We moved to St. Johns County, FL in 2021 for the weather, low taxes, great schools and competent government. And we haven't been disappointed. But through the moving process we discovered a lot about what we wish we'd known. We would have moved here, regardless. But there are definitely some things that would have made the transition smoother. We want to help you with a smooth transition, whether you're moving in-state or from another state, let us minimize your stress. 

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While we can work anywhere in the state of Florida, we focus on St. Johns County because we believe it's a fabulous place to live. However, we have a network of fantastic Realtors around the state (and the country, for that matter) who we would love to refer you to. These are agents we are in regular contact with and we respect how they run their businesses. If you'd like a referral to a great agent, please click here to fill out a quick referral request form. 

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Now, for those of you who are planning a move to or within St. Johns County, here are some helpful tips and we will be adding to this page regularly. 

 

SCHOOLS:

 

*Registering your child for school can take a while, so plan accordingly. If you know where you plan to move and want to make sure your child is registered for the right school, understand you can't register until you have a legal residence in the correct zone. Click here to find out about SJCSD attendance zones and please be aware that those zones are always subject to change. 

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In addition to residency requirements (see those here), you will need to have the correct medical forms filled out. This can take a while, especially if you wait till the last minute. You're going to need a Florida Certification of Immunization (DH 680 form), which you can find out more about here and here.

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You will also need the student's birth certificate and a current (within the 12 months prior to enrollment) health exam. For more info click here. 

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Helpful Links For St Johns County

School District Info:

District Website

How To Enroll

Attendance Zones

Residency Requirements

Character Counts Program

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BUYING A HOME:

One of the best things about buying a home in St. John's County is the flexibility. Because there are so many new homes being built, you don't have to settle for whatever resale homes happen to be on the market. You can pick from those or you can build your own! We can help you visit current homes for sale and we can introduce you to local builders.

 

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you give your name and number to a builder without being registered by a real estate agent first, you won't be able to have representation but if we register you first, we can stay with you through the entire process, which is especially helpful if you are moving from out-of-state. We can be your local eyes and ears through the entire building process. Please reach out to us to begin your search, no matter what kind of home you are looking for! And if you'd like a short-cut to get registered with builders, just click here and fill out our builder info request form. We will get back to you to determine which builders you are interested in and make sure we get you registered.

 

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TAXES:

Some people move here because of relatively low real estate taxes and zero state

income tax. This certainly makes housing more affordable, but do keep in mind that 

every community is different. Some have CDD* charges, some have HOA*, some have 

both and some have neither. It's important to know how these things will affect 

your buying power. 

*CDD = Community Development District  HOA = Home Owners Association

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WEATHER:

St. John's County weather is especially favorable to those who've lived in the north and are looking for warmer temps year-round but still want to be able to break out their fall sweaters and boots. While it gets hot and humid in the summer, the spring and fall are moderate temps and the "winter" is in the 50s and 60s for about a month or two with plenty of warmer days sprinkled in. ​

For more details on the daily average temps, click here. 

 

RENTAL LIFE:

Many people purchase a house from a distance. But some people prefer to rent locally while getting settled in the area and deciding where to purchase. This is what we did and we've met many, many others who have done the same. We wanted to get our son into school for the 2021-22 school season so we secured short-term housing in

St John's County. More and more apartments are being built in the county to address this need. Not to mention, most of the apartment complexes have fabulous amenities like pools, dog parks, walking paths, community centers, etc. For a list of apartment options, please fill out our contact form and put Apartments in the subject line. If you'd like to rent a single family home, we'd be happy to help with that as well. Just reach out and let us know you need help. 

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ARE THERE LOTS OF ALLIGATORS?

One of our builder agent friends says she gets this question constantly.

Yes, Florida is home to over 1 million alligators and southern Florida is the only

place in the world where you'll find both alligators and crocodiles. You can

find a wealth of information about alligators here. Or, you can visit the 

St Augustine Alligator Farm when you come to check out the area. 

 

So, while you should have a healthy respect for alligators and not approach them, they aren't generally out there hunting down humans and they really don't affect your day-to-day life in Florida. (It reminds me a bit of the comedy bit from John Mulaney about quicksand, starting at 1:10 below) So yes, there are alligators and no, they won't generally bother you. Just keep your distance.