Offered Job in Jacksonville ** Need urgent assistance ** (for sale, apartments)

[thomast23]

I was just offered a job in Jacksonville (currently unemployed in Wisconsin) so I need to make some tough decisions. I will place my condo up for sale, but I doubt it will sell right away.

I need to find a nice place to rent for under $1000/mo. I was looking at houses in Ponte Vedra Beach, but I think homes under $250k are going to be hit and miss. I picked this as an example community becase it appears the crime is very low and at some point my 3yr old son would be coming down. The schools appear to be very good, so much of what I am doing is predicated on him. That said, I need a place to rent in the interium that is not going to break the bank.

What utilities are included with most rentals in the area and what kind of monthly additional costs am i looking at? I've already calculated basic cable and internet with Comcast at $60/mo. Anything else I "need" to consider?

I need some very good recommendations on short order, as I will need to decide on accepting the job likely by tomorrow or Thursday at the latest and move in by October 1.

Help please!

[thomast23]

I saw a post regarding Nocatee Florida as well. Thoughts on this area is also appreciated.

[jondoe297]

Well, the most important thing is what part of town is your prospective employer in? Jacksonville is a really big place, and if you're not careful you'll be dealing with an hour plus commute each way.

[thomast23]

I believe they are on Deerwood Park Blvd in Jacksonville.

[tercel95]

250k goes a long long way in Jacksonville, the cost of living here is ridiculously low... Even the nicest 2br apartments go for well under $1000/month... You might want to look in Southside, or Mandarin, Ponte Vedra is also really nice too...

I have no idea how the schools are where you are coming from but the schools in FL as a whole are not that great... You can find good schools for your kid but you might have to accept a much worse commute for that... Some of the parents on this board can point you in the right direction with the schools...

Typically if you rent an apartment you will be paying water and electric on top of that... I also rent a washer and dryer... Some apartments charge fees for extermination, trash disposal, etc... but they are typically small and outlined in the lease that you sign...

[thomast23]

Originally Posted by tercel95

250k goes a long long way in Jacksonville, the cost of living here is ridiculously low... Even the nicest 2br apartments go for well under $1000/month... You might want to look in Southside, or Mandarin, Ponte Vedra is also really nice too...

I have no idea how the schools are where you are coming from but the schools in FL as a whole are not that great... You can find good schools for your kid but you might have to accept a much worse commute for that... Some of the parents on this board can point you in the right direction with the schools...

Typically if you rent an apartment you will be paying water and electric on top of that... I also rent a washer and dryer... Some apartments charge fees for extermination, trash disposal, etc... but they are typically small and outlined in the lease that you sign...

Hmm, water is a new one on me. How expensive is that for a renter?

I found one place, Avistele' at Ponte Vedra which was recommended to me by someone else. Looks very nice and like was mentioned, under $1000 which is important.

Yes, I saw a place that mentioned the extermination as part of the rent, as was trash, etc. Good thing to keep in mind.

I noticed many communities (when searching for a house to own) have HOA's and some are quite costly. Are HOA's common and can I find a home that is not in an HOA?

[tercel95]

Originally Posted by thomast23

Hmm, water is a new one on me. How expensive is that for a renter?

I found one place, Avistele' at Ponte Vedra which was recommended to me by someone else. Looks very nice and like was mentioned, under $1000 which is important.

Yes, I saw a place that mentioned the extermination as part of the rent, as was trash, etc. Good thing to keep in mind.

I noticed many communities (when searching for a house to own) have HOA's and some are quite costly. Are HOA's common and can I find a home that is not in an HOA?

I pay about $40/month for water for a 1200 sq/ft apartment with 2 people... I can't really comment on HOAs because I have never owned a house...

[mawipafl]

You can also look in Southside or Mandarin -- both areas are family-friendly, safe, good schools, within 20 minutes to the beach, and within your budget.

(Other forum members - please correct me if I'm wrong) Duval County zip codes to look in are 32223, 32256, 32257, 32258. South of those is St Johns County, 32259.

[fsu813]

tercel,

i assure you that the nicest apartments in Jacksonville are not 1k.

off the top of my head, The Strand, on the river, Downtown. the least expensive is over 1k

[tercel95]

Originally Posted by fsu813

tercel,

i assure you that the nicest apartments in Jacksonville are not 1k.

off the top of my head, The Strand, on the river, Downtown. the least expensive is over 1k

Yeah the strand is pretty expensive, I had no idea but Jesus christ look at what you get for the money...

You can still get a really nice apartment all over JAX for less than 1k...