Prospective Vista at Twenty Mile residents are angry with their builder over what they say is the failed completion of their home sites.
Among them is Captain Sandy Yawn, star of the Bravo TV reality series, “Below Deck Mediterranean.” Yawn and Lisa Shafer have invested $1.6 million into a home in the community located in the northeastern portion of Nocatee.
But now, they say their home remains unfinished and they have been unable to get answers.
“You’d drive through the neighborhood, and nothing’s happening,” Yawn said. “You’re sending all this money in, and you’re like, ‘Well, where did it go? Where’s the money? Where is the money?’”
Yawn and Shafer are not alone. Several others have spoken with local media describing their own frustrations with unfinished homes in the community.
The Recorder attempted to contact the builder, The Pineapple Corp., and company President Spencer Calvert but has heard nothing back.
According to The PARC Group, Nocatee’s master developer, Pineapple purchased homesites in the Vista neighborhood more than six years ago and operates as an independent business.
Pineapple began selling homes in Vista at Twenty Mile in 2017. The gated, luxury home neighborhood was to include 44 home sites.
The situation is currently under investigation by the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office Property Crimes Unit. Sheriff’s Office Public Affairs Officer Taylor Levesque said that anyone who believes they are a victim can contact Detective John McGuire at jmcguire@sjso.org or 904-429-9087.
Yawn said she and Shafer bought the home during the pandemic. Uncertainty about the future inspired them to spend their life savings on the home so that they wouldn’t have to take out a mortgage.
“You’re excited. You’re going to move to this cool community. You look at the websites that recommend the builders, and that builder was attached to the community Twenty Mile, and you go, ‘OK, it’s trustworthy,’” Yawn said.
The women went so far as to cash in their retirement funds to pay for the home.
“Now, we have no money and a shell of a house,” Yawn said.
Asked what they would do now, she said they planned to finish the house, though that may cost somewhere between $600,000 and $800,000.
“We don’t really have a choice,” she said. “We have put $1.6 million into it. We can’t just walk away.”
