St. Augustine & North St. Johns County Home Buyer & Seller Guide

Last updated: October 21, 2026

Michelle Ortelli, REALTOR®, Coldwell Banker Vanguard Realty, works with both buyers and sellers across St. Augustine and north St. Johns County, including Julington Creek, Durbin Crossing, Nocatee, Shearwater, Rivertown, Silverleaf, and World Golf Village. Every inquiry is answered by Michelle personally, never routed to a call center.

The St. Augustine Lighthouse seen through live oak branches
The St. Augustine Lighthouse. Photo: Unsplash

Key Takeaways

Market Snapshot: St. Johns County Residential, September 2026

St. Johns County's residential market in September 2026 shows prices still rising (median sold price up 3.5% year over year to $505,000) while inventory has tightened (2,103 active listings, down 24.4% year over year), and homes are selling close to list price (97.5%) in about 68 days, roughly 3.6 months of supply county-wide.
Source: FlexMLS market statistics, St. Johns County residential, September 2026, retrieved October 21, 2026.
MetricSeptember 2026September 2025
Median sold price$505,000$487,950
Median active list price$539,900—
Active listings2,1032,781
New listings668—
Pending sales352—
Closed sales514590
Average days on market68.382.7
Average cumulative days on market76.4—
Sale-to-list price ratio97.5%—
Sale-to-original-list price ratio95.0%—
Absorption rate (months of inventory)3.634.74 (Oct 2025)
Closed sales, trailing 12 months (Oct 2025–Sept 2026)6,872

Michelle translates these county-wide numbers into what they mean for a specific neighborhood, price point, and property, since a master-planned community like Nocatee or an older St. Augustine neighborhood can move differently than the county average.

Buyer & Seller FAQ: Answers to the 10 Questions Michelle Hears Most

These are real questions St. Augustine and north St. Johns County buyers and sellers ask Michelle Ortelli. Jump to any question:

  1. Why Is Michelle's Fee Structured the Way It Is for St. Augustine Sellers?
  2. I Put a Lot of Money Into This House, Can I Get It Back When I Sell in St. Augustine or St. Johns County?
  3. How Much Can I Get for My Home in St. Augustine or North St. Johns County?
  4. Is St. Augustine and North St. Johns County a Buyer's Market or a Seller's Market Right Now?
  5. Should I Get a Home Inspection Before Listing My St. Augustine or St. Johns County Home?
  6. Where Are the Best Schools for Families Moving to North St. Johns County?
  7. What Happens If My Home Doesn't Appraise in St. Augustine?
  8. What Is a Rate Buy-Down and Should I Use One Buying in St. Augustine or St. Johns County?
  9. Is New Construction in North St. Johns County Better Because the Builder Pays Closing Costs?
  10. Should I Leave My Home on the Market During the Holidays in St. Augustine?

Why Is Michelle's Fee Structured the Way It Is for St. Augustine Sellers?

Commission fees are negotiable and not set by law or any association; since the 2024 NAR settlement changes, buyer-agent compensation is agreed in a written buyer agreement rather than published on the MLS. Michelle's fee covers pricing, professional marketing such as Zillow Showcase photography, negotiation, and managing inspections, appraisal, repairs, and closing from contract to keys.

In practice, that means a comparative market analysis to set the right price, professional marketing including Zillow Showcase photography, and hands-on coordination of inspection, appraisal, and repair negotiations through closing. That is how Michelle relaunched a Shearwater listing that had expired with another agent, which then sold at 98% of list price (see client results). Learn more about the practice changes from the National Association of REALTORS®.

“Pricing, marketing, and getting a buyer's financing and inspection across the finish line is where my fee goes, that's the part sellers don't see until something goes wrong.”

— Michelle Ortelli, REALTOR®, Coldwell Banker Vanguard Realty

I Put a Lot of Money Into This House, Can I Get It Back When I Sell in St. Augustine or St. Johns County?

There's no guarantee a specific improvement returns its full cost at sale; recovery depends on comparable sales in your specific neighborhood, condition, and timing. National cost-versus-value research shows most renovations recoup a portion, not all, of what's spent. A comparative market analysis using recent St. Johns County comps shows what buyers are actually paying for similar updates.

Every improvement reads differently depending on the community, a kitchen renovation in Silverleaf and the same renovation in an older World Golf Village home can appraise differently once compared against their own recent sales. Michelle runs the comparable-sales analysis before pricing, not after.

How Much Can I Get for My Home in St. Augustine or North St. Johns County?

Your home's value is best determined with a comparative market analysis built from recent closed sales in your specific neighborhood, not a county-wide average. For context, the St. Johns County residential median sold price was $505,000 in September 2026, with homes averaging 97.5% of list price (Source: FlexMLS market statistics, St. Johns County residential, September 2026, retrieved October 21, 2026).

Michelle builds this analysis using closed, pending, and active comparables from your specific community, whether that's Julington Creek, Durbin Crossing, Rivertown, or another north St. Johns County neighborhood, since price per square foot and days on market vary by community and price point.

Is St. Augustine and North St. Johns County a Buyer's Market or a Seller's Market Right Now?

St. Johns County is running close to 3.6 months of housing inventory in September 2026, down from a 4.74 absorption rate in October 2025, with homes selling at 97.5% of list price in about 68 days. Under six months of inventory is often described as favoring sellers, though conditions are balanced-to-seller-leaning and vary by community and price point.

Source: FlexMLS market statistics, St. Johns County residential, September 2026, retrieved October 21, 2026. The 95.0% sale-to-original-list ratio also shows that many sellers adjusted their price before going under contract, so it is not a market where either side has unlimited leverage.

Should I Get a Home Inspection Before Listing My St. Augustine or St. Johns County Home?

A pre-listing inspection can surface repairs before buyers do, often avoiding renegotiation later, though it adds an upfront cost with no guarantee of a smoother sale. Florida sellers must still disclose known material defects under case law (Johnson v. Davis), so undisclosed issues carry legal risk; a real estate attorney can address disclosure questions for your situation.

Michelle walks sellers through this decision property by property; there is no single right answer for every home or every community.

Where Are the Best Schools for Families Moving to North St. Johns County?

School assignments are set, and can change, by the St. Johns County School District, searchable by address at stjohns.k12.fl.us, with school performance data published separately by the Florida Department of Education. Michelle does not name or rank specific schools; because zoning can shift, buyers should verify the assignment for any specific address before relying on it in a purchase decision.

Use the St. Johns County School District website to search current zoning by address, and the Florida Department of Education for published school grades. Because assignments can change between school years, Michelle recommends verifying directly with the district for any home under consideration rather than relying on a neighborhood's reputation alone.

What Happens If My Home Doesn't Appraise in St. Augustine?

If a home doesn't appraise, options generally include renegotiating the price to the appraised value, the buyer covering the gap in cash, challenging the appraisal with additional comparable sales through a reconsideration of value request, or following the contract's appraisal contingency terms. Which path fits depends on the contract language and both parties' priorities in that specific transaction.

When an appraisal comes in low, Michelle pulls additional closed comparables to support a reconsideration of value request when the data supports it. This is general information, not legal advice; a real estate attorney can review contract-specific appraisal contingency language.

What Is a Rate Buy-Down and Should I Use One Buying in St. Augustine or St. Johns County?

A permanent buy-down lowers the interest rate for the life of the loan by paying discount points upfront; a temporary buy-down, like a 2-1 buydown, lowers the rate for the first year or two before stepping up to the note rate. Sellers or builders can fund either as a concession within program limits, a licensed lender can confirm the details.

Whether a buy-down makes sense depends on how long you plan to hold the property and current loan program rules, a licensed mortgage lender should run the numbers for your specific loan before you decide.

Is New Construction in North St. Johns County Better Because the Builder Pays Closing Costs?

Builder closing-cost incentives are often tied to using the builder's preferred lender and title company, so the total cost, including upgrades, lot premiums, and CDD or HOA fees, deserves the same comparison as any resale. Buyers can bring their own agent to a new construction purchase; many builders pay buyer-agent compensation, but policies vary and some require the agent to be registered at your first visit, so confirm before you tour.

Communities across north St. Johns County, including Nocatee, Rivertown, and Silverleaf, include both new-construction and resale inventory, so Michelle compares total cost, not just the headline incentive, before a buyer decides between a builder's model and an existing home.

Should I Leave My Home on the Market During the Holidays in St. Augustine?

Fewer homes get listed during the holidays, which historically means less competition for sellers and often more serious, motivated buyers, even with fewer showings overall. In St. Johns County, December 2025 had just 401 new listings, the lowest month of the year, yet 634 homes still closed that month.

Source: FlexMLS market statistics, St. Johns County residential, December 2025, retrieved October 21, 2026. Whether to stay active through the holidays is a personal decision, many sellers weigh fewer showings against less competition from other listings and buyers who are shopping with a deadline in mind.

“December isn't a dead month here, it's often when the most motivated buyers are looking because they're the ones who don't stop just because it's the holidays.”

— Michelle Ortelli, REALTOR®, Coldwell Banker Vanguard Realty

Communities Michelle Serves in North St. Johns County

Michelle works with buyers and sellers in master-planned communities throughout north St. Johns County, plus historic and established neighborhoods in and around St. Augustine itself, and describes her coverage as most of north St. Johns County rather than any single zip code.

These are master-planned communities in north St. Johns County; pricing, amenities, HOA structure, and school zoning vary by community and by section within each community, and are best verified for a specific address through a comparative market analysis and the official resources linked throughout this page, rather than assumed from a community's general reputation. For a recent example of Michelle's work in this area, a Shearwater listing that had expired with a prior agent relisted February 1, 2026 and sold at 98% of list price in June 2026, and Michelle coordinated three closings for sellers moving from Summer Bay at Grand Oaks, a 55+ community, to The Villages in 2026 (see full client results). If your listing expired, the Stay or Switch self-assessment can help you decide what to do next.

Relocating to North St. Johns County

For buyers relocating from out of state or out of the area, Michelle walks the full purchase using The Clear Path Framework, Listen, Analyze, Strategize, Negotiate, Achieve, built specifically around the relocation and buyer process from first conversation through closing.

Official Resources for St. Augustine and St. Johns County

Michelle Ortelli, REALTOR with Coldwell Banker Vanguard Realty, professional headshot

About Michelle Ortelli

Michelle Ortelli is a REALTOR® with Coldwell Banker Vanguard Realty in St. Augustine, Florida, holding the ABR, CRS, and SFR designations and Coldwell Banker Global Luxury Certified Agent status. She works with both buyers and sellers throughout St. Augustine and north St. Johns County and answers every inquiry personally. Learn more about Michelle.

Ask Michelle a Question About St. Augustine or North St. Johns County

Your information is never shared. Michelle Ortelli, REALTOR®, Coldwell Banker Vanguard Realty, 904-570-8130, mortelli@cbvfl.com.