Most planned communities in St. Johns County carry both HOA fees and CDD assessments — two separate costs that together define your real monthly carrying cost well beyond the mortgage. Josh Rogers of F3 Home Team has guided 225+ buyers through more than $125M in St. Johns County real estate over 10+ years, and the HOA-vs-CDD conversation is one of the first he has before any offer. HOA dues in the county range from modest amounts in smaller neighborhoods to several hundred dollars per month in premium amenity communities like Nocatee, Shearwater, Beachwalk, and RiverTown. CDD assessments — which appear on your property tax bill, not your HOA statement — add a separate annual cost that many listing sites bury or omit entirely. This guide explains exactly what HOA fees cover, how they differ from CDD fees, how to compare communities fairly, what restrictions you’ll be agreeing to, and the specific questions every buyer should ask before going under contract.
Josh Rogers here with the F3 Home Team — I’ve helped over 1,500 buyers and sellers in the past 10 years, and that experience shapes how I think about monthly affordability, hidden costs, and what buyers really need to budget for here.
Table of Contents
- What are HOA fees and what do they actually cover?
- What is the difference between HOA fees and CDD fees?
- How do HOA fee ranges compare across St. Johns County communities?
- What HOA rules and restrictions should I review before buying?
- What should I ask before making an offer on an HOA community?
- Frequently Asked Questions
What Are HOA Fees and What Do They Actually Cover?
The vast majority of newer, master-planned communities in St. Johns County are governed by a homeowners association. This isn’t unusual or a red flag — it’s the standard model for the planned residential development that defines most of the county’s recent growth. What the HOA covers, and what it costs, varies meaningfully by community.
In most St. Johns County communities, HOA dues go toward: maintenance of common areas, entrance landscaping, and shared green spaces; operation and upkeep of community amenities including pools, fitness centers, clubhouses, and sports courts; community management and administrative fees; and reserve funds for future capital projects. Some HOAs also cover lawn maintenance, exterior painting, or roof reserves — though this is more common in townhome and villa communities than in single-family home developments.
In my experience working with buyers from the Northeast, many are accustomed to paying high HOA fees for older buildings with elevators and doormen. In St. Johns County, you’re generally paying for outdoor amenities and community upkeep — a different cost structure with a different value proposition. The question is always: what do you get for it?
According to Josh Rogers, the F3 Home Team sees buyers make stronger decisions when they compare the full monthly picture before they fall in love with the headline price or tax estimate.
What Is the Difference Between HOA Fees and CDD Fees — and Why Does It Matter?
This is the most important distinction in this entire guide, and it’s the one that catches out-of-state buyers most often.
Many buyers from outside Florida hear “HOA” and assume that one number covers all community costs. In St. Johns County, it’s extremely common to have both an HOA fee and a separate CDD assessment on the same property — and these are not the same thing.
HOA fee: Paid directly to the homeowners association, typically monthly or quarterly. Covers ongoing community operations — pools, common area maintenance, management, amenity center staffing. This is what you see listed as the “HOA” on most listing sites.
CDD assessment: Appears as a line item on your property tax bill — not on your HOA statement. CDD stands for Community Development District. Many of the master-planned communities in St. Johns County were built using CDD infrastructure bonds that financed roads, utilities, and community amenities. Homeowners repay those bonds over time through this annual assessment. CDD fees are real, they are significant, and they vary from parcel to parcel even within the same community.
Communities with CDDs include RiverTown, Nocatee, Beacon Lake, Beachwalk, Julington Creek Plantation, Durbin Crossing, and Shearwater, among others. Silverleaf is a notable example of a master-planned community that does not carry CDD fees — a genuine financial advantage worth factoring into any comparison.
“The question I get most often from buyers comparing two communities isn’t about the home price — it’s about what everything actually costs per month after closing. HOA fees and CDD assessments together can add hundreds of dollars to your monthly carrying cost depending on where you buy. I pull both numbers before any buyer makes an offer, because the listing page almost never shows the full picture.”
— Josh Rogers, F3 Home Team
How Do HOA Fee Ranges Compare Across St. Johns County Communities?
Without naming specific dollar amounts — which change by phase, by year, and by home type within communities — here’s an honest framework for how to think about the range and what drives it.
| Community Type | HOA Level | CDD? | What You’re Paying For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premium amenity communities (Nocatee, Shearwater, Beachwalk, RiverTown) | Higher range | Yes, in most cases | Resort pools, lazy rivers, water features, fitness centers, trails, staffed amenity centers, events programming |
| Mid-tier master-planned communities | Moderate range | Varies by community | Clubhouse, pool, basic trail maintenance, common area upkeep |
| Silverleaf | Lower-moderate range | No CDD | Pool, clubhouse, community amenities — without the CDD bond repayment |
| Older/smaller neighborhoods | Lower range or none | Often no | Basic entrance and common area maintenance, minimal amenity infrastructure |
A higher HOA fee isn’t automatically better or worse — it depends on whether you’ll use what you’re paying for. Buyers who spend every weekend at the pool and pickleball courts are getting real value from a premium amenity community. Buyers who want a quiet neighborhood and low monthly overhead might be better served by a community with a lighter amenity footprint and no CDD.
When I’m working with buyers comparing communities, I always calculate the total monthly cost: mortgage + HOA + estimated CDD (annualized monthly) + insurance + property taxes. That number — not just the home price — is what determines affordability.
What HOA Rules and Restrictions Should I Review Before Buying?
Before you fall in love with a home, it’s worth reviewing the community’s CC&Rs (Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions) and HOA rules. These are the legal documents that govern what you can and cannot do with your property.
Common restrictions in St. Johns County HOA communities include: exterior paint colors and approved modification lists; fence types, heights, and placement rules; landscaping requirements (what you must maintain, what’s prohibited); vehicle and parking rules including restrictions on commercial vehicles, RVs, and boats; short-term rental restrictions (important if you’re considering Airbnb or VRBO); and pet policies including breed or size restrictions in some communities.
Most of these rules are designed to maintain community standards and protect property values — and they generally succeed at that. But buyers should know what they’re agreeing to before they’re under contract, not after. I always recommend reviewing HOA documents during the inspection period. Florida law requires sellers to provide these documents, and buyers have a right to review and cancel based on them within a specified window.
What Should I Ask Before Making an Offer on Any HOA Community?
These five questions should be answered — in writing — for any home you’re seriously considering in an HOA community:
- What is the current monthly or annual HOA fee, and when was the last increase? Fees can and do increase. Understanding the trend matters as much as the current number.
- Are there any pending special assessments? A special assessment is an additional charge levied when the HOA needs funds for a major repair or project not covered by reserves. These can be significant.
- What is the reserve fund balance, and is it adequately funded? An underfunded reserve is a warning sign — it often leads to special assessments down the road.
- Is there a CDD fee, and what is the specific annual amount for this parcel? The CDD amount varies by lot and phase. Don’t estimate — get the number for the specific property.
- What are the key restrictions in the CC&Rs that might affect how I use my property? Focus on the items most relevant to your lifestyle — short-term rentals, vehicle storage, exterior modifications.
These aren’t difficult questions. Any listing agent or seller’s attorney should be able to answer them. If they can’t — or won’t — that’s a signal worth paying attention to.
Frequently Asked Questions About HOA Fees in St. Johns County
Are HOA fees tax deductible in Florida?
Generally, no. HOA fees for a primary residence are not tax deductible at the federal level. If you use part of your home as a legitimate home office or as a rental property, a portion may be deductible — consult a tax professional for your specific situation. CDD assessments are also generally not deductible as property taxes, though the rules around this are nuanced and worth discussing with your CPA.
Can HOA fees increase after I buy?
Yes. HOA boards can vote to increase dues to cover rising operating costs, deferred maintenance, or underfunded reserves. Most HOA governing documents set limits on how much fees can increase annually without a full membership vote, but increases do happen. Reviewing the HOA’s financials and recent meeting minutes before purchase gives you a sense of whether an increase is likely in the near term.
What happens if I don’t pay my HOA fees?
Non-payment of HOA fees in Florida can result in late fees, loss of amenity access, liens placed on your property, and in extreme cases, foreclosure. Florida HOAs have significant legal authority to collect delinquent dues. This is not something to treat casually.
Do all communities in St. Johns County have HOAs?
No. Older neighborhoods, rural areas, and some smaller subdivisions in the county have no HOA or very minimal deed restrictions. If you’re looking for a home without HOA oversight, those options exist — particularly in older established areas and less developed parts of the county. The tradeoff is typically fewer shared amenities and more variability in neighboring property maintenance.
Is Silverleaf really the only master-planned community without CDD fees?
Silverleaf is the most prominent example of a large master-planned community in St. Johns County that does not carry CDD fees — which is genuinely unusual in this market. There are other smaller communities and neighborhoods without CDDs, but among the major amenity-forward master-planned developments that buyers from out of state typically target, Silverleaf’s no-CDD structure stands out as a meaningful cost advantage worth modeling into your comparison.
How do I get the exact HOA and CDD amounts for a specific property?
For the HOA fee, ask the listing agent or request it directly from the HOA management company. For the CDD amount, the most accurate source is the St. Johns County Tax Collector’s website or the CDD district office directly. I pull both numbers as a standard part of my buyer process before any offer is written — no buyer I work with goes into a contract without knowing the full carrying cost picture.
Have questions about HOA fees or CDD assessments on a specific community or property you’re considering? Reach out to Josh Rogers with the F3 Home Team — this is one of the most common conversations we have with relocating buyers, and getting the full cost picture before you make an offer is exactly what we’re here for.
If you want help thinking through the tradeoffs in this article, Josh Rogers with the F3 Home Team can help. Contact Josh Rogers.
Josh Rogers leads F3 Home Team, ranked among the top real estate teams in the country by RealTrends for three consecutive years. Based in St. Johns County, FL, F3 Home Team has helped hundreds of buyers find the right home — from relocation buyers moving from out of state to local families upgrading into their forever neighborhood. If you have questions about buying in St. Johns County, reach out at StJohnsWithJosh.com.
Josh Rogers, REALTOR® with F3 Home Team | Real Broker is the founder of StJohnsWithJosh.com. Josh Rogers and the F3 Home Team have helped over 1,500 buyers and sellers in the past 10 years, and his goal is simple: give you the honest, practical information you need to make the right decision.
