Davis Shores real estate the north end of Anastasia Island, immediately across the Bridge of Lions from downtown — Intracoastal and canal property, local brokers, and honest guidance on what it actually costs to own here.
Davis Shores occupies the north end of Anastasia Island, directly across the Bridge of Lions from the historic district. It was platted in the 1920s by developer D.P. Davis on filled land, and that origin is the single most important thing a buyer needs to understand about it: the neighborhood is low, it fronts the Matanzas River and a network of tidal canals, and flood exposure here is a first-order question rather than a footnote. What you get in exchange is location that nothing else on the island matches — a walk or a very short drive to downtown, with a boat behind the house.
1920s and 1930s masonry and frame on the original plat, substantial mid-century block infill, and a growing number of rebuilt and elevated newer homes. Canal-front and river-front lots dominate the value here; interior lots are a different market entirely.
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Docks, lifts, and seawalls on the Intracoastal and its canal systems generally require a county permit plus authorization from the Army Corps of Engineers, and the St. Johns River Water Management District has jurisdiction over work in and adjacent to the water. Much of this water is designated manatee habitat, which constrains both construction windows and boat speed.
Canal-front sits in the coastal wind zone but escapes direct surge exposure, which usually places it between oceanfront and inland on cost. Flood zone determination varies substantially street to street — the elevation certificate is the document that decides your premium, and it is worth obtaining before you write the offer.
The seawall is the asset that decides whether a canal home is a good buy. Seawalls fail slowly and then suddenly, and replacement runs into five figures easily. Look for cracking, tie-back rust staining, soil voids behind the cap, and any sinkage in the yard near the wall. A seawall inspection is a separate line item from the home inspection and is worth every dollar.
Building permits for Davis Shores are issued by the St. Johns County Building Services Division, with the City of St. Augustine and City of St. Augustine Beach issuing permits inside their own limits. Any addition, pool, dock, seawall, or structural renovation runs through that office, and work done by a previous owner without a permit becomes your problem at resale — unpermitted additions routinely derail appraisals and complicate financing. Ask for permit history on anything that looks newer than the original structure.
St. Johns County is in the wind-borne debris region along its coast, which requires impact-rated glazing or approved shutters on new construction and substantial renovations. Design wind speeds step down as you move inland from the ocean toward the western edge of the county.
The county carries both exposures: storm surge and coastal flooding along the Atlantic and the Intracoastal, and riverine flooding along the St. Johns on its western boundary. Anastasia Island and the Vilano side are largely mapped as coastal flood zones.
Flood determination is parcel-specific rather than neighborhood-specific. Pull the determination during your inspection period, and where the property sits in or near a mapped flood hazard area, obtain the elevation certificate — it is the single document that decides what a flood policy costs, and sellers frequently already have one.
Florida operates one school district per county, so every address in St. Johns County falls under St. Johns County School District. Individual school assignment still depends on attendance zoning, which changes as the county grows — verify the assigned schools for a specific address with the district rather than relying on a listing, particularly if school assignment is driving your purchase.
Florida levies no state personal income tax. Florida's homestead exemption removes up to $50,000 from the assessed value of a primary residence — the first $25,000 applies to all taxing authorities, and a second $25,000 applies to assessed value between $50,000 and $75,000 for everything except school district taxes.
Once homestead is established, the Save Our Homes cap limits annual increases in assessed value to 3% or the change in CPI, whichever is lower. This is why a long-time owner and a new buyer on the same street can pay very different tax bills on identical homes.
Florida allows homestead portability: an owner moving within the state can transfer up to $500,000 of accumulated Save Our Homes benefit to a new primary residence, which matters a great deal to anyone relocating between counties inside the service area.
The buyer's tax bill is not the seller's tax bill. Property is reassessed at market value the January 1 after a sale, and buyers who budget from the prior owner's capped assessment are routinely surprised. Ask for an estimate based on your purchase price, not the current bill.
Drive times matter more here than in a metro, because Davis Shores is small and most errands beyond groceries mean a drive. From Davis Shores: Downtown St. Augustine is about 5 minutes over the bridge, St. Augustine Beach is about 10 minutes south, I-95 is about 20 minutes, Jacksonville is about an hour north.
For buyers relocating from a dense metro, this is the adjustment that takes longest. It is entirely manageable — but it should be a decision you make deliberately rather than discover after closing.
The Bridge of Lions, connecting the neighborhood directly to the plaza
The Matanzas River frontage and the tidal canal system
Anastasia Boulevard and the island's north commercial strip
The St. Augustine Lighthouse, minutes south
Tell us what you're looking for in Davis Shores and we'll send current matching listings, along with a straight answer on what the carrying costs actually look like for that type of property.
Talk to a broker who actually works this market — not a call center. No pressure, no obligation.
