Help needed with moving to Jax/St Aug area (Jacksonville: for sale, real estate)

[LandShark99]

Biggest disadvantage to being single is having half the mortgage income. I feel I need to move closer to Jax due to family health problems so that I can be there to help. I've been in Orange Park more than I've been in Palm Coast since Jan 29th. I've lived in Orange Park before and I major did not like it. I'm looking at Fruit Cove, Julington, Loretto and Mandarin areas since it would be close to Mayo Clinic and a hop over the bridge to Orange Park. I need to be somewhere fairly easily accessable to either.

I'm looking for input on those areas. I am told and have read here that JCP has houses in all ranges yet looking online they all seem out of reach $400+.

So far I'm not finding much that is decent and affordable for a single person unless it's 1200-1400 sq ft. Call me spoiled but here in Palm Coast you can take your pick of 2000+ sq ft houses with pool for $150 +/-. Most are less than 5 years old and lots of customs and upgrades. There was a foreclosure in the local rag yesterday - 5 bed, 3 bath for $157k. The houses I am seeing online in Jax under $200k are dumps compared to what I can get here for much less. Is is that way all over Jax?

Last week in Jax the local news said it was 12th in the nation for foreclosures. I see zero advertised. In fact there is darn near zero houses for sale advertised in the Jax paper (I get the Jax paper here too). The Palm Coast papers have way more ads than Jax. Where are all the bargains there?

Taxes and insurance are a big consideration in where to live too. Here in PC anything west of I-95 is much less on both counts. We call it the dividing line. I can't see a dividing line in Jax except maybe on the west side of the Buckman bridge. There are also multiple counties to consider as far as millage rates.

Would some of you insiders shed some light on all of this for me? BTW: I don't need to know about schools. I never had kids. I hate condo living. I want a house.

[riveree]

Homes ARE more expensive in Jacksonville, so your money won't buy as much square footage in Jax as it might in Palm Coast.

In the areas you are looking in, and your wanting to stay under $200k, I don't see you finding a 2000 sq ft+ newer house. You'll probably have to make compromises in both the square footage and the age of the home.

Also keep in mind that Mandarin has little new construction, it was built out years ago with just a few small pockets left. So in Mandarin, you might be looking at homes built in the 1980's and early 1990's. Julington Creek Plantation is one of the oldest planned developments here, so you'll find a mix of housing age in there are well, some of 10+ years of age already.

I don't think you're going to see as many foreclosures in Jacksonville as you might be expecting. First, the downturn in real estate hit Jax later than other parts of Florida. Secondly, more than ever, the banks are going to do what they can to keep people in their homes and we'll probably see more banks doing forbearances and other creative modifications of existing loans in order to keep people in their houses.

*Since you like Mandarin, look just north of it at Goodby's Creek/Baymeadows (San Jose Blvd @ Baymeadows Road). There are some nice neighborhoods here where you can find a home just under $200k. They are smaller (1400 sq ft is average) and they are older (mid-1980's), but they are safe, decent, nice-looking neighborhoods and you'd be close to the I295 ramp. I was at a friend's place in one of these neighborhoods last week and I was suprised when he told me how little they go for.

[mainenavywife]

My family and I are moving to the JAX area next year. Just wondering why you did not like Orange Park? Thanks

[apanda]

I have no problem with O.P., then again I don't live there. I hate Blanding Blvd traffic and the mall is nothing to brag about. I also think their little town is having problems keeping up in some areas with the growth, but all in all I don't think badly of it.

[LandShark99]

Thanks Riveree. I will look at the area you suggested. I used to have a 2 bdm apt that was 1200 sq ft. Hard to imagine living in a space not much bigger now. You just can't beat Palm Coast housing and prices, no matter where I look in this state. I've met a couple of folks that moved here from Jax real recently and that are just amazed at how beautiful the houses are and say they're about half the price of Jax housing. I guess were are spoiled here.

Mainenavywife: Please see Apanda's post. OP is okay if you need to be on that side of town for a reason. I can't think of one except close proximity to the base. Sorry but OP must have the worst drivers in the south. I spent over 20 years in Atlanta and I would take Atlanta commute traffic over Blanding Blvd (the ONLY throughfare thru that area) anytime. I've driven in Dallas, LA, Houston, many other large cities but never seem drivers jam brakes for no reason every half block like is normal in OP. There is one (count it), one interstate ramp for the area (I-295). Guess how far the traffic is backed up to get on the ramp especially during commute time? Wish I could post a picture to behold.

Shopping, restaurants, night life, community events, culture are sorely lacking. It's a bedroom community with loads of Military Retirees I find. Call it a personal opinion. Just not somewhere I would thrive.

Meantime, I'll keep looking.

[jackaroo]

LandShark99, it sounds like you already have a very good idea what you are looking for in a home. Have you considered getting a real estate agent to help you find the house that fits your needs? It sounds like housing in Jacksonville is just more expensive than it is in Palm Coast, but given the current market I would think you can find a good deal if you had some help looking.

[riveree]

Originally Posted by LandShark99

Thanks Riveree. I will look at the area you suggested. I used to have a 2 bdm apt that was 1200 sq ft. Hard to imagine living in a space not much bigger now. You just can't beat Palm Coast housing and prices, no matter where I look in this state. I've met a couple of folks that moved here from Jax real recently and that are just amazed at how beautiful the houses are and say they're about half the price of Jax housing. I guess were are spoiled here.

Hopefully, if you make the move, you'll have a better quality of life even if it's in a slightly smaller house . In the areas you're looking into, there's such a mix of housing prices, I'm sure you'll find something you'll like.

[gchasse]

LandShark,

I live in World Golf Village now, but lived in Mandarin before off of Old St. Augustine Road near San Jose Blvd. For what you are trying to do, that is an ideal area to live in. I lived there for 16 years, and have discovered over time, that it is one of the best locations in town to try to get elsewhere, including Orange Park and the beaches. I still own my town home in Raintree, mainly because the market is not good now and I could not sell it, so I am renting it until the market turns. If you are going to get a townhome in that area, Raintree is one of the better spots (and overlooked a lot because it is not noticeable).

As far is Blanding is concerned, it has to be one of the worst roads in Florida. It looks like New Jersey, and traffic is awful. At Christmastime, it is a parking lot. I have always tried to avoid that road.

Good luck in your search.

[HIF]

I was on my mortgage lender's website and they had a link for their foreclosures. You can search by zip code. Not sure if other lenders are doing that, but I bet they are.

[LandShark99]

Jackaroo it sounds like you already have a very good idea what you are looking for in a home. Have you considered getting a real estate agent to help you find the house that fits your needs? It sounds like housing in Jacksonville is just more expensive than it is in Palm Coast, but given the current market I would think you can find a good deal if you had some help looking.

Thanks but I am the only person in the state of Florida without a Real Estate License which I refuse to do. Good luck to you!

Riveree: Hopefully, if you make the move, you'll have a better quality of life even if it's in a slightly smaller house . In the areas you're looking into, there's such a mix of housing prices, I'm sure you'll find something you'll like.

Yeah, who wouldn't love paying more for less?

gchasse: Thanks, I've checked it out and I agree Mandarin is the best area to get around....besides lots of singles live there!

My next move is to InTownSuites or something to saturate the area. Since I call myself the BlackBeltSuperShopper, and my friends and family agree, I expect to find a great place! I'll keep you all posted!