Location help, please! (Jacksonville: apartment complex, leases, condos)

[ck123]

Hi all,

I've been reading these boards for several weeks and although I've gotten a lot of information (thanks!), I have some more specific questions that I'm hoping someone can answer.
A little about me: I plan to relocate to Jax between May and July 2008 to work downtown. I am a late-20s single and am looking to buy, although I may consider renting short-term before buying. I do plan to take another trip down to Jax in the spring, but I hope to be more focused on specific areas, etc. by that point (have only been there for about 48 hrs so far, other than the views of Jacksonville from 95).
I am considering these areas, based on the helpful posts I've read so far:
Southside (inc. San Jose, etc), Intracoastal West/Beaches area (though I worry about commute to downtown), Riverside/Avondale/Murray Hill. Also around Ortega, but I'm not sure if there's much to do around there? Mostly looking at townhouses (no condos) and very small SFHs, as I believe my affordable range will be less than $200K, maybe less than $175K.
I'm really interested in a few of the Pulte townhomes (mostly resale ones due to location) and other similar THs. Any info on the following communities would be greatly appreciated!!!: Drayton Park, Summerfield, The Colony at San Jose, Pottsburg Crossing, Villages of Summer Lakes.
If anyone knows a townhouse community in a good, close location that permits fencing or has small fenced yards, please let me know because my dog would just love that Mostly the ones I've seen are either far out or in Arlington area, which seems to be low priced (due to crime??) and doesn't seem to be very popular on this board.
I don't know much about the areas other than Southside yet, so I'd love some help with those!

Thanks a million!!

PS My favorite place that I have lived is Arlington, VA (Clarendon area), so if anyone is familiar with that area I'd love some comparisons! I'm originally from NY (LI), and am looking forward to being close to the beaches again, but actually being able to GO to the beaches other than just in August .

[JB77]

I just moved to Jacksonville on 12/1/07 and am living out near the intracoastal area. I love it so far, though it is a commute to work (I also work downtown). I guess it depends on how important the beach is to you.
I've been to the other areas you've mentioned, but am still too new to the area to give much information on the area regarding townhomes or SFH's.

Avondale may be a little out of your price range, that I know, and 'the locals' will chime in here soon enough to provide their insight on your other choices---if we're lucky!
If you're looking for a night scene as far as the social aspects go, I hear San Marco is good, and the beaches are always a good choice.
You'll want to drive around the areas you do choose to get a good feel for them, and possibly run across a great deal.

Welcome to Jacksonville, and I hope your visit goes well!

[ck123]

JB77,
Thanks for your quick reply! I guess by Avondale, I really meant the surrounding, cheaper areas. But I'm not too sure about those areas and which parts are not worth considering.
Thanks again!
ck123

[gradco2004]

You should probably rent until prices crash some more. If you want to rent for longer than a year, you could probably move into BrooklynPark once it is complete next year. Looks like it will be extremely nice:

http://www.brooklynparkjax.com/Renderings/

http://www.brooklynparkjax.com/Renderings/Page_2.html

http://www.brooklynparkjax.com/Renderings/Page_3.html

http://www.brooklynparkjax.com/Site_Plan/

There will also be a skyway stop directly infront of the development, so you will have immediate access to the core. Just a thought. I will be moving there when they are completed.

[ck123]

Thanks for the help so far.

Originally Posted by ck123

Drayton Park, Summerfield, The Colony at San Jose, Pottsburg Crossing, Villages of Summer Lakes.
If anyone knows a townhouse community in a good, close location that permits fencing or has small fenced yards, please let me know because my dog would just love that Mostly the ones I've seen are either far out or in Arlington area, which seems to be low priced (due to crime??) and doesn't seem to be very popular on this board.
I don't know much about the areas other than Southside yet, so I'd love some help with those!

I'd still love any and all information about the townhouse communities I'm interested in purchasing, but I am now more seriously considering renting for a short-term lease (less than 12 months for job relo policy reasons). Still plan to come to visit, but likely for a shorter period of time than I'd like...so I'll probably stick with the Southside and/or Intracoastal West areas.

Can anyone help with some apartment complex names/locations that are (sort of in order of importance):
1) Pet-friendly (small dog)
2) Allow short-term leases (7 months, etc)
3) ok commute to downtown
4) On the cheaper end (<$1000 for 1BR, the lower the better while still in a safe neighborhood)
5) Safe neighborhood

I don't need that many amenities but would like a fitness center.

Since I will likely be in Jacksonville months before I move in, I don't think condos for rent by owner will work (won't be able to see them when I'm down there).

Thanks,
ck123

[riveree]

Hi CK123,

Here are my thoughts on some of your Q's:

Overall, I think you've picked some great locations to consider - Avondale, Ortega, San Marco/San Jose, Southside, Intracoastal West/Beaches - all are nice places to live.

Commute-wise, since you'll be working downtown, obviously the river neighborhoods will give you your best commute. When I worked downtown, I was living at the most southern end of the San Marco area and my commute was 12 minutes (I was heading in to be at work around 7:30/8:00am).

This is not to rule out Intracoastal West/Beaches. Given your budget, it is unlikely you'd end up at the beach itself, and that is where the really long commute comes in. So, if you just consider the area west of the Intracoastal, your commute would probably by 30 minutes+ depending on how far east or west you go in Intracoastal West.

When considering your budget in regards to a single-family home, if you end up looking at homes for $175k or less, I would suggest the San Jose area (32217). $175k will get you into a nicer neighborhood in San Jose than it would in Intracoastal West. In IW, to be in the nicer neighborhoods, you want to be in the new/newer sections and the entry cost is higher (more like $250k). In San Jose, the old housing stock is nice and even a modest $175k house will be in a good neighborhood. If you want to be on the Westside, over in the Avondale/Ortega area, try searching in Fishweir Creek area - there are some nice, modestly-priced homes there (sorry, I don't know the zip).

As for condos and townhomes in Jax, they can't give them away now - the market is so flooded. Personally, I think your money would be better invested in a single-family home. I do know some of the ones you mentioned though:

Drayton Park is nice. In your price range, you'd probably end up with one of the townhomes in the back (they look a lot different than the pretty ones up front by the road ). The townhomes in the back don't have garages and are a lot smaller. The ones up in front are gorgeous and huge (one of my friends owns one), but they cost much more $. The location is very convenient and there are some great restaurants right next door in the Publix shopping center (Crazy Sushi, Sangria House...). Touchton Road floods and it can be hard to make a left out of Drayton Park when it's busy (no traffic light for your turn). People do have dogs there, but there's no real place for them to play/run around (they're not allowed to play on the greenspaces, from what I understand ).

The Colony at San Jose is in a spot that is not so great. It's a good part of town overall, but that particular spot is not one where I'd want to live (sort of the worst location inside of an otherwise good location....if that makes sense !).

Pottsburg Crossing is in a good location - on Bowden Road in the SouthPoint area (lots of people work in SouthPoint). It's easy to get onto I95 from Pottsburg Crossing, Phillips Hgwy/US1, even Beach Blvd. So, it's a good central location. The surrounding residential is okay, but the zoning is a bit funky. It would be a quiet spot at night, but busy during the day. Making a left (which is probably almost always the way you would go out of Pottsburg) will be hard when it's busy - you'll have to see what I mean when you see the way the entranceway is designed. I drive by here a lot and the entranceway is less than ideal (people going in and out of Pottsburg get in my way a lot ).

With a dog, I think it's nice to have your own backyard. You'll find some nice homes in San Jose (32217) in your range, they just might need some updating/work. You can even try searching a bit north into 32207 - you might find something in Lakewood or Ridgewood, but for $175k, the house might be really small (under 1000 sq ft) - the further north you go, the more $ per square foot in this part of town.

Oh, and Arlington is not bad. There are some nice neighborhoods in Arlington and your money will buy you more square footage there too. Arlington is a big area, and there definitely are some bad parts that make the news regularly, but that certainly isn't the whole story of Arlington.

Hope that helps .