Background & Experience

Carmen Godwin is a motivated and enthusiastic REALTOR®, nonprofit consultant, community advocate and expert on all things historic. Carmen adeptly assists buyers and sellers with the care of a trusted friend. She also offers a wide range of services for nonprofits, museums, and community organizations. Carmen has a valuable and diverse skill set and the ability to manage complicated projects to completion. 

Carmen has lived most of her life in Jacksonville’s Riverside Avondale area and is extremely knowledgeable about the historic urban core neighborhoods. She represents each of her clients as if they were her friends, and treats each home as if it were her own, ensuring the utmost care, integrity and professionalism. She enjoys connecting her buyers to their new neighborhoods by catering recommendations based on their interests.

Before her career in real estate and nonprofit consultation, Carmen served as the Executive Director of Riverside Avondale Preservation (RAP) for eight years, where she played a leadership role in the creation of the Riverside Arts Market, the John Gorrie Dog Park at Riverside Park, and the Riverside Community Garden. While at RAP, she also managed the Annual Riverside Avondale Tour of Homes, Luminaria, and Bootlegger’s Ball. Carmen uses her background and experience to assist a variety of nonprofits through multifaceted projects.

Carmen also has professional and personal experience restoring and expanding historic buildings, including office, commercial and residential uses. She restored and expanded the Historic Nassau County Jail (Amelia Island), the Historic Buckland House (Riverside), as well as various single family and multifamily residential buildings in Riverside, Avondale, Fairfax, and Murray Hill. She has also managed investment opportunities in these areas, as well as Mixontown and Springfield. With this experience, she’ll be able to answer your questions about what is and isn’t possible for your home or investment project. 

Carmen is passionate about community service. She currently serves on the Advisory Council for Build Up Downtown and Douglas Anderson School of the Arts Art Parent Advisory Council. Previously, she served as Vice President for the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation, President of the Florida Association of Museums Foundation, and as a historic preservation grant reviewer for the Florida Department of State. Because of her love for history and museums, Carmen continues to assist museum professionals throughout the country by managing training sessions, programs and networking opportunities. 

In her free time, Carmen enjoys kayaking, visiting local eateries and breweries, and writing her blog, Cavorting with Carmen. She is an avid traveler, having visited over 40 National Parks and over 40 National Monuments and Historic Parks. (Ask her about the time she was 5 feet away from a buffalo!) She holds a Masters in History from the University of Florida and a Bachelors in History from Rutgers University. Carmen lives in 5 Points with her husband, Raef, and son, River.