Looking for an area to start researching (Jacksonville, Palm Valley: low crime, how much)

[familymom]

Looking to live in a bedroom community outside of Jacksonville. Our budget is $425,000 for a new/newer home with 4 bedrooms. Would like a little property with that and of course good schools. Would be open to any suggestion within 30 min commute. Thanks in advance.

[riveree]

Originally Posted by familymom

Looking to live in a bedroom community outside of Jacksonville. Our budget is $425,000 for a new/newer home with 4 bedrooms. Would like a little property with that and of course good schools. Would be open to any suggestion within 30 min commute. Thanks in advance.

Familymom,

When you say "a bedroom community outside of Jacksonville", do you mean outside of downtown Jacksonville, or do you want to be in another county?

I ask because Jacksonville is incorporated, so the "city" of Jacksonville encompasses the entire county of Duval, so to be "outside the city" of Jacksonville means to be "outside the county". Jacksonville is predominantly suburban and you can even find rural areas well inside the city limits. Outside of Duval county, St. John's county and Clay county are counties where people live and commute into Jacksonville for work and they are suburban/rural as well.

"Within a 30 minute commute".......of what? Do you have a work location and you're trying to keep the commute under 30 minutes?

Maybe you can give us a little more info and we can help target you in on some areas .

[jbm32206]

Why not look into the Springfield area....beautiful homes, a fantastic community with a mommies group, close to just about everything and contrary to what is was like years ago, we have a very low crime rate. Most of what you hear in the news, is NOT in our historic Springfield area. I've lived here for over 10 years and consider it to be one of the nicest, friendliest neighborhoods in Jax.

[titaniummd]

Originally Posted by familymom

Looking to live in a bedroom community outside of Jacksonville. Our budget is $425,000 for a new/newer home with 4 bedrooms. Would like a little property with that and of course good schools. Would be open to any suggestion within 30 min commute. Thanks in advance.

I am sorry but there are too many generalities to make a decent recommendation.

Where do you work?

What type of school do you need to examine? High School? Elementary?
GreatSchools.net

How long do you plan to live here? This really relates to the school a child attends and what education they will need (ie elementary through high school?).

What do you mean about 'a little property with that'? How much land are you talking about? Do you pets or livestock?

Do you have interests regarding proximity to the beach, golf or shopping?

[paulainga1]

Originally Posted by familymom

Looking to live in a bedroom community outside of Jacksonville. Our budget is $425,000 for a new/newer home with 4 bedrooms. Would like a little property with that and of course good schools. Would be open to any suggestion within 30 min commute. Thanks in advance.

Check out the homes off Palm Valley road in Ponte vedra. The lot sizes and land around homes in that area are more spread out and plus St. Johns County school district is the best.

[familymom]

Sorry I haven't gotten back with an answer till now. No my husband would not be commuting to Jax so I think outside of Duval county. What is the difference in school between Clay county and St. Johns County. Is one area more desirable or lower in crime. I really am open to any info to help me start. I have been reading past post and that helps alot too. Thanks

[Biggiechri]

Originally Posted by paulainga1

Check out the homes off Palm Valley road in Ponte vedra. The lot sizes and land around homes in that area are more spread out and plus St. Johns County school district is the best.

hard to find a house for 425 though.

[apvbguy]

Originally Posted by Biggiechri

hard to find a house for 425 though.

no it is not, there are plenty of homes in palm valley/PVB in that price range

[riveree]

Originally Posted by familymom

What is the difference in school between Clay county and St. Johns County. Is one area more desirable or lower in crime. I really am open to any info to help me start. I have been reading past post and that helps alot too. Thanks

In population size, crime rates, quality of public schools, Clay and St. John's county are very similar.

So, between the 2 counties, there is the obvious location difference and the feel of each county is a little different.

St. John's county has the city of St. Augustine. So for decades the county has attracted tourists and retirees and that's given a certain flavor to the county. St. John's county is also coastal, so the ocean "vibe" pervades much of the county.

Clay county is landlocked and has more of a country feel. You don't really find tourists in Clay county, but local folks have had weekend cottages along some of the many lakes of Clay county for a long time, so you'll find some cute tiny towns sprinkled throughout (Green Cove Springs, Penney Farms, Keystone Heights...).

There's no easy answer to which county is more desirable; each has its' pros and cons. People relocating to NorthEast Florida are choosing to live in any of the three main counties - Duval, St. John's and Clay - without any one county taking an obvious lead, so you'll need to see what location you find the most desirable for your family .

[Biggiechri]

Originally Posted by apvbguy

no it is not, there are plenty of homes in palm valley/PVB in that price range

would you mind mentioning some neighborhoods for famies in that area that are priced that low?