Home Buyer FAQ

Bright living room with a stair and a kitchen beyond

 How much cash do I need?

There is no single cash number. Earnest money is whatever the contract says. You also pay for the inspection, and on a financed deal the appraisal is a buyer cost under local custom. Down payment depends on the loan. We will not invent a dollar figure for your file.

Budget for the move, a utility deposit, and the first insurance bill on top of closing. If you are hoping Florida Housing assistance covers the gap, confirm a program is open at floridahousing.org first. The map of those programs is Florida first-time buyer programs.

 Can I use a VA loan?

VA is for eligible veterans, service members, and some surviving spouses. The buyer generally certifies an intent to occupy within 60 days. Active-duty PCS timing has its own rules. We do not invent a 12-month waiver. The lender and the VA occupancy certification control.

Full entitlement has no VA-set county cap. Partial entitlement math uses the 2026 FHFA one-unit conforming figure of $832,750 for Duval, Clay, St. Johns, and Nassau. The VA appraisal is the lender's valuation and it checks minimum property requirements. Your home inspection is a separate contract. Tidewater is only the notice that value may come in short.

 Can I use an FHA loan?

FHA is a loan a first-time buyer might use. A repeat buyer can use it too. It is not the Florida Housing program, and it is not VA. The lender sets the down payment and the mortgage insurance. We do not quote an FHA loan limit on this page.

The FHA appraisal looks at condition as well as value. Peeling paint, a bad rail, or a roof at the end of its life can stall the file. Get your own inspection anyway. If the house is a project, say so before you fall in love with the payment.

 Can I use a conventional loan?

Conventional means the loan is not VA and not FHA. A conforming loan in this metro uses the 2026 FHFA one-unit limit of $832,750 for Duval, Clay, St. Johns, and Nassau. Above that, you are in a different product. Ask the lender which one they are actually locking.

Conventional can fit when you have down payment and you want out of FHA insurance rules. It can fit poorly when the house needs work the appraiser will not ignore. The underwriter decides. A pre-approval letter should name the product, not just a ceiling.

 Do I need a home inspection?

Yes, unless you understand what you are waiving. The inspection is your look at the house. The appraisal is the lender's valuation. On a VA loan those stay two different reports.

In Riverside and Avondale, point the inspector at older electrical and the roof. On the river and at the beaches, ask about flood before you treat a low price as a win. In newer pockets such as Oakleaf, eTown, Tamaya, or RiverTown, ask about the warranty and whether a CDD is on the tax bill. eTown has a CDD. We will not invent the annual amount.

 When do I file homestead?

Own and occupy the house on January 1. File by March 1. As of fall 2026, the window for the 2026 tax year is closed. In 2026, March 1 was a Sunday, so the timely deadline was March 2, 2026. The next occupancy date is January 1, 2027. File by March 1, 2027.

Late filing after March 1 is an extenuating-circumstances request, generally only until 25 days after TRIM. TRIM season is summer. The first $25,000 of homestead applies to every levy, including school. The additional amount for 2026 is $26,411 and applies only to non-school levies, on assessed value between $50,000 and $76,411. St. Johns County published the 2026 total as $51,411. The Save Our Homes cap for 2026 is 2.7 percent.

 Which property appraiser do I file with?

Duval is Property Appraiser Joyce Morgan. The portal is homestead.coj.net. Phone (904) 255-5900. The exemptions desk is 231 E. Forsyth Street, Suite 260, Jacksonville. The deed has to be in your name. The online session does not save. Allow about 60 days after closing for the deed to post, and file in person if it has not.

Clay is Tracy Scott Drake, ccpao.com, phone (904) 284-6305, second floor, 477 Houston Street, Green Cove Springs. St. Johns is Eddie Creamer, phone (904) 827-5500. Nassau is A. Michael Hickox, phone (904) 491-7300. One permanent residence. A Social Security number is required. Portability is Form DR-501T, filed with the new county when you file the new homestead. We will not invent a dollar amount that will port.

 How do I think about flood?

A FEMA flood zone is not a Jacksonville evacuation zone. Evacuation zones run A through F. Zone A goes first and includes the coast and, in many orders, mobile homes and RVs. Do not let anyone assign your street from memory. The map is the City of Jacksonville JaxReady Know Your Zone tool.

Get a flood quote before you waive an insurance or inspection period. Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, and Jacksonville Beach are three cities with separate city halls and Duval schools. Evacuation and flood insurance are the grown-up part of a beach search. Arlington and some Riverside river lots belong in the same conversation.

 Beaches or Orange Park for the commute?

Orange Park is Clay County, ZIP 32073, along Blanding Boulevard and Doctors Lake. For a lot of NAS Jacksonville families it is a straight shot. Fleming Island, ZIP 32003, is the next stop south, with Eagle Harbor, Fleming Island Plantation, and Black Creek along US-17.

The beaches fit Mayport better than they fit the west bank. Arlington, east of the St. Johns along the Arlington Expressway, is the other Mayport-side answer, with older houses. Mandarin, ZIPs 32257 and 32258, is a long drive to Mayport. Pick the gate or the job first. All four counties posted an A district grade for 2025-26 as of fall 2026. Look up the campus. We will not rank a county and ignore the drive.

 How does pre-approval work?

A pre-approval is the lender checking credit, income, and assets and putting a loan type on paper. A guess over the phone is weaker. Get the letter before you tour a long list. How long that takes is covered on how long pre-approval takes.

BAH is not an approval. Jacksonville MHA is FL058. As of January 1, 2026, published tables show E-5 with dependents at $2,181 a month and E-5 without dependents at $1,803. Look up your own grade at the DTMO BAH lookup. Then call (904) 309-0609 if the letter and the houses you like do not match.

 Keep going

• Florida first-time buyer programs
• How long pre-approval takes

Call (904) 309-0609.