New construction
Buying new construction in Northeast Florida
The person at the desk in the model home works for the builder. Here is what that means for you, and what to establish before you write a deposit cheque.
St. Johns County has more new construction than almost anywhere else in Northeast Florida, and for many buyers it is the right choice: a house nobody has lived in, a warranty, and a community still being finished around it.
It is also the part of this market where buyers most often end up unrepresented — not because they decided to be, but because of how the first visit works.
Nothing on this page describes any particular builder's terms, incentives or warranty. Those differ by builder and by community, they change, and they are set out in the contract you are given. What this page describes is what to read and what to ask.
Register your agent on the first visit
Why the first visit decides it
Most builders require a buyer's agent to be registered at the buyer's first contact with the community — often on that first walk-in. Many will not allow one to be added afterwards. If you may want your own representation, bring your agent or name them before you sign in at the desk.
What it costs you
Having your own agent on a new build does not normally cost a buyer anything extra, because the builder's marketing budget accounts for it. Confirm that in writing for the specific community rather than assuming it — since August 2024 nothing about compensation is advertised in the MLS, and your buyer agreement is where it is settled.
Who the on-site agent represents
The sales representative is employed to sell that builder's homes. That is a legitimate job, done well. It simply is not the job of looking after your side of the contract, the lot, the timeline or the inspection.
The contract is the builder's paper
A resale in Florida usually runs on a standard form that both sides know. A new build runs on the builder's own contract, and it is written for the builder. That is normal, and it is also the reason to read it slowly.
The clauses worth understanding before signing are the ones about time and money: what happens to your deposit and when it becomes non-refundable, what counts as an excusable delay and how long the builder may take, how change orders are priced, whether the builder may substitute materials of similar quality, what the dispute process is, and whether the price can move between contract and closing.
I am a real estate agent, not an attorney. On a new-build contract, having a Florida real estate attorney read it is money well spent, and I will say so rather than pretend otherwise.
What to establish about the specific lot
The CDD assessment on that parcel
New communities across St. Johns County commonly carry one, and it arrives on the annual county tax bill rather than from the association. The amount is set per parcel, largely by lot width. In Durbin Crossing the FY2026 schedule runs from $1,339.23 for a townhome to $4,049.87 on an 80–83 foot lot; in Shearwater the 2025/2026 range is $2,321.69 to $2,964.51, of which only $162.52 is operations. Ask for the figure for your lot, in writing.
Lot premium and what is standard
The model home is usually finished to a level the base price does not include. Ask which finishes in front of you are standard, which are options, and what the lot itself carries as a premium.
What is still to be built around you
How many phases remain, what is planned on the land behind the lot, and roughly how long construction traffic will be part of daily life there.
Flood zone, even on a new build
Elevation and drainage on a new community are engineered, but the FEMA designation is still set parcel by parcel. Look up the exact address rather than relying on the community's reputation.
Financing, inspections and the handover
Builders frequently attach incentives to using their preferred lender. That can genuinely be the better deal, and it can also be a higher rate with the incentive priced back in. Compare the whole cost — rate, points, fees and the incentive together — against one outside quote before deciding.
A new house is still worth inspecting. A pre-drywall inspection looks at framing, and a final inspection before closing catches what the walkthrough will not. Builders' own quality checks are not a substitute for an inspector working for you.
Ask what the warranty covers and for how long, and get it in writing. Warranty structures differ between builders; what matters is the document you are given, not the general reputation of new construction.
Timelines
A new build runs on the builder's schedule, and that schedule can move. Contract to closing is commonly many months rather than the 30 to 45 days a financed resale takes. If you are selling a home, renting, or relocating on a fixed date, that gap is the thing to plan around first.
Thinking about a new build?
Send the community, or the lot number if you have it, and you will get the CDD figure for that parcel, the flood designation and what is still to be built nearby — before you register anywhere.
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