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Our Guide to St. Augustine’s Historic District

St. Augustine. It’s one of the oldest places in the United States and one of the most heavily visited.

We at ICI Homes promise it’s worth it. The Ancient City is less than 50 miles south of Jacksonville and under 100 miles north of Daytona Beach. That makes it the perfect day trip for residents in many of our communities! It’s the nation’s oldest city (founded in 1565) and contains many structures that are “the oldest” in some guise.

You’ll find six centuries of architecture, history and just plain “wow” moments. It’s also easy to find great photo opportunities and food and drink.

Let’s […]

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Mortgage “Gift Fund” Etiquette

Etiquette experts agree that giving someone a gift of cash for a birthday, graduation, or wedding celebration is commonplace. But, did you know that it’s also common to receive a gift of cash for a down payment on a home? In fact, in 2017, the National Association of Realtors Profile of Homebuyers and Sellers estimates that 25% of first time homebuyers used gift funds for their down payments. Receiving cash for a birthday or graduation gift may only require a thank you note, but for a mortgage, there is a little more paperwork involved.
Who can give:
Anyone can give you […]

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Cool Ways to Get on the Water in St. Augustine

Unless you’re allergic to water — is there such a thing? — one reason you may be planning a move to Florida is so you can dwell near an ocean.

Or, a cool, calming river, lake or creek within view of your backyard. And there are few places to better enjoy Florida’s watery riches than the metro Jacksonville area, where the St. Johns River flows through its downtown, and the Atlantic Ocean is only a few miles east.

But you don’t have to live in Jacksonville proper to find the water. Nocatee, the master-planned community south of “JAX” that’s one of […]

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Why Jacksonville is a Bit Different

If you’re considering a move to Florida because of career or other obligations, you understand immediately how crucial tourism is to the state’s economy.

It provides jobs, revenue, services and amenities, among other things. But, most of us likely don’t want to live right in the midst of a tourist area. That’s common sense and perfectly okay.

Good news! You don’t have to if you move to Jacksonville on Florida’s Atlantic Coast. There are many wonderful places to live in the state — which you’ll discover during your new home search — but few blend convenience with Florida’s spectacular natural beauty like […]

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Kids’ Guide to St. Augustine: Part II

In Part I, we introduced four fun activities for kids to enjoy on a first visit to St. Augustine.

Ready for more adventures?

We at ICI Homes know a fun expedition when we see one, and historic St. Augustine is just the place to enthrall and educate (without them knowing it!) your own youthful conquistadors.

Founded as a Spanish colony on September 8, 1565 by Don Pedro Menendez de Aviles, St. Augustine is the United States’ oldest city. That’s serious lineage, and sometimes the wealth of national historical sites, buildings and museums can be overwhelming even to adults.

It’s a good thing if […]

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Kids’ Guide to St. Augustine: Part I

If you’re new to Northeastern Florida and must occupy kids on weekends, holidays and during school breaks, we have your solution.

Take the youngsters to historic St. Augustine.

It’s the nation’s oldest city and a tremendous tourist, cultural and arts destination. It’s also less than an hour’s drive south of metro Jacksonville, which means day trips are easy from any ICI Homes community around “JAX.” It’s also just over an hour from most of our Volusia/Flagler area communities.

What’s great about the Ancient City? There’s so much to do and see that you can make endless trips here and nearly always experience […]

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Cool Facts About ‘JAX’

It’s gee-whiz time!

Especially if you’re moving to Jacksonville, Florida, or researching a move here. Allow us at ICI Homes to wow you with some facts and figures about your new, or soon-to-be, new city.

Jacksonville has history, amazing natural resources, a booming economy, established arts and cultural communities, and a great location as Florida’s northeast gateway. It’s bisected by the St. Johns River, one of Florida’s biggest waterways, thus its “River City” moniker (you’ll that one a lot). The other nickname you’ll hear is “JAX.”

But no matter what you call it, Jacksonville is remarkable for some significant and some not-so-significant […]

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Explore St. Augustine’s Aviles Street

Want to stroll the oldest street in the United States? Head for the oldest city in the United States!

That’s Florida’s St. Augustine, which was founded on September 8, 1565 by Spanish conquistador Don Pedro Menendez de Aviles.

Does that same sound familiar?

Regardless of how Aviles Street got its name, we know from its location that it was part of St. Augustine’s earliest layout. Today, Aviles Street is a narrow, bricked thoroughfare lined by historic buildings, residences, cafes and art galleries. It would have been a dirt street in a fledgling colonial outpost more than 450 years ago.

When the city was […]

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Four Unique Recreational Activities in ‘JAX’

Are you a new Jacksonville resident? Maybe a wannabe? Either way, it’s a great place to live and play, and we hope you’ve chosen — or will — one of the Jacksonville-area communities where we at ICI Homes build.

For now, we’d like to offer four slightly different ways to enjoy Jacksonville’s vast and bountiful natural resources. The city’s 840 square miles makes it the largest by land mass in the United States. It also boasts the nation’s largest urban park system, at 85,000 acres.

All that natural goodness, along with the St. John’s River, which flows through downtown Jacksonville, and […]

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How to Enjoy St. Augustine’s Beaches

St. Augustine is one of the United States’ most historic cities — the nation’s oldest, in fact — and offers enough historical sites, tourist attractions, unique adventures and experiences to keep you coming back for more.

But those aren’t the only reasons folks come to St. Augustine. The beaching is spectacular too, with municipal beaches, an immense state park and a nature preserve among the biggest options.

Read on to discover how to enjoy St. Augustine’s beaches.
Anastasia State Park
It’s one of Florida’s most popular state parks and a favorite among locals and day-trippers who live inland.

The barrier island across Matanzas Bay […]

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