Lakecrest

Executive Summary

Lakecrest is a 294-unit condo community off Baymeadows Road and Belle Rive Boulevard from around 1993, built as 2-story buildings with private entries and attached garages, a configuration most Jacksonville condos simply do not offer.

Four floor plans run 914 to 1,376 square feet across 2 and 3 bedroom layouts; units in the complex were listing 110,000 to 325,000 dollars at about 170 dollars per square foot per Redfin fetched in June 2026, with a sample active 2 bedroom, 2.5 bath at 149,000 dollars in the same pull.

The condo association fee was not published by aggregators at publish time, so get the current figure and coverage in writing; no CDD applies. The amenity list is long for the price band: two pools, fitness room, tennis, clubhouse, a car-wash area, and boat and RV storage.

Quick Facts

Community Overview & History

The garage condo, a rare Jacksonville animal

The Baymeadows and Belle Rive corridor is dense with 1980s and 1990s condo communities, but almost all of them park you in open lots. Lakecrest, from around 1993, was built differently: 2-story buildings where each home gets a private entry and an attached garage, which changes daily life and changes the buyer pool, because garage condos barely exist in this market.

How it feels on the ground today

Lakecrest reads as a settled 1990s community doing its job: mature trees, the two pools and tennis courts in regular use, and a mix of owner-occupants and long-term renters. The private entries mean no shared hallways and no neighbor above or below for the townhome-style units, which is exactly what draws people who thought they did not want a condo.

The Four Floor Plans and What You Are Buying

Lakecrest is one association with four plans, so the decisions are plan, position, and the garage configuration.

The compact plans

The smaller 2 bedroom layouts starting around 914 square feet carry the entry pricing; the sample active 2 bedroom, 2.5 bath at 149,000 dollars per Redfin in June 2026 sits in this part of the range.

The larger plans

The 3 bedroom layouts up to 1,376 square feet top the community band and compete with nearby townhomes on space, while keeping the condo fee structure.

The garage and entry advantage

Every unit angle here starts with the attached garage and private entry; when you comp against other Baymeadows condos, that feature is worth real money and real resale liquidity.

Position within the community

Units backing to quieter interior areas and those nearest the amenity core trade differently; walk the specific building before you offer.

Real Estate Market

Units in the complex were listing 110,000 to 325,000 dollars at roughly 170 dollars per square foot per Redfin fetched in June 2026, a wide band that reflects plan size, condition, and renovation level; a sample active 2 bedroom, 2.5 bath sat at 149,000 dollars in the same pull.

The buyer pool is first-time buyers who want a garage, downsizers leaving single-family maintenance, and investors who like the rental appeal of private entries and garages.

Condo financing is the gatekeeper here as everywhere: have your lender run the condo questionnaire early, because owner-occupancy ratios and association financials decide which loan programs work.

Who Lives Here

Lakecrest draws first-time buyers who refuse to give up a garage, downsizers who want single-level or compact living without exterior chores, and investors who know garage condos rent faster than walk-ups.

Schools

Lakecrest is served by Duval County Public Schools, with attendance zones by home address, plus private and charter options nearby. Confirm the exact zoning for a Lakecrest address before you buy. Zoned schools for this community were not verified by third-party sources at publish time, so run the exact address through the district locator before you write an offer.

Amenities & Lifestyle

The amenity list is unusually long for a sub-200,000 dollar entry point, and the storage options are the sleeper.

Two pools

Double the typical condo allotment, which spreads the summer crowd.

Fitness room and clubhouse

The indoor basics, on site.

Tennis

The court sports anchor, increasingly rare in communities this size.

Car-wash area plus boat and RV storage

Practical extras almost no Baymeadows condo community offers; the boat and RV storage alone saves owners a monthly off-site bill.

HOA, CDD & Costs

The condo association fee was not published by aggregators at publish time, so get the current monthly figure, what it covers, and the reserve picture in writing before you offer; in a community from around 1993, the reserve and insurance lines are where surprises live.

No CDD applies at Lakecrest, so the monthly math is purchase, taxes, insurance, and the association fee.

Ask for the budget, recent meeting minutes, and any planned special assessments; Florida condo law changes have pushed many 1990s associations to fund reserves harder, and you want to know where this one stands.

Commute Analysis

Lakecrest sits off Belle Rive Boulevard with quick reaches to Baymeadows Road, I-95, and J Turner Butler Boulevard: the Town Center and the Southside office parks are about ten minutes, and downtown runs straight up I-95.

Shopping & Dining

The Baymeadows Road corridor covers groceries, dining, and daily errands within minutes, and St. Johns Town Center handles everything else about ten minutes north.

Pros and Cons

Lakecrest vs. Comparable Communities

Hidden Things Buyers Should Know

The garage premium nobody quantifies

Attached-garage condos are so scarce in Jacksonville that they barely have a comp set; that scarcity supports both resale and rentability, and most buyers do not realize how unusual the feature is until they shop the alternatives.

The name twin on Belle Rive

There is a separately named Lake Crest association on Belle Rive Boulevard; it is a different community with a different association, and the near-identical names pollute search results, comps, and even insurance quotes. Verify the legal name on everything.

The storage yard math

Boat and RV storage typically runs a meaningful monthly bill off site; having it inside the community quietly rebates that cost for owners who use it.

Momentum Expert Insight

Selling a Home in Lakecrest

Selling at Lakecrest means leading with the garage and private entry, because that is the feature the competing communities cannot match, and pricing to your specific plan rather than the wide community band.

We pull plan-level comparables, stage the garage and entry story, and make sure financing-ready buyers are prioritized so the contract sticks.

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 Lakecrest 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 Lakecrest 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 same budget buys very different homes across Lakecrest and the surrounding area, depending on age, size, lot, and condition. Rather than anchor on the asking price or the neighborhood average, price any specific home off the most recent comparable sales, and weigh what your money would buy in the nearby alternatives before you commit.

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

How quickly a Lakecrest home resells comes down to presentation, condition, and pricing against the latest comparable sales rather than the neighborhood average. Homes that are priced correctly and shown well tend to move, while overpriced or dated homes sit. We track the active and sold comparable set so a Lakecrest home is priced to the real market.

The Lakecrest Playbook

If you are buying in Lakecrest, here is how we would approach it: pull the flood zone and a real insurance quote for the specific address, confirm the HOA dues and whether a CDD applies, compare what your budget would buy nearby, and price the home off the closest comparable sales rather than the asking price. If you are buying any new-construction home, bring your own agent before you register, since the on-site representative works for the builder, not for you.

Questions We Would Ask Before Buying Here

Mistakes to Avoid

The common ones around Lakecrest: trusting the seller current tax bill instead of the post-sale reset; skipping the address-specific flood check; assuming fiber is at every home; and pricing off the neighborhood average rather than the closest comparable sales. Each is avoidable with the right diligence, which is exactly where having your own agent pays off.

Price History: What Homes Here Have Actually Sold For

Median sale prices in Lakecrest Jacksonville year by year since 2012, from closed MLS sales. Long-run history beats any single estimate: it shows what this community has actually done through rate cycles, not what a model guesses.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Lakecrest?

Off Baymeadows Road and Belle Rive Boulevard on the Southside of Jacksonville, ZIP 32256.

Is Lakecrest the same as Lake Crest on Belle Rive?

No. There is a separately named Lake Crest association on Belle Rive Boulevard; they are different communities with different associations, so verify the legal name on listings and documents.

How many units are in Lakecrest?

294 condos in 2-story buildings, from around 1993.

Do Lakecrest condos really have garages?

Yes, units have private entries and attached garages, which is rare for Jacksonville condos and the defining feature of the community.

What floor plans are offered?

Four plans from 914 to 1,376 square feet across 2 and 3 bedroom layouts.

What do units cost?

Units in the complex were listing 110,000 to 325,000 dollars at about 170 dollars per square foot per Redfin fetched in June 2026, with a sample active 2 bedroom, 2.5 bath at 149,000 dollars. Confirm current pricing.

What is the condo fee?

The association fee was not published by aggregators at publish time; get the current figure and coverage in writing before you offer.

Is there a CDD?

No, no CDD applies at Lakecrest.

What amenities are included?

Two pools, a fitness room, tennis, a clubhouse, a car-wash area, and boat and RV storage.

Can I store a boat or RV there?

The community offers boat and RV storage; confirm availability, any waitlist, and cost with the association.

What schools serve Lakecrest?

Duval County Public Schools; zoned schools were not verified at publish time, so confirm by exact address with the district.

How far is St. Johns Town Center?

About 10 minutes via I-95 or Gate Parkway.

Is condo financing an issue here?

It can be, as at any condo: have your lender run the condo questionnaire early, because owner-occupancy ratios and association financials determine which loan programs work.

Is Lakecrest a good investment?

The garage and private entry make units rent faster than typical walk-ups, and the entry pricing is low; the diligence items are the association financials and reserve health.

Who should I call about Lakecrest?

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 here?

Yes, even on a condo resale. The listing agent works for the seller. Your own agent represents only you, and condo document review is exactly where that representation earns its keep.

Related Reading

If you are weighing Lakecrest against the rest of the Southside condo map, these guides are a good next step.