Thoughts on King and the Bear Community- St. Augustine (Orlando: car registration, how much)

[sick of the winter]

Originally Posted by MNEscapee

Palencia is nice but the CDD fees are high. $4200 per year. But you can buy a nice lot and build or buy an existing home on a good size lot. Lots of windy streets with established oaks so it doesn't look like a typical subdivision. Palencia has recently upped its game in retail with Publix at the entrance as well as Starbucks, Mexican, Ice Cream, 2 Gas stations, Irish Pub, Chinese and several salons. 25 minutes to the beach or old town St Augustine. 45 min-1 hr to downtown Jax. Can't speak for WGV but I have lived in Palencia for 5+ years and would only probably move to another lot within if I wanted to build again. Ammenities include Fitness Center, several pools, tennis courts, pickle ball. Fitness classes and a long boardwalk to the Tolomato. The Golf Course and Palencia Club are private you may or may not want to join to play golf or just as a "Social Membership" so you can dine there.

Thanks,

Just by the looks of it from "street view" on Google Maps, Palencia does look much more established with trees, houses etc. Although Google Maps views can be quite dated...

How isolated do you feel in Palencia? (if at all).. That is my only concern with such a move. Trying not to fall into a neighborhood trap where we never leave because of travel distance... Although from a real estate perspective, both Palencia and WGV have the houses we really like...

Hopefully when this virus is done I can make a trip over there to check the areas out

[shokwaverider]

Palencia over K&B WGV any day. We have friends at the K&B and the homes were not particularly well built. I am sure others are happy there.

[Florida2014]

Originally Posted by sick of the winter

How isolated do you feel in Palencia? (if at all).. That is my only concern with such a move. Trying not to fall into a neighborhood trap where we never leave because of travel distance...

You're going to find this being the case in most of these larger master planned communities in SJC. Palencia is a lot like WGV in many respects, it has its own (limited) retail/grocery, but that's about it. You'll have to drive a good distance for just about everything else. If I had to pick one or the other I'd choose Palencia. It's more expensive in many parts and as someone else noted they have high CDD fees; but every time I'm in Palencia I feel like it's just so well done. The planners did a good job leaving many of the mature trees so it doesn't feel new even though it is relatively new.

Have you considered St Johns Golf & Country Club? That's very near I-95 so your drive to/from the airport wouldn't be as bad (but still BAD). Nice homes in there for every budget.

[sick of the winter]

Originally Posted by Florida2014

You're going to find this being the case in most of these larger master planned communities in SJC. Palencia is a lot like WGV in many respects, it has its own (limited) retail/grocery, but that's about it. You'll have to drive a good distance for just about everything else. If I had to pick one or the other I'd choose Palencia. It's more expensive in many parts and as someone else noted they have high CDD fees; but every time I'm in Palencia I feel like it's just so well done. The planners did a good job leaving many of the mature trees so it doesn't feel new even though it is relatively new.

Have you considered St Johns Golf & Country Club? That's very near I-95 so your drive to/from the airport wouldn't be as bad (but still BAD). Nice homes in there for every budget.

Have not looked at SJGCC.. Basically for now I've been doing a Zillow.com search, and when there is a house we like, we investigate it more... Just so happens the ones we have been liking fall into these gated golf course communities...

For me the location is not as big of a deal. I am gone approx. half the month for work and when I am home wouldn't mind just relaxing poolside or playing some golf or taking the :30 drive to St. Aug or Jax once or twice a month... One of the reasons I'm looking at newer homes ready to move into without much remodeling.. (have always bought homes that needed work, and kind of over that since I always do the work myself!) We both wouldn't mind being close to the water or to town (St. Aug) but haven't seen any houses that are what we are looking for, without updating them..

Really more concerned for the kids. Main priority being schools, and then the ability to make friends in the area. Since I'm gone as much as I am, the wife will be the one leading the charge for schools and socializing. (luckily she is super social able to walk up to anyone and start a conversation)

[Florida2014]

I think you'll be fine in most any of these master planned communities in SJC. Just about all of them are new-ish (some are brand new, others have been around for 10-15 years), all are in good school districts and chalk full of kids so tons to do for them.....when they're not under quarantine, that is.

Julington Creek Plantation is another one to look into. It's a bit older but is a big master planned community that is a bit closer to everything, which I'm sure your wife will appreciate. You would get way more house/lot there vs. Palencia. Do you have a budget?

[sick of the winter]

Originally Posted by Florida2014

I think you'll be fine in most any of these master planned communities in SJC. Just about all of them are new-ish (some are brand new, others have been around for 10-15 years), all are in good school districts and chalk full of kids so tons to do for them.....when they're not under quarantine, that is.

Julington Creek Plantation is another one to look into. It's a bit older but is a big master planned community that is a bit closer to everything, which I'm sure your wife will appreciate. You would get way more house/lot there vs. Palencia. Do you have a budget?

Thanks, I'll look into Julington as well...

We do have a budget, although I am sticking with less than mathematically a bank will allow me to borrow. I usually play it real safe and live below our means. ( out here we could have upgraded homes along time ago but stayed in the same locals working class neighborhood vs. a more touristy better maintained area)

This will be the first time going for a more "extravagant" purchase... We're usually in the 1800sqft range, but looking at 4000+

[sick of the winter]

Anyone who lives or know of the costs.....

--Average monthly or quarterly water/sewer bill? We currently pay about $130/month for Water/sewer

--Do most people have a sprinkler system or does it rain enough to keep the lawn green?

--from what I remember, a/c runs continuously in the mid Spring-Mid Fall period? Cold enough in the winter months to just have some windows open? The last time I lived in FL was in an apartment complex a little farther South, so no reference for a larger home.)

[MNEscapee]

Palencia used to be isolated due to the lack of a grocery store, gas and restaurants. BUT in the past 24 months that's been resolved with the addition of Publix, Cincy De Mayo (Mexican), Your Pie (Additional Pizza), Christies Dream (Ice Cream) and a RaceTrack and One other gas station, Liquor, Irish Pub, Chinese Restaurant, New York Pizza, Dry Cleaner, Multiple Hair places and UPS Store. All right at the entrance. Depending on where you live in the neighborhood it might take 10 min to get to all that. There is an elementary school in the neighborhood as well. Each enclave also has active and passive parks for the kids to play. If all that stuff isn't enough you can get to old St Augustine in 25min or Nocatee the same or Town Center in 30min or Downtown Jacksonville in 45min - 1hr. It's 25min to the beach and 1 hour to Daytona.

You definitely want a well for sprinkling to keep water/sewer costs down. Palencia has Natural Gas which is a plus over some neighborhoods. All homes are required to have sprinkler systems. Right now we have our windows open that's possible at some points in the winters but sometimes its 85 in December so you never know.

[Florida2014]

Originally Posted by sick of the winter

Anyone who lives or know of the costs.....

--Average monthly or quarterly water/sewer bill? We currently pay about $130/month for Water/sewer

--Do most people have a sprinkler system or does it rain enough to keep the lawn green?

--from what I remember, a/c runs continuously in the mid Spring-Mid Fall period? Cold enough in the winter months to just have some windows open? The last time I lived in FL was in an apartment complex a little farther South, so no reference for a larger home.)

We have JEA and that's combined water/sewer/electric. In the summer we run around $300-$350/mo. This year I expect that to be much more with everyone home.

You'll need a sprinkler system, most all homes have them. Every spring around this time we run into a fairly significant drought, this year is no different. You'll use reclaimed water for that, which is extraordinarily expensive. This drives me nuts every year, for the record.

We basically run our A/C from mid-March through November, non-stop. Our house was built in 2007 and we already had to replace both A/C units last year. If you have a 2 story home, you'll likely have two A/C units for the house. In the winter it gets pretty cold at night (30s/40s) but that really only goes from December thru February. I feel like we go straight from AC to heat, then back to AC. Can't really leave the windows open because in the spring when it warms up, the pollen/allergy season hits and that yellow dust is everywhere. You don't want to leave your windows open and let that stuff blown in your house.

[NextExit40Miles]

Originally Posted by Florida2014

We have JEA and that's combined water/sewer/electric. In the summer we run around $300-$350/mo. This year I expect that to be much more with everyone home.

FL2014 $300-$350/mo sounds rather high, about how much of that is A/C usage ? What size home do you have and is gas separate, or do you have electric range/heat. Is the reclaimed water included in the $300-$350/mo billing ?

Originally Posted by Florida2014

You'll use reclaimed water for that, which is extraordinarily expensive. This drives me nuts every year, for the record.

Not familiar with reclaimed water, is it also supplied through JEA and how does the cost compare to the regular water supply ? Do they charge for sewer usage as it's mostly for lawn care ? I'm assuming there are two separate meters, is that correct ?