Ponte Vedra (Beach) (Jacksonville, Plantation, Country Club: for sale, oceanfront, crime) - Florida (FL) - City-Data Forum

southboundsav · 09-20-2008, 06:57 PM

Giving strong consideration to relocating to Ponte Vedra (Beach). Have questions in regard to schools, safety, cost of living, and recreation. We are an active thirty something couple with two little ones. We will have a fair income and are looking to spend between 500-700K on a home. We are currently in Southwestern PA and looking for some sunshine. We place a strong emphasis on schools and safety with two little girls! I would also like to hear from any physicians in a private practice setting in regard to managed care and payor mix. Thanks!

ShakenStirred · 09-21-2008, 07:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by southboundsav

Giving strong consideration to relocating to Ponte Vedra (Beach). Have questions in regard to schools, safety, cost of living, and recreation. We are an active thirty something couple with two little ones. We will have a fair income and are looking to spend between 500-700K on a home. We are currently in Southwestern PA and looking for some sunshine. We place a strong emphasis on schools and safety with two little girls! I would also like to hear from any physicians in a private practice setting in regard to managed care and payor mix. Thanks!

You will be just fine in Ponte Vedra Beach...great schools, safe, no state income tax, lots to do, and lots of great deals on homes!

Good Luck!

surferr · 09-22-2008, 05:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by southboundsav

Giving strong consideration to relocating to Ponte Vedra (Beach). Have questions in regard to schools, safety, cost of living, and recreation. We are an active thirty something couple with two little ones. We will have a fair income and are looking to spend between 500-700K on a home. We are currently in Southwestern PA and looking for some sunshine. We place a strong emphasis on schools and safety with two little girls! I would also like to hear from any physicians in a private practice setting in regard to managed care and payor mix. Thanks!

We moved to PVB a month ago from Philly.
LOVE it.... But moving from Philly I would have loved moving Iraq too.
No really... we live in the players club in PVB and there are a lot of families with children here. We have no kids but from what i hear the schools in St Johns county are fine. Our neighborhood is very safe. No fast driving cars and the riff raff is kept out of the gates. We paid less than $400 for a 2000 sq ft house so your price range is fine. I loved my realtor. She was fantastic. We closed during Fay (tropical storm) from our house in New Hampshire as absent buyers and she took care of everything even though the banks closed unexpectedly. I can give you her name and number if your interested.

Best of luck

floridasandy · 09-22-2008, 06:16 AM

money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2008/snapshots/CS1292795.html
this will give you a statistical breakdown on ponte vedra beach.

MovintoJax · 09-22-2008, 01:02 PM

We moved here almost a year ago and really like it here. Based on your criteria it sounds like the perfect spot for you.

I feel safe everywhere I go in PVB and honestly feel this is the safest place I've ever lived. Living in a gated community does help but there seems to be very little crime and lots and lots of police patrol so even if I weren't in a gated community I think I'd feel fine.

I think all of the PVB schools are fantastic and that's one reason we chose Ponte Vedra. I just have a preschooler but am thrilled with the quality of her education and the kindness of her teachers -- and I have a friend with kids at Ponte Vedra Palm Valley Elementary who is extremely happy with the low student to teacher ratio. I'm also amazed at how well behaved the teenagers are around here -- every time I drive by one they are smiling and waving and just generally seem like nice kids.

Cost of living is great because there is no state income tax amd there are lots of homes for sale within your price range.

Not sure what kind of recreation you enjoy. I see a LOT of cyclists and surfers around here. Not a lot of hiking because it's so FLAT in Florida. We also enjoy the YMCA.

Highlands/PVBeach · 10-25-2008, 08:49 PM

We live in Ponte Vedra and have for about seven years. It is a great place with almost 0 crime. We have a brand new High School that just opened this year and it will be top notch! The schools are a real plus. Many people move here and start their kids in the private high schools and then move them to the public schools in Ponte Vedra because they feel that they are as good as Bolles or Episcopal -- the top private schools in Jacksonville. It is a huge money saver!

We live in The Plantation Golf and Country Club at Ponte Vedra Beach. It is a gated community with a private access beach club restricted to our members and a golf course. It is member owned and we think the best thing going as far as gated communities in the area because of the beach club. Sawgrass Country Club also has a beach club, but it is much larger. The Ponte Vedra Club is a resort that has a Beach Club but also has private membership but is very crowded. We are members and seldom go for that reason. All the clubs have activities for young families and we have a YMCA in the neighborhood, great restaurants, and we are near St. Augustine and Amelia Island.

Nocatee does not have any beach access at this time, so you have to go to the public beach at Micklers Landing which is crowded by Ponte Vedra standards.

You can find all kinds of great houses here at great prices. There are some wonderful houses off Sate Road 210 that are close to great schools and great amenities. These are not in gated communities, but in wonderful neighborhoods with plenty of young people. Look for ones closer to the intersection of A1A, but anywhere south of the Intercoastal Waterway would be great.

Many people in our neighborhood (the Plantation) have moved from the midwest, some from South Florida. My husband and I are both Florida Natives who just moved to Ponte Vedra from an in-town neighborhood because we like the beach lifestyle.

You can't beat Ponte Vedra Beach. Come and visit. If you can, stay at the Ponte Vedra Club or the Lodge to be oceanfront. If you are on a budget there is a Homewood Suties and a Hampton Inn. There is also the Marriott at Sawgrass that is a step above the two budget options and a lovely golf resort.

I hope that this is helpful to anyone thinking of Ponte Vedra Beach as a neighborhood!

Insider Secret: There is a really quaint little road called Neck Road that runs behind the Guana River off Micklers Road that will give you the flavor of old Florida. The Ponte Vedra Club has a rustic party house called The Outpost at the end of the road and Kim Alexis lived off this road with her husband Jimbo Stockton when they were married. The Stockton family was one of the owners of the Ponte Vedra Club. Have dinner at Barbara Jeans on Roscoe, Blvd. on the Intercoastal for some great crab cakes and more old Florida ambiance. They are served with Pumpkin bread, yeast rolls, cornbread, and your choice of southern vegetables. North Florida is still Southern! Believe it.

lokahi · 10-26-2008, 10:56 AM

I have to comment that there really is no "riff raff" in PVB - I don't know why there are so many gated communities...I mean, this is not East LA. PVB has always been more upscale than other parts of the beach, and more recently, PVB has moved into the small fishing community of Palm Valley.

Alot of older houses and land were sold in Palm Valley, with owners who had lived there for years moving on to allow the gated communities to come in. Being a native of this area, seeing all of the gated communities makes me sad...there really isn't a reason for them down there, and I think it's mostly "oh, I live in a gated community".

I disagree with not allowing the public access to the beaches down in PVB. The beach is not owned by anyone, let alone those living in gated communities.

I hope you find what you're looking for, but I would also look at Jax Beach, Neptune Beach and Atlantic Beach, as they have a lot to offer and are great little communities - no gates to keep the "riff raff" out, tho

lol...

jenbak17 · 10-27-2008, 01:37 PM

Hello ...Highlands/PVB:
We have been looking for a second home in PVB, since last July. We love the area! We've looked at several in Planatation, but we fear the mandatory fees, especially as the economy is experiencing such uncertain times. There are many homes for sale in all of the gated communties. What happens if there are not enough folks to support the golf/beach clubs? Does the burden fall on the owners who remain?
We also spotted a couple of places off of Neck road in the 1 mil range. Am wondering about the remoteness and safety of living off of Neck. However, the plus is that there no HOA/club fees. At this point, I am concerned about carrying costs of a second home,with the economy faltering. Flood ins, homeowners and property taxes seem especially high in PVB. We figured out it would cost about 70,000 per yr after buying a home outright....no mortgage.

Would appreciate any thoughts on this.

Thanx...Jen

PS what do think of Plantation Oaks, seems to have lower fees.

Highlands/PVBeach · 10-27-2008, 09:28 PM

Well, I think the best thing about gated communities are the services. I have only lived in one for the past six years. Prior to that I lived in an in-town neighborhood where we brought up our family.

Now that we are out of town so much, they are great for picking up packages, holding mail, forwarding mail, security, etc. We now live half the year in FL. and half in NC. -- both in gated golf club communities. This is a new lifestyle for us, and we are retired, so it is a new luxury that we could not have enjoyed earlier. With this economy who knows how long anyone is going to be enjoying it!

Many of the people living in our gated community in PV Beach live in another location in the winter, so they are in gated communities for the same reasons.

OysterCatcher · 10-27-2008, 10:07 PM

"Many of the people living in our gated community in PV Beach live in another location in the winter" Really? Why does PVB not have a pleasant winter? Where do they go?