confused between saint John and St Augustine (Jacksonville, Plantation: new home, buying)

[jahnvi25]

We are planning to move to florida from NJ in summer 2022..we are family of 3 with one kid. so schooling is really important. We like outdoor activities and hiking/walking in park. and our kid loves swimming and all ocean animals. he is currently in elementary school.. we dont like too many crowded places.

both me and my husband works from home.. so there is no commute. we are planning to buy home around Feb or March time frame..will look for 4 bed/2+ bath around 2500 sqft home.

budget would be around 500k.. is that enough for good school district ? i was looking at some houses in saint John area.. and they are really priced anywhere from lower 400K to upper 700K.. this is very confusing.

Can please anyone suggest any good area around.. and whats the difference and more details on these 2 places. i have read good stuff about fleming island as well.. but not sure about schooling over there..


Thanks a lot

[workerant]

Google Heritage Oaks. Just off Russell Samson. It has your name on it. I am in the know. Thank me later.

[Gatoriole]

I live in Fleming Island and I think it would fit your criteria. The schools are very good, probably slightly below St. Johns, but well above Saint Augustine.

[Scottamemnon]

In general the best schools are in Northern St Johns county, Fleming Island in Clay County, and in Nassau County. There are good schools in Duval county as well, however you need to pay a lot more attention to where your children are zoned.

Of those above, if the beach is a big deal, Fleming Island is not ideal although its a great community.

For St Johns county you generally want to look between Race Track Road on the north end and SR16 on the south end to be in the best schools... just draw a line to the ocean along those two road ways.

When it comes to your budget, Nassau County will be a lot easier to do. Look at the newer communities of Wildlight and Tributary which are being built now. They have their own brand new Elementary School and will be building 2 hospitals and a bunch of retail around it. In the past I would suggest on Amelia Island with your budget, but I do not think it will be possible with your budget anymore.. maybe a year ago.

[jahnvi25]

Thanks a lot for all great reply. Beaches not that big deal for us.. we don't mind long drive over weekends.
Can anyone suggest good realtor ? My husband is coming to Jax for a week in October to look at certain area and stuff. as we have never been to Jax before..

i dont know why, but i am thinking of buying house in establish area ? not new construction .. Being in new Jersey, any house that is built after or close to year 2000 is new for us. Any thoughts on this ?? why should i prefer new construction and new community ? is there a big price difference ? also new constructions will have CDD fee ??


I am still looking at Heritage Oaks, so far i am liking it...

Need to do more research on fleming island..

[jahnvi25]

Also can please suggest good schools name for middle and high in saint John county and Fleming island.. i see lot of schools with good ratings.. thats very confusing..

Thanks a lot for all help.. i am excited to move there. but nervous as well...

[Scottamemnon]

If I were to do a fast tour of the region.. I would go from the airport, to Nassau County along SR200/A1A to downtown Fernandina Beach and the ocean, then head south on A1A and take the Ferry in Mayport. From here drive down the coast along A1A through Neptune Beach, Atlantic Beach, Jacksonville Beach and Ponte Vedra Beach. From here turn right onto Mickler Rd and go straight until you get to Nocatee. Check out Nocatee for sure. Take the left turn at Valley Ridge Blvd and connect to CR210. Here check out all the new home developments along CR210 seeing such places as Beachwalk and Shearwater.. eventually finding your way to Rivertown. From here go north on SR-13 until you see Julington Creek (older homes). Then drive up into Mandarin and get on I-295W. Get off on SR-17 S and go to the Fleming Island area, check out the Eagle Harbor area there. From there you have a couple other options. You can try to check out Oakleaf Plantation in Clay County, or World Golf Village in St Johns County. To see what is available for retail, wander over the St Johns Town Center.

I am sure people can add some to the list above, but would hit a lot of the "hot spots" that people are moving into.

The schools in every place mentioned will be very good... you do not need to concentrate on only a couple. St Johns schools are best if you want a pressure cooker type environment where you kids will have every elective and special program under the sun. Nassau county schools are better if you want a more small town feel for your kids, more like what you were probably used to growing up in the Northeast. Clay county schools are somewhere in between.

As for New vs Used house.. I personally prefer new.. greater chance of getting a no stucco home(ask some of the veterans here about that), often better insulation and AC system, nicer looking communities, etc. Of course workmanship may be inferior to an older home. Also no real chance of existing mold and termite issues.

Some things to take note of. If you want a true town center like up north, you have very few areas that are not just strip malls, with Fernandina Beach probably being the best. Nocatee can feel like it a bit, but get ready to keep up with the Jones' and your budget is probably too small there now.

[Gromicide]

Silverlight, Shearwater, Rivertown

[jahnvi25]

Thanks a lot @Scottamemnon and @Gromicide for detailed information. specially for schooling and stuff.. now i have good names for further research.

[zerp]

Originally Posted by Gromicide

Silverlight, Shearwater, Rivertown

Silverlight? Do you mean Silverleaf?