LIVING IN JACKSONVILLE, FL -JACKONVILLE REAL ESTATE - October, 2026

What Jacksonville Buyers Can Do If the Appraisal Is Low

If a home appraises below your contract price in Florida, you can ask the seller to lower the price, split the gap, cover the difference with your own cash, or cancel if your contract has an appraisal contingency like Addendum F. A low appraisal alone doesn't guarantee a right to cancel, so check your signed contract first.

What Jacksonville Buyers Can Do If the Appraisal Is Low

What Jacksonville buyers can do if the appraisal comes in below the contract price

You have four realistic moves: ask the seller to lower the price, split the gap, cover the difference with your own cash, or cancel if your contract has an appraisal contingency such as Addendum F. A low appraisal does not automatically let you walk away, so the first thing…

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Toll Brothers Delmonico at Bartram Ranch: A Broker’s Room-by-Room Tour of One of St. Johns County’s Most Popular Floor Plans

I walk through a lot of new construction homes in Northeast Florida. After enough model tours, you start to notice which floor plans buyers keep coming back to. The Toll Brothers Delmonico is one of them.

It’s one of the most requested plans I see from move-up and relocation buyers in St. Johns County. It’s also the plan my wife has been talking about for years, so I’ll admit I have a soft spot for it.

I usually keep my strong opinions about builders and floor plans for the clients I’m working with. This plan is an exception. In this post, I’ll walk you through the decorated Delmonico model at Bartram Ranch room by room. I’ll point out what’s standard, what’s an upgrade, what outdoor living really costs, and what to think about before you sign a…

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Middlebourne St. Johns FL: 2026 Community Update — ICI Homes, Real Build Costs and the Veterans Parkway Extension

If you've been looking at Julington Lakes or Oxford Estates because you want a larger home in northern St. Johns County, but you don't love the idea of buying somebody else's house, you should take another look at Middlebourne.

Middlebourne today is a different community than the one I showed buyers a few years ago. David Weekley has finished selling. ICI Homes is working through the remaining new-construction opportunities. You can still pick a homesite and make real structural changes to the house. And just outside the gates, Veterans Parkway is being extended south to connect with County Road 210 — a change I think could make this location even stronger.

In this update, I'll walk you through what's changed, what ICI is building, what one of my…

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What Building New in Jacksonville Actually Costs Compared to Buying Existing

Building new in Jacksonville typically costs more upfront than buying an existing home once you factor in land, site work, permits, construction financing, and CDD assessments. The right answer depends on your lot, builder contract, target neighborhood, and how you model property taxes on the completed home.

Is it cheaper to buy or build in Jacksonville, FL?

Building new in Jacksonville is rarely cheaper than buying an existing home once you account for the full cost stack: land purchase, site preparation, permits, construction financing, upgrades, and carrying costs during the build. That said, the gap varies significantly by location, lot conditions, and the specific CDD and HOA obligations attached to each property. A true…

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St. Johns County Reverses Course on 15,000 Homes: The Enclave Fight, Amendment 3 and What Buyers Should Know

If you thought the agricultural enclave story in St. Johns County was settled, the last two weeks proved otherwise. County commissioners reopened two development approvals they had already granted, flipped them to denials, and set the stage for what could become a statewide court fight over a brand-new Florida law.

On this week's Thursday Night Live, Rachel and I walked through the latest enclave vote, where all 16 St. Johns County applications stand, what Amendment 3 on the November ballot would actually do to your property tax bill, and a fun proposal for a riverside farm-stay ranch near Tocoi. Here is the full breakdown, fact-checked against county records and local reporting, with what each piece means if you are buying, building or relocating to…

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Selling a Home in Florida: What to Disclose

Florida sellers must disclose all known material defects not visible to the buyer, plus complete a statutory flood-disclosure form at or before contract signing. Expanded flood rules effective October 1, 2025 now require disclosure of any flooding that damaged the property during ownership, insurance claims, and assistance received.

What do Florida sellers legally have to disclose to a buyer?

Florida sellers must disclose any known fact that materially affects the property's value and is not readily observable by the buyer. That duty comes from the common-law rule in Johnson v. Davis and covers hidden defects like structural problems, water intrusion, roof damage, and electrical or plumbing issues. Separately, Florida law requires sellers…

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