Blog Category - Homebuyer Guides

Jan 2, 2026 • 7 min read

What Are CDD Fees in Northeast Florida? (And When They’re Worth It)

A CDD fee helps pay for a community's infrastructure and ongoing upkeep. In Northeast Florida, it commonly appears on the property's annual tax bill, separate from HOA dues. Paying off a home's CDD debt does not eliminate its ongoing maintenance assessment.The useful question isn't just, “Does this home have a CDD?” It's, “What will I owe for this address, what does that money cover, and is it al

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Nov 14, 2026 4 min read

Dream Finders' Black Friday Mortgage Offer: What Happens to the Payment in Year Three?

Dream Finders Homes' Black Friday promotion includes a financing illustration with a $1,829 monthly mortgage payment in year one. By year three, that same example reaches $2,282, an increase of $453.And that's before property taxes, homeowners insurance and applicable HOA or CDD charges.The builder lays out the payment changes on its Black Friday sales event page, checked November 14, 2026. The p

Nov 14, 2026 3 min read

San Marco Train Horns Could Get Quieter. What Should Homebuyers Check Now?

Jacksonville is considering $90,000 for preliminary engineering on a 24-hour train horn quiet zone in San Marco. For someone buying near the tracks, there's a catch. The agreement would pay Florida East Coast Railway to study the work and estimate costs. It wouldn't make the horns stop.As of November 13, 2026, Ordinance 2026-0886 remains in committee after a November 10 public hearing. Buyers con

Nov 14, 2026 4 min read

Jacksonville May Buy 3 Ribault River Parcels. What Does the Flood Map Reveal?

Jacksonville is considering $1,818,000 to acquire three parcels along the Ribault River. At one of them, 0 New Kings Road, Home904's check of the city's flood maps found two different mapped hazard areas touching the same parcel.That matters when researching a home near the river. A flood-zone boundary can cross a property without covering the entire lot or building.As of November 13, 2026, Ordin

Nov 13, 2026 5 min read

Citizens Sent You a Higher Insurance Offer. Can You Still Stay?

A qualifying private insurance offer for comparable coverage can cost a Northeast Florida homeowner 20% more than Citizens' estimated renewal premium and still take away the option to remain with Citizens.That's the surprise behind the company's December 2026 transfer round. Citizens' official calendar schedules choice letters to go out October 28, sets December 4 as the choice deadline and lists

Nov 13, 2026 5 min read

Buying a Short-Term Rental in St. Augustine? 3 Checks Before You Make an Offer

On November 13, 2026, Home904 checked parcel and municipal boundary maps for two properties with St. Augustine mailing addresses. The Sanchez Avenue parcel falls inside the City of St. Augustine, where the city's zoning map shows RG-1. The Medoras Avenue parcel falls outside the county's mapped city boundaries, with RS-3 zoning shown in county records.Neither finding establishes whether the prope

Nov 13, 2026 5 min read

Luxe202 Opens Sales in Jacksonville: 3 Ways to Compare Three-Story Townhomes

Mattamy Homes opened sales at Luxe202 on November 10, 2026, bringing plans for 48 three-story townhomes to Glen Kernan Park near Hodges Boulevard and JTB (Butler Boulevard) in Jacksonville's Intracoastal West area.The four floor plans offer some revealing choices. One has a ground-floor bedroom and full bathroom. Another starts with flexible space and a half bath. Both put the kitchen upstairs, s

Nov 12, 2026 6 min read

Florida's 2027 Homestead Exemption: 3 Tax Scenarios After Amendment 3

Florida voters approved Amendment 3 on November 3, 2026, creating a property-tax difference that could surprise someone moving to Northeast Florida. Two qualifying homeowners with the same $300,000 assessed value could have $100,000 separating their non-school taxable values, depending on whether they maintained permanent Florida residence as of December 31, 2026.Under the new law, eligible estab

Nov 11, 2026 5 min read

Jacksonville Housing Market Study: 3 Questions About Prices, Comparable Sales and Equity

A new Jacksonville housing study released November 10, 2026, found that 162 Duval County census block groups, or 29%, moved into stronger market categories since 2014. Another 32, about 6%, moved down.That's a substantial shift in parts of Jacksonville. But it doesn't mean every home in a strengthening neighborhood is worth more, or that a seller can justify an asking price based on neighborhood

Oct 29, 2026 5 min read

Grand Oaks $20 Million Deal Approved: What Changes for St. Augustine Homeowners?

Grand Oaks has a new path to as many as 512 homes beyond its already-platted lots—and that path no longer begins with widening roughly three miles of State Road 16. On October 20, St. Johns County commissioners approved a revised development plan and a separate agreement calling for Pulte Home Company to contribute $20 million toward transportation instead.At the hearing, residents raised concern

Oct 29, 2026 5 min read

Clay County Flood Map Changes: November 18 Deadline to Appeal or Comment

Conceptual illustration of Clay County’s proposed FEMA flood-map changes and the November 18, 2026, appeal/comment deadline. It is not an actual flood map or an affected property.A proposed FEMA flood boundary could eventually change whether a Clay County homeowner needs flood insurance for a covered mortgage. But the opportunity to question that boundary comes first: November 18, 2026, is the de

Blog Category - Homebuyer Guides

What Are CDD Fees in Northeast Florida? (And When They’re Worth It)

Recent Blogs

Dream Finders' Black Friday Mortgage Offer: What Happens to the Payment in Year Three?

San Marco Train Horns Could Get Quieter. What Should Homebuyers Check Now?

Jacksonville May Buy 3 Ribault River Parcels. What Does the Flood Map Reveal?

Citizens Sent You a Higher Insurance Offer. Can You Still Stay?

Buying a Short-Term Rental in St. Augustine? 3 Checks Before You Make an Offer

Luxe202 Opens Sales in Jacksonville: 3 Ways to Compare Three-Story Townhomes

Florida's 2027 Homestead Exemption: 3 Tax Scenarios After Amendment 3

Jacksonville Housing Market Study: 3 Questions About Prices, Comparable Sales and Equity

Grand Oaks $20 Million Deal Approved: What Changes for St. Augustine Homeowners?

Clay County Flood Map Changes: November 18 Deadline to Appeal or Comment

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