Cary Landing

Executive Summary

Cary Landing sells the scarcest product in the Jacksonville metro: genuinely cheap new construction. Dream Finders is building 90 townhomes at 9146 Tender Lane in 32220, with Julington I and II plans from about 1,395 sq ft, two bedrooms, two and a half baths, and a loft, priced roughly $209,990 to $236,990 (dreamfindershomes.com and Jome, June 2026). That puts it among the lowest-priced new townhome communities in Duval County, in resale-condo territory with a builder warranty attached.

The math that matters is the incentive stack, not the sticker. Builders at this price point routinely offer rate buydowns and closing-cost credits through their affiliated lender that can cut the effective monthly by hundreds against a same-price resale at market rates. Get the current incentive sheet in writing, run the buydown against the resale alternative, and remember the offer changes month to month, so the deal you are quoted today is not a promise for next quarter.

The trades are the Westside location and the homework. The corridor near Cecil Commerce Center is growing but still thin on close-in retail, the buyer pool at this price includes investors, which shapes the eventual owner-to-renter mix, and the carrying costs need verification: the HOA fee is not consistently advertised and no CDD is advertised, but the estimated tax bill for the specific lot is the only document that settles the question. Verify both before you sign.

Quick Facts

Community Overview & History

The cheapest new keys in Duval County, give or take

The Westside of Jacksonville west of I-295 is where the metro still builds at entry-level prices: land is cheaper, the corridors to Cecil Commerce Center and the First Coast Expressway are improving, and builders can deliver attached product at stickers the rest of Duval County abandoned years ago. Cary Landing is Dream Finders running that play: 90 townhome homesites at 9146 Tender Lane in 32220, actively selling since 2024, built to an energy-efficient new-construction spec. The plan menu is tight on purpose, the Julington I and II, from about 1,395 sq ft with two bedrooms, two and a half baths, and a loft that works as an office, den, or overflow space. At $209,990 to $236,990 (dreamfindershomes.com and Jome, June 2026), the cross-shop is not other new construction; it is twenty-year-old resale townhomes and condos with twenty-year-old roofs.

New-build math at the entry price point

What the dollars buy here is the new-construction package: a builder warranty, new systems with no replacement cycle looming, an energy-efficient spec that shows up in the utility bill, and the incentive stack, rate buydowns and closing credits through the builder lender that resale sellers cannot match. What they do not buy is location polish: this stretch of the Westside is a growth corridor, not an arrived one, and the daily-needs retail run is a real drive. The honest comparison is total monthly, incentives included, against the resale alternative, plus an honest read on whether you are buying ahead of the corridor or just far from everything. Both can be true; the Cecil Commerce employment engine is the argument that it is the former.

What You Are Actually Buying

One builder, two closely related plans, 90 homesites. Figures are builder and portal pricing from June 2026 (dreamfindershomes.com, Jome); an actively selling community reprices its sheet continuously, so confirm current pricing, releases, and incentives with the sales office before you shop.

The Julington plans: from roughly $209,990

The core product: Julington I and II townhomes from about 1,395 sq ft, two bedrooms and two and a half baths downstairs-up, with a loft that flexes as office or den. At $209,990 to $236,990 (dreamfindershomes.com and Jome, June 2026), this is among the cheapest new-construction sticker in Duval County, full stop.

Lot position inside the 90

Interior units versus end units, pond or buffer exposure versus parking views, and distance from the entrance all move value within a narrow band. End units with extra windows carry a modest premium new and hold it on resale; in a community this size, walk the site map before you pick, because the good positions go first.

Spec inventory versus to-be-built

Builders move completed spec homes with the richest incentives, especially at quarter-end; to-be-built contracts buy position and selections but float on timelines. Ask what is standing finished today, what the incentive difference is, and put delivery dates and the incentive terms in the contract, not in the conversation.

Real Estate Market

The working numbers: builder pricing of roughly $209,990 to $236,990 for Julington plans from about 1,395 sq ft (dreamfindershomes.com and Jome, June 2026). At that band Cary Landing undercuts most of the metro new-townhome market and lands squarely on top of the aging-resale comp set. Treat every figure as a snapshot; active communities reprice with each release, and incentives swing the effective cost more than list changes do.

The buyer pool is first-time buyers priced out of everything else new, Cecil Commerce and NAS Jacksonville corridor commuters, downsizers cashing out of larger homes, and, candidly, investors, because sub-$240K new construction pencils as a rental. Ask the sales office about the current investor share and any owner-occupancy or leasing provisions in the HOA documents; the eventual owner-to-renter mix shapes how the community lives and resells.

The honest comparison is the financed monthly, not the sticker: a Cary Landing contract with a builder rate buydown can carry cheaper than a $200K resale condo at market rates with an HOA and an aging roof. Run both, with real quotes, and note that the builder lender incentive usually requires using their financing, so compare their bought-down rate against your best outside offer on the same day.

Market Position

Cary Landing fits buyers optimizing for the lowest possible entry into new construction: first-time buyers who want a warranty instead of an inspection-report gamble, commuters working the Cecil Commerce, NAS Jacksonville, or I-10 corridors, downsizers who want new systems and no yard, and budget-driven households willing to trade retail convenience for a new-build monthly. It fits less well for anyone who needs walkable amenities, a short grocery run, or an established, fully owner-occupied street today.

Schools

A Cary Landing address is served by Duval County Public Schools, with attendance zones set by home address. School runs from this corner of 32220 are drives rather than walks, and zoning in growth corridors shifts as rooftops arrive, so confirm the currently zoned campuses and current ratings for the specific lot with the district before you buy, and drive the actual morning route.

Amenities & Lifestyle

The package is lean on purpose: keeping the amenity budget near zero is part of how the sticker stays near $210K.

The new-construction spec

New roof, new HVAC, new water heater, builder warranty, and an energy-efficient build spec. At this price point the alternative is resale product entering its second systems cycle; the absence of a five-figure surprise in year two is the amenity.

The loft plan

The Julington layout puts both bedrooms up with a loft, which is the flex space that makes 1,395 sq ft work: office, nursery overflow, den, or gear room. Walk the model and confirm which plan and elevation your lot actually carries.

The corridor position

Minutes to I-295 and the First Coast Expressway puts Cecil Commerce Center, the I-10 corridor, and NAS Jacksonville inside practical commute range. The location story here is highway math, not lifestyle retail.

Low structural overhead

No advertised CDD and no resort campus to fund means the recurring overhead should stay modest by new-construction standards. Verify the actual HOA fee and what it covers, and confirm the no-CDD picture on the estimated tax bill, because the assumption is only worth what the documents say.

HOA, CDD & Costs

Cary Landing is an HOA community, but the fee is not consistently advertised on the public listings, so treat the number as unverified until the sales office puts it in writing: get the current monthly or annual dues, what they cover (exterior maintenance, lawn, roofs, or just common areas, the answer varies enormously between Florida townhome associations), and the budget for a community this young. In a builder-controlled HOA, also ask when control transitions to the owners and what the dues are projected to do after turnover.

No CDD is advertised at Cary Landing, which at this price point is part of the value case, but advertised and absent are not the same thing: ask the builder directly whether any CDD or special district assessment applies, and confirm it on the estimated property tax bill for the specific lot before closing. The tax bill is the only document that settles the question.

Insurance and maintenance are the standard attached-product homework: confirm what the association master policy covers versus what your own policy must cover, get a real quote during your contract period, and read the recorded covenants on leasing, parking, and exterior changes. New communities feel rule-light at the sales office; the recorded documents are what you actually live under.

Commute Analysis

The location logic is the highway grid: I-295 and the First Coast Expressway put Cecil Commerce Center, the I-10 corridor, and the west beltway within practical reach, and downtown runs 20 to 25 minutes outside of peak. The trade is that almost everything, including groceries, is a drive, and the western corridors carry growing construction and freight traffic. Drive your actual route at your actual hour before you contract.

Shopping & Dining

Daily-needs retail is the honest weak spot: the nearest full grocery runs sit along the Normandy Boulevard and 103rd Street corridors, roughly 10 to 15 minutes depending on route, with the deeper retail at the Oakleaf Town Center area farther south. The corridor is adding rooftops faster than storefronts, which usually resolves in favor of owners over a hold period, but plan on driving for everything today.

Pros and Cons

Cary Landing vs. Comparable Communities

Hidden Things Buyers Should Know

The incentive sheet is the real price

The list price moves rarely; the incentive package, rate buydowns, closing credits, and spec-home discounts, moves constantly and usually requires the builder lender. Two buyers paying the same sticker a month apart can carry materially different monthlies. Get the current sheet in writing, compare the bought-down rate against your best outside quote the same day, and negotiate the incentives, not just the price.

The tax bill question outlives the sales pitch

No CDD is advertised, but the only document that settles carrying costs is the estimated property tax bill for the specific lot, plus the written HOA fee and coverage list. At a sub-$240K price point, a few hundred dollars a month of unverified fees is the difference between a bargain and a mistake; demand both documents before you sign.

Investor share will shape the resale story

New townhomes under $240K pencil as rentals, and builders sell to whoever signs. The eventual owner-occupant versus investor mix affects street feel, HOA politics, and, if investor share runs high, financing options for future buyers. Ask about current investor activity and any leasing provisions in the covenants, and weigh the answer like the material fact it is.

Momentum Expert Insight

Selling a Home in Cary Landing

Selling a Cary Landing unit while Dream Finders is still building means competing with the builder next door, who controls pricing, offers incentives you cannot match, and sells a warranty you cannot. Until the community sells out, resale here is a timing question: if you must sell early, price below the builder net-of-incentives number, not the builder sticker, and lead with whatever your unit has that new inventory does not, finished window treatments, fencing, upgrades, and an established yard.

After builder close-out the picture improves: the comp set becomes clean and single-plan, and your competition is the broader resale market where sub-$250K product with young systems is scarce. Keep the HOA documents, the tax bill, and your systems records organized, and disclose the full fee picture up front; at the entry price point, the buyer who can verify the monthly from your listing is the buyer who closes.

Flood Zones & Insurance

Jacksonville sees coastal, river, and creek flooding, and pockets near the St. Johns River tributaries can sit in higher-risk zones. Jacksonville participates in the FEMA Community Rating System at a class 6, which earns flood-insurance discounts of about 10 percent for homes outside a special flood hazard area and about 20 percent for homes inside one.

The reliable move is to pull the FEMA flood designation for the exact Cary Landing address before you write an offer, since two homes in the same area can fall in different zones. A home in Zone X can cost far less to insure than one near water in Zone AE. Get a bindable flood and homeowners quote during your inspection period, so the cost is in your monthly math before you commit, not after.

Internet & Connectivity

The Jacksonville metro is served by Xfinity (Comcast) cable across nearly all addresses and by AT&T with DSL almost everywhere plus fiber to a growing share of homes. If working from home matters, confirm the options, and fiber in particular, at the specific Cary Landing address rather than assuming.

The Tax Reality

Duval County total millage runs roughly 17.9 to 18.5 mills depending on the taxing district. The Florida homestead exemption for 2026 is 51,411 dollars for those who qualify, and the deadline to file a new homestead exemption is March 1.

The trap to plan for is the post-sale reset: when you buy, the Save Our Homes cap from the previous owner ends and the assessed value resets to the new just value, so your second-year tax bill is often higher than the seller current one. Budget the true number, and confirm whether the specific home carries a CDD or other assessment that is billed separately from the millage and is not reduced by the homestead exemption.

What Your Budget Buys Here

The working band: roughly $209,990 to $236,990 for Julington plans from about 1,395 sq ft (dreamfindershomes.com and Jome, June 2026), which makes Cary Landing one of the cheapest new-construction communities in Duval County. The same dollars elsewhere buy a 1990s or 2000s resale condo or townhome with an aging roof and an HOA, or almost nothing detached. What the money buys here specifically is the new-build package, warranty, new systems, energy-efficient spec, plus the incentive stack: a builder rate buydown can carry the financed monthly below a same-price resale at market rates, which is the real comparison. Then add the unknowns honestly: the HOA fee needs to be confirmed in writing, and the no-CDD assumption needs to be confirmed on the estimated tax bill. Price the verified total monthly, both ways, and the decision usually makes itself.

The Future of the Area

Duval County continues to grow, with new rooftops, retail, and road work reshaping parts of the area. That growth supports long-run demand, but it can also add competing inventory and construction traffic in the near term, so factor both the upside and the disruption into your timing and your pricing.

Resale Liquidity

Resale here rides three rails: the scarcity of sub-$250K new-vintage product in Duval County, the build-out of the Cecil Commerce and First Coast Expressway corridor around it, and the eventual owner-to-renter mix inside the 90 units. The corridor argument is genuine, the Westside is where the entry-level growth of this metro is going, and a young townhome with documented systems should hold its position against the aging resale stock it undercuts today. The risks are equally plain: selling against the builder before close-out is a losing race, and a high investor share can narrow the future buyer pool. The play is to buy with incentives doing the work, hold through builder close-out, keep the fee picture documented, and sell into a corridor with more jobs and retail than it had when you bought.

The Cary Landing Playbook

How we would buy here: start with the current price sheet, the lot map, and the incentive sheet, in writing, because all three change with every release. Compare standing spec inventory against to-be-built, since the spec homes usually carry the richest incentives, especially near quarter-end. Before contract, get the HOA fee and coverage list in writing, ask directly about any CDD or special assessments and confirm on the estimated tax bill, ask about investor share and leasing provisions, and get the builder-lender buydown quoted against your best outside lender on the same day. Order your own independent inspection at the pre-drywall and final stages even on new construction; builders build fast at this price point, and the inspection costs a fraction of what it catches. End units and buffer exposure carry small premiums worth paying in a 90-unit community.

Questions We Would Ask Before Buying Here

Mistakes to Avoid

The expensive mistakes here: treating the sticker as the price and ignoring the incentive sheet that actually sets the monthly; taking the builder-lender deal without a same-day outside quote to check the buydown against; signing without the HOA fee in writing or the estimated tax bill in hand; skipping the independent inspection because the house is new; assuming the community will look and live like the model row when 90 units and an unknown investor share are still settling; and buying the loft plan without honestly testing whether 1,395 sq ft and two bedrooms survive your household plans for the hold period. Every one of them is avoidable with a week of verification and one extra lender call.

Live Market: Homes for Sale & Recent Sales

Live MLS inventory for Cary Landing Jacksonville. Every active listing, what is under contract right now, and the last 12 months of closed sales, refreshed twice a day. Real closed prices beat any estimate.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Cary Landing?

An actively selling Dream Finders Homes townhome community of 90 homesites at 9146 Tender Lane on the Westside of Jacksonville, Florida 32220, Duval County, near the I-295 and First Coast Expressway corridors, with two-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath Julington plans from about 1,395 sq ft.

How much do Cary Landing townhomes cost?

Builder pricing ran roughly $209,990 to $236,990 (dreamfindershomes.com and Jome, June 2026), which makes it among the cheapest new-construction townhome communities in Duval County. Active communities reprice with each release and incentives move constantly, so verify the current sheet with the sales office.

What floor plans are offered?

The Julington I and II: two-story townhomes from about 1,395 sq ft with two bedrooms, two and a half baths, and a loft that flexes as office or den, built to an energy-efficient spec. Confirm current plan availability, elevations, and which lots carry which plan with the builder.

Is there an HOA and what does it cost?

Yes, Cary Landing is an HOA community, but the fee is not consistently advertised publicly. Get the current dues and the coverage list, exteriors, lawn, common areas, in writing from the sales office, and ask when the builder-controlled association transitions to the owners and what dues are projected to do afterward.

Is there a CDD fee?

No CDD is advertised at Cary Landing, which is part of the value case at this price point, but verify it directly: ask the builder whether any CDD or special district assessment applies and confirm on the estimated property tax bill for the specific lot. The tax bill is the only document that settles the question.

Who is the builder?

Dream Finders Homes, a national builder headquartered in Jacksonville, has been actively selling Cary Landing since 2024. New-construction purchases still warrant an independent inspection at pre-drywall and final stages and your own representation; the sales office works for the builder.

What incentives do builders offer here?

At this price point builders commonly offer rate buydowns and closing-cost credits, usually tied to using the builder-affiliated lender, and the package changes month to month. Get the current incentive sheet in writing and compare the bought-down rate against your best outside lender quote on the same day before choosing financing.

How does Cary Landing compare to buying a resale townhome at the same price?

The new build carries a warranty, new systems, an energy-efficient spec, and incentive financing; the resale alternative often carries more square footage but aging systems and market-rate financing. Run the full financed monthly both ways, including HOA fees and a realistic repair reserve on the resale, and let the math decide.

What schools serve Cary Landing?

Duval County Public Schools, with attendance zones set by home address. Zoning in growth corridors shifts as rooftops arrive, so confirm the currently zoned campuses and current ratings for the specific lot with the district before you buy.

How is the commute?

I-295 is about 5 to 10 minutes, the First Coast Expressway and Cecil Commerce Center about 10 to 15, NAS Jacksonville 20 to 25, and downtown Jacksonville 20 to 25 outside of peak. The location logic is the highway grid; test your actual route at your actual hour.

Where is the nearest grocery store and retail?

The honest answer is that everything is a drive today: the nearest full grocery runs sit along the Normandy Boulevard and 103rd Street corridors, roughly 10 to 15 minutes depending on route. The corridor is adding rooftops faster than storefronts, which typically improves over a hold period.

Are investors buying in Cary Landing?

Sub-$240K new construction pencils as a rental, so investor interest is realistic. Ask the sales office about current investor activity and read the recorded covenants for any leasing provisions, because the eventual owner-to-renter mix affects street feel, HOA dynamics, and financing options for future buyers.

Are the townhomes energy efficient?

Dream Finders markets an energy-efficient build spec at Cary Landing, which matters most at the entry price point where utility bills are a real share of the monthly. Ask for the specific spec details, insulation, windows, HVAC ratings, in writing, and compare against the utility history of any resale alternative.

Should I get an inspection on a new-construction townhome?

Yes. Order your own independent inspections at the pre-drywall and final walkthrough stages; builders build quickly at this price point, and the builder warranty covers what gets found, but only if it gets found. The inspection costs a fraction of what it catches, and the builder cannot prohibit it.

Who should I call about Cary Landing?

Call Momentum Realty at (904) 351-6461 or use the form on this page, and we will connect you with the right agent.

Do I need my own agent to buy in Cary Landing?

Yes. The on-site sales team works for Dream Finders, not for you; your agent verifies the HOA fee and tax bill, negotiates the incentive package, compares the builder-lender buydown against outside financing, and represents you at inspections and the closing table. As a buyer, representation typically costs you nothing.

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