Jacksonville Real Estate Blog: Market and Community News

Jacksonville property tax bills go out this month. The Duval County Tax Collector sends the annual notices every November, and paying in November earns the top discount on the annual bill: 4%. On a $5,000 bill, that’s $200 back for paying a few weeks early.

This is for Jacksonville-area homeowners opening this year’s bill, new owners who closed in 2026 and aren’t sure whose bill it is, and military families who own a home here while stationed somewhere else. Our team covers the discount dates, how escrow fits in, what a 2026 purchase means for this bill and next year’s, payment plans, and the military rules worth a look before March 1.

Early October gave Riverside a real-world drainage test. After the St. Johns River spilled onto Goodwin Street during the nor’easter, News4JAX reported on Oct. 8 that the street was clear the next morning, with residents crediting recent drainage work. Add September’s realMLS numbers, which show more Avondale listings than a year ago and higher Ortega prices, and fall is a good time to look at the historic west bank with clear eyes.

Below, our team covers what the high water showed, what September’s numbers say about each part of the neighborhood, and what that means for an offer this season. For the full neighborhood picture, from Five Points to the older-house inspection list, see our guide to living in Riverside.

Here’s something that surprises a lot of sellers: a December closing and a January closing land in different tax years. And the day you accept an offer isn’t the day the sale is done. Whether you’re selling in Duval, Clay, St. Johns or Nassau, the date the file can actually close is the one that counts. Pick it on purpose, or the holiday calendar will pick it for you.

Below are seven questions our team likes sellers to ask before December 31. This isn’t tax advice and it isn’t a net sheet. Think of it as a way to get organized: write down what you know, then take the file to your CPA. Florida has no state personal income tax, but you still have a federal return, a county homestead file, and a wire that has to match the contract.

If you’re buying a Jacksonville home from another duty station this fall, two things set the pace. The realMLS Market Review for September 2026 (data updated Oct. 6) shows fewer Duval homes for sale than a year ago, selling faster. And the holiday calendar takes working days out of November and December, right when many families are trying to close.

Below, our team covers what September’s numbers mean for a remote buyer and how to plan around the holidays. For the step-by-step process of buying from a distance, from video walkthroughs to signing, see our guide to buying a Jacksonville home from out of state.

Jacksonville hurricane insurance doesn’t get easier just because the air turns cooler. On Oct. 7, with Tropical Storm Isaias in the Gulf, Citizens Property Insurance stopped writing new policies and coverage increases statewide, Jacksonville included, according to its binding alerts page. The pause didn’t lift until 5 a.m. on Oct. 10, after Isaias had become a hurricane. Anyone trying to close on a house that week, or add coverage to the one they already own, had to wait.

This is for Jacksonville homeowners with a renewal coming up and for buyers who want to close before the end of the year, including military families on PCS orders. Our team walks through what the last weeks of the season still mean, how wind mitigation discounts work, the roof and flood rules that slow closings down, and what to do if this season touched your house.

Last year the cost-of-living number came late. The Social Security Administration didn’t announce the 2026 COLA, 2.8%, until Oct. 24, 2025, after the government shutdown held up the September inflation report it depends on. This year it came out on schedule. On Oct. 14, 2026, SSA set the 2027 COLA at 3.6%, according to its announcement. For Jacksonville veterans, that percentage does more than move a Social Security check. It’s the same percentage VA disability compensation and military retired pay are set to follow starting Dec. 1.

This is for Jacksonville veterans with a VA disability rating, military retirees, and the families buying, refinancing or holding a home on that income. Our team walks through how the number is set, what it adds to a VA award, how REDUX retirees come out, how a VA lender counts the new income, and the Florida property tax breaks that sit next to it. If you’re new to the loan itself, start with our VA home loans guide.

If you’re thinking about selling your Jacksonville home during the holidays, you’re not the only one wondering whether it’s a smart move. Here’s the honest answer: it’s a traffic question, not a right-or-wrong one. The grass is still green. PCS families are still moving. Weekday tours do get thinner between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, and the listings that stay live are competing with travel, school breaks and the neighbor’s inflatable snowman.

So instead of a yes-or-no slogan, our team walks through seven factors we’d weigh with you. If you’re already in fall mode, start with 9 fall selling moves that help Jacksonville homes stand out. If you’d like to start with the numbers, try our seller net sheet.

Fleming Island’s fall market is running at two speeds. September 2026 figures from the realMLS Market Review dashboard (data updated Oct. 7) show the northwest side of the island moving fast while the southwest side sat much longer. Meanwhile, road crews along US-17 and near Town Center Boulevard are still part of the daily drive. For NAS Jacksonville families house hunting this fall, that mix matters more than any single island-wide number.

Below, our team covers September by sub-area, the road work on the commute and why a closing before January 1 matters. For schools, neighborhoods and Black Creek, see our guide to living in Fleming Island.

If you’re touring homes around Jacksonville this fall, you may have noticed listings staying up a little longer than they did this summer. September’s realMLS numbers back that up. Buyers have a bit more time and a little more room to talk price. Sellers are still getting close to asking when the price is right from day one. And for military families, the report date on your orders will shape your timing more than any monthly number.