Bringing Mother to Jacksonville with us! (Sweetwater, St. Augustine: renters, HOA fees, condominiums)

[PattinMke]

Okay--now I am really faced with a big challenge. Not only do I have to look for property for us (both retired), but we are also bringing my husband's 79 year old mother with us. I am thinking that we may look for a duplex so that we have separate living areas , but would also need a single floor unit and definitely need a garage for cars and storage. Is there a neighborhood/community that anyone can recommend that might have either new or recently built units like this available? I am not ready to contact a realtor yet, as we are still unsure of our price range. Would appreciate any advice --I don't even know where to start looking.

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by PattinMke

Okay--now I am really faced with a big challenge. Not only do I have to look for property for us (both retired), but we are also bringing my husband's 79 year old mother with us. I am thinking that we may look for a duplex so that we have separate living areas , but would also need a single floor unit and definitely need a garage for cars and storage. Is there a neighborhood/community that anyone can recommend that might have either new or recently built units like this available? I am not ready to contact a realtor yet, as we are still unsure of our price range. Would appreciate any advice --I don't even know where to start looking.

There are two communities I ran across that might work well for you. Both are new construction and offer one level living. You could buy a pair of neighboring units.

The Cottages at Winding Creek in St Augustine, just south of Jacksonville.
The Cottages at Winding Creek, St. Augustine, Florida Condominiums - Home
The Azalea Plan at The Cottage at Winding Creek by Vestcor Communities

The Cottages at Stoney Creek is a similar concept by the same builder, just north of Jacksonville in Fernandina Beach.
Jacksonville Condos | Amelia Island condos FL*-*The Cottages at Stoney Creek, Fernandina Beach, Florida Condominiums
The Ashton*-*The Cottages at Stoney Creek, Fernandina Beach, Florida Condominiums

[EricBoyd]

Originally Posted by PattinMke

I am not ready to contact a realtor yet, as we are still unsure of our price range. Would appreciate any advice --I don't even know where to start looking.

I won't offer any advice, yet, since I'm a Realtor ;-) ...but, just so I mention it, a Realtor would be able to help you determine your price range. And, we don't even bite...well, not too hard. LOL

Sorry, just had to try to make a funny. Carry on...

[FLPL75]

Patti
What kind of amenities do you want to be near ?
Do you want to be closer to the beach ?
Do you want to to be near medical ?
This kind of information can help us to suggest areas of town.

Would having a Mother-in-law suite work or do you want totally separate living spaces.

We have friends that live in Sweetwater a 55+ community. They have a variety of houses as well as condos.

[PattinMke]

Thanks to all for advice. We definitely are looking for separate living spaces-not on the beach. Mom is only worried about safety and would like to have a single car garage. She has no health concerns now, so being near medical facilities is not a concern. All one floor is a must for both of us. My husband & I would like to find a new or newer home with more living area & definitely a two car garage. Am also looking at Fernandina Beach and Amelia Island areas. AND yes, very soon, Eric, I will contact a realtor to help me to narrow down my choices. Oh, and yikes-the HOA fees are definitely a concern to us-especially on a fixed income.

[Magnolia Bloom]

When I was looking, we found several beautiful homes that had mother-in-law units as part of the home. They were in nice neighborhoods in old Mandarin and Julington Creek. They were resales and are few and far between, but a Realtor familiar with the Mandarin/Julington Creek area would be able to keep an eye out for them. I ended up purchasing a townhome a few doors down from my mom and this was the right choice for us, as my mom is on a lake and wanted to stay on the water.

The problem with some of the newer condos mentioned is that they were built during the bubble and have many vacant units, so the developer rents many of them out. While that presents opportunities for some great deals, the developer must fund the deficits and corners can be cut that negatively impact the community. Also, having so many renters and vacant units changes the vibe in a community. I would suggest that if this is the route that you take, that you rent for a year and include a provision in the lease that you can purchase at any time during the terms of the lease for a set price. A lease to own arrangement could be made, as well. Winding Creek in St Augustine now has FHA financing, requiring a lower down payment.

[EricBoyd]

Originally Posted by HIF

Winding Creek in St Augustine now has FHA financing, requiring a lower down payment.

I was also made aware of a USDA financing option, primarily for rural properties, that has NO down payment. And, I was surprised to see what actually qualifies as "rural" property for USDA, too. Man, the gov't really makes it hard to be against all their interventions.