Condo or townhome in Nassau County (Jacksonville, Fernandina Beach: insurance, condos, employment)

[SouthernMom]

I need help in thinking through a possible move to Nassau County to be near my family. I live in another state and have a single home but want to buy a condo or townhome to avoid the time and expense of maintaining the lawn and exterior of a home. I can't find many properties advertised for Fernandina Beach or Yulee or anything in between, so I am not getting information about price and other important details I need in order to think through the ramifications of making this move. Can anyone help me?

[riveree]

Hi SouthernMom,

The areas you mentioned, Fernandina Beach and Yulee will be primarily single family homes (though there should be some condos, at least in Fernandina?).

Yulee has been kind of a quiet rural area that has seen some growth in the last few years (cheap land....developers started building). From what I've known and seen, the developers were only building single family homes here. There's not a whole lot in Yulee, so if you're planning to work or you like to shop, you'll likely be driving out of area for these things (this is part of why it's one of the least expensive areas around).

Fernandina Beach has more going on, you can get all your basic shopping done here (though you'll probably still be driving to Jacksonville for some of your shopping). There is more to do in Fernandina, there's a cute little downtown with shops and restaurants and of course you have the ocean. You should be able to find some condos in Fernandina, though I don't know any of the names offhand. Again, if you plan to work, there's a good chance you'll be driving out of area.

There's also Amelia Island, considered to be the most upscale of the bunch. Amelia is a beautiful area, but housing of any type is going to be more expensive here.

Where does your family live in Nassau and how often do you plan to see them?

If you don't need to live right near them (if you don't need to see them daily), you might want to consider Jacksonville. There are oodles of condos and townhomes in Jacksonville and more being built all the time. You can find them in all price points, and if you need shopping or employment, this is where the bulk of it is in the region. The drive to Nassau county would be very reasonable for visiting your family if you didn't have to do it every day (and it's a pretty drive too).

[Fodder]

I know of one new development going in - Amelia Lakes - just off of A1A (or SR200), by the Wal Mart and the car dealers. I drove by today and the development looks pretty nice and the prices seem reasonable - they advertise prices starting in the 120's. The development is also off-island, which will help with the taxes and insurance.
Most of the other developments that I am familiar with are associated with the resorts and seem to be more geared to second homes as opposed to full time residences.
Good luck with your search - the Fernandina area is a pretty cool place to live.

[princess-of-st augustine]

My friend is looking for a place so do you know how big they're being built hun also is it still a good time to buy.

Around where I live prices are still going up and up . I remember when this place was affordable

[corensickle]

Take it from someone who knows... Amelia Island may be reputed as an upscale classy town but it simply is not. Yes the South End is a more affluent area for NE FLorida but overall, if you are coming from Atlanta, Charlotte, Raleigh or any other more refined Southern areas, you will quickly observe a lack of class in Amelia Island (Fernandina Beach) no matter where you go in that area. Even the more "well off" people in this area are a bit redneck.