A Krista Fracke tour day

A First Home in St. Augustine, the Under $400K Tour Day

Owning near the nation’s oldest city costs less than most renters guess. The townhome and condo ring around St. Augustine lists inside a first home budget, and the lifestyle math is unbeatable: the plaza, the bayfront, and the beaches all inside twenty minutes. I ran this day with a first time buyer working downtown, budget between $225,000 and $400,000, and we ended it with coffee by the fort.

9:00 AM

Cordera, the newest townhome answer

Cordera is the volume stop of the day: townhomes at the entry tier of this budget, newer construction with garages on the SR-16 side of the city. For first buyers who want warranties instead of renovation weekends, it is the obvious opening stop.

Supply this deep also means negotiating room, which first purchases rarely enjoy anywhere else.

On the market here right now

For Sale

267 Ayamonte Road

St. Augustine, FL 32084

3 bd · 2.5 ba · 1,308 sq ft

$279,990Est. $1,490/mo

Listing Office: d r horton realty inc

What I love

• Deepest inventory of the day
• Newer townhomes with garages
• Negotiating leverage from supply

What to weigh

• Construction still active
• HOA covers less than condo dues, plan accordingly

CDD: Confirmed per phase.

HOA: Townhome HOA; we read the coverage.

Schools: St. Johns County schools; verified per address.

Search Cordera townhomes

10:45 AM

WGV Laterra, resort living at condo prices

Laterra sits inside World Golf Village with resort amenities that outclass anything else on this tour, and condos at the entry tier of this budget. It was built for a resort market, which means today’s buyers inherit outsized pools and grounds at entry pricing.

The diligence flag is the same inheritance: resort born associations need their documents read closely, and short term rental rules vary by section.

On the market here right now

For Sale

955 Registry Boulevard 212

St. Augustine, FL 32092

2 bd · 2 ba · 1,411 sq ft

$359,000Est. $1,911/mo

Listing Office: edwin bonneau, broker

What I love

• Resort scale amenities at entry pricing
• World Golf Village setting
• Furnished options for instant landing

What to weigh

• Association documents demand close reading
• A drive to downtown and the beaches

HOA: Full resort dues; we price what they actually buy.

Schools: St. Johns County schools; verified per address.

WGV Laterra condos for sale

12:30 PM

Lunch downtown, then Las Palmas on the San Sebastian

Lunch in the historic district, because this tour’s whole argument is proximity, then Las Palmas: the gated condo community on the San Sebastian River side, minutes from downtown, priced at the entry tier of this budget. Water views exist here at prices that sound like typos.

My buyer walked the river boardwalk and did the commute math twice because she did not believe it the first time.

On the market here right now

For Sale

2005 Mariposa Vista Lane 207

St. Augustine, FL 32084

2 bd · 2 ba · 1,182 sq ft

$229,000Est. $1,219/mo

Listing Office: christie's international real estate first coast

What I love

• Minutes from the historic district
• Gated with pools and river boardwalk
• Water adjacent pricing that undersells itself

What to weigh

• Condo financing rules apply
• Older buildings within the community

HOA: Condo dues; reserves and insurance read first.

Schools: St. Johns County schools; verified per address.

Las Palmas condos for sale

2:15 PM

Entrada, the new construction stretch

Entrada is the stretch stop: new single family construction toward the top of this budget on the SR-207 corridor. For buyers who started the day thinking townhome and discovered their budget reaches a detached house, this is where the recalibration happens.

The corridor is still growing into itself, which is exactly why the pricing works.

On the market here right now

For Sale

111 Alagon Way

St. Augustine, FL 32084

4 bd · 2 ba · 1,986 sq ft

$399,000Est. $2,124/mo

Listing Office: watson realty corp

What I love

• Detached new construction inside the budget
• Builder warranties and modern efficiency
• Room to grow

What to weigh

• A growing corridor, not a finished one
• Further from the beaches

CDD: CDD applies.

HOA: Modest HOA.

Schools: St. Johns County schools; verified per address.

Entrada homes for sale

4:00 PM · comparison stop

The comparisons: TrailMark and the county townhomes

Two reads complete the picture. TrailMark, twenty minutes northwest, shows what the master planned version of this budget looks like, covered on my TrailMark tour day. And the county townhome circuit, Bridgewater through Shearwater, is my first home under four hundred day. St. Augustine wins on lifestyle, the county wins on newness. Read both and know which trade is yours.

The TrailMark and Grand Oaks day The first home under $400K day

Want this exact day, planned for you?

A first home with the old city, the bayfront, and the beaches in daily reach is the best lifestyle per dollar in this market. Tell me your budget and I will run this day with the associations screened and the coffee by the fort included.

Or call or text Krista directly at 904-709-7917. No account needed, and your information is never sold.

The TrailMark and Grand Oaks day →The coastal condo shopping day →

Shopping this loop by school zone?

These are the school pages for this area — each lists every current MLS listing reporting that school. Assignments come from listing agents; verify zoning for any address with the district.

Homes reporting St. Augustine →Homes reporting Pedro Menendez →Homes reporting Sebastian →Homes reporting Gamble Rogers →Homes reporting Ketterlinus →Homes reporting R. B. Hunt →

Questions buyers ask on these tours

What does a first home near St. Augustine cost?

The townhome and condo ring is the entry tier of this budget, with detached options appearing toward its top. The historic district itself prices higher, which is what makes the ring communities the smart entry.

Are these St. Johns County schools?

Yes, the whole tour stays inside the county school system, which protects resale even for buyers who do not weigh schools. Assignments are address specific and verified during your search.

Which stop is best for water lovers?

Las Palmas puts the San Sebastian river boardwalk and gated pools minutes from downtown at entry tier prices. True historic district and bayfront addresses price well above this tour, which is exactly why this community earns its stop.

Can Krista run this tour for me?

Yes. Homes and buildings matched to your budget, documents screened first, downtown coffee included.

The St. Johns County communities

The county’s big master-planned communities — cross-shopped, compared, and costed the way buyers actually decide between them.

St. Johns County

The big communities

Compare them

Home shopping days

Schools

What your budget buys