New - 1 Day Ago
$596,460
Active
4
Beds
3
Baths
2395
Sqft
--
Acres
138 Mariana Island Dr, St Augustine, FL 32092
MLS#: 2130357
Living in SilverLeaf, FL: New Construction, CDD Fees, and Commute Routes
If you’re looking at SilverLeaf real estate in St. Johns County, you’re usually trying to answer one practical question: will this place work for your normal weekday life — school runs, errands, practices, and the drive to where you actually go? SilverLeaf is a newer, master-planned community in a fast-growing part of the county, and you’ll feel that in real ways. Some days it feels clean and simple. Other days you notice active building nearby, the “one more light,” and how the area keeps changing as roads and neighborhoods fill in.
This is a tight-scope guide for homebuyers: where SilverLeaf sits and what “close” means in practice, what new construction really feels like here, how CDD fees work in plain English (and what to ask even if a community is known for “no CDD”), and which commute routes residents actually use. No price stats, no vague promises — just decision-useful details you can verify.
Quick fit check
SilverLeaf tends to fit you if…
- You want a newer home with newer systems, and you like a neighborhood that feels intentionally planned.
- You’ll use community amenities weekly (pool days, courts, playground time, dog areas).
- You’re comfortable with a drive-based routine for errands, school runs, and everyday logistics.
- You can live with building phases nearby, depending on the section you choose.
SilverLeaf can feel wrong if…
- You want mature tree canopy and older neighborhood character right away.
- You want walk-to-stores convenience as part of normal daily life.
- You’re highly fee-averse and want minimal rules and minimal dues.
- You need a “finished” environment with no nearby construction traffic.
Where SilverLeaf sits (and what “close” means in practice)
SilverLeaf sits between County Road 210 and State Road 16, near St. Johns Parkway and west of I-95. That’s the map version. The day-to-day version is simpler: most trips funnel out through St. Johns Parkway and CR 2209 (the newer north–south connector roads people use to reach SR 16/I-95 or CR 210), then split based on where you’re headed. This is not a walk-to-stores setup — it’s a drive-based real estate decision, and you’ll feel it most during the school windows.
Main ways in and out
- St. Johns Parkway / CR 2209: common first step out of the neighborhood.
- SR 16: east–west connector to the I-95 interchange.
- CR 210: frequent direction for errands and day-to-day services.
- Internal streets: how you move inside SilverLeaf before the main roads.
What “close” often feels like
“Close” in SilverLeaf usually means “I can do a weekday circuit without it turning into a whole trip.” Drop-off, groceries, pharmacy, one extra stop, back home — ideally before the afternoon school window.
When people say “we run to Durbin,” they’re usually talking about the CR 210 / I-95 retail-and-services cluster — a practical area to stack stops — then head back before pickup traffic builds.
Reality note: SilverLeaf is in a growth zone. “Close” can feel easy at off-peak times, and it can feel slower when school traffic and work traffic overlap and a lot of households hit the same lights at once.
New construction realities in SilverLeaf (what to expect before you buy)
New construction is the main draw here, but it comes with a specific pattern. One street can feel settled, then you turn a corner and you’re passing active building. If you’re sensitive to noise, trucks, or dust, it’s worth being honest about that upfront — because it can vary by section and by what’s planned nearby. In SilverLeaf real estate, the “street feel” can change fast depending on whether you’re next to an active phase.
Phases + lot feel
Most homebuyers notice the same trade: newer homes and clean layouts versus less mature shade. Lots can feel more open at first, especially before landscaping grows in.
Pay attention to what’s behind you: preserve, water, another row of homes, or a future phase. Two homes with the same floorplan can live very differently depending on the lot and what surrounds it.
Build stage changes your week
- To-be-built: more choices, but your schedule becomes selections and walkthroughs.
- Under construction: fewer choices, but you can spot issues earlier if you’re watching closely.
- Quick move-in: simpler path, but verification still matters.
What to verify before you buy (new build checklist)
This is the stuff that affects your daily life after move-in — not the brochure details.
- Warranty in writing: what’s covered at 1 year vs longer-term.
- Punch list process: how issues are submitted, who you contact, and how follow-ups work after closing.
- Drainage and grading: slope away from the home, swales, and spots where water could sit after heavy rain.
- Lot specifics: driveway pitch, rear view, streetlight placement, and proximity to neighbors.
- HOA / architectural rules: fences, rentals, parking, exterior changes, approval timelines.
- Construction adjacency: what’s planned behind you and whether you’ll live next to active work for a while.
- Inspections (if allowed): ask if third-party inspectors are allowed and how scheduling works.
- Walkthrough discipline: photos, notes, and testing doors, outlets, drains, and water pressure.
Small move that saves headaches: if you can, visit the lot right after a heavy rain. You learn more in five minutes about grading and runoff than you will from a sunny-day showing.
CDD fees in plain English (and what to ask even when a community says “no CDD”)
A CDD (Community Development District) is a special district that can fund community infrastructure and amenities. In Florida, when a home is in a CDD, charges typically show up on the property tax bill as a separate line item, often under non-ad valorem assessments. That’s why people talk about it as an ongoing cost: it’s tied to the property and commonly collected through the tax bill. HOA dues are separate — different bucket, different documents, different rules.
SilverLeaf is widely positioned as a “no CDD” community, which can be a meaningful difference in Florida real estate. Still, verify the parcel like you would anywhere else: pull the tax bill for the specific address and confirm what’s listed under non-ad valorem assessments. The practical takeaway isn’t the acronym — it’s having documents that match the exact home you’re considering.
What a CDD typically funds
- Community infrastructure (roads, stormwater systems, utilities)
- Amenity construction and financing (clubhouse, pools, courts)
- Long-term maintenance tied to those improvements
Exact questions to ask for any listing
- “Can you provide the most recent property tax bill?” This is where many assessments show up.
- “Are there separate HOA dues (master + neighborhood)?” Ask for both, not one blended number.
- “Are any dues paid monthly vs annually?” This changes the real monthly feel.
- “What do the dues include?” Amenities, maintenance, management, and access rules.
- “Any planned special assessments or major projects?” You want to know what’s coming.
- “Can I see the HOA documents now?” Fence, rental, parking, and exterior-change rules live here.
Where to verify (official sources)
St. Johns County Tax Collector: Real Estate Taxes | Tax Glossary (includes “Non-ad Valorem”) | St. Johns County Property Appraiser (parcel search)
If you want the deeper CDD explanation
You can go deeper here (and decide when a CDD is worth it): What Are CDD Fees in Northeast Florida? (And When They’re Worth It).
Commute routes residents actually use (and where it can slow down)
SilverLeaf’s commute story is mostly about direction and timing. The primary routes are straightforward — SR 16, I-95, CR 210, and St. Johns Parkway/CR 2209 — but the feel can change quickly when school traffic and work traffic overlap. You don’t need a spreadsheet to figure it out; you need one honest test drive at the times you’ll actually travel.
Commute compass (how it tends to feel)
Northbound
Toward Jacksonville
Most trips go SR 16 to I-95. The most noticeable friction is usually the interchange flow and peak-time stacking.
Southbound
Toward St. Augustine
Usually a clean interstate move once you’re on I-95. The “feel” depends on when you’re trying to leave or return.
Daily errands
CR 210 direction
This is the “stack stops” route for many households. It can feel easy off-peak and slower when school traffic overlaps.
Local connector
St. Johns Pkwy / CR 2209
A key connector as the area builds out. It’s often less about distance and more about how the lights and merges behave at peak times.
Do this before you commit: drive your exact routine once — school drop-off, school pickup, and your normal work start/end. The “yes/no” answer tends to show up fast when you do it at real times.
Road work reference: if you want the county project context for the CR 2209 / SilverLeaf Parkway connection, it’s here: CR 2209 between International Golf Parkway and Silverleaf Parkway.
This isn’t about memorizing project names. It’s about knowing which connector roads are changing and why your “usual route” can feel different year to year.
Schools and zoning (how to verify, and what to look for on a normal day)
Because SilverLeaf sits in a fast-growth area, school assignments are one of the few things you should treat as “verify every time.” Don’t rely on a community name or what someone heard last year — verify by address. If schools drive your decision, the drive to the campus at the exact times you’d travel matters just as much as the school name.
Verify by address
Use the official locator, then drive it at drop-off and pickup and watch how it flows back onto the main roads.
What “school quality” looks like in real life
- Drive the campus during drop-off and pickup and note how smooth it is to get in and out.
- If programs matter (advanced courses, special services, athletics), call the school office and ask directly what your student would have access to.
- Make sure your home choice matches your weekday pace, not just a pin on a map.
Fast-growth reality (a simple way to protect yourself)
Do this on contract day
- Run the exact address through the locator and save a screenshot.
- Ask your agent to include school verification in your due diligence routine.
- If enrollment timing matters, call the district and confirm the steps for that address.
Why it matters
In high-growth areas, boundaries, transportation, and capacity planning can evolve. The goal isn’t to stress about it — it’s to avoid assumptions and keep your decision anchored to what’s true for the specific address.
Safety and street feel (how to evaluate it for your exact block)
“Is it safe?” is a normal question, but it depends on the exact street and the routine you live. The practical way to evaluate this is to visit the block at a few times — early evening, later at night, and a weekend afternoon — and pay attention to lighting, how many people are outside, and whether the street feels calm or used as a cut-through.
If you’re narrowing down a specific listing, pull the parcel record and map context so you understand what borders the lot and what’s behind it: St. Johns County Property Appraiser. It’s a simple step that often explains why two similar homes in the same neighborhood feel different at night.
Future resale and long-term fit (an evergreen way to think about it)
Even if you’re planning to stay for a while, most homebuyers still care about future resale and flexibility. In master-planned real estate, the parts that tend to age well are the boring-but-important pieces: solid access to the main routes, a section that feels settled (not right next to the next phase), and a cost structure you can explain clearly to the next buyer. That’s another reason the tax bill and HOA documents matter — they don’t just protect you now, they help you tell a clean story later.
Who SilverLeaf fits (and who it doesn’t), based on observable routines
Often a fit
- School-focused households: if your week is drop-off, pickup, practice, repeat, the planned setup can make logistics feel smoother.
- Remote or hybrid work: if you only do a bigger commute some days, the location trade-offs often feel more manageable.
- Newer-home preference: newer systems, newer layouts, and a community that’s still actively improving.
Often not a fit
- Tree-canopy seekers: if you want mature shade and older neighborhood character on day one.
- Walk-to-everything routines: if you want daily shopping on foot as your default.
- Minimal-fee / minimal-rule preference: if you want the lightest HOA structure and the fewest restrictions possible.
If you’re cross-shopping, here’s the clean way to compare
Keep this simple. Compare the daily routine first, then compare fees and rules second. The rest tends to sort itself out.
- SilverLeaf vs Nocatee: start with commute patterns and fee structure, then compare the day-to-day feel. (Deeper side-by-side: SilverLeaf vs. Nocatee: Planned Living, Different Trade-Offs.)
- SilverLeaf vs older St. Augustine-area neighborhoods: compare newer systems and planned amenities versus mature trees and a more established street feel.
- SilverLeaf vs the CR 210 / Durbin direction: compare errand convenience versus how often you’ll be driving back through peak-time lights.
The straightforward takeaway
SilverLeaf is a strong fit when you want newer homes, planned amenities, and a community built around modern daily life — and you’re okay with growth-area realities: active construction in places, drive-based errands, and traffic that can feel different depending on time and direction. If you do the real-time route test drives, verify the HOA documents, and confirm parcel-level tax/assessment details, you’ll know pretty quickly whether SilverLeaf fits your weekday life or whether you’d rather be in something older, quieter, and more established.
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