Relocations drive 'unbelievable' year for The Pineapple Corporation

By: Katie Garwood

From: Jaxdailyrecord

Thanks to a surge in out-of-state buyers, custom luxury homebuilder The Pineapple Corporation’s The Vista at Twenty Mile in Nocatee has sold more houses so far in 2021 than it did all of last year.

Pineapple Corporation President Spencer Calvert said interest in the community off of 20 Mile Road in Northeast Nocatee has been “unbelieveable” this year. 

“Right now a big push is from folks relocating from outside of our area,” Calvert said. 

“I’ve been doing this for 20 years now. I used to think (relocation) activity in Jacksonville was strong. It’s nothing compared to what it is now.”

The 44-house community along Wilderness Ridge Drive has sold just more than half of its lots, with four houses completed and 12 slated to start construction by year-end.

Calvert said he sees buyers from New York, California, Chicago, Pennsylvania and New Jersey buying in the development. 

And they are not buying them as vacation homes. 

“Virtually everyone we’re talking to and have sold to is (buying for use as) a primary residence,” he said.

“Most of the people that are relocating from outside the area think it’s a heck of a deal. A lot of house and a great value.”

It is a trend across Northeast Florida. In April 2021, 903 houses sold above $1 million, 101.1% more than the same time last year, according to the Northeast Florida Association of Realtors. 

Pineapple Corporation offers five models ranging from four to five bedrooms, with options to customize the layouts, fixtures and facades. 

While the ability to customize a home has been attractive to luxury buyers, Calvert said Pineapple Corporation’s layouts give them what they are looking for: an open floor plan, but with more defined spaces.

As families were isolated at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, Calvert said some realized not only their desire to move to another city, but to have a home with more separation of space.

“While we have always appreciated our definition of open floor plan, we’ve also always believed that spaces need to be well-defined and have good organization,” he said. 

Calvert said interest is strong because of the amenities offered at Nocatee.

Realtor.com says Nocatee’s median home sale price is $511,000. The Vista homes typically sell between $1 million and $2.5 million.

“The bottom line is the amenities that this community offers are very attractive to both affordable buyers and upper buyers,” he said.

Nocatee offers its residents several parks, fitness trails, pools, a splash zone, golf cart infrastructure and a sports complex.

The Vista is Pineapple Corp.’s first neighborhood development. Typically, it builds single homes in neighborhoods like Ponte Vedra Beach or Glen Kernan Golf & Country Club for clients looking for a custom, high-end home. 

Location inspired Calvert’s group to commit to building a development in the Nocatee neighborhood.

“Our belief has always been that Nocatee Parkway is really the next JTB corridor to the south,” he said, referring to J. Turner Butler Boulevard, which opened up access from Interstate 95 to the Beaches. 

“In terms of convenience and accessibility to the rest of the city, this is a phenomenal location while still maintaining a great proximity to the beach. We’ve always believed in the location.”