Thinking of retiring to Saint Agustine

I would love to know what real estate is like in St. Agustine.

I am thinking of a three bedroom condo within the town boundries.

Have never been to St. Agustine but always felt it was where I would retire.

So let me hear why I%26#39;m wise or why should I think elsewhere.

Thanks,

Brian.

Thinking of retiring to Saint Agustine

Edcator: Look on the previous pages of the forum for St. Augustine for the post on: 3:55 pm, Nov 16, 2005 titled:

';Should we move from NH to St. Augustine?';

by NKB

Lots of advice on that post from people asking about moving here. MIght want to read what they said.

As far as in the historic district (within the town) a 3-bedroom condo will cost a couple of million. It is not cheap and there are not many ';finds'; anymore in the Old City. It is expensive here. High taxes and not much given to you for those high taxes.

There are also many ';golf

communities around here'; that would run you less than that - perhaps $750,000. or so for a nice place.

You must really come and visit, first, however for a length of time to see if it is what you really want. Good luck.

Thinking of retiring to Saint Agustine

The best thing to do is to visit the place where you%26#39;re thinking of retiring, no matter WHAT the real estate is like. The rest of your life will involve more than just an investment in property. You should make sure the lifestyle, climate, cultural amenities, health-care facilities, recreational options, etc., agree with you. It%26#39;s nice here - I%26#39;m going to stick around for a while - but it ain%26#39;t Hawaii. (I%26#39;m curious about why St. Augustine has struck your fancy, considering that you%26#39;ve never visited?)

That said, real estate values are going up, up, up all over Florida, and St. Augustine is no exception. I disagree with a previous post, though, that says you%26#39;ll have to pay a couple million for a condo in town. There are nice 3-bedroom condos available for under $400K within the city limits (check Las Palmas and Vista Cove. Also The Preserve on Anastasia Island). And there are relatively cheap condos available in a new development called Palencia, which is about a 10-minute drive north of the city and is destined to become a pricey and desirable community in my opinion, (although that suburban lifestyle is not to my liking). There are also larger condos and townhouses available close to but not ON the beaches in the $500K-$800K price range. Beachfront or waterfront property is indeed over $1 million - nice if you can afford it. Honestly though, I%26#39;d rather live inland a bit to avoid the inevitable hurricane whallops that generally hit oceanfront property harder than sites inland. Plus, if you%26#39;re a gardener, your planting options are limited out there in the briny beach breezes.

The best thing to do is to visit the place where you%26#39;re thinking of retiring, no matter WHAT the real estate is like. The rest of your life will involve more than just an investment in property. You should make sure the lifestyle, climate, cultural amenities, health-care facilities, recreational options, etc., agree with you. It%26#39;s nice here - I%26#39;m going to stick around for a while - but it ain%26#39;t Hawaii. (I%26#39;m curious about why St. Augustine has struck your fancy, considering that you%26#39;ve never visited?)

That said, real estate values are going up, up, up all over Florida, and St. Augustine is no exception. I disagree with a previous post, though, that says you%26#39;ll have to pay a couple million for a condo in town. There are nice 3-bedroom condos available for under $400K within the city limits (check Las Palmas and Vista Cove. Also The Preserve on Anastasia Island). And there are relatively cheap condos available in a new development called Palencia, which is about a 10-minute drive north of the city and is destined to become a pricey and desirable community in my opinion, (although that suburban lifestyle is not to my liking). There are also larger condos and townhouses available close to but not ON the beaches in the $500K-$800K price range. Beachfront or waterfront property is indeed over $1 million - nice if you can afford it. Honestly though, I%26#39;d rather live inland a bit to avoid the inevitable hurricane whallops that generally hit oceanfront property harder than sites inland. Plus, if you%26#39;re a gardener, your planting options are limited out there in the briny beach breezes.

Check the building next to the Casa Monica, they put condos in there and it%26#39;s a great location.

Capn....those condos are small (studio size)and sell for

a million $. I have friends who have looked at them.

Brian ';Edcator'; wants a three bedroom

condo........I don%26#39;t know of anything like that within the historic district and it sounds like

that is where he wants to live. Condos - I was thinking of those newer ones (2 yrs. old) on the bay down by the armory on Marine Street - large ones 1 - 1/2 million $.

Those are the only condos I know of in the historic district of downtown.

Until San Sebastian project is built, of course, and there will be many, many more available, whatdoyousay, about 2 years from now they will be for sale?.

St Augustine is lovely place to live and visit. I cant think of a better place to live. The town is full of nostalgia and charm, and the people are very nice and warm. The History there is great. Visit for yourself. You wont be dissapointed. The prices of homes are higher, but if you can afford it, well worth it.

Hello, Educator. I often wondered where people in Hawaii vacationed! Have you ever been to Florida? I also wondered why you would want to retire to St. Augustine without experiencing it. I prefer Hawaii to Florida, but know that Hawaii pays the highest taxes in the nation and probably has higher home prices as well. And I%26#39;m thinking that someone from Hawaii isn%26#39;t going to retire to, say, Minnesota just because the cost of living is cheaper there.

Anyhoo, St. Augustine is a very charming little town. I find it to be more of a ';southern'; town than the rest of Florida%26#39;s resort towns. Beautiful live oak trees, dripping in Spanish moss. The gorgeous Old Town buildings both quaint and massive. A walkers paradise. Mild temperatures, but not as tropical as their southern neighbors, Ft. Lauderdale %26amp; Miami. You may experience an occaisional freeze in Northern Florida.

You might also want to consider Fernandina Beach and Amelia Island. They%26#39;re not as well known as St. Augustine but have that wonderful antique, small-town feeling. Post back on this thread...we love ';talking'; about St. Augustine.