Thinking about moving to Jacksonville from South Cal. (Fernandina Beach, Mayo: to rent, HOA fees)

[Potato1190]

Hello!

We are thinking about moving to Jacksonville from South. Cal.

We are looking to buy a house - not rent.

Which areas are the best/worst?

Is it possible to have an idea of the price of bills? Water/electricity/house insurance/internet/car insurance/car registration, etc.?

Also, a big concern, health insurance. We need something pretty good because my husband has a heart condition and needs MRI's every couple years.

I read that health insurance is pretty crappy there. What is the best health insurance company with the best plans/prices?

Thanks!

[JacksonvilleNative]

Still need a bit more info.

What is your budget for housing? That will help us with what sides of town to suggest.

Most of your questions about water/electric, insurance....etc will depend on the house.

Initial auto registration and title transfers are pretty high. There is a $225 per vehicle one time plate fee. Tag registration depends on the car weight. $46- $72 per year. Title transfers are aprox $75.

Not sure about the Health Insurance.

Also, what kind of lifestyle do you prefer in the type of neighborhood. Suburban, or Urban? Rural? Acreage?

One recommendation: Jacksonville is Huge..... I mean HUGE. I believe you would be better off to rent some where for a short time, (6mo - year) to get a feel for the area before you buy.

Good luck and hope this helps.

[Potato1190]

Thanks for your reply!

Between 200k to 300k would be ideal.

We have dogs so we are looking to buy a house with a decent sized backyard, no preference on the size of the house. We're looking for suburban home.

[kyle19125]

For resale and appreciation values it would be good in my opinion to seek out the better school districts. Areas like northern St John's County, World Golf Village and Fleming Island are some I would recommend where your housing dollars will go further. WGV in particular has many beautiful homes well within your price range.

https://www.zillow.com/homes/for_sal...48_rect/12_zm/
https://www.zillow.com/homes/fleming-island--FL_rb/
https://www.zillow.com/homes/for_sal...58_rect/13_zm/

[Potato1190]

Thanks! My husband will be using the JAX aiport a lot, so St.Augustine might be a bit too far for us. So far, we seem to like a lot the mandarin area and fleming island.

Just need to figure out the health insurance stuff!

[Jax2PVB]

Hi! So by some of the things that you mention, I actually think certain areas of Duval county are best. Do you have children that will utilize the schools? Most people flock to St. Johns based on the schools, but if you do not have kids, there are some beautiful areas in southern Duval that would keep you close top major roads (making JAX commute times easier) and also keep you close to Memorial and Mayo Clinic.

As for the price range, you will likely find stuff between $270-325k that needs little or no work and has decent yard sizes. Taxes are not high ($2,500-$3,000) and there are no CDD fees/bonds and any HOA would be minimal.

As for health insurance, Florida Blue is the main one down here (it is Blue Cross Blue Shield really) and as a matter of fact, it is the only one available through the marketplace for 2018. Not always great, but so many plans you should be able to find a good plan that the doctors will take so you and your husband have peace of mind.

When looking for houses, take a look at Villages of Pablo (my first choice) and the surrounding areas. Message me if you have any other questions - we live close to there and my father in law uses Mayo all the time for a neurological illness. I can help you wth doctor names too as he has seen them all.

[Potato1190]

Thanks for all the info! We do not have any kids, yet. Best areas without HOA fees? Seems like most have HOA fees and we would prefer not pay any.

I heard there is a really long wait for the Mayo clinic when you need to see specialists? With all our research, seems like Florida Blue seems like our only option with Molina. Do you know anything about Molina's healthcare?

[Gromicide]

zip code 32225. check redfin with this zip code. closer to airport, tons of shopping, close to the beach, short trip to downtown, youth sports etc...schools are average in the area. plenty of houses in the price range and you could easily find a large lot with trees and privacy, pool home, large house, upgraded house etc...tons of options. 32224 might offer slightly better location. just a smidge closer to the ocean, slightly more secure/established feeling so you might get a little less house for your money.

both are nice Jax areas and close to everything you would need.

[shokwaverider]

I commuted from St Augustine to Jax for 10 years, not an issue, I took a shuttle.

[Northside904]

Zip code 32218 would be your best bet. You're less than 15 minutes from the airport, River City Marketplace, some areas have a suburban feel, others are more traditional. This area I call the Far Northside, as it's closest to Fernandina Beach.