Relocating from New England--suggestions appreciated!

[Joy80]

I just saw this thread, but if you are still making a decision I’m happy to offer my take. Our family moved from the triangle area in NC after all of us living almost our entire lives there, so can also help with questions about that area. We moved to St John’s County 4 years ago partially to be closer to family, but the main reason was that I could physically not handle the cold in NC anymore. We chose Palencia. It was so different than the triangle that I struggled with the adjustment. I thought choosing one of the other communities would be better, but after a year and a half of exploring the other area communities we came to the conclusion that Palencia is the best option. We now absolutely love it and appreciate all it has to offer. In all honesty it’s the kids that helped us make the decision to stay put. They LOVE the school. They also love the tennis and golf nearby. I am beyond thrilled at all the changes that are coming to Palencia this summer, restaurants, and the new Publix. I’m happy to tell you anything you’d like to know. Feel free to private message me.

[shokwaverider]

We find Palencia Real Estate Taxes way too high. But the Area and developments are nice as long as you choose a Concrete Block Home. 15 Minutes from St Augustine is a Little far for us. We chose to live in St. Augustine Beach. Taxes are almost half and the accessibility to everything is good.

[Joe Florida]

Originally Posted by NortheastMama

My family and I are considering relocating to the St. Augustine area due to my husband's new job. We can technically locate anywhere in the southeast and plan to visit the Charlotte, Raleigh, and St. Augustine areas. (However, we despise winter so my inclination is to skip the Carolinas and go right to FL!)
We have three kids who are currently in 3rd, 5th, and 7th grades who enjoy lacrosse, golf, and basketball--the 7th grader will come kicking and screaming. Currently we live in a great town with excellent schools and I have a good job in healthcare recruiting--I would love to find a similar position.

We'd love to move to a neighborhood with amenities like a community pool and golf not only because we love these activities but so our kids can meet other kids--please see above comment about kicking and screaming. Obviously we want to be in a great school district. We also love the beach. Would love to stay under $500,000 if possible--realize we have to make some compromises and can't get everything we want.

In looking online, we thought St. John's Golf and Country Club looks wonderful and also Nocatee. Any suggestions would be welcome....once we hone down some areas we plan to visit in the next month or so.

Thank you in advance for your input!

I am a young ( 61 year old ) Italian American retiree originally from ( Belmont Ma ) Boston. I tried coming back to America after living the better part of 35 years in Italy..."No can do " I went back to Italy after a year of being " retired " for a year in St. Augustine however I still spend winters and two summer months in World Golf Village where I own a very nice townhome. I work as a real estate broker in Bordighera Italy on the Italian Riviera for the rest of the year. Two different worlds. Once you've lived in Europe it is impossible to come back to the states full time. If I had a family with kids my first bit of advice is make sure you move To St. Johns Country ( St. Augustine ) and NOT Duval county ( Jacksonville ). The schools in St. Johns are top rated.....In Florida. Asfar as neighborhoods go In my opinion the best town....if you can afford it is Ponte Vedra followed by Nocatee and my area of World Golf Village in St. Augustine where I live. You maybe interested to know that the Jacksonville area has a Mayo Clinic and many fine hospitals so you will find employment. The area is very safe, boring, flat and very 'Red" and conservative so be warned. The beaches are wide and beautiful but not tropical . In fact from late November to late March you will have cool 65F weather 40f nights are fairly common. Spring and fall go from 60f at night to about 80f during the day. Summers are hot, rainy and humid 80's and low90's a good time to head north but air conditioning helps a lot.
I truthfully without offence say this . If you are American and proud , puritanical, monolingual conservative, religious not fashion conscious, republican and family orientated and love the outdoors you will find a good fit here in St. Johns country. Basic nice people but If you are cosmopolitan, artsy, liberal democratic, have sophisticated European tastes and love tropical weather year round you probably will not be happy here. This is no Harvard Square or Georgetown !!! I just want to be honest. Every family is different....
PS. Old Town St. Augustine is a tourist trap but very very nice for walking and admiring the colonial Spanish Architecture. Enjoy your time here. You are also near Orlando and Beautiful Savannah Ga here !

[sithlord72]

We first looked in Oalencia and loved the model homes we saw, but as previous posters mentioned it is far from everything, of course the new supermarket will be a big help and I am sure that within 5 years you won’t have to drive 30 minutes to go shopping. The new Durbin Park development, regardless of how current residents feel, will also help our Palencia residents. It will be along Race Track Road between I-95 and the new State Route 9B. State Route 9B will be open this summer, and the first phase of the Durbin Park project will be open before the end of the year

[RaspberryLatte]

River Town in St. John's county might be what you're looking for.