Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Florida > Jacksonville
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 09-14-2019, 12:24 AM
 
11 posts, read 12,094 times
Reputation: 30

Advertisements

We are a family of 4 with little baby and a toddler. Moving in November to Jacksonville from San Diego.
We are excited as we will be close to family in Orlando and hopefully living in a nice neighborhood with a community feel where you actually know your neighbors. San Diego is very nice city (from outside) but can be very lonely unless you have (normal) family close by or friends that have time to socialize and not just work (it’s super expensive) or avoid driving (terrible traffic and friends live 50miles away). We are in a process of listing and selling our house (cashing the equity yay), packing to move to (hopefully) a better and family friendly city. We are looking for a short term rental as we want to buy a townhome or house in Bartram area.
My husband will work in Blount Island (doesn’t mind driving 30+ min.) I will be focusing on my master’s degree study, taking care of my lil kids for a while , while looking for a job (but will take my time and be picky). Anyway I noticed it’s pretty hard to find some temporary furnished places that do month to month. I see most places charge $300+ As dog fee per dog , plus pet rent per month. That’s few of the reasons I don’t want to commit to year lease or flexible at apartment complexes. For families that moved with family how did you do it? Rented for year or stayed at some type of Airbnb (I don’t see many options there too) ? I really struggle with where to stay and our move date is coming up. Thank you a lot for input and advice from people who moved to Jax.

Btw: I did find below option:
http://www.courtyardssanjose.com/
But it’s $2000 a month for 2 bedroom with the reservation fee. That’s Pretty pricy!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 09-20-2019, 08:34 AM
 
Location: Black Hammock Island
4,620 posts, read 14,916,079 times
Reputation: 4620
I wish I had some places for you to consider. But what I can offer is an explanation for why short term rentals are hard to find and are pricey. Any rental less than 7 months falls into the same category as hotels and is subject to hospitality taxes. Committing to a one-year lease somewhere will give you many more choices, and will allow you the time for you to find a job and to make sure that living in the Bartram area with a commute to Blount Island is doable. A year really isn't that long although it feels like it.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-20-2019, 08:43 AM
 
9,273 posts, read 8,170,071 times
Reputation: 18914
Quote:
Originally Posted by EuropeanInAmerica View Post
We are excited as we will be close to family in Orlando and hopefully living in a nice neighborhood with a community feel where you actually know your neighbors. San Diego is very nice city (from outside) but can be very lonely unless you have (normal) family close by or friends that have time to socialize and not just work (it’s super expensive) or avoid driving (terrible traffic and friends live 50miles away).
So Orlando is a good 2 hours away with no traffic. We thought we'd visit Orlando more often but the reality is that drive is a white knuckler as you get closer to Orlando and into the city. I would not count on that being a weekly trip, chances are you'll grow tired of that very quickly.

Also, Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. and driving long distances to everywhere is the norm here. So if your hope is to avoid long drives, Jax is not the city for you, especially as more and more people move here and traffic steadily increases.

In terms of rentals, your best option is to rent for a year and get a lay of the land. That's what most folks do unless you've done a ton of research and visited many times to absolutely know where you'll want to live.

Just curious - why Bartram?
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-22-2019, 09:52 PM
 
45 posts, read 53,277 times
Reputation: 74
Just relocated from southern California to St. Johns a few days ago. We looked at Courtyard San Jose but all the units were taken so we had to pass. We ended up at Sentosa Beach Walk with a 1 year lease.

You get the 2nd month rent free if you sign up for a 12+ month lease. Place just opened on July 1, 2019, so everything is brand new. We are the 1st tenants in our 3/2 unit. Rent for the area is on the low side but we are sure once the place gets full and more popular, the rent will get jacked up next year. Just in the few days we've been here, new residents have already moved in and continue to move in. I don't think it will take long to get this place rented out to capacity, especially with the amenities built, currently being built and of course the 14 acre crystal lagoon.

If we build a home from scratch, we'll probably rent here 1 more year but if we buy a home already built then obviously we'll move on our way. I think if we break the lease, we're only responsible for 2 months rent.

https://www.sentosabeachwalk.com/
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-25-2019, 01:17 AM
 
11 posts, read 12,094 times
Reputation: 30
Quote:
Originally Posted by mawipafl View Post
I wish I had some places for you to consider. But what I can offer is an explanation for why short term rentals are hard to find and are pricey. Any rental less than 7 months falls into the same category as hotels and is subject to hospitality taxes. Committing to a one-year lease somewhere will give you many more choices, and will allow you the time for you to find a job and to make sure that living in the Bartram area with a commute to Blount Island is doable. A year really isn't that long although it feels like it.
After doing research I see there aren’t many options of short rentals.
I found few 7+ months lease apartment complexes that sounds great too. Rent around $1600 for a 3 bedroom with a garage. This is the one:
https://www.apartmentguide.com/apart...3/#floor-plans

But for $1600 or less we could rent a townhouse in Bartram. Although 1 year lease. After being home owners it’s hard to transition into renters again...we just like the idea of not paying someone a rent and rather pay a mortgage.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-25-2019, 01:30 AM
 
11 posts, read 12,094 times
Reputation: 30
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tonestar View Post
Just relocated from southern California to St. Johns a few days ago. We looked at Courtyard San Jose but all the units were taken so we had to pass. We ended up at Sentosa Beach Walk with a 1 year lease.

You get the 2nd month rent free if you sign up for a 12+ month lease. Place just opened on July 1, 2019, so everything is brand new. We are the 1st tenants in our 3/2 unit. Rent for the area is on the low side but we are sure once the place gets full and more popular, the rent will get jacked up next year. Just in the few days we've been here, new residents have already moved in and continue to move in. I don't think it will take long to get this place rented out to capacity, especially with the amenities built, currently being built and of course the 14 acre crystal lagoon.

If we build a home from scratch, we'll probably rent here 1 more year but if we buy a home already built then obviously we'll move on our way. I think if we break the lease, we're only responsible for 2 months rent.

https://www.sentosabeachwalk.com/
Thank you for the information the complex looks great. And it’s new!? But I think $1700 is a lot for 3bdr apartment or not? I see nice town homes in Bartram with 2car garage for that price....but this one has the lagoon too. Pretty tempting!

How are you liking the life in Jacksonville versus in SoCal? I am excited but nervous too. What if we don’t transition well, when we tell Californians we are moving to FL you see eyes rolling and pointing out at bugs and heat (and alligators) ) ?
We like suburban lifestyle with nice gated neighborhoods and approximate to stores. A neighborhood where people socialize and neighbors know each other and actually talk to each other. (We miss that here in CA)
So we are considering to buy at Bartram or even Nocatee (if the CDD are not as bad as ppl complain) we just need to see the options and experience it (they look too good on YouTube ) 😃😃
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-25-2019, 01:46 AM
 
11 posts, read 12,094 times
Reputation: 30
Quote:
Originally Posted by Florida2014 View Post
So Orlando is a good 2 hours away with no traffic. We thought we'd visit Orlando more often but the reality is that drive is a white knuckler as you get closer to Orlando and into the city. I would not count on that being a weekly trip, chances are you'll grow tired of that very quickly.

Also, Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. and driving long distances to everywhere is the norm here. So if your hope is to avoid long drives, Jax is not the city for you, especially as more and more people move here and traffic steadily increases.

In terms of rentals, your best option is to rent for a year and get a lay of the land. That's what most folks do unless you've done a ton of research and visited many times to absolutely know where you'll want to live.

Just curious - why Bartram?
Thank u for the information. We are not planning weekly probably monthly. And family will visit too. 2.5 drive is not bad at all..California is a land long commute. My coworkers drive everyday 2+Hr one way to work daily. Sad but if you want a good paying job and afford a house in CA you have to move to remote inland areas to stay on budget ($2000 Is a super cheap rent for a house). We bought prior house in SD bedier the prices went up like crazy - hello equity ...but decided to move closer to family. My husband got transfer job offer to JAX so we took the chance. We were aiming towardd Melbourne and Space Coast originally but my husband is government employees there were not too many jobs in his field.
Bartram seems like safe and friendly neighborhood where you can buy a nice new or newer townhouse (our future investment rental property) before we buy/ build a dream home. Or decide if we want to stay in JAX area long term.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-25-2019, 05:03 AM
 
Location: Black Hammock Island
4,620 posts, read 14,916,079 times
Reputation: 4620
Quote:
Originally Posted by EuropeanInAmerica View Post
After doing research I see there aren’t many options of short rentals.
I found few 7+ months lease apartment complexes that sounds great too. Rent around $1600 for a 3 bedroom with a garage. This is the one:
https://www.apartmentguide.com/apart...3/#floor-plans

But for $1600 or less we could rent a townhouse in Bartram. Although 1 year lease. After being home owners it’s hard to transition into renters again...we just like the idea of not paying someone a rent and rather pay a mortgage.
Totally get it not wanting to pay a landlord and preferring to pay a mortgage ... our daughter just became a homeowner for that reason. As well, a tenant risks having a landlord whose sole motivation is to make money, ditching the idea of providing a decent home to someone and making money in the process. Most landlords are the latter thankfully.

I wish I was more knowledgeable about the rental market to offer advice about specific rental communities. I can suggest hotpads.com as another search resource, as well as searching realtor.com, zillow, etc. for rentals advertised there.

If there are rentals available in Bartram, why not rent there ... it would give you the perfect opportunity to get a lay of the land and set your sights on an eventual purchase.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-25-2019, 09:05 PM
 
45 posts, read 53,277 times
Reputation: 74
Quote:
Originally Posted by EuropeanInAmerica View Post
Thank you for the information the complex looks great. And it’s new!? But I think $1700 is a lot for 3bdr apartment or not? I see nice town homes in Bartram with 2car garage for that price....but this one has the lagoon too. Pretty tempting!

How are you liking the life in Jacksonville versus in SoCal? I am excited but nervous too. What if we don’t transition well, when we tell Californians we are moving to FL you see eyes rolling and pointing out at bugs and heat (and alligators) ) ?
We like suburban lifestyle with nice gated neighborhoods and approximate to stores. A neighborhood where people socialize and neighbors know each other and actually talk to each other. (We miss that here in CA)
So we are considering to buy at Bartram or even Nocatee (if the CDD are not as bad as ppl complain) we just need to see the options and experience it (they look too good on YouTube ) 😃😃
Where we lived in Orange County, CA a 2 bedroom 2 bath 800-900 square foot apartment would run about $2,400 per month. That doesn't even include the security deposit which could cost a few thousand itself. So $1,785 per month (includes amenity and pet fees) for a 3/2 is a sweetheart deal to us. This is an example of an apartment complex that was quick 4-5 minute drive from our old home in California:

https://www.sheaapartments.com/apart...s/floor-plans/ (1 bedroom starts at $1740 per month and is tiny)

Sentosa has garages but I think it costs additional $150 per month. They can also be used for storage.
Right now, there are no new garages available until October 2019. New building construction is still ongoing which some may not like. The noise is not terrible but sometimes you can hear it and you will see construction workers in certain areas. Sentosa is a gated community as well.

We checked into the apartments at Nocatee for a 3/2 and they were running above $2k a month. I am sure if we end up renewing our lease to build a new home, our rent will go up. Time will only tell how much. Those townhomes you found in Bartram with a 2 car garage seem nice though.

As far as getting adjusted to our new home, things are going rather smoothly. This relocation was planned 4 years ago so we had a lot of time to figure things out as best we could. But I can tell you the cost of living here in Florida is significantly cheaper to us ex-Californians. We're constantly amazed how much further our dollars go here. But's its relative. Someone relocating from BFE to here might feel the exact opposite.

Everyone both in St. John's county and Duval (Jacksonville) have been extremely nice to us. Many of our apartment neighbors including their children have introduced themselves making us feel welcome. Many of our kids are going to the same middle school (Landrum) so our daughter feels more at ease knowing she will recognize some faces. Many of the kids go swimming in the apartment pool as well as the lagoon. It has been a welcoming environment so far.

The only downsides for us are we miss our friends, family and our favorite places to eat. We are foodies so finding new places to dine is a must for us. Other than that, we are happy with our decision to relocate. I say it like this, "we traded in an old set of problems for a new and better set of problems."
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-26-2019, 12:04 AM
 
11 posts, read 12,094 times
Reputation: 30
Prices for rent are crazy in SD as well. My friends pay thousands for 1 or 2 bedroom places.
Were you guys able to sign a lease before you moved? So you arrived and moved right away to you place? Or did you book a hotel for few days till you found a place and signed a lease? I would like to have a secured place before we arrive but when I called apartment complex the person on the phone had trouble understanding we are in CA and can not come to tour the place. He invited me like 2x to tour the place and see the complex in November when I need to have a place already secured and rented beginning of November. We are driving from SD to Jax and after long 5 days trip we don’t want to go between the hotels with little kids and 2 little dogs. Plus my husband starts his job November 9th. So we do not have much time to apartment shop.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Settings
X
Data:
Loading data...
Based on 2000-2020 data
Loading data...

123
Hide US histogram

Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Florida > Jacksonville

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top