The Complete Headwaters at Lofton Creek Guide. (2026)

Executive Summary

Headwaters at Lofton Creek is a gated Taylor Morrison community on nearly 200 wooded acres along Lofton Creek in Yulee, Nassau County. It is a nature-inspired community built on large 80-foot-wide homesites, with a quiet, tree-canopied setting that sits about 11 miles west of Fernandina Beach and Amelia Island. The community is actively selling, with a model open and homes under construction, so buyers are getting in fairly early.

Taylor Morrison, named America’s Most Trusted Home Builder for ten consecutive years, is the builder, offering a series of single-family floor plans with open-concept layouts, chef-inspired kitchens, luxurious primary suites, and craftsman-style exteriors. Homes run roughly 2,440 to 4,180 square feet in three to six bedrooms, priced from the high $400,000s into the low-to-mid $700,000s. The wide 80-foot lots are the signature, giving buyers more room than the narrower lots common in newer communities.

Planned amenities include a resort-style pool and cabana, an event lawn, a dog park, a playground, and scenic walking trails through the woods along Lofton Creek. The community is gated, served by top-ranked Nassau County schools, and carries HOA dues, with a CDD possible as in many Nassau master plans. This guide covers the homes, the pricing, the fees, the schools, the location, and the honest trade-offs of buying new, including why you bring your own agent to the builder.

Quick Facts

Community Overview & History

A nature-inspired gated community in Yulee

Headwaters at Lofton Creek is a gated community of single-family homes set on nearly 200 acres of wooded land along Lofton Creek in Yulee, Nassau County. Taylor Morrison designed it as a nature-inspired escape, with homes tucked under a canopy of native trees and large 80-foot homesites that give the community a more spacious, established feel than the narrower-lot communities common in newer Northeast Florida construction. It is a quieter, lower-density setting that leans into its woodland and creek surroundings.

Taylor Morrison as the builder

Taylor Morrison, one of the nation’s leading homebuilders and named America’s Most Trusted Home Builder for ten consecutive years, is the builder at Headwaters. The community is actively selling, with a model home open and homes under construction, offering a series of single-family floor plans designed for the wide 80-foot lots. For buyers who want a national builder with a strong reputation on a large homesite, that combination is the draw.

The Yulee and Amelia Island location

Headwaters sits in Yulee, about 11 miles west of Fernandina Beach and Amelia Island, roughly a 20-minute drive to the beaches and the historic downtown. Easy access to SR-200/A1A, I-95, US-17, and I-295 connects the community to Amelia Island, Jacksonville, and the wider region, and Jacksonville International Airport is about 17 miles away. The setting pairs a quiet, wooded Yulee address with quick reach to the coast and the metro.

Homes & Floor Plans

Headwaters at Lofton Creek is built by Taylor Morrison, so the decision centers on the floor plan, the homesite, and options, all on the community’s wide 80-foot lots.

The homes

Taylor Morrison offers a series of single-family floor plans at Headwaters, with open-concept layouts, chef-inspired kitchens, luxurious primary suites, and timeless craftsman-style exteriors. Homes range from about 2,440 to 4,180 square feet in three to six bedrooms, in one- and two-story designs, with options such as guest suites, lofts, and flex spaces. The plans are built to take advantage of the wide 80-foot homesites, with room for larger footprints and yards.

The 80-foot homesites

The signature of Headwaters is the 80-foot-wide lot, which is notably wider than the 40-, 50-, and 60-foot lots common in most newer Northeast Florida communities. The wider lots give more space between homes, larger yards, and a more established feel, and they are a major reason the community sits at a higher price point. Premium wooded and creek-oriented homesites carry additional lot premiums.

Pricing context

Headwaters at Lofton Creek homes have priced from roughly the high $400,000s into the low-to-mid $700,000s, depending on the floor plan, the homesite, and options. That places it at the upper end of Yulee new construction, in line with its large lots, gated setting, and Taylor Morrison build quality. Confirm current pricing, available homes, and upcoming releases directly with Taylor Morrison, since the numbers move with phase and incentive.

The Market & Pricing

Headwaters at Lofton Creek pairs large 80-foot lots and a gated, wooded setting with a national builder and top-ranked Nassau County schools. Homes have priced from the high $400,000s into the low-to-mid $700,000s. Confirm current pricing directly with Taylor Morrison.

The pitch is space and setting. The 80-foot lots, the wooded acreage along Lofton Creek, and the gated entry give Headwaters a more established, private feel than the narrower-lot communities at lower price points, and the top-ranked Nassau County schools support the value. The trade is the upper-end price and the Yulee location, which is a longer commute to the core Jacksonville job centers than communities closer in. Taylor Morrison runs incentives such as rate buydowns and design credits in the current market, so it pays to ask, and to have representation managing the lot premium and the contract.

For context, Momentum tracks the wider Jacksonville metro at a 97.98 percent sold-to-list ratio and 64 days on market for our agents, against a RealMLS market average closer to 96.73 percent and 72 days, year to date. In a builder community like Headwaters, base pricing, incentives, and homesite selection matter more than resale comps, which is where an agent who knows the community and Taylor Morrison pays off.

Who Lives Here

Headwaters at Lofton Creek draws buyers who want space, privacy, and a gated, nature-oriented setting near the coast. The mix skews toward move-up and luxury buyers, families drawn by the large lots and the top-ranked Nassau County schools, professionals and remote workers who want a quiet wooded address with beach access, and retirees and second-home buyers drawn to the Amelia Island area.

Many are relocating from higher-cost markets and trading up into a larger lot and home, or are Nassau and Jacksonville residents moving up into a gated community near Amelia Island. The 80-foot lots, the creek setting, and the proximity to the beaches give Headwaters a clear, upscale profile among Yulee and Nassau County new construction.

Schools

Headwaters at Lofton Creek is served by the Nassau County School District, one of Florida’s top-ranked districts, and has been associated with Yulee Elementary (A-rated), Yulee Middle School, and Yulee High School, all within about three miles. Specific elementary, middle, and high school assignments depend on the address and on Nassau County’s attendance boundaries, which shift as the Yulee area grows, so families should confirm the exact current zoned schools for a specific Headwaters address with the district.

Nassau County’s schools, along with several private options nearby, are a major draw for families choosing the Yulee area. Buyers prioritizing a specific school should verify both the zoned assignment for the address and any choice options with the Nassau County School District before relying on a particular placement.

Amenities & Lifestyle

Headwaters at Lofton Creek pairs planned resort-style amenities with a wooded, creek-side natural setting and the nearby coast.

The amenity package

The community’s planned amenities include a resort-style pool and cabana, an event lawn for gatherings, a dog park, a playground or tot lot, and scenic walking trails that wind through the wooded acreage. The amenities are designed for an active, all-ages lifestyle while keeping the natural character of the community front and center.

The creek and the woods

The defining feature is the setting, nearly 200 acres of scenic woodlands along Lofton Creek, under a canopy of native trees. Many homesites are wooded or creek-oriented, and the trails and natural areas give residents an outdoor, nature-first lifestyle. Creek-side strolls and weekend boating are part of the everyday appeal.

Amelia Island and the beaches

Headwaters sits about 11 miles from Fernandina Beach and Amelia Island, so the beaches, the historic downtown, the island’s dining, and its golf are roughly 20 minutes away. The combination of a quiet wooded community and quick access to one of Florida’s most beloved beach towns is central to the lifestyle here.

HOA & CDD

Headwaters at Lofton Creek carries the fee structure typical of a gated Nassau County community, and it is worth understanding before you commit.

There is an HOA. As a gated community, Headwaters carries homeowners association dues that fund the gated entry, the amenities, and the common areas. Confirm the current HOA amount and what it includes for the specific section and homesite.

A CDD may apply. Many Nassau County master-planned communities, including others in the Yulee area, are served by Community Development Districts, which fund infrastructure and amenities through an assessment on the property tax bill. Confirm whether a CDD applies to a specific Headwaters homesite, and the current amount, since it directly affects your all-in monthly.

What the fees buy is the gated infrastructure, the resort amenities, the trails, and the maintenance of a wooded community. For buyers comparing Headwaters with a no-CDD community like Terrapin Creek in North Jacksonville, the question is whether the large lots, the gated setting, and the Amelia Island proximity are worth the recurring cost. For buyers who want this space and setting, they often are.

Model the true all-in monthly. The mortgage, the HOA, any applicable CDD, the lot premium on the best homesites, and the post-first-year property-tax reset on a new build all factor in. A good agent will help you build the real all-in monthly for a specific Headwaters homesite before you commit.

Commute Analysis

Headwaters at Lofton Creek’s Yulee location balances a quiet, wooded setting with access to the coast and the metro.

Headwaters sits with easy access to SR-200/A1A and I-95, which puts Fernandina Beach and Amelia Island about 20 minutes east and Jacksonville International Airport roughly 25 to 30 minutes south. North Jacksonville and River City Marketplace are about 25 to 35 minutes away via I-95 and I-295, with downtown and the Southside farther on. For buyers who work in Nassau County, on Amelia Island, in North Jacksonville, or remotely, the location works well. The honest trade-off is the longer commute to the core Jacksonville and Southside job centers compared with communities closer in.

Shopping & Dining

Headwaters at Lofton Creek’s everyday shopping and dining run along the SR-200/A1A corridor in Yulee, which has grown quickly with grocery stores, big-box retail, and restaurants, much of it within a short drive of the community. For destination dining and boutiques, historic Fernandina Beach and Amelia Island, about 20 minutes east, offer one of the region’s most charming downtown and waterfront scenes.

For larger shopping trips, River City Marketplace in North Jacksonville is about 25 to 35 minutes south with big-box anchors and restaurants, and the St. Johns Town Center is farther on. For day-to-day life, the Yulee SR-200 corridor and Amelia Island cover most needs close to home, and the retail base continues to expand as Yulee grows.

Pros and Cons

Headwaters at Lofton Creek vs. Comparable Communities

Most buyers weighing Headwaters at Lofton Creek are comparing it with other Nassau County and Yulee communities. Here is the honest shorthand.

Hidden Things Buyers Should Know

A few things that consistently come up once buyers get serious about a gated, large-lot community like Headwaters at Lofton Creek.

The 80-foot lots drive the price

The wide 80-foot homesites are the headline feature, and they are a big reason Headwaters sits above the narrower-lot communities on price. The best wooded and creek-oriented lots carry additional premiums. Decide how much the lot width and the specific homesite matter to you, because that choice moves the price as much as the floor plan does.

Confirm the fee structure

Headwaters is gated with an HOA, and a CDD may apply as in many Nassau communities. The fee structure affects the all-in monthly, so confirm the current HOA and whether a CDD applies to your specific homesite before you commit, rather than assuming.

Factor the coastal setting into insurance

The wooded, creek-side location near the coast is part of the appeal, and it also warrants an insurance and flood review. Get a real insurance quote for a specific homesite, especially for creek-oriented lots, so the all-in monthly reflects the true cost of the setting.

Register your agent before you visit

Taylor Morrison’s sales team works for Taylor Morrison. Many builders will not let you add representation after you register on your own, so bring your agent in before your first model visit, at no cost to you in most cases since the builder pays the buyer-agent commission.

Momentum Expert Insight

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Reading

If you are researching Headwaters at Lofton Creek, you are likely also weighing these other Nassau County communities. We have written guides on each.