Looking to get familiar with St. Augustine/Jacksonville area

[Robyn55]

Our housing market seems to be "warm" (if not "hot") these days (depending on what part of the area you're looking at). I would look for jobs first - then housing second. Because although our traffic is far from the worst in Florida - it is bad (and getting worse) in a lot of places. I assume you aren't interested in a long commute (most people aren't).

I also assume your wife will have to build her practice from "scratch". Which might be daunting. Or perhaps she's looking for a job in her field? If the former - it's important to keep various zoning/condo/HOA laws/rules in mind. Many don't allow you to run a business out of your house (so you'd have to find an appropriate place to set up an office/practice). Robyn

[Runninglikethieves]

If you wanna be closer to the city, Avondale is great for your price range.

There's definitely some areas closer to the beaches where you can find something in that price range too, the commute might be less than ideal though.

I'd definitely look near the beaches if my budget was $200-$250, but only because I surf. When I bought in Avondale late in 2013, I didn't really have a decent enough down payment for a house that high. I was able to find an absolute steal in Avondale for under $100k and put some work into it. It is a bit smaller than most houses in Avondale. Have been here for just shy of 2.5 years, but Avondale seems like an ideal place to raise a family. It's all about if you would prefer being in a central location (Avondale) or out by the beaches, which is a little further away.

[mawipafl]

Thanks Peter the Brit about giving a heads up about Nocatee ... I neglectfully didn't do a quick price search before suggesting that community to the OP.

Frawls - yes, I know about the crazy real estate world in Beverly. Our families still live there, and we're always agog when a nearby house sells within days and at a crazy price!

I fully understand your reasoning for considering a move away from "home". We were faced with the same situation. Although the philosophy is supposed to be that money doesn't buy happiness, the truth is it does depending on a person's definition of happiness. We really loved our little house, but it was always in need of something (an older home). It was comfy for two, but tight for three when our daughter came along. The commute to Charlestown was getting harder and harder. However, real estate prices in Eastern MA were skyrocketing, so it wasn't an option to move and be any better off unless we left the area altogether.

We eventually made our way here to Jacksonville, and although we're so far away from family, we still visit. And in between visits we're much more comfortable and have a happier lifestyle. The cost of living is much lower, and we have found more bang for our buck in real estate here. And no snow.

I'm bias about Jacksonville, but maybe you could also consider Charleston SC or Savannah GA ... I can't speak for the quality of schools there, nor real estate prices, but history and the arts are definitely present in those two cities.

Originally Posted by Frawls

Thanks so much for all of the thoughtful responses. I really appreciate the feedback and helpful information.


Mawipafl – I was wondering when you said you were from the North Shore if you had lived in Beverly or Salem. Too funny. We live a couple blocks away from the Cabot Theatre in between Cabot & Rantoul Streets. We got a very good deal on a 2 bedroom condo in 2013 but will probably be looking to move up to a 3bd condo (very hard to find in the area) or a single family house. The housing situation in Eastern MA is an absolute mess right now with incredibly low inventory and seriously overpriced homes. I feel bad for anyone buying in the area right now because they’re getting fleeced unless they make well over $100K per year. The type of houses we’d be interested in (well-maintained 3bd single family home with updates near downtown) are going for between $325K-$375K right now with some as high as $400K. And these are small homes. We’re talking maybe 1200 square feet with very little yard space. We could spend less on a fixer upper but would rather not go that route. The traffic is getting worse and worse each year and Boston has become an overdeveloped city catering to the very wealthy. My wife and I will always consider MA our home but with a child to consider we’ve been questioning whether it makes any financial sense to be strapped for cash just to live in a small single family house that will still need lots of TLC. We’re also both done with the winter, particularly after the 2015-2015 season.


I’m doing a very preliminary search of coastal cities in the South that might be a good fit for a family from MA. We like history, arts and a good school system. St. Augustine came up as a possible good match but I’d also like to hear others’ opinions on any other cities in FL or GA that may be worth checking out. It’s just talk right now. No firm plans but we’d like to start visiting some places in the next year.

[FiveLoaves]

While we're on the Subject, we would like to ask about St. Augustine's hotels on the beach. Are there any places we should look at for a scouting trip in September ?? Is the ocean still warm enough for swimming mid-Sept ??

Thanks in advance....

[Runninglikethieves]

Originally Posted by FiveLoaves

While we're on the Subject, we would like to ask about St. Augustine's hotels on the beach. Are there any places we should look at for a scouting trip in September ?? Is the ocean still warm enough for swimming mid-Sept ??

Thanks in advance....

I don't know too much about St Augustine, just that I've surfed there a few times and just have taken weekend drives down there. So I can't be of much help with the hotels.

But you should definitely be able to swim in the ocean there in mid-September. You absolutely should be able to. Water should probably be around 80-82 still. I was still going in the water in Jax in late November of this past year, but it was a very warm fall and the water didn't cook down as fast. I think we even went in the first week of December, but it was getting cool. I usually can handle water as low as 65-66 degrees though. I usually start using a wetsuit while surfing around mid-November in Jacksonville. Maybe early November one year. All depends on what the air temperature is on those days though.

[snuffybear]

Originally Posted by Peter the Brit

The Op's budget will not work for Nocatee.

Well, he said house or condo...so wouldn't that work for a smaller house or esp a condo?

[Achehabi]

Hello! I don’t know if you still check this forum, but my husband and I are both from Beverly, also looking to move to st augustine. Did you end up making the move? If so— how is it? We’d both probably work in Jax but are drawn to the vibe in st augustine. We too have a toddler, and so a house we can afford means a lot. Thank you!!

[mawipafl]

Originally Posted by Achehabi

Hello! I don’t know if you still check this forum, but my husband and I are both from Beverly, also looking to move to st augustine. Did you end up making the move? If so— how is it? We’d both probably work in Jax but are drawn to the vibe in st augustine. We too have a toddler, and so a house we can afford means a lot. Thank you!!

Yes, I do still check in on the city-data jax forum. We moved to Fleming Island in 2007 - really liked it there. After a short stint in NC we moved back to NEFL, this time to northern Jax to be nearer the airport. A job offer in Seattle came up, and we took it, but we love Jax so much we kept our house and lived a bi-coastal lifestyle until another Jacksonville job was offered.

St. Augustine is nice with a great vibe, but you might find the commute to Jacksonville a little long. However, for some, the longer commute is worth every minute if home fits all the warm-fuzzies.

Generally speaking you'll find that housing prices are cheap here compared to Beverly! I'm sure you've already surfed listings on realtor, et al, so you know what I mean.

Where in Beverly? Small world!

[Achehabi]

Wow small world. We live right off Cabot. I’m from peabody and he’s from Manchester-by-the-Sea.

As far as Jax commute, he’s a pilot, so it wouldn’t be a daily commute, but travel time still matters. I’m a nurse so again, would only be 3 X a week. I know JAX hospitals pay way more than flagler.

Still looking for homes, kinda wanna build because it seems like most houses are kind of low considering the flood risk, am I wrong? Also- did you find St augustine to be too touristy? Or too anything? Sorry just so curious to hear a new englander’s perspective.

Closer to JAX would be awesome, but we both have a fear of new developments where every house looks the same.

Thanks X 1000 for answering my post, was NOT expecting that.

Cheers

[Johnathon Hills]

Originally Posted by Frawls

We live in Beverly which has a great downtown area with Boston only 20 miles away. We'd look for the same type of thing if we moved to another state.

The other posters are being remiss in not telling you that this area is NOT built like a Boston suburb. You aren't going to find compact, small downtowns here filled with bars, shops & restaurants...to the extent that you'd find back home. Some will argue that you CAN find these things in Fernandina and St. Augustine, but these are meant for the tourists. Few if any locals actually hang out in these places & the ones that do will tend to be very provincial and not wanting to hang out with members of the northern invasion. And that's another thing....you're going to be viewed as an outside; one from a blue state who has values very different from the locals. Just be aware of that.