This St. Augustine video is different from the last one as I'm driving through the historic district, showing the oldest parts of St. Augustine. Thanks @CrissDrums for remembering it's my birthday!!😄✌️
I lived in Sausalito, CA for 8 yrs. and talk about a tourist destination! I mean, anyone sightseeing in S.F. found their way into Sausalito, as well. Bumper to bumper traffic in the summer. Really enjoyed this tour of St. Augustine, Michael. Thanks so much.
I can imagine! I was one of those tourists in Sausalito 3 years ago 😆 Although, when I was there it was actually quite calm and pleasant. I was there August 2018, nice town you have there. Glad you enjoyed the drive around St Augustine!
Before you get all over the moon with this place, do your homework about the flooding problems in this area. He’s right that it is way over priced and realtors are not as honest as this guy is.
Flagler built the hotel on the left at 11:50. It was originally called the Alcazar. He did not build the Casa Monica on the right but he did purchase it.
Happy Birthday May baby. Thank you so much for taking me around my favorite place. The seafood kitchen is still one of my favorite places to eat, no wall to wall people. Theres also 2 really good seafood places in east palatka on 17, i believe its 301 east to 17, but dont quote me. Try St. Augustine in early October a lot less traffic and ocean water soooo warm. Thanks again
Loved your video and commentary about St Augustine. I totally agree that the real estate there will correct itself. We almost purchased a new construction near World Golf Village but we felt the home was way over priced and not worth the price. In addition the community is in flood zone A. Totally love St Augustine but as you say the homes add way over priced. I think anyone who wants to buy here should realize the high potential of flooding. Something you didn’t mention in your video. Thank you for the tour and I think you will have much success in real estate. ❤️
Thanks! I honestly cant believe how much this area has appreciated in the last few years. I'm not sure it will last. As you said, a lot of the area is vulnerable to flooding. And if another big flood comes, that may change a lot minds.
@@MichaelBordenaro and in your opinion, if that big flood ever comes, do you think it will adversely affect real estate values? Thank you kindly for responding. 😊
Just watched the video and really enjoyed it. We've visited many times and always enjoy taking our company on the tram tour. We've learned so much from each driver as each seems to have a little different spin on the historic landmarks. When we go, we go early and are usually winding down our visit around noon. St. Augustine is a great place to visit, but we definitely would never want to live there due to the tourism pretty much most of the year. We've also really enjoyed touring the many antique shops. We don't buy that much, but enjoy seeing and learning how people lived from the their possessions. We have also eaten at "Harry's" and it is certainly one of the best. The A1A Alehouse (upstairs) is nice also. But, most times we pack a lunch and find a quiet little park. If you're coming into St. Augustine from the South, AIA follows the coast and there are many nice ocean views along the way. The tour of Flagler College is definitely recommended. It's amazing that this is a college to some 1500 students. Keep up the great videos, and good luck finding that special property.
I hope to visit Flagler College on my next visit. Still never been. Glad you enjoy Saint Augustine as much as me know how to appreciate it even though it’s busy😊
Just moved here in April. You rode right by the place I'm staying! (Actually a friend's rental, and you're all around my walking and bike riding trails 😁)
I raised my children in St. Augustine after leaving Miami. St. Augustine at the time (20 years ago) was a quaint little town. Moved to Georgia in 2007 and sure do miss Florida. Blessings to all of you God bless America 🇺🇸
Yes! Harry’s seafood is one of my favorite restaurants in Saint Augustine! Great atmosphere on the Patio... Used to have live music, not sure if they still do.
Yep great spot! They do have live music still! This time when we went it was so crowded though had to sit inside, there was 1.5 hour wait for a table outside by the music 😬
You got me all excited about the old mansion, and when you finally found it, we couldn't see a thing! LOL. A great video though, and a beautiful old town area.
Nice tour. I had one tour of Saint Augustine from my friends, who lived further away in Florida. They love it, I loved it, terrifically, interesting and sweet and beautiful. It’s kind of like our old Boston was with all those crooked streets and old old houses.
Glad you pointed out the difference fir St. Augustine beach as my Congressman lives there and less than a mile difference away is another congressional district
Cool video. I visit every month or two. Beautiful history and plenty to see and do. Although, I never see anyone ever mention the many pandhandlers on st George street and throughout the downtown area. Seems to be getting worse as time goes on. Unfortunately, Does take away form the experience a bit.
Really enjoying your tour of Florida. St. Augustine looks a lot like many little towns in Northern Ireland and Great Britain where I am originally from. Therefore, I will still head further south.....lol.
St. Augustine seems like a pretty nice town... I was there once when I was just a kid.... my oldest friends sister lives there (he's still on Long Island) he said that he was going to move down to Florida (probably there) after he retires... I just wonder how much more prices can increase.... it's crazy! One thing about the East Coast is that the traffic is just insane compared to the West coast... but BOTH can be a nightmare...Thanks for the tour... have a safe trip.
It is a pretty unique area John and because it’s so small the traffic can be nuts there’s just not enough room to support a high volume of cars. Although I passed through Tampa a few days ago and it was pretty nuts they’re too similar to Miami
It is more crowded compared to my first visit back in 2014 before I moved here. Back then I was staying in Cape Canaveral on the air force base while I was in the military
Thanks again Michael for sharing another excellent review. Did you find out why the Union Jack was flying at the memorial stone in Oglethorpe Battery Park?. You featured it in your last review. Best Regards to both of you.
Happy birthday Michael. Have a great year till your next. Great area. Now as you say you can feel the energy of past stars in LA some feel the energy of past lives lingering too, lol.
Thank you very much Collette!! Good point never thought of it that way I guess I just can’t feel the ghost thing lol. Only past movie stars and rock stars 😆
Thank you for the video. My daughter is going to attend Flagler College in the fall. I have been looking at moving to Florida myself. I currently live in Ohio. I'm just tired of the long cold winters. I need a change. We will be visiting St. Augustine for the first time in June for Orientation. So excited!! I also rented a house. Much better deal then staying in a one room hotel.
That’s great you rented a house and I’m assuming in the historic district so you’ll be able to get a full feeling of what the areas like it’s all very close to college
We have had a second home in st augustine for 10 years. Gated community with low hoa fees, 10 min from the beach and 20 min from downtown. We love it, but it has changed. Too many people moving here. Traffic is horrendous now. They are building constantly. I do miss having a house with ground. I kind of agree with you about that. But it is nice having a pool and having all the grounds taken care of. Our main house is philly which we would love to sell and move permanently to Florida. My parents live around the corner from us and we take care of them. My mom won't move. I'm curious to hear where you decide to move to.
Yes the area seems to be changing rapidly! Just in 2 years since the last time I was there it seems to be much more crowded and with how much home prices are going up there, I assume its because many people are moving there, not just visiting. Not sure yet where we'll end up next, but of course I'll keep you posted 😀
At 9:28 when you were talking about a haunted house you passed a house where a woman had her head chopped off on her front steps in broad daylight. Morbid but true story. 1973 I believe. Athallia Ponsell Lindsey.
St. Aug looks awesome! But just like you said, the crowds and prices are keeping me away. I definitely want to go visit though! So many interesting things to see and do.
@@MichaelBordenaro thanks! It was a chalenge, because we live in Northeast. We came for four days and managed to find the property, put the offer and close the deal. We coming back it two weeks for closing. You have to be ready and not too picky to get the deal in this market madness 😉
The downtown area is what you described and 90 call% of St. Augustine beach is even more expensive or overpriced so really most people are moving to new properties west towards the highway 95 or north in the direction of Jacksonville
Yep and that area is not even really the same if you ask me. The further away you get from the beach and did historical district could just be any other town in Florida if you ask me
@@MichaelBordenaro 100% agree I checked out one of the areas southeast on the highway 95 direction where new buildings were and it was awful. No way would I live there. Might as well just live in Jacksonville since it’s cheaper adjacent to the Mayport navy base by the beach. No desire to move further than 2 miles west or north of St George street at the most. It doesn’t even look like at Augustine in those areas but they’re opening new malls to lure people
Nope didn’t make it to either one this time unfortunately. Even though Saint Augustine is a small town and I’ve been there a couple times still haven’t done everything I want to do there LOL
This is not criticism, just trying to help. You started on Anastasia Island. Technically in a sub-division called Davis Shores. St Augustine Beach is a city on Anastasia Island about 5 miles from the Bridge of Lions. Anastasia Island is about 15 miles long and about 5 miles at it's widest point.
Michael, I'm from Beaufort SC which they've just established is the oldest settlement in America, whereas St Augustine is the oldest Continuous settlement. You like St Augustine--you will love Beaufort & Charleston! However, in the past 5 years both are changed so much with the explosion of people flocking to the Coast. Sad 😪
Thank for the drive, if I have a chance go to St Augustine I will drive in the “ gosh” area and let see what happened. FYI, 7 years ago I went to Dracula castle but he is not home :)
Awesome vid. I'm visiting this afternoon and trying go find an affordable house for my family. Love the historic area but may have to look on the outskirts. Let's see how it goes. As long as I get out of Jax soon!
It’s amazing that you are in St Augustine now because I was there just 3 weeks ago looking for a home resale with a realtor friend. We saw several homes that we could have bid on but before we could get back to our realtors office, the homes already had multiple bids (some over the asking price). So, since I could not act fast enough (and we have a home to sell in Chicago), we decided to look at new construction since it would give us time to sell our home. The new homes were nice and modern but they all came with HOA and CDD fees because they were in gated communities with lots of amenities. I’m not fond of these fees but my realtors take is they keep the community looking good. Also to buy new we would have to purchase all new appliances. What a dilemma!
Thank you very much David! Not sure if it will be at the top of the list anymore… i’ll be making a follow up video of the best places to live in Florida after the trip and I can fully digest everywhere I’ve been for sure
I enjoyed being "on scene" in your Jeep. Waiting for the correction is the best strategy. There is the issue of inflation and possible interest rate hikes in the future. Plan accordingly.
I agree with you on a lot of what you said about St. Augustine. The issue with St. Augustine is like you said, it's booming. When I was there last year I viewed 15 to 20 properties. Residential and multi family. Near downtown you could find a 3 bedroom 2 bath for around 450k. There weren't many but you could find some they needed minimal work. I haven't even checked lately because I know the number now is so dumb it's a waste of time looking. A duplex near downtown was 650k and up with a 6% cap rate. Which I know a lot of people are ok with that return but it's not for me. I don't think St. Augustine will lose its appeal though. I believe it's what west coasters like me are looking for when they plan to relocate. Small Town vibe with really nice people. And it's next to the water so you can't beat that. But it will crash for sure and sadly for the fools who are buying now, I believe St. Augustine will crash really hard. It just rose so quickly it's not sustainable. For what people are paying the return isn't there. And if there day job goes bye bye so will the investment. In most cases atleast. I know they are building 1000 new homes 20 minutes or so from downtown. I believe they will start at 300k or atleast that was the target 6 months ago lol. But I am doing the same thing as you. Stacking my chips waiting for the crash. I will have to relocate from SoCal to St. Augustine in January and right now it looks like I will relocate as a renter. Hopefully for my sake that market adjustment happens sooner than later. It's always impossible to time those types of things. But I for sure would rather lose a few thousand a year paying that premium on rent than over pay 250k for a home any day lol. Can't wait for the next vid thanks for making this one!
Totally agree you’re probably better off renting in Saint Augustine at this point even the rent versus on calculation probably won’t make sense and most scenarios. I’m not interested at these prices but I will keep my eye in the area and see what happens. This can’t last forever and we certainly agree on that LOL
Lincolnville side of downtown st. Aug used to be known as little Africa. It was all black families in tiny homes until wealthy ppl starting buying cheap, renovating and taxing ppl out....
That was good, Michael, as I have primarily seen only the historical district, and one jaunt to the beach, on previous trips to St Augustine. Some of those prices for somewhat run-down houses are pretty amazing. All markets have corrections, and St Augustine will, as well. I can find better deals in WPB than what you were showing here. That house where you are staying is quite nice, but not sure of the Ask. You indicated a neighboring house was $550k, which sure seems high. While in Miami, you might want to consider a bread-and-butter house in a safe neighborood, as much of Silicon Valley is going to eventually move to greater Miami, since CA is becoming absurdly over-priced, and terribly run. I knew a teacher couple in Palo Alto that had bought a regular 3 BR 11/2 bath house for around $50k before SV got its real start, and when they retired, they listed their house for $575k, but demand was so high, there was a bidding war, and some young techie bought it for $735k, so they took the money & moved east of Sacto, about an hour from Lake Tahoe, and were set for life. The property taxes had grown higher in Palo Alto, than their original mortgage payments used to be. I have been to Harry's but there are a number of good restaurants, including on St George, the walking street. Flagler College and the Hotel are worth a tour, as Henry Flagler was responsible for Florida's original boom, first in St Augustine, then Orlando, Palm Beach, and places south, with his railroad. Winter Park, north of Orlando has a beautiful original train station he built. That one neighborhood (supposedly, the haunted part), reminds me of some of the neighborhoods in the SC Lowcountry, north of Savannah, Spanish moss and all! Nice driving tour, much of which I had not seen. St Augustine will likely experience less turnover than Miami, but the hot market is driven by low inventory, combined with low interest rates, and high prices for lumber, which makes new construction more expensive.
Saint Augustine really has the perfect storm right now for a crazy real estate market. I agree with you West Palm Beach is definitely a better value right now in this area. I also agree with possibly picking up a home in Miami the problem is getting a good enough return that area and in a good neighborhood
@@MichaelBordenaro You might have to be willing to take a little less return initially (rent collected vs mortgage payment), to be ahead of the curve, and thus really benefit when SV SE arrives, and demand will be very high. Or, you could just give up the close access to the beach, and live in it for a year or two, until the techie hordes arrive. The younger employees will not be able to afford Coral Gables or Coconut Grove, so will want a more affordable, and for those with kids, a family-friendly area - not a high-rise condo, which are not in CA's SV at all.
@@jdhjimbo Yes that is a good point, and why I'm mostly looking for a property that I can rent short term to maximize returns and hopefully catch that wave
I have been following u for a long time your awesome,I have a applied science degree in building construction, your missing something about historic district thats profound ,most these homes are wood frame and the realtors have killed wood frame homes with there stigmas !
Thanks for following me for a long time David really appreciate it. Do you know I was going to talk about the wooden frame homes because I saw a lot of them in the Panama City Beach area doesn’t seem very safe/stable for hurricanes
@@MichaelBordenaro Take a look at Country Walk neighborhood pictures after Hurricane Andrew. You're absolutely right - not stable or safe. I don't know how they allow them to be built in the Keys?!
My favorite beach Destin Florida I like the looks of two story homes, I don't want to live in one. I am happy in my ranch home with fully live in basement ( it doesn't look like no dugeon ) aka lower level .
I lived in St.Augustine in 85 when I was expecting my daughter. I was a hairstylist at Regis in the mall. My husband was manager of the 1st Dominos pizza there. I used to walk that fort nearly everyday trying to go into labor! , lol. I was looking for the Dominos , or the mall , or even our house. We had a 4 bdrm , 2 bath , w fireplace , all brown wood outside. I was trying to see any of those on this video! Lol. Happy late birthday to you and Liz! 😉
Thanks for the tour. I've been wanting to see Saint Augustine. It seems very nice. Love the architecture. It seems to have more of a Southern New Orleans vibe than a South Florida vibe from what I could gather from my living room lol. I'll def keep it on my list to check out. I think it's super smart to wait for not only a market correction but a serious crash. It's like we don't learn from history. When people are paying 50K-100K over the already inflated asking price and forgoing inspections and appraisals then that is when you don't buy. The housing market is fake, the stock market is fake and our entire economy is fake right now :( I'd love to hear a video on the pros and cons of Saint Augustine compared to South Florida (not just Miami but also up to Palm Beach area). I'm curious if you think Jacksonville and Saint Augustine will become one because that would totally kill the good vibes there. I know you mentioned Harry's was good but I'm curious if the food caters to tourists or if there are a lot of excellent foodie type restaurants there. I find touristy areas have subpar food. PS I appreciate your authenticity and honesty and that's why I usually let your commercials play out to help you out :) Looking forward to more vids!
Thanks a lot on the commercials Laura is definitely helps! I’ll be doing several videos once my trip is through comparing the northern parts of Florida to different areas in South Florida. I have a lot to talk about. And yes you’re correct it does have more of a southern vibe here than typical Florida for sure. I’ve been in the real estate business too long to fall for these crazy prices. It will have to come down at some point. Totally agree with you about the stock market and real estate prices being totally fake right now. Thanks to that four to 6 trillion $ their printing🙄
If your not into haunted u may not pick up on that. Which is fine. And let others deal with their Ghost. Its often overrated, trouble, and not worth the experience....stay, present...🌞
It is beautiful and the nature is amazing but let me tell you the reality as I have been here 25 yrs. It’s super crowded here bc of tourism and everyone moving to Ponte Vedra Beach from CA the last yr bc they don’t like the fall out from their vote and the speed limit is 35-45 so you spend all day in traffic just to go to the grocery store and there is one way in and one way out of most places so ur just stuck. The companies are so small here most don’t even have an HR dept and i used to HR 20 yrs global w a degree so you have to downgrade ur job to OM just to get a job that makes enough money to barely survive here. You have to make at least 45k to survive here and most OM jobs pay $15-$17 p/h otherwise ur using ur 4 ur degree to do entry level work entry level pay $12-$14. The college kids are mostly in the dorms and in local housing from Flagler and their parents pay their way. There is only one street downtown that has resident parking on the surface street so you end up lugging your grocery’s for two blocks. The good old boy system is alive and well here so if you try to get a job at the three big companies Grumman or Ring Power or Sunbelt, good luck if you aren’t related to someone or a friend of a friend bc they advert those positions but they just do that for EEOC regs. They usually already have an internal candidate. Florida is a very red state so a lot of the old school ways are still alive and running the town so if you aren’t up for that maybe not the place for you. I’m 100% happy here and I have family here & im a super positive person so I thought I’d give you the real story. I believe in following your dreams the universe will provide but it’s taken me 25 yrs to finally find my niche. Good Luck! Explore! Love the life you want!!! Good vibes to you all!
I appreciate you sharing your long experience living in the area Millie. For a while, this would have been my top pick in FL for a place to live, now not so much for the reasons you mentioned. I even made a video dedicated to that topic when I was there, as I am just not sure its worth it anymore. Not just the prices, but congestion is a major turn off for me, I already deal with that enough here in Miami. Also, I am sure anyone looking to move to the area will find your info about jobs and the local politics super helpful, thanks for adding value to my video!
Smart - only get a ranch. I still live in IL in a 2 story and can't stand it. Super hot in the summer and cold in the winter (2nd level). Plus a pain with the dogs and the kids. Never again, ranch 100% for the next home.
This St. Augustine video is different from the last one as I'm driving through the historic district, showing the oldest parts of St. Augustine. Thanks @CrissDrums for remembering it's my birthday!!😄✌️
So, you're a Taurus too (along with your girlfriend). My birthday is next week, as well.
@@jdhjimbo Right on, yep she is too, we're all bulls ♉︎
@@MichaelBordenaro That's sure better than being bulls**t! LOL!
My son is a Taurus, too! April 30th!
@@Jeannified Right on!
I live 45 minutes away, love ST. Augustine. I visit once a month and spend all day walking around.
I lived in Sausalito, CA for 8 yrs. and talk about a tourist destination! I mean, anyone sightseeing in S.F. found their way into Sausalito, as well. Bumper to bumper traffic in the summer. Really enjoyed this tour of St. Augustine, Michael. Thanks so much.
I can imagine! I was one of those tourists in Sausalito 3 years ago 😆 Although, when I was there it was actually quite calm and pleasant. I was there August 2018, nice town you have there. Glad you enjoyed the drive around St Augustine!
This place is absolutely beautiful! You’ve definitely convinced me! Thank you Michael, keep up the great content!
It sure is Linda although it’s getting very expensive!
Before you get all over the moon with this place, do your homework about the flooding problems in this area. He’s right that it is way over priced and realtors are not as honest as this guy is.
Me too
Happy Birthday, Michael!!!!
Thank you very much j✌️
Flagler built the hotel on the left at 11:50. It was originally called the Alcazar. He did not build the Casa Monica on the right but he did purchase it.
My cousin went to Flagler College for Art school and is now a bartender and still living in St. Augustine. She loves it!
Beautiful city!! Thank you for doing the driving tour!!
My pleasure!
Really enjoyed this tour. Thanks for sharing. 🐸🐾🇨🇦🌸🌅🐚
Glad to hear that!
I know every spot you showed us. Been there many times. Love St. Aug.
I love it there too😊
It’s so unique! Amazing city!! 😍😍
Yes its a great little spot!
Happy Birthday Michael! Thx for the driving tour. Enjoyed it 👍🏻
Thank you very much Rob! So happy you enjoyed the ride with me😊
Thank you Michael for the tour .
You’re welcome!
I like the cooler temps...looks nice
Me too!
Happy Birthday May baby. Thank you so much for taking me around my favorite place. The seafood kitchen is still one of my favorite places to eat, no wall to wall people. Theres also 2 really good seafood places in east palatka on 17, i believe its 301 east to 17, but dont quote me. Try St. Augustine in early October a lot less traffic and ocean water soooo warm. Thanks again
Thank you very much Joda! Curious to visit in early winter as I’ve never been there in the winter
Happy Birthday Michael 🥳 Hello from Canada....absolutely loving and appreciating these videos. Keep them coming !
Thank you very much for the birthday message. So many more videos to come stand by👌
These videos really give you a feel for the area. I'd love to see more videos like this. Thanks!!! Happy Birthday!
I’m glad you feel that way thank you for the happy birthday message😀
Great video, Michael! Good job! You showed off St. Augustine really well!
Belated Happy birthday Lizzie 🎂
Loved your video and commentary about St Augustine. I totally agree that the real estate there will correct itself. We almost purchased a new construction near World Golf Village but we felt the home was way over priced and not worth the price. In addition the community is in flood zone A. Totally love St Augustine but as you say the homes add way over priced. I think anyone who wants to buy here should realize the high potential of flooding. Something you didn’t mention in your video. Thank you for the tour and I think you will have much success in real estate. ❤️
Thanks! I honestly cant believe how much this area has appreciated in the last few years. I'm not sure it will last. As you said, a lot of the area is vulnerable to flooding. And if another big flood comes, that may change a lot minds.
@@MichaelBordenaro and in your opinion, if that big flood ever comes, do you think it will adversely affect real estate values? Thank you kindly for responding. 😊
100% agree about learning and can’t learn enough
I always enjoy learning new things. It’s the only way to live
Only been there once. We went the w/e (by accident) that they turned on all the Christmas Lights...beautiful.
Also, thank you so much for your videos! You and your honey are appreciated
My pleasure Mona thank you for watching!
Beautiful Sky...do you have a Sarasota video? Thanks Michael⚘🤦♀️🦋
I have some videos coming that are nearby in siesta key and Bradenton in that area
Just watched the video and really enjoyed it. We've visited many times and always enjoy taking our company on the tram tour. We've learned so much from each driver as each seems to have a little different spin on the historic landmarks. When we go, we go early and are usually winding down our visit around noon. St. Augustine is a great place to visit, but we definitely would never want to live there due to the tourism pretty much most of the year. We've also really enjoyed touring the many antique shops. We don't buy that much, but enjoy seeing and learning how people lived from the their possessions. We have also eaten at "Harry's" and it is certainly one of the best. The A1A Alehouse (upstairs) is nice also. But, most times we pack a lunch and find a quiet little park. If you're coming into St. Augustine from the South, AIA follows the coast and there are many nice ocean views along the way. The tour of Flagler College is definitely recommended. It's amazing that this is a college to some 1500 students. Keep up the great videos, and good luck finding that special property.
I hope to visit Flagler College on my next visit. Still never been. Glad you enjoy Saint Augustine as much as me know how to appreciate it even though it’s busy😊
love your Videos. looking forward to every alert for your channel . thank for the hard work and time
That’s awesome Paul thanks a lot for your support. It really helps the channel
I love St. Augustine during Halloween good vibe
Just moved here in April. You rode right by the place I'm staying! (Actually a friend's rental, and you're all around my walking and bike riding trails 😁)
This is a fantastic area, enjoy your new home town!!
I raised my children in St. Augustine after leaving Miami. St. Augustine at the time (20 years ago) was a quaint little town. Moved to Georgia in 2007 and sure do miss Florida. Blessings to all of you God bless America 🇺🇸
Yes! Harry’s seafood is one of my favorite restaurants in Saint Augustine! Great atmosphere on the Patio... Used to have live music, not sure if they still do.
Yep great spot! They do have live music still! This time when we went it was so crowded though had to sit inside, there was 1.5 hour wait for a table outside by the music 😬
@@MichaelBordenaro wow! That’s crazy! I’ve never seen it that busy!
@@karennicholas2420 I know the whole town was like that!
Fantastic video! Such a beautiful place!
It sure is!
You got me all excited about the old mansion, and when you finally found it, we couldn't see a thing! LOL. A great video though, and a beautiful old town area.
Sorry you couldn't see it better. Lisi got a good shot of it while we were driving, I can put it in another St. Augustine vid👍
@@MichaelBordenaro That would be amazing! (Not that I could afford it, but I like the idea). Thanks Lisi!
I have never been there but the narration and the driving makes this video very watchable and informative!
So glad to hear that Martin!
A number of artist live thete.
Nice tour. I had one tour of Saint Augustine from my friends, who lived further away in Florida.
They love it, I loved it, terrifically, interesting and sweet and beautiful. It’s kind of like our old Boston was with all those crooked streets and old old houses.
Glad you pointed out the difference fir St. Augustine beach as my Congressman lives there and less than a mile difference away is another congressional district
Cool video. I visit every month or two. Beautiful history and plenty to see and do. Although, I never see anyone ever mention the many pandhandlers on st George street and throughout the downtown area. Seems to be getting worse as time goes on. Unfortunately, Does take away form the experience a bit.
Thanks, nice that you can do that! This visit I actually did not take a stroll down St. George, but with the extra population boom, I am not surprised
5th generation St.Augustine resident here... downtown FLOODS bad
I believe it!
Really enjoying your tour of Florida. St. Augustine looks a lot like many little towns in Northern Ireland and Great Britain where I am originally from. Therefore, I will still head further south.....lol.
Glad to hear that! Yes most of south FL is much newer, nothing like old Europe
Agree with you on saturation
I lived in the house at 11:03 for 4 years in the early 70's.
That is super cool!
Nice.
St. Augustine seems like a pretty nice town... I was there once when I was just a kid.... my oldest friends sister lives there (he's still on Long Island) he said that he was going to move down to Florida (probably there) after he retires... I just wonder how much more prices can increase.... it's crazy! One thing about the East Coast is that the traffic is just insane compared to the West coast... but BOTH can be a nightmare...Thanks for the tour... have a safe trip.
It is a pretty unique area John and because it’s so small the traffic can be nuts there’s just not enough room to support a high volume of cars. Although I passed through Tampa a few days ago and it was pretty nuts they’re too similar to Miami
It is more crowded compared to my first visit back in 2014 before I moved here. Back then I was staying in Cape Canaveral on the air force base while I was in the military
I don’t doubt that at all. Even in the two years since I was there last it seems more crowded
Thanks again Michael for sharing another excellent review. Did you find out why the Union Jack was flying at the memorial stone in Oglethorpe Battery Park?. You featured it in your last review. Best Regards to both of you.
Someone mentioned in the comments that are used to be British territory so that’s probably why. Always appreciate your comments Peter😎
Happy birthday Michael. Have a great year till your next. Great area. Now as you say you can feel the energy of past stars in LA some feel the energy of past lives lingering too, lol.
Thank you very much Collette!! Good point never thought of it that way I guess I just can’t feel the ghost thing lol. Only past movie stars and rock stars 😆
Thank you for the video. My daughter is going to attend Flagler College in the fall. I have been looking at moving to Florida myself. I currently live in Ohio. I'm just tired of the long cold winters. I need a change. We will be visiting St. Augustine for the first time in June for Orientation. So excited!! I also rented a house. Much better deal then staying in a one room hotel.
That’s great you rented a house and I’m assuming in the historic district so you’ll be able to get a full feeling of what the areas like it’s all very close to college
You are right on when you say this is real compared to what you would see at Disney.
We have had a second home in st augustine for 10 years. Gated community with low hoa fees, 10 min from the beach and 20 min from downtown. We love it, but it has changed. Too many people moving here. Traffic is horrendous now. They are building constantly.
I do miss having a house with ground. I kind of agree with you about that. But it is nice having a pool and having all the grounds taken care of. Our main house is philly which we would love to sell and move permanently to Florida. My parents live around the corner from us and we take care of them. My mom won't move.
I'm curious to hear where you decide to move to.
Yes the area seems to be changing rapidly! Just in 2 years since the last time I was there it seems to be much more crowded and with how much home prices are going up there, I assume its because many people are moving there, not just visiting. Not sure yet where we'll end up next, but of course I'll keep you posted 😀
At 9:28 when you were talking about a haunted house you passed a house where a woman had her head chopped off on her front steps in broad daylight. Morbid but true story. 1973 I believe. Athallia Ponsell Lindsey.
Damn! What are the odds!
St. Aug looks awesome! But just like you said, the crowds and prices are keeping me away. I definitely want to go visit though! So many interesting things to see and do.
You definitely have to visit just for fun even if not considering a move there
Very nice! 👍👍👍👍
Thank you Nic!
Nice video. will be there end of May
Thank you enjoy your trip here!
That was so great to see! And those house prices, wow! But like you said they are having their moment. The pendulum always swings back! lol
You got that right it’s just a matter of time before the prices will come down. Plus I feel like in this area a lot of people don’t want to sell
We saw your video and we bought townhouse in St.Johns two weeks ago😄😄😄😉👍
Oh wow that is so cool, congrats!
@@MichaelBordenaro thanks! It was a chalenge, because we live in Northeast. We came for four days and managed to find the property, put the offer and close the deal. We coming back it two weeks for closing. You have to be ready and not too picky to get the deal in this market madness 😉
@@jod5834 You got that right, its tough right now! glad you could secure the place 👍
I love st Augustine , .some of the back streets look like some st. downtown Sarasota. thanks for the video
The downtown area is what you described and 90 call% of St. Augustine beach is even more expensive or overpriced so really most people are moving to new properties west towards the highway 95 or north in the direction of Jacksonville
Yep and that area is not even really the same if you ask me. The further away you get from the beach and did historical district could just be any other town in Florida if you ask me
@@MichaelBordenaro 100% agree I checked out one of the areas southeast on the highway 95 direction where new buildings were and it was awful. No way would I live there. Might as well just live in Jacksonville since it’s cheaper adjacent to the Mayport navy base by the beach. No desire to move further than 2 miles west or north of St George street at the most. It doesn’t even look like at Augustine in those areas but they’re opening new malls to lure people
Did you go to the lighthouse? Its rather cool. Also the alligator farm is cool also. Its a great area🙂
I have a print of that striped lighthouse hanging in a bedroom. It is very neat!
Nope didn’t make it to either one this time unfortunately. Even though Saint Augustine is a small town and I’ve been there a couple times still haven’t done everything I want to do there LOL
Thanks for the lift Michael! 😄
You’re welcome!
Great choice for the shirt
Haha thanks jonah👌
The pillars were actually built around the time of the American revolution from the same material as the fort which is much older
This is not criticism, just trying to help. You started on Anastasia Island. Technically in a sub-division called Davis Shores. St Augustine Beach is a city on Anastasia Island about 5 miles from the Bridge of Lions. Anastasia Island is about 15 miles long and about 5 miles at it's widest point.
Yes you are correct, I said it wrong
👏👏👌❤
Thank you friend
You’re welcome!
Michael, I'm from Beaufort SC which they've just established is the oldest settlement in America, whereas St Augustine is the oldest Continuous settlement. You like St Augustine--you will love Beaufort & Charleston! However, in the past 5 years both are changed so much with the explosion of people flocking to the Coast. Sad 😪
I guess that's how it goes with popular and charming towns...It is sad but once the places start losing that charm, I believe people will stop coming
Thank for the drive, if I have a chance go to St Augustine I will drive in the “ gosh” area and let see what happened. FYI, 7 years ago I went to Dracula castle but he is not home :)
Maybe he might be home in Saint Augustine😆
Nice vlog. Sounds like the D.C. Real estate Market. I think the real estate markets are going crazy right now.
Awesome vid. I'm visiting this afternoon and trying go find an affordable house for my family. Love the historic area but may have to look on the outskirts. Let's see how it goes. As long as I get out of Jax soon!
Further away you get from the historic district the cheaper gets in Saint Augustine. Good luck!
St. Johns County median home values are right on par with South Florida. It's expensive.
Yep it’s completely out of control if you ask me. I won’t be considering a move there at the current price
It’s amazing that you are in St Augustine now because I was there just 3 weeks ago looking for a home resale with a realtor friend. We saw several homes that we could have bid on but before we could get back to our realtors office, the homes already had multiple bids (some over the asking price). So, since I could not act fast enough (and we have a home to sell in Chicago), we decided to look at new construction since it would give us time to sell our home. The new homes were nice and modern but they all came with HOA and CDD fees because they were in gated communities with lots of amenities.
I’m not fond of these fees but my realtors take is they keep the community looking good.
Also to buy new we would have to purchase all new appliances.
What a dilemma!
If you could comment on this, I would appreciate it.
Happy Birthday Mike! After seeing St. Augustine again, is it still at the top of your list?
Thank you very much David! Not sure if it will be at the top of the list anymore… i’ll be making a follow up video of the best places to live in Florida after the trip and I can fully digest everywhere I’ve been for sure
I enjoyed being "on scene" in your Jeep. Waiting for the correction is the best strategy. There is the issue of inflation and possible interest rate hikes in the future. Plan accordingly.
Yep that’s right I’ve been around the block too many times in the real estate business to fall for these tricks. Glad us smart folks think alike 👌
I agree with you on a lot of what you said about St. Augustine. The issue with St. Augustine is like you said, it's booming. When I was there last year I viewed 15 to 20 properties. Residential and multi family. Near downtown you could find a 3 bedroom 2 bath for around 450k. There weren't many but you could find some they needed minimal work. I haven't even checked lately because I know the number now is so dumb it's a waste of time looking. A duplex near downtown was 650k and up with a 6% cap rate. Which I know a lot of people are ok with that return but it's not for me.
I don't think St. Augustine will lose its appeal though. I believe it's what west coasters like me are looking for when they plan to relocate. Small Town vibe with really nice people. And it's next to the water so you can't beat that. But it will crash for sure and sadly for the fools who are buying now, I believe St. Augustine will crash really hard. It just rose so quickly it's not sustainable. For what people are paying the return isn't there. And if there day job goes bye bye so will the investment. In most cases atleast. I know they are building 1000 new homes 20 minutes or so from downtown. I believe they will start at 300k or atleast that was the target 6 months ago lol. But I am doing the same thing as you. Stacking my chips waiting for the crash. I will have to relocate from SoCal to St. Augustine in January and right now it looks like I will relocate as a renter. Hopefully for my sake that market adjustment happens sooner than later. It's always impossible to time those types of things. But I for sure would rather lose a few thousand a year paying that premium on rent than over pay 250k for a home any day lol.
Can't wait for the next vid thanks for making this one!
Totally agree you’re probably better off renting in Saint Augustine at this point even the rent versus on calculation probably won’t make sense and most scenarios. I’m not interested at these prices but I will keep my eye in the area and see what happens. This can’t last forever and we certainly agree on that LOL
There’s a road I wish you drive on it’s a side road for the Fountain of youth
Magnolia Ave. (Although it’s mainly a canopy of Live Oaks)
Lincolnville side of downtown st. Aug used to be known as little Africa. It was all black families in tiny homes until wealthy ppl starting buying cheap, renovating and taxing ppl out....
Yep that’s a pretty familiar story across many areas in Florida. Not unique to Saint Augustine unfortunately
Happy belated Birthday! 🍰 🎉
Thanks Camille 😀
That was good, Michael, as I have primarily seen only the historical district, and one jaunt to the beach, on previous trips to St Augustine. Some of those prices for somewhat run-down houses are pretty amazing. All markets have corrections, and St Augustine will, as well. I can find better deals in WPB than what you were showing here. That house where you are staying is quite nice, but not sure of the Ask. You indicated a neighboring house was $550k, which sure seems high. While in Miami, you might want to consider a bread-and-butter house in a safe neighborood, as much of Silicon Valley is going to eventually move to greater Miami, since CA is becoming absurdly over-priced, and terribly run. I knew a teacher couple in Palo Alto that had bought a regular 3 BR 11/2 bath house for around $50k before SV got its real start, and when they retired, they listed their house for $575k, but demand was so high, there was a bidding war, and some young techie bought it for $735k, so they took the money & moved east of Sacto, about an hour from Lake Tahoe, and were set for life. The property taxes had grown higher in Palo Alto, than their original mortgage payments used to be.
I have been to Harry's but there are a number of good restaurants, including on St George, the walking street. Flagler College and the Hotel are worth a tour, as Henry Flagler was responsible for Florida's original boom, first in St Augustine, then Orlando, Palm Beach, and places south, with his railroad. Winter Park, north of Orlando has a beautiful original train station he built.
That one neighborhood (supposedly, the haunted part), reminds me of some of the neighborhoods in the SC Lowcountry, north of Savannah, Spanish moss and all! Nice driving tour, much of which I had not seen. St Augustine will likely experience less turnover than Miami, but the hot market is driven by low inventory, combined with low interest rates, and high prices for lumber, which makes new construction more expensive.
Saint Augustine really has the perfect storm right now for a crazy real estate market. I agree with you West Palm Beach is definitely a better value right now in this area. I also agree with possibly picking up a home in Miami the problem is getting a good enough return that area and in a good neighborhood
@@MichaelBordenaro You might have to be willing to take a little less return initially (rent collected vs mortgage payment), to be ahead of the curve, and thus really benefit when SV SE arrives, and demand will be very high. Or, you could just give up the close access to the beach, and live in it for a year or two, until the techie hordes arrive. The younger employees will not be able to afford Coral Gables or Coconut Grove, so will want a more affordable, and for those with kids, a family-friendly area - not a high-rise condo, which are not in CA's SV at all.
@@jdhjimbo Yes that is a good point, and why I'm mostly looking for a property that I can rent short term to maximize returns and hopefully catch that wave
Same for San Francisco which can’t handle 1 million residents because it’s only 20 miles across so it went from charming to insane in 30 years time
Yep such a shame I love San Francisco too
The lighthouse is supposed to be haunted. I know TAPS from the TV show has been there several times🙂
I think you guys should move there😊
As a current prices I will pass. Looking for other areas on this trip
I have been following u for a long time your awesome,I have a applied science degree in building construction, your missing something about historic district thats profound ,most these homes are wood frame and the realtors have killed wood frame homes with there stigmas !
Thanks for following me for a long time David really appreciate it. Do you know I was going to talk about the wooden frame homes because I saw a lot of them in the Panama City Beach area doesn’t seem very safe/stable for hurricanes
@@MichaelBordenaro Take a look at Country Walk neighborhood pictures after Hurricane Andrew. You're absolutely right - not stable or safe. I don't know how they allow them to be built in the Keys?!
@@vicky3980 I don't understand it either!
My favorite beach Destin Florida
I like the looks of two story homes, I don't want to live in one.
I am happy in my ranch home with fully live in basement ( it doesn't look like no dugeon ) aka lower level .
I lived in St.Augustine in 85 when I was expecting my daughter. I was a hairstylist at Regis in the mall. My husband was manager of the 1st Dominos pizza there. I used to walk that fort nearly everyday trying to go into labor! , lol. I was looking for the Dominos , or the mall , or even our house. We had a 4 bdrm , 2 bath , w fireplace , all brown wood outside. I was trying to see any of those on this video! Lol. Happy late birthday to you and Liz! 😉
So glad to bring you back those nice memories Tracey! Thanks so much for the birthday wishes😀
Are condos in Destin overvalued right now too? I have 6 more years before retirement and a move from Ohio to Destin
Most likely yes. Most of the real estate markets in Florida are overvalued right now
Thank you
Thanks for the tour. I've been wanting to see Saint Augustine. It seems very nice. Love the architecture. It seems to have more of a Southern New Orleans vibe than a South Florida vibe from what I could gather from my living room lol. I'll def keep it on my list to check out. I think it's super smart to wait for not only a market correction but a serious crash. It's like we don't learn from history. When people are paying 50K-100K over the already inflated asking price and forgoing inspections and appraisals then that is when you don't buy. The housing market is fake, the stock market is fake and our entire economy is fake right now :( I'd love to hear a video on the pros and cons of Saint Augustine compared to South Florida (not just Miami but also up to Palm Beach area). I'm curious if you think Jacksonville and Saint Augustine will become one because that would totally kill the good vibes there. I know you mentioned Harry's was good but I'm curious if the food caters to tourists or if there are a lot of excellent foodie type restaurants there. I find touristy areas have subpar food. PS I appreciate your authenticity and honesty and that's why I usually let your commercials play out to help you out :) Looking forward to more vids!
Thanks a lot on the commercials Laura is definitely helps! I’ll be doing several videos once my trip is through comparing the northern parts of Florida to different areas in South Florida. I have a lot to talk about. And yes you’re correct it does have more of a southern vibe here than typical Florida for sure. I’ve been in the real estate business too long to fall for these crazy prices. It will have to come down at some point. Totally agree with you about the stock market and real estate prices being totally fake right now. Thanks to that four to 6 trillion $ their printing🙄
This place actually looks like any little town in northern Europe, except for the palm trees "and things like that" ;o)
Makes sense I guess since those early settlers built it. Such a beautiful area, but super congested now
Michael, if you could comment on my house-hunting experience in St. Augustine, I’d appreciate it.
Hi Len, not sure what you are referring to
🎂🍹🎂🍹🎂🍹🎂🍹🎂🍹🎂🍹🎂🍹🎂
Oldest fort built from masonry
Just leaves more to see next time
Just like the fountain of youth Road more to do next time
Looked like a nice area, property values are way out of wack right now.
Yes they are. Trying to figure out where it’s going to be the next place to buy/invest
If your not into haunted u may not pick up on that. Which is fine. And let others deal with their Ghost. Its often overrated, trouble, and not worth the experience....stay, present...🌞
I agree I wouldn’t be worrying about it too much if I ended up living over there. Anyone who wants to concentrate on that is their problem
Compared to south florida, i wouldnt consider that traffic.
Of course not, but for this area its thick. I was here 2 years ago, and was nothing like this, same time of year too
I'm curious how often do you see a snake in Florida?
Not too often really. Maybe a few times per year, I'll see one when I'm walking on the boardwalk. But this highly depends on where you live in FL
Saint Augustine isn't that where the Spanish Inquisition happened?😭
The house at 23:10 used to be a welfare office.
It is beautiful and the nature is amazing but let me tell you the reality as I have been here 25 yrs. It’s super crowded here bc of tourism and everyone moving to Ponte Vedra Beach from CA the last yr bc they don’t like the fall out from their vote and the speed limit is 35-45 so you spend all day in traffic just to go to the grocery store and there is one way in and one way out of most places so ur just stuck. The companies are so small here most don’t even have an HR dept and i used to HR 20 yrs global w a degree so you have to downgrade ur job to OM just to get a job that makes enough money to barely survive here. You have to make at least 45k to survive here and most OM jobs pay $15-$17 p/h otherwise ur using ur 4 ur degree to do entry level work entry level pay $12-$14. The college kids are mostly in the dorms and in local housing from Flagler and their parents pay their way. There is only one street downtown that has resident parking on the surface street so you end up lugging your grocery’s for two blocks. The good old boy system is alive and well here so if you try to get a job at the three big companies Grumman or Ring Power or Sunbelt, good luck if you aren’t related to someone or a friend of a friend bc they advert those positions but they just do that for EEOC regs. They usually already have an internal candidate. Florida is a very red state so a lot of the old school ways are still alive and running the town so if you aren’t up for that maybe not the place for you. I’m 100% happy here and I have family here & im a super positive person so I thought I’d give you the real story. I believe in following your dreams the universe will provide but it’s taken me 25 yrs to finally find my niche. Good Luck! Explore! Love the life you want!!! Good vibes to you all!
I appreciate you sharing your long experience living in the area Millie. For a while, this would have been my top pick in FL for a place to live, now not so much for the reasons you mentioned. I even made a video dedicated to that topic when I was there, as I am just not sure its worth it anymore. Not just the prices, but congestion is a major turn off for me, I already deal with that enough here in Miami. Also, I am sure anyone looking to move to the area will find your info about jobs and the local politics super helpful, thanks for adding value to my video!
Beautiful area! but not my taste though loved the info and the video.
Thanks for watching anyhow 👌
Smart - only get a ranch. I still live in IL in a 2 story and can't stand it. Super hot in the summer and cold in the winter (2nd level). Plus a pain with the dogs and the kids. Never again, ranch 100% for the next home.
Yes absolutely! I grew up in a ranch house but been to houses with 2 floors and never cared for it much
Wrong crowd 🙁 I hope not
You made a big deal about the vacant house on the market and then you basically drive by it and not show it - very frustrating.
Sorry it was kind of hard to see from the road as the house is set back and the front yard is quite large.