Buying a Home in St. Johns County: Mortgage, Taxes and Costs Guide

Short answer: St. Johns County has a higher FHA limit than its neighbors to the south, many newer homes come with CDD assessments on top of HOA dues, and St. Augustine's historic districts add their own rules. Your lender counts taxes, insurance, HOA dues and CDD assessments in the payment you qualify on, so collect those numbers before you write an offer.

Every figure below links to the government office that publishes it. We checked each one on October 22, 2026.

How much can you borrow in St. Johns County in 2026?

HUD places St. Johns County in the Jacksonville metro area. These are the 2026 limits:

Duval County shares the same FHA limit, which matters in Nocatee, since that community crosses the county line. Flagler and Volusia sit at the $541,287 FHA floor.

VA works another way. If you have full entitlement, VA sets no loan limit; your income, credit and the appraisal decide the amount. Our VA home loan page covers entitlement.

A limit caps what the program will insure or buy. Your income, debts and credit decide what you qualify for. For condo and flood rules under FHA, read our Florida FHA guide.

Property taxes and the homestead exemption

The St. Johns County Property Appraiser sets your home's value, and the St. Johns County Tax Collector sends the bill. If you live in the home as your permanent residence on January 1, you can file for homestead by March 1 (Florida Statutes 196.011). The Property Appraiser takes applications online.

For 2026 the full homestead exemption comes to $51,411: $25,000 off all taxes, plus $26,411 off assessed value above $50,000 that applies to every tax except school taxes (Property Appraiser; Florida Statutes 196.031).

Once you have homestead, Save Our Homes limits how fast your assessed value can rise: 3% a year or the change in the Consumer Price Index, whichever is lower (Florida Statutes 193.155).

The trap for buyers: the seller's capped value doesn't transfer to you. The Property Appraiser resets the home to market value on January 1 after you buy. If the seller owned the home for years, your second tax bill can come in far higher than the one in the listing. Our St. Johns County property tax guide walks through the reset, escrow and the tax calendar.

CDD and HOA fees in Nocatee and other master-planned communities

Many newer St. Johns County neighborhoods sit inside a community development district (CDD). A CDD is a local government that borrows to build roads, water lines and amenities, then charges owners yearly assessments to repay the debt and run the facilities. Nocatee, for example, falls within the Tolomato CDD, which covers land in both St. Johns and Duval counties (St. Johns County agenda record).

Florida law makes the seller put a bold CDD notice in the sales contract, right above your signature line (Florida Statutes 190.048). A CDD can bill its assessment on the same notice as your county property taxes (Florida Statutes 197.3632), so look for it under "non-ad valorem assessments" on the tax bill. Many of these communities also have an HOA, with dues billed separately.

How lenders count them: both fees go into the payment you qualify on.

• HUD's FHA handbook lists HOA or condo fees and special assessments in the total mortgage payment, next to principal, interest, taxes and insurance (HUD Handbook 4000.1).
• Fannie Mae's housing expense includes special assessments and owners' association dues (Selling Guide B3-6-03).

Ask the seller or builder for the latest tax bill showing the CDD line and for the HOA's dues statement. Your lender needs both to figure the payment.

St. Augustine historic districts and older homes

The City of St. Augustine has five Historic Preservation zoning districts. In those districts you need a Certificate of Appropriateness from the city for most exterior work, and you need a Certificate of Demolition before fully tearing down any structure 50 years old or older anywhere in city limits (City of St. Augustine HARB applications). The city's GIS map shows whether an address sits in one of those districts. If you plan a new roof, windows or an addition, ask the city's preservation staff before you close.

Older homes: loan and insurance questions

• Lead paint: for a home built before 1978, the seller must disclose known lead-based paint, and your lender makes sure you received the EPA pamphlet (HUD Handbook 4000.1).
• Repairs: an FHA 203(k) loan can roll repair costs into the mortgage, including lead-paint stabilization on pre-1978 homes. The work still has to meet local codes, and in a historic district that includes the city's review.
• Roof age and insurance: a Florida insurer can't refuse or drop your policy only because the roof is under 15 years old. For an older roof, you can pay for an inspection, and if it shows at least five years of life left, the insurer can't refuse you over the roof's age alone (Florida Statutes 627.7011).

Flood zones and coastal insurance

St. Johns County runs a Flood Zone Viewer where you can search by address or parcel number, and FEMA's Flood Map Service Center has the official maps. If any part of the home sits in a FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area, your lender will require flood insurance on an FHA, VA or conventional loan for as long as you have the loan. A flood zone and a hurricane evacuation zone are different maps, so check both.

Florida sellers must now give you a flood disclosure at or before contract signing. It says whether they know of flood damage, filed a flood claim or got FEMA help for flood damage while they owned the home (Florida Statutes 689.302). Read it next to the flood map.

Homeowners insurance excludes flood, so you'll price two policies on a coastal home in Ponte Vedra Beach or on Anastasia Island. Get both quotes before your inspection period ends. Our page on VA loans and Florida flood and wind insurance covers the policy rules in more depth.

Condos: milestone inspections and reserve studies

Florida's condo safety laws apply to buildings three or more habitable stories tall:

• Milestone inspection: an engineer or architect inspects the building by December 31 of the year it turns 30, then every 10 years. Local officials can move the first one to 25 years for buildings near salt water (Florida Statutes 553.899).
• Structural integrity reserve study: the association prices the roof, structure, fire protection, plumbing, electrical, waterproofing, windows and doors at least every 10 years, and in most cases owners can no longer vote to skip reserves for those items (Florida Statutes 718.112).

If either one finds work the reserves can't cover, owners pay a special assessment, and your lender counts that in your payment. Ask for both reports before you make an offer. Our page on Florida condo special assessments explains how an assessment affects a loan.

Down payment help in St. Johns County

Florida Hometown Heroes lends up to 5% of your first mortgage, with a $10,000 minimum and $35,000 maximum, as a 0% deferred second mortgage. You repay it when you sell, refinance or stop living in the home. It's for first-time, income-qualified buyers who work full-time for a Florida-based employer in fields such as health care, schools, first response, public safety or child care, plus servicemembers and veterans who meet the program rules. Funding changes during the year. Our Hometown Heroes page and first-time home buyer page cover how to apply.

Florida closing taxes

Florida charges these taxes at closing:

• Documentary stamp tax on the deed: 70 cents per $100 of the price (Florida Statutes 201.02). The sales contract decides who pays.
• Documentary stamp tax on the note and mortgage: 35 cents per $100 of the loan (Florida Statutes 201.08).
• Intangible tax on the mortgage: a one-time 2 mills, or $2 per $1,000 of the loan (Florida Statutes 199.133).

Your Loan Estimate lists each one.

Ponte Vedra, St. Augustine, St. Johns and Nocatee at a glance

• Ponte Vedra and Ponte Vedra Beach: coastal northeast St. Johns County. Check the flood zone, wind insurance and, in condo buildings, the milestone inspection and reserve study. If your price puts the loan above the $832,750 conforming limit, you'll compare jumbo options.
• St. Augustine: the city's five historic districts add a permit step for exterior work, and older homes raise the lead-paint, roof and insurance questions above. On Anastasia Island and near the beaches, check the flood map first.
• St. Johns: the unincorporated northwest part of the county has many newer subdivisions. Ask whether the home sits in a CDD and get the HOA dues in writing.
• Nocatee: a master-planned community in the Tolomato CDD. Most of it lies in St. Johns County and part lies in Duval County, so confirm which county taxes the home. Both counties carry the same 2026 FHA limit.

St. Johns County home buying questions

What is the 2026 FHA loan limit in St. Johns County?

$580,750 for a one-unit home, per HUD's lookup. The conforming limit is $832,750.

Do lenders count CDD fees in my mortgage payment?

Yes. FHA counts special assessments and HOA fees in the total mortgage payment, and Fannie Mae counts special assessments and association dues in housing expense.

Will my property taxes go up after I buy a home in St. Johns County?

Often, yes. The Property Appraiser resets the home to market value on January 1 after a sale, so the seller's Save Our Homes cap ends with the sale.

Does St. Johns County offer down payment assistance?

Yes. The county's SHIP program offers up to $100,000 as a deferred, forgivable second mortgage for eligible first-time buyers, subject to funding and a waitlist.

Disclosure: This article is general information only and is not a commitment to lend or financial advice. Loan limits, tax rules and assistance funding change; figures checked against HUD, FHFA, VA, Fannie Mae, the St. Johns County Property Appraiser, Tax Collector and Housing office, the City of St. Augustine, Florida Housing Finance Corporation and the 2026 Florida Statutes on October 22, 2026. All loans are subject to credit approval and program guidelines. FLO Mortgage is licensed as a mortgage lender in Florida (MLD2621) and Georgia (#1835856), Company NMLS #1835856; Broker Owner Joy McCoy Flores, NMLS #1096400. Equal Housing Opportunity. 212 Moody Blvd, Flagler Beach, FL 32136. (386) 882-9980.