracts?  When I started in Ocala in the mid 90's I worked for a land development company that would purchase large tracts to develop as residential or commercial and we would market the finished product through the brokerage.  We would also handle the development process for clients and advise them of the highest and best use for their land to make the most return.  Since I had an equestrian background, I also specialized in horse farms, specifically Thoroughbred training centers.

For more information, contact Michelle Cummings at Prudential Network Realty/Atlantic, 904–241–2417, or by e–mail at michelle.cummings@prudentialnetworkrealty.com . Randy Long, Chief Operating Officer for J.A. Long, Inc., can be reached at 904–264–3073 or at rlong@jalong.com. Prudential Network Realty Realtor Michelle Mousin can be reached at 904–616–5757 or by e–mail at michelle.mousin@prudentialnetworkrealty.com.

Before the decline in the housing market, contractors didn't have the time to take on addition projects, especially subcontractors.

Building companies were so busy working on 20 to 30 homes at a time that there was no time or need for renovation jobs. And if they did make time, the costs of the addition would be extremely high. Now they need the business and homeowners get additions at much better values.

“It's a different challenge, and it's a learning experience. But, we can bring a level of expertise because it's still putting a dream on a piece of paper and making it come to life,” Long said. “As a whole we like custom building, but as we learn, doing additions is something I could love just as much.”

Builders are paying attention. The National Association of Home Builders says that buyers over 50 -- baby boomers, empty nesters, pre-retirees -- are the housing market's fastest-growing category. People 55 or older bought nearly one-fifth of new homes sold in the U.S. in 2003.

Behind the numbers

So what's behind this trend? Are seniors today simply wealthier than their counterparts 30 or 40 years ago? That's part of it, says Wylde, noting the extraordinary transfer of wealth from the so-called "greatest generation" to these boomers. But also, seniors are not immune to the changing tastes of the American population at large, where bigger is often better.

"All housing has gotten bigger," Wylde says. "People have just gotten used to space. They're planning extra spaces in their house that they think they cannot live without," she says, mentioning home offices, which were once considered amenities but are now practically necessities.

Too, some of the upsizers are ex-downsizers. Marie Barksdale is one such convert.

Barksdale, 61, had lived in a 2,500-square-foot home in Clarksdale, Miss. When she decided to retire to Oxford, Miss., she thought she'd try something smaller: a three-bedroom, 1,800-square-foot home. She hated it

"The bedrooms were so small you could hardly turn around in them. They were just tiny," recalls Barksdale. "I like to entertain, and there wasn't enough room."

And then there was the furniture problem. Barksdale had so much family furniture -- often treasured pieces that were generations old -- it took a year to make room for the car in the garage.

"I just went down too much," she recalls of the drop in size.

So she upsized -- to a four-bedroom, 4,000-square-foot home with airy ceilings. Upstairs is a den and a kitchenette. "It's a good house to have company in, because the guests can stay upstairs and have what they need. I just love my house."

The sandwich generation

Another factor driving upsizing is that as people are living longer, more boomers are finding themselves caring for their aged parents. "The greatest population growth right now is in the 80-plus segment," notes Mary Furlong, of Mary Furlong & Associates, a marketing and business-development firm specializing in the boomer and senior markets.

That's a big reason why, even though they were empty nesters, Lois Crissinger and her husband, Sam, started thinking that a new, bigger house was in order.

The Crissingers -- she's 54, he's 57 and the chief financial officer of an engineering firm -- raised three children in a 1,800-square-foot, ranch-style home in Florida. After the last child was out of college, Lois Crissinger's parents moved across the street to be closer to the family.

But as those parents aged, the Crissingers decided they wanted the elderly couple under the same roof. "We wanted to build a house that had an apartment in it, so they could be right there with us," Lois Crissinger says. In May 2007, both couples moved into a 4,500-square-foot Colonial-type home outside of Jacksonville, Fla.

The 1,100-square-foot ground-floor apartment where Lois Crissinger's parents live has a bedroom, a living room, a study and a kitchen. But perhaps most important to the Crissingers, the apartment is entirely handicapped-equipped to accommodate future needs: step-down showers, safety bars, doorways that accommodate wheelchairs, no stairs. (Read more about remodeling your own home for your golden years.)

The Crissingers are hardly alone in their desire for space for elderly parents, says Randy Long, chief operating officer of J.A. Long Design Builders in Jacksonville, Fla., the company that built the couple's home. Long says that of his company's 33 active projects last summer, about one-fourth involved retired couples and empty nesters who were upsizing -- sometimes to 5,500 square feet. The company often builds homes in the $400,000 to $1 million range.

“A big portion of it also is people planning on their parents coming to live with them,” says Long. “And it's not even for sure. I hear a lot of worry about 'just in case.' ”

The home as a 'studio'

What else are these empty nesters doing with this space?

“These big houses, they're not the suburban house blown up” to a bigger size. “It's more a quest for identity in the space than it is for the size of the house,” says consultant Furlong, author of the new book “Turning Silver into Gold.” Furlong says boomers and seniors today want several things out of a home, which she defines as “productivity, privacy and creativity.” For example, “there's a giant uptick in the number of boomers starting small businesses” because they either don't trust that Social Security will provide the support they thought it would, or because they worry about hiccups in the stock market, she says. So elaborate home offices are big right now. And not just one.

“(A) trend I'm seeing is toward duplicate spaces,” says Anne Olson, an architect whose firm specializes in housing for boomers. “Before, a house might have had one home office; now it's got his-and-her offices.” Dual master suites, sometimes called "snoring rooms," are another manifestation of this trend.

But these homes are hardly all about work.

This group “wants a place to explore who they are next,” Olson says. “They want to keep learning; they want to be known as 'Joanne the plein air artist,' or 'Tom who just went to cooking school and who just retrofitted his kitchen.' ” And their homes need to let them pursue those passions. “A wonderful word to think about the new home is the 'studio,' ” she says.

And finally, they want all of this in their home because they're sick of driving, says Furlong. "This guy said to me in a focus group: 'I was a mule for 30 years.' "

A place to hone a hobby -- and relax

One of the people who can't wait to throw herself into her hobby is Laurie Ferguson. She's counting the days -- literally -- until she and her husband, Patrick, retire to their dream house in seaside Brookings, Ore.

“Three hundred seventy-six days,” Ferguson recently tallied.

Ferguson, who does the finances for the Leavey School of Business at California's Santa Clara University, has lived in the same 1,350-square-foot tract home for 19 years, raising four children there. “It's four bedroom, two bath, but the rooms are fairly small,” she says. Now that the Fergusons' children are grown, Laurie Ferguson uses one room as her sewing room.

Three and a half years ago, after looking for a quiet place to retire, the Fergusons bought a lot about one mile from the ocean in Brookings, near the California border. "I wanted a sewing room with an ocean view," Laurie Ferguson says of the lot.

Next spring the Fergusons will break ground on an architect-designed, 3,200-square-foot home that gives Laurie Ferguson plenty of room to exercise her talents. The sewing room is no longer a cramped former bedroom; it has a bay window that will look out on the Pacific. Built-in cabinets will house a high-tech sewing machine. Laurie Ferguson, who incorporates embroidery into her quilting and who sometimes embroiders clothing for her daughter and granddaughter, also wanted the ability to walk around a table when working. So the room will be 12 feet by 18 feet, with an island in the middle.

Her husband hasn't been left out; he has an adjacent study. And since the couple love watching movies and sports together, their new house will have a special home theater room, to be decorated appropriately with movie posters.

“It's our dream home,” Laurie Ferguson says. “We made the sacrifices here (in San Jose), driving Ford cars instead of Lexuses and BMWs, and just staying in the home we're at instead of moving up into bigger and bigger here, in order to retire in comfort,” she says. “This is not something we thought about a year or two ago. We've been planning this for a good 15 years.”

A fun hangout for the grandkids

Back in Florida, that 1,100-square-foot apartment doesn't explain all the new square footage in the Crissingers' home. The couple also wanted to accommodate the younger generation -- there are two grandchildren already, with a third on the way.

In addition to the master bedroom suite, the upstairs includes three more bedrooms, plus a bonus room that also functions as a playroom. "Our kids love to come home. That's an honor to us," Lois Crissinger explains. “We really wanted a place where we could enjoy being together as a family.”

In addition to going bigger, empty nesters and graying boomers are even moving to desirable places in part to be fun to visit, say housing experts.

When Trammell Wells of Memphis said he'd like to retire from his outdoor advertising business, he and his wife, Lynn, began to think about what they truly wanted. They decided to move 55 miles south to Oxford, Miss., home of his alma mater, Ole Miss, which his children also attended.

Their newly built 6,000-square-foot home reflects the hope that family ties -- and football games -- will bring the children and grandchildren home often. "All of this was built with them in mind," says Lynn Wells, who designed a 1,000-square-foot barn for the couple to live in while their main house was built.

Upstairs, there's a playroom with a TV, chalkboard walls and floors that can't be ruined by spilled paint. "Everything was chosen specifically to be kid-friendly," Lynn Wells says. There are also three bedrooms, each with its own bathroom: one for the girls, one for the boys, and one for the parents. “I can sleep 14 -- as long as they don't mind sharing bathrooms,” Lynn Wells says.

Doesn't it ever feel cavernous, or too much?

Never, she says flatly. “We do love every square inch, and we do utilize every square inch. We have honestly said to each other that we can't imagine living in anything less.”

In fact, there are even times when 6,000 square feet doesn't seem enough: The couple has used the garage for a playhouse, with a playwright friend putting on goofy, 10-minute plays. “If you want to have a production, a play, you must move those boundaries out,” she says with a laugh.

Cummings says one of the least expensive home improvement projects, landscaping, can become one of the biggest returns on the investment.

“If a potential buyer pulls up to your home and it doesn't have curb appeal, they might just continue on to the next house for sale,” Cummings said.  “People sometimes overlook the impact that a $200 to $300 investment in landscaping can make to the overall look of a home.”

Celina Wolfe, one of Cummings' clients who is selling her home in Neptune Beach, invested in landscaping and many other improvements including new interior and exterior paint, installation of new hurricane-resistant garage doors, and some other small remodeling jobs to prepare her home for sale.

“We've had some great feedback from the people who've come to view the house,” Wolfe said.  “The new paint on the outside and the landscaping have really worked to highlight the entrance of the house, which has drawn more people to come in and look around.”

Wolfe's two-story, three-bedroom, two-bath home, located at 1916 Strickland Rd., is priced at $309,000.

Looking at the price of moving to a new home and the availability of lots of labor at good pricing, Patricia Cochran of Orange Park decided to enclose her outside patio area to add living space instead of moving to a new home.

“I thought about moving, but I like my brick home and I enjoy the neighborhood I've lived in for the last 25 years,” she said.  “We have grandchildren now and I really wanted to add some space.  When I looked at the cost of moving, and the number of months I might have to wait to sell my home, compared to the cost of remodeling, it just made sense to me.”

Cochran contracted with J.A. Long, Inc., an Orange Park custom-builder, for her remodeling project.  While the company is known as a residential custom builder, company founder John Long says the firm is actively bidding on remodeling jobs now to keep employees busy and a good group of subcontractors intact.

“On major remodeling projects, especially when you have to replace a roof or build a large room addition, custom builders like us have an advantage because we do so much specialized design on our own homes,” Long said.  “We also think there's a market for large room additions in some of the older neighborhoods where adding square footage makes more financial sense than moving to a new home.”

In Cochran's case, J.A. Long will be adding 400 square feet, adding a new roof and changing the roof line so it will conform to the existing look of the home, and matching the home's original Norwegian Brick with similar brick.  Long says the entire project will cost from $40,000 to $50,000.

“Construction prices are lower than they were a year ago, but the main thing is the availability of labor,” Long said.  “Since there are fewer construction jobs out there, you can get great labor at competitive prices and you don't have to wait as long to get the jobs done.”

Jack Gregory, Remodeling Division Director for Vintage Group, Inc., says most of the calls he is getting these days are for adding rooms, rebuilding kitchens and bathroom and general repair work. 

He agrees with Long that the availability of subcontractors, from specialized carpenters to tile and floor installers, means the homeowner will get more prompt service – and the jobs are completed more quickly, meaning less disruption around the household.

“Subcontractors are also hungrier for the work these days, so if you get three bids for a job that are close, you can go back and negotiate for lower pricing, which you really couldn't do a year ago,”  Gregory said. “A carpenter who might have bid labor at $40 an hour last year may drop the price to $35 an hour or lower, depending on how badly they need the business.”

Prudential Network Realty's Michelle Cummings can be reached at (904) 241-2417 (ext. 331) or by e-mail at michelle.cummings@prudentialnetworkrealty.com.

J.A. Long, Inc. can be reached at 904-264-3073 or by e-mail at info@jalong.com

The Vintage Group Remodeling Division Director Jack Gregory can be reached at (904) 208-5555 or by e-mail at jgregory@vintagegroup.com.

J.A. Long followed the same approach with its slightly smaller Costa del Sol Design recently built at the Eagle Landing at Oak Leaf development. Priced at $585,000, the design still offers buyers five bedrooms and four bathrooms within 3,400 square feet of livable space – and a great view of a lake and golf course.

While J.A. Long primarily designs and builds its residential properties in Clay County, it has built some prestigious homes at the Jacksonville Golf & Country Club, World Golf Village and many other well-known residential developments in Jacksonville. The company builds up to 40 custom homes a year – mostly high-end homes in size from 2,800 to 5,500 square feet and ranging in price from $ 400,000 to $1 million.

“Over the last 10 years, many buyers have been asking for designs that are larger in square footage, which we've been able to accommodate,” John said. “Although very few of our recent projects offer less than 3,000 square feet, I believe there are an infinite number of wonderful smaller homes that use space better and are just as livable, and we enjoy building these as well.”

Long says he especially likes the homes featured in Sarah Susankah's book series about “The Not So Big Home”.

“I particularly like her design principals for smaller lots, which offer buyers a lower price but still feature real architectural appeal and flare,” he said. “We can come up with smarter style on smaller lots that is much better than what the ‘big box builders' offer today.”

In addition to the demand for more living space, homebuyers have many more features, amenities and other add-ons to choose from today.

“Years ago, appliances, countertops and other amenities of the home were pretty much standard,” John said. “Now a buyer may pay anywhere from $2,000 to $30,000 on appliances alone. People will also pay $50,000 or more to add an audio-theater room in the home, something that wasn't even considered in the 1990's.”

His son Randy believes the Internet and the plethora of home improvement programs have been catalysts for this trend as more homebuyers are exposed to all the different features available on the market.

“Buyers can surf the web and see all these add-ons and features in home building today,” he said. “If they have the money to splurge on these things, there are a lot more upgrades they can get.”

Even as the residential market has cooled down after a three-year period of staggering sales and record home appreciation, Randy says he has been impressed with the steady sales of waterfront properties.

“Within the general market of buyers, those attracted to waterfront properties are really a different breed,” Randy said. “There is always be a market for these properties because there is such a limited supply.; Whether they are located within a country club or just near water, waterfront homes really don't follow the same trends as other homes in the marketplace.”

Those water views, along with trees and the surrounding landscape, are some of the features J.A. Long now uses in determining which lots they select. The company also keeps an eye on the views from inside the home when they build, orienting the home to take advantage of the scenery and incorporating lots of glass and open areas on the home's first floor.

J.A. Long has also experienced an interesting trend among its buyers as of late – empty nesters who, instead of downsizing, actually want larger homes.

“Of our 33 active projects last year, about a fourth of them involved couples who were increasing the size of their homes to anywhere from 3,200 to 5,500 square feet,” Randy said. “While some are local, most of these buyers are moving to Florida from other cities and want a larger house that's specifically designed for entertaining and accommodating guests.”

Randy says many of these upsizing buyers are asking for design features such as long sight views, cabana bathrooms, big open kitchens and lots of bedrooms.

In addition to entertaining, they are also asking for bigger, open rooms and fewer small, formal rooms, which will allow for more functionality when guests and family members come to visit.

“With more baby boomers reaching retirement age, and with breakthroughs in health care keeping us living longer, these buyers are finding they still want to entertain, have the space available for the kids and grandkids to visit, or the flexibility to have their parents or in-laws move in as they get older,” Randy Long concludes. “We're certainly seeing more of this than we ever have before.”

J.A. Long continues to enjoy an excellent reputation thanks to the early work of John Long, known for working on projects from the original design stage to on-site supervision during construction – a similar work ethic adopted by son Randy.

The firm is also known its personal touch in working with customers – always being accessible and willing to work with the homebuyer to accommodate their design ideas.

“We really focus on delivering a quality product, whether we are working from one of our own original designs or we're modifying existing designs brought to us by the homeowner,” Randy said.

John adds that, rather than a custom builder, “site-specific builder” probably best describes what the company has always done.

“Working smarter and studying to emulate architects by being very “site specific” in designs is really more important in our product than the word “custom,” John said. “We have many examples of difficult sites where we've built that show real pizzazz when the house is designed to fit them. The essence is making sure the home is compatible to the customer and making sure the house is compatible with its lot.”

The work with the restoration project came after the three-day conference. Linda says two bus loads of conference attendees came out for the project.

John and Linda spent the day scraping paint off a single shotgun house in the Holy Cross area of the Ninth Ward to prepare it for painting. The restoration group had been working to reclaim historical older homes in the area, built between 1870 and 1930, before the devastation caused by flooding from Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

During the conference, Linda toured the area of worst flooding (up to 16 feet) where 30 people died in a nine square block area with houses on 30 foot wide lots. John said its now just an open field with streets and small piers without any kind of tie down.

“You’re not prepared for what you see,” Linda said. “Downtown looks normal, but when you go out to the Ninth Ward there’s hardly anyone living there. It looks like it would be a dangerous place to be after nightfall.”

“Even though the French Quarter looks normal, the “street people” artists and performers' are largely still gone,” John said. “The only crowded venue we saw was Harrah's Casino. And all tourist business restaurant and hotels are complaining of being understaffed. At this late date, most flooded neighborhood businesses have to advertise on banners that they have reopened.”

“In the Ninth Ward, most of the piles of debris have been hauled away after drywall interiors have been stripped by earlier volunteers,” John said. “Many scattered total loss houses still straddle adjoining lots, partially demolished and awaiting total demolition.”

JA Long Builders is based in Orange Park and has been a custom builder in the First Coast since 1970. A family-owned business founded by John Long, the company has built a reputation for quality, personal service and unique home design – constructing custom homes in some of the most prestigious neighborhoods and communities including Fleming Island, Eagle Harbor, Eagle Landing, and the Jacksonville Golf and Country Club. For more information, contact 904-264-3073.

At the time, I just thought the home building business was a tough one to get into and, of course, you always want better for your children,” John said. After high school, Randy attended the University of Florida and graduated with a degree in electrical engineering in 2001. During his last year of college, Randy worked as a student recruiter for Texas Instruments at the university, before taking a position with Intel upon graduation - which took him to Portland, Oregon.

“After about eight months, i realized that living in Oregon, and electrical engineering, weren't for me,” Randy said. “It couldn't have happened at a better time for me.” So, after braving the cold, rainy northwest, Randy moved back to Jacksonville and rejoined his mother and father in the family business.

“The timing actually worked out pretty well,” John said. “While I still wanted to be involved in the business, I did want to reduce the hours I was working and move toward semi-retirement. Also, I did want to be able to keep the business in the family and Randy's return allowed that to happen.” Since Randy took over as chief operating officer in 2002, handling more of the day-to-day management, the company's revenues have more than quadrupled - up from about $5 million annually to an estimated $20 million in 2006.At the same time, Randy has managed a growth in staff size as well. “Randy is a bit more like his mother, more detail-oriented, and has spent more time improving our internal systems, which probably came through his education in engineering,” John said. “When we go over project details, Randy and Linda usually gang up on me, since they think more alike.” “I would say Dad is more of a risk-taker, and Mom and I are more conservative in our approach,” Randy said. “However, having different perspectives makes the end result a lot better in most cases.”

Linda, who left her profession as a teacher to join her husband when he started his business in 1970, says the three make a good team. “We talk about the style and layout of the homes we are working on and on any major decisions we need to make about the business,” said Linda, who also provides input on color selections and works on other interior design issues in addition to her role as office manager. While John, Linda and Randy are the more active family members in the business, the Long's youngest son Ryan, now 22, is also working in the office through the summer months. Ryan and his father are taking computer- assisted design classes at Florida Community College at Jacksonville. “I always figured it would happen,” Ryan said about working in the family business. “I do like working in design, so who knows where this will lead.” The Longs say that while the basics of the business have remained the same over the last 30 years, the size and scope of the projects they work on have become more complex.

“Years ago, appliances, countertops and other elements of the home were pretty much standard," John added.“Now a buyer may pay anywhere from $2,000 to $30,000 on appliances alone.People will also pay $50,000 or more to add an audio- theater room in the home, something that wasn't even considered in the 1990s.” “Certainly, the market in Jacksonville has changed significantly over the last four years,” Randy said.“Many of the homes we work on are larger in size and cost and in the amount of features buyers expect.I believe the Internet has a lot to do with it. Buyers can surf the Web and see all these add-ons and features, and they have the money to splurge on these things.”

The Key Largo is among many custom homes J.A. Long is building at Eagle Landing, a 1,320-acre golf course community being developed by East West Partners, Inc. in northwest Clay County. The firm is building homes on about 30 lots, with prices ranging from $425,000 TO $1,237,000.

J.A. Long Founder and CEO, John Long, says the Key Largo design evolved from a popular model home the firm built in Eagle Harbor.

"We designed an exterior to square up the garage side of the house to make garage side entry doors accessible on 100-foot home sites," John said.

Great house, 21-foot ceilings welcome visitors as they enter the home, with window elements broken up by sharply contrasting colors, offering a view over the distance of the main gathering room on the far end of the first floor located behind an open kitchen. Large windows display the natural pines, ponds and other elements of the outside environment.

The windows of the model face out onto the rear porches, cabana area (complete with fire pit) to a lakeside area with the Eagle Landing Golf Course beyond.

"With this design, the homeowner can really relax and get away from it all," John said. "You have the options of stocking the cabana with your favorite beverages and, with the griller and a free-standing bar and bar sink, it's a great place to relax on your own or entertain friends."

The lot size for the Key Largo also allows space for a swimming pool, which can be nestled into the bay of the rear house angle, next to the cabana.

Inside, a very open three-sided kitchen displays maple cabinets with old-world glazing, black painted accents and posts, black galaxy granite tops, special Kitchen-Aide Architect series appliances, gas cook top, oven, microwave, and a tall door dishwasher. A butler's pantry, with a Kitchen-Aide wine cellar and granite tops, serves the dining room just around the corner.

On the bottom floor, the master bathroom allures visitors with its cool colors of light greens and golds, small columns and separating arches into a sitting area, and a small storage bookcase. It also features a centered drop-in tub, and matte nickel plumbing fixtures that are mounted in natural slate and balance nicely with the natural tones of slate floors and walls. A clear glass shower, with his and her showers, allows views of a large TV stand and built-in display.

"On the model home we used a bowed glass block window because of the two-story adjacent house, rather than an optional sliding glass door exit, which leads out of the shower to an exterior shower garden with a wall shower, rock garden, and landscaped garden," John said.

Throughout the house, glass tile features accent spaces in several niches. Porcelain flooring mimics Travertine without the soft finish and maintenance problems. Visitors also note the study-paneled wainscoting and ceiling panels where darker stain tones are used for a more masculine decorating scheme.

The home features a floor-to-ceiling and wall-to-wall bookcase, along with a storage unit – all accessible with sliding oak library ladder. A built-in closet also makes the room useable as a nursery or temporary bedroom, and the master bedroom can be accessed through a walk-through closet. This creates a very flexible space, also offering double doors to the family gathering room, so it can be used for sleeping, a pool table, a study, or an additional TV room just off the kitchen. With its connection to another bedroom and bath, it can easily be used as a self-contained, mini-apartment by guests.

Wrought iron and oak railings guide visitors around the open balconies of the second floor, where walkways overlook the downstairs and connect to the large game room with dry wine bar. A double-entry full bathroom is available for guests, and an adjoining bedroom, which overlooks the front entry walk of the home, can easily be used for either sleeping or converted to a play loft for the kids. Around the corner is an upstairs theater/playroom, and from there a short entry bridge leads to another bedroom/bath suite.

"Basically, the upstairs area has three multiuse or flexible space rooms with a cubby playroom built over the foyer, a large game room with dry wine bar and a finished bonus room or theater located over a portion of the three-car garage," John said. "It is highly functional, and the spaces can be adapted for a variety of uses based on a family size and what the owner wants."

Along with Eagle Landing, J.A. Long's custom homes can be seen at some of the most exclusive residential developments in the First Coast – including Orange Park Country Club, Pace Island, Magnolia Point Golf and Country Club, Eagle Harbor, World Golf Village, Fleming Island Plantation, and throughout Orange Park area.

J.A. Long continues to enjoy an excellent reputation thanks to the early work of John Long, known for working on projects from the original design stage through on-site supervision, and a similar work ethic adopted by his son, Randy, who joined the family business as chief operating officer years ago. It's still very much a family business – John's wife, Linda, serves as office manager, and their youngest son, Ryan, works in the design area.

The firm is also known for its personal touch in working with buyers and owners.

"We really focus on delivering a quality product, whether we are working from one of our own original designs or we're modifying existing designs brought to us by the homeowner," said Randy Long. "We're proud of the reputation we have established for our personal approach with customers and the high standards we have set for our work."

For more information about J.A. Long, Inc., contact John or Randy Long at 904-264-3073, info@jalong.com, or visit the company website at www.jalong.com.

Interested? Take a look at some of J.A. Longs designs at www.jalong.com, or call Randy or John Long at 904-264-3073 to find out how they can put their experience and talent for custom home design to work for you.

Long is chief operating officer for the company, which was founded in 1970 and provides custom residential design services. JA Long constructs about 30 to 40 homes a year – mostly high-end homes in size from 2,800 to 5,500 square feet and ranging in price from $ 400,000 to $1 million.

“Many of these upsizing buyers are asking for design features that include long sight views, cabana bathrooms, big open kitchens and lots of bedrooms,” Long said. “In addition to entertaining, they are also asking for bigger, open rooms and fewer small, formal rooms, which will allow for more functionality when guests and family members come to visit.”

One of Long's customers is Liz Kirchner, a realtor with Eagle Harbor Realty who recently moved to Jacksonville from a suburb of Richmond. After 23 years in Virginia, most of them spent raising her three girls in a 3,000-square-foot Colonial-style home, she and her husband Brad decided to build a larger house to make the most of Florida living.

“Even though our girls still live in the Virginia and DC areas, we wanted to have a home that would allow our children, and maybe the grandchildren we don't have yet, a comfortable place to stay when they come to visit,” Kirchner said.

Her new home being constructed at Eagle Harbor will have 5,000 square feet of livable space, including an 800-square-foot lanai porch, and a three-and-a half car garage (the half planned as a workshop). In total, Kirchner's new home will have four bedrooms and three and a half baths, along with a separate guest house.

“We also have a detached bedroom with a bathroom and closet that will be here in case either one of my daughters or my 83-year-old father-in-law decides to move from Ponte Gorda to stay with us,” she said.

Lee Daniell, broker and owner of Lee Daniell Realty, Inc., says that she has sold homes to many “upsizers,” most of the time to make room for aging parents.

“More and more, the majority of my customers are in the category or building larger to prepare for their parents to live with them in future,” Daniell said.

Daniell recently closed a deal on a $1.1 million home at Pace Island in Orange Park, where a new 5,050–square–foot home will comfortably accommodate five residents.

“I had another buyer, a doctor, who built a home in Cypress Creek and moved his parents in, who is now looking for something larger, from 4,000 square feet and up, to give the family more space,” she said. “I see this as a major trend, especially in the upper price range homes.”

Lois and Sam Crissinger, who moved to Bear Run in Orange Park from Philadelphia 22 years ago, are working with JA Long – Custom Builders on the final design of a new home which will increase their living space from 1,800 square feet to more than 4,500.