LIVING IN JACKSONVILLE, FL -JACKONVILLE REAL ESTATE

ICI Homes just put almost $20 million into SilverLeaf. On paper, that sounds like a simple land deal. But when you line up the purchase with the actual lot map, a bigger story shows up. ICI appears to have bought every one of the biggest lots in the newest phase of Hidden Creek.

That tells us a lot about where the Johns Island side of SilverLeaf is headed. Here are the seven things we think buyers should understand, including the pros, the cons and one school detail that surprises a lot of families.

1. The Deal: 82 Homesites for $19.8 Million

The Jacksonville Daily Record's weekly list of top commercial sales shows Intervest Construction of Jax Inc. (ICI Homes' company name) paying $19,808,000 in a St. Johns County sale recorded Sept. 7 to 13, 2026. The seller was Land Planners Development II Inc.

• The purchase covers 82 homesites in Hidden Creek Phase II, also called Parcel 45.

• That works out to about $241,500 per homesite.

• Hidden Creek sits inside the Johns Island section of SilverLeaf, the gated area near the Johns Island amenity center.

• Phase I (Parcel 44) was a 70-lot neighborhood. Phase II adds 151 more single-family homesites.

But ICI did not buy all 151 lots. Three builders split this phase.

• ICI Homes: 82 lots for $19,808,000

• Riverside Homes: 49 lots for $9,504,000 (purchase amount per Greg's review of recorded sales; not independently confirmed)

• MasterCraft Builder Group: 20 lots for $3,840,000 (same note as above)

Together, that is more than $33 million spent on building lots in one single phase of one neighborhood. Builders do not do that unless they expect buyers to show up.

2. The Lot Math That Tells the Real Story

Here is where it gets interesting. The Parcel 45 plan breaks the 151 lots into three sizes. (Lot counts are from Greg's review of the Parcel 45 plan.)

• 69 lots that are 60 feet wide

• 34 lots that are 70 feet wide

• 48 lots that are 80 feet wide

Now compare that with who bought what.

• Riverside's 49 lots plus MasterCraft's 20 lots equals 69. That matches the 60-foot lots exactly.

• ICI's 82 lots equals 34 plus 48. That matches every 70-foot and 80-foot lot exactly.

Our read: ICI did not just buy more SilverLeaf lots. It appears to have bought the bigger lots. That also explains why ICI paid more per lot, roughly $241,500 each, compared with about $192,000 to $194,000 per lot for the other two builders.

A quick word of caution. This is a conclusion from the math, not an official builder map. Riverside and MasterCraft have both built on 70- and 80-foot lots in Hidden Creek Phase I, so do not assume the builder you like is only on one lot size. Before you pick a homesite, ask for the actual site plan.

3. SilverLeaf Is Still One of the Top-Selling Communities in America

It helps to see this purchase in context. In RCLCO's mid-year 2026 ranking of top-selling master-planned communities, SilverLeaf ranked No. 7 in the entire country with 575 home sales in the first half of 2026. That is up from 504 in the same period of 2025, an increase of about 14 percent.

• SilverLeaf outsold big-name master plans like Summerlin in Las Vegas and Bridgeland near Houston.

• Nationally, new home sales fell 5.6 percent year over year in June 2026, according to the same report. SilverLeaf went the other way.

• For comparison, RiverTown ranked No. 20 with 300 sales.

So when ICI spends almost $20 million here, it is adding inventory in one of the highest-volume communities in the nation. What stands out is the type of inventory it chose.

4. Bigger Lots Mean Bigger ICI Floor Plans

Wider lots open the door to ICI's larger designs. One clear example is the Monica, a one-story plan with about 3,488 square feet, four bedrooms, four and a half baths and a four-car garage. ICI lists the Monica as a model in Courtney Grove at SilverLeaf, priced from $1,068,900.

That is a very different home from what fits on a 40- or 50-foot lot. Here is what we expect to see more of in Hidden Creek Phase II:

• Larger single-story homes with wider footprints

• More three- and four-car garages

• More pools and bigger covered lanais

• Heavier design-center spending and more structural changes

• Buyers who want to customize, not just pick a standard production home

ICI's current Courtney Grove plans run from about $923,900 for the Egret V to $1,241,900 for the Aspen (builder base pricing as of late September 2026; excludes lot premiums and upgrades and can change at any time). Not every home here will be a $2 million house. But the direction is clear.

Building at this price point? An expensive home does not make the process simple. Lot premiums, upgrade pricing, construction timelines and inspections all get more complicated as the price goes up. Our 9/90/180-day buyer plan helps you map out what to lock in now, what to watch during construction and what to check before closing. Call or text Greg at (904) 599-2125 to walk through it.

5. Parcel 46 and Courtney Grove: The Piece We Are Watching

Directly across from Parcel 45 is Parcel 46. What we are hearing locally is that those lots may become 60-foot ICI homesites tied to Courtney Grove.

To be clear: we cannot confirm this yet. There is no recorded ICI purchase or published site plan for Parcel 46 that we have seen. We are treating it as a rumor until a deed or an ICI site plan says otherwise.

Still, the strategy would make a lot of sense.

• If ICI knows a supply of 60-foot lots is coming across the street, it does not need 60-foot lots in Hidden Creek Phase II.

• That lets ICI put its more attainable 60-foot homes in Courtney Grove and its larger 70- and 80-foot homes in Hidden Creek.

• The result would be a clean product ladder on Johns Island, from 60-foot homes up to 80-foot estate lots.

If that is how it plays out, it would explain the $20 million purchase almost perfectly.

6. Location, Shopping and the First Coast Expressway

A commuter-friendly spot

SilverLeaf stretches between County Road 210 and State Road 16 along St. Johns Parkway, west of I-95. Johns Island sits on the northern side, which gives you options.

• North to CR-210, Durbin Park and Jacksonville

• East to I-95

• South to SR-16, World Golf Village and St. Augustine

Shopping is changing fast near World Golf

The World Commerce Center area already has Costco, Buc-ee's, Home Depot and Bass Pro Shops. Right behind them, the planned Legends Landing center shows a 12,500-square-foot Trader Joe's on its development plan, according to the St. Johns Citizen, citing the Jacksonville Daily Record.

• Trader Joe's has not formally announced this store, and there is no opening date yet.

• The same plan lists Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Hobby Lobby, Cheddar's and Floor & Decor.

• A separate 140,500-square-foot building has no named tenant. Target is a popular guess because of the size, but nobody has confirmed it, so we would not count on it.

The First Coast Expressway: big, but not next year

The First Coast Expressway (State Road 23) will eventually be a toll road of about 46 miles connecting I-10 in Duval County, Clay County and I-95 in St. Johns County, as Jacksonville Today reported. The segment through SilverLeaf from CR 16A to St. Johns Parkway is already under construction.

Editorial correction: our original video script said the remaining work would wrap up around 2030. According to FDOT's project handout, the final link from east of CR 2209 to I-95 started in February 2026 with estimated completion in early 2031. The new St. Johns River bridge is expected around 2030.

Long term, this is one of the biggest road projects in the county, and SilverLeaf sits right on it. Short term, expect construction traffic.

7. Pros, Cons and the School Detail You Cannot Skip

What we like about Hidden Creek

• Gated with private neighborhood roads. It feels different from the larger, open sections of SilverLeaf.

• Golf-cart friendly. One current Hidden Creek listing puts the Johns Island amenity center about 0.3 miles away.

• No CDD. SilverLeaf does not have a CDD, which is a big deal when you compare it with many newer Northeast Florida communities.

• Reasonable HOA dues. Current Hidden Creek listings show HOA fees around $1,700 a year, with a one-time capital contribution of about $1,800. (Figures from current marketing materials; verify against the latest HOA disclosure before you write a contract.)

• Location. Easy access north, east and south, as covered above.

What we do not love

• Few perfect water-to-preserve lots. You will find water lots and preserve lots. But the ideal combo, with water behind the house and untouched preserve behind the water, is not something we see much of here.

• Not a trail-first neighborhood. SilverLeaf has miles of sidewalks, cart paths and conservation land. But if you want wooded trails right out your back door, we would show you other communities too.

The tradeoff in Hidden Creek is about lot size, privacy, gating, amenity access and location.

The school detail

The St. Johns County School District opened Magnolia Oaks Academy, a new public K-8 school inside SilverLeaf, on Aug. 10, 2026. It is serving grades K through 7 this first year.

Here is the catch. The district's 2026-27 attendance-zone notice lists the specific SilverLeaf neighborhoods and parcels assigned to the new school. Hidden Creek is not on that list.

If this school matters to you, check your exact address on the district's zoning page before you buy. We tell every relocation buyer the same thing: the community name does not decide your school. The address does.

Local Spotlight: SilverLeaf Is Growing Up

SilverLeaf is no longer just houses and an amenity center. Here is what is coming online inside or next to the community.

• Beach Valley Mini Golf. A 36-hole mini golf spot with a clubhouse and pavilions is planned on about 2 acres south of SilverLeaf Drive, per the Jacksonville Daily Record. (Greg reports county approval on Sept. 4, 2026; we have not yet confirmed that date in county records.)

• SilverLeaf Market and Corner Shoppes. Publix opened March 26, 2026. Two more retail buildings totaling 16,100 square feet are targeted for restaurants and services, with construction expected to start in late 2026.

• Baptist medical campus. A 118,000-square-foot Baptist Health campus with 24/7 emergency care is under construction off St. Johns Parkway, targeted to open in fall 2026.

For more on what the county is approving and denying right now, see our latest St. Johns County development updates.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Thinking About Hidden Creek, Courtney Grove or SilverLeaf?

Before you walk into a model home, talk to someone who works for you, not the builder. We have represented more than 100 new-construction buyers across Northeast Florida. We never represent builders. Our job is to protect you.

We can help you:

• Compare Hidden Creek lots, builders and floor plans side by side

• Find out what is planned next door, including what has not been announced

• Negotiate lot premiums, upgrades and builder incentives

• Line up independent inspections during construction

• Compare SilverLeaf with Nocatee, RiverTown and Shearwater
  
  

LET'S TALK ABOUT YOUR NEXT MOVE

Call/Text: (904) 599-2125

Email: greg@livinginjacksonvillefl.com

Website: https://www.livinginjacksonvillefl.com/

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About Greg DeTullio, Broker/Owner, Living in Jacksonville FL Team

Greg DeTullio is a Florida-licensed Real Estate Broker and the founder of the Living in Jacksonville FL Team. With a decade of industry expertise, he has successfully managed over 200 closed transactions and earned five-star Google reviews. Greg specializes in Jacksonville relocation services and new construction within St. Johns County, proudly serving Nocatee, SilverLeaf, RiverTown, St. Johns, EverRange, Ponte Vedra Beach, and the surrounding Northeast Florida communities.

Living in Jacksonville FL Team | Phone: (904) 599-2125

Equal Housing Opportunity. Greg DeTullio, FL Real Estate Broker License #BK3332620, is a member of the Northeast Florida Association of Realtors (NEFAR). This article is general information only and does not constitute legal, tax, or financial advice. Confirm your specific costs, tax obligations, and transaction details with your attorney, tax advisor, lender, or closing officer.

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• ICI Homes SilverLeaf (1)
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• no CDD communities St. Johns County (1)
• Courtney Grove (1)
• Hidden Creek SilverLeaf (1)
• Magnolia Oaks Academy (1)
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