Pros and Cons of Living in Jacksonville Florida

I know what you’re thinking……this crazy agent is going to tell me what she hates about Jacksonville Fl? Yup, sure am! Might as well dive in and get the hate over with.

Fire Ants! OMG. I was first introduced to those little terrors not long after I moved here. I felt something tickling my foot. I look down and see ants on it. I was like…awwwww so cute. As soon as I thought the cute part, I felt this excruciating burn on my foot!!!! It intensified as the seconds past. I was then like….no mama no!!! How are these little creatures from hell causing me so much pain???? Well, duh, that’s why they’re called fire ants. Alot of rain brings them out and they are sneaky too. They make piles of dirt. Those are pretty obvious, but sometimes the grass hides them and you don’t they are there. Cue the scary music……
Never. Ending. Road. Construction. I10 and 95S/N have been under construction since I’ve been here and that’s been 21 years! Whoa, 21 years is a long time. 🙂 Here’s a tidbit about 95 S & N, where I10 meets it….it can be a little daunting, trying to figure out which way to go when trying to get onto 95, south or north, but if you miss it the first go around, you have a 2nd chance to make it right, without having to get off an exit and getting back on. I know, you’re welcome. How about 9A S/N, that’s now 295 E/W? How’s that happen? North/South to East/west? Speaking of 9a…again. They are now adding a lane to each side. Why didn’t they do that when they were building it new? With no traffic.
Hurricanes. Can’t forget those on my list. We get one that’s close and everyone loses their mind, and buys all the bread, milk, water and can goods. Don’t forget the propane too. I’m sure you northerns can relate. Blizzard is coming and boom! No milk or bread in sight! Now, I’m gonna tell you something, but you can’t hold it against me later. Our area tends to be lucky when it comes to hurricanes. Our last direct hit was Dora in 1964. Don’t get me wrong, we’ve had some run up the coast or go thru the state and come out on our side. Irma caused flooding in areas that never flooded that bad. In 2004, we had multiple ones come through as tropical storms and there were trees down. Some people in Clay County lost poser for 10 days. We lost power for 2 days when Irma showed up. But, overall it hasn’t been a big deal. With that said do your research. I don’t want to hear that you said….. Pam Graham said we never get any storms. Pam Graham did NOT say that.
Crazy fluctuating winter temperatures! We can have 30 degrees when we wake up. Then by lunch time, we can don the shorts, because it’s like 80 degrees. Then when the sun goes down, we freeze again. I know what you’re thinking, poor baby 30-40 degrees isn’t cold. It is. Don’t judge me!!!!
No mountains and very flat. I came from a mountainous area and I actually don’t miss it. I know, I know, I’m weird. I just enjoy the landscape in Florida that much.

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Things I love about Jacksonville!!

NO SNOW!!!!! Woohooooo! That is the main reason I moved here. I hate the snow. Sure it’s pretty when it falls, but that doesn’t last long before you have to go drive in it. Then it gets all ugly and a mess. We did have flurries here a few years ago. I think it lasted a few minutes. Occasionally in January or February we have what we call Florida snow. That’s frost. It doesn’t last long before the sun melts it away. My wife loves it. Me, not so much.
Water is everywhere!!! There is so much to do in regards to water, that I’m just overwhelmed by the awesomeness. Rivers, creeks, oceans, lakes, etc… You name it. Boat ramps galore to drop your boats in. Lots of places to just go sit by the water and chill.
Close to many beaches! Okay, I know this is related to number 2, but it really does deserve its own number. There’s Jax Beach, Atlantic, Nepture, Ponte Vedra, St Augustine, Michler and my favorite…Vilano Beach. Which by the way, I got married on, close to the rocks, to the love of my life. It was a beautiful day and I loved it! Vilano curves around and you also get a view of down town St Augustine as well. It was one that you could drive on, but due to sand erosion and perhaps safety, that is no more there. You can still drive on parts of St Augustine Beach.

4. Palm Trees!! I love palm trees and that tropical look. There’s Washington, Jelly, Cabbage and so many more. They Not sure where these are from, but these are called cabbage palm trees.

are all beautiful in their own right. 5. Variety of different types of homes in Jacksonville. Downtown, you will see the older historical homes, with beautiful porches. Argyle area you’ll find contemporary homes, which is closer to NAS Jax. Close to Gate Parkway and JTB, there are many condo communities, for the people who want no maintenance living. 6. So many beautiful parks to see. There’s over 400 parks and recreational sites within the city limits of Jacksonville. There’s so many varieties as well. Some close to the water. Some with playgrounds or near baseball fields. Pocket parks to enjoy the outdoors with less space, and less people for some who like alone time.

If you’re looking to move to Jacksonville and got questions, call or text me at 904-910-3516. See below for free guides and links to search for homes in Jacksonville. Are you a home owner in Jacksonville and wondering what the home values are like in Jacksonville? Check out What’s my Jacksonville Florida Home Worth?