Relocating from Tennessee (Jacksonville, Memphis: real estate, renting, HOA fees)

[kallimali]

Hi everybody,
I got a job and will be moving to Jacksonville from TN. I wonder if anybody can give me some idea about basics such that...
-living cost.
-average income
-security
-how much renting 1 bedroom apt in a decent area
-traffic
-real estate prices....
- and any extra topic i forgot to mention


any help appreciated...

[rwbil]

I was born in Memphis, TN and went to college at UT in Knoxville. Where in TN are you coming from? Jacksonville is HUGH so it depends on what neighbor you live. There are dirt poor areas and very rich neighborhoods. It is kind of like Memphis.

This site shows demographics for different areas. So you can switch the area and get all the stats like household income.


Mandarin Demographics & Statistics

And you might want to consider St. Johns or Clay county.

I guess you are going to have to narrow down where you want to live first.

1) Do you want to live near your work? Is so where are you working?'

2) Do you want to be close to the beach?

3) Do you like Urban, Suburban, or Rural?

4) Do you want to be in a gated communitiy?

5) Do you want to pay HOA fees and / or have lots of amenities and pay ccd fees. Some people live in a golf course community or one with a splash park.

6) Do you want to be near lots of shopping?

Without knowing any of that I can only give suggestions based on what I like, which might be totally different. But based on that I would suggest looking at the following areas for Jacksonville and these areas are mostly Suburban type of areas:

1) Southside - Zip Codes 32224, and 32256 and maybe some of 32246

2) East Arlington - Zip Codes 32225


3) Mandarin - Zip Codes 32223, 32257, 32217

4) Bartram Park - 32258

[EricBoyd]

Originally Posted by rwbil

3) Mandarin - Zip Codes 32223, 32257, 32217

4) Bartram Park - 32258

I'd put 32258 under Mandarin and lump Bartram Park and Bartram Springs in with that. That zip code has been part of Mandarin longer than those two communities.

I'd also call 32217 San Jose, instead of Mandarin.

[rwbil]

The borders have never been that clear to me. Some call only the peninsula Mandarin, which means Mandarin elementary, Mandarin Middle and High school would not even be in Mandarin. People from other cities sometime do not know just how big an area you are talking about. When you lump all those zip codes together that makes Mandarin bigger than most cities.

Only been in Jacksonville for 8 years so I do not know the longer term history.

[rwbil]

As a fellow Tennessean I should warn you about the HOA communities down here. You might not even know what that means. When I moved from MD to Florida, I could not believe the FL HOA communities. I was in an HOA in MD, but it was nothing like Florida. The HOA in MD mostly kept up the kid’s playground and yes if you put your car up on blocks and left it there for weeks you might get a letter.

But down here I swear it is retired gestapo agents running the HOA with nothing else in their lives to worry about than if you have a dead blade of grass in your yard. When I got my first letter threatening to fine me over my grass I could not believe it. I would literally have to violate the city watering laws to have made that nut HOA president happy.

Another nice thing about Mandarin, is depending on rules, you might be able to raise a few hens and eat fresh eggs every day. Try that in an HOA community.

So you have been warned. Now I am sure all the HOA lovers will chime in with, “I don’t want to live next to Prince Mongo” That is a Memphis, TN thing.

[EricBoyd]

Originally Posted by rwbil

When you lump all those zip codes together that makes Mandarin bigger than most cities.

I understand your thinking. If you haven't done so, you might want to look at the MLS region/area descriptions. I'm not saying that's the "authority" on names, but if someone is asking about real estate, I think it's safe to suggest that being a pretty reliable source.

[dizliz0925]

Originally Posted by EricBoyd

I understand your thinking. If you haven't done so, you might want to look at the MLS region/area descriptions. I'm not saying that's the "authority" on names, but if someone is asking about real estate, I think it's safe to suggest that being a pretty reliable source.

I've been here 27 years, and most people from here would say Mandarin is from Beauclerc Road to North, Julington Creek Bridge to the South and I-95/US1 to the east. Roughly the borders in this image.

[fsquid]

I hate the Vols, that is all

[EricBoyd]

Originally Posted by dizliz0925

I've been here 27 years, and most people from here would say Mandarin is from Beauclerc Road to North, Julington Creek Bridge to the South and I-95/US1 to the east. Roughly the borders in this image.

Yep, that's about right.

[murfslaw]

Just an observation. The OP made one post. There were 8 other replies; 6 from Real Estate Brokers or Real Esate Agents! It appears to me to be a shark feeding frenzy. No offense meant.