What's in this guide
- Executive Summary
- Quick Facts
- Community Overview & History
- Neighborhoods & Areas
- Real Estate Market
- Who Lives Here
- Schools
- Amenities & Lifestyle
- HOA, CDD & Costs
- Commute Analysis
- Shopping & Dining
- Pros & Cons
- Neighborhood Comparisons
- Hidden Things to Know
- Momentum Expert Insight
- Frequently Asked Questions
Executive Summary
The Watermark is a gated, 11-story luxury oceanfront condominium in Jacksonville Beach, on 3rd Avenue South at 1st Street South, completed in March 2005 with just 25 residences and spacious oceanfront terraces.
Residences run from roughly 1,700 to about 3,200 square feet, with private beach access, an oceanside pool and heated spa, and secured covered ground-floor parking. As a boutique luxury oceanfront building, The Watermark prices well into the upper tier of the Jacksonville Beach condo market, with the floor and the ocean view driving much of the value.
The appeal is gated, large-format oceanfront luxury with full amenities and lock-and-leave living. The trade-offs are a substantial monthly condo fee, the reserve and special-assessment questions common to a coastal high-rise, and the coastal insurance climate.
Quick Facts
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Location | Jacksonville Beach, oceanfront on 1st Street South |
| County | Duval County |
| ZIP code | 32250 |
| Homes | Gated 11-story luxury oceanfront condominium (25 residences) |
| Built | Completed 2005 |
| Home sizes | Oceanfront condos, roughly 1,700 to 3,200 sq ft |
| Amenities | Oceanside pool and heated spa, private beach access, covered parking |
| Schools | Duval County Public Schools (confirm by address) |
| Gate / HOA | Gated oceanfront high-rise; condo association |
Community Overview & History
A boutique oceanfront tower
The Watermark sits directly on the ocean in Jacksonville Beach, an 11-story tower of just 25 residences completed in 2005. The boutique scale and spacious floor plans set it apart from the larger oceanfront buildings on the beach.
Gated, large-format luxury
The building is gated with secured covered parking and run with resort amenities, which is what distinguishes it from a standard beach condo and what the monthly fee supports, with the Atlantic at the doorstep.
The Residences
The Watermark is a single boutique oceanfront tower, so the variation is in the floor, the plan, the size, and the directness of the ocean view.
Oceanfront residences
The residences are large oceanfront condos, roughly 1,700 to 3,200 square feet, with spacious terraces, and the higher floors command the top of the range.
Lower-floor residences
Lower-floor residences sit lower in the range while keeping the building's gated oceanfront position and amenities.
Real Estate Market
The Watermark is an upper-tier oceanfront condo address. As a gated, boutique luxury building, it prices well above the county at large, with the floor, the view, the size, and the updates driving the value as much as any headline number.
For county context, the NEFAR April 2026 report put the Duval County median single-family price at about $332,500, a county-wide single-family figure that does not describe a luxury oceanfront high-rise. Confirm current asking and recent sales for a specific residence in the building with a local specialist.
Who Lives Here
The Watermark draws luxury second-home buyers, executives, and retirees who want a large, gated oceanfront residence with full amenities, security, and no upkeep, in a boutique building with very few neighbors.
Schools
The Watermark is served by Duval County Public Schools. In Duval the strongest schools are a mix of zoned neighborhood schools and application magnets, and middle and high assignments are not reliable from a community name alone. Confirm the current zoning for a specific address with the district locator at duvalschools.org before you buy. See the best schools in Duval County guide for the rankings and how zones affect prices.
Amenities & Lifestyle
The Watermark is run as a full-service gated oceanfront building, and the amenities are part of what you are buying.
Oceanside pool and parking
The building offers an oceanside pool with a heated spa, private beach access, and secured covered ground-floor parking.
Direct ocean access
Direct beach access and ocean views anchor the building, with the Jacksonville Beach dining and entertainment a short drive north along the beach.
HOA, CDD & Costs
The Watermark carries a substantial monthly condo association fee that funds the gate, the amenities, the building insurance, and the reserves. Confirm the current fee, exactly what it covers, and the building's reserve funding for a specific residence in writing.
On an oceanfront high-rise, ask about reserves and any planned special assessments, since Florida condo law has tightened reserve requirements and oceanfront buildings carry significant windstorm and flood exposure. Confirm the reserve study, recent assessments, and the master insurance policy before you commit.
Commute Analysis
| Destination | Typical drive |
|---|---|
| Jacksonville Beach core | About 5 minutes |
| Atlantic Beach | About 12 minutes |
| St. Johns Town Center | About 20 minutes |
| Downtown Jacksonville | About 30 minutes |
The Jacksonville Beach location puts the ocean at the door and the beach-town dining minutes away. Test your specific commute, since the beach approaches and J. Turner Butler Boulevard carry traffic in season.
Shopping & Dining
The Jacksonville Beach core, with its restaurants, shops, and the SeaWalk Pavilion, sits minutes away, and the St. Johns Town Center adds big-box and upscale options about 20 minutes west.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Gated oceanfront living
- Large oceanfront floor plans
- Oceanside pool and heated spa
- Secured covered parking
- Boutique, only 25 residences
- Lock-and-leave, no upkeep
Cons
- Substantial monthly condo fee
- Coastal reserve and special-assessment risk
- High coastal insurance
- Condo financing rules can be stricter
- Very thin, infrequent inventory
The Watermark vs. Comparable Communities
| Community | How it compares to The Watermark |
|---|---|
| Marbella | A nearby boutique luxury oceanfront tower with even larger residences at a higher price point. |
| Ocean 14 | A larger oceanfront tower in south Jacksonville Beach with more residences and resort amenities. |
| Pelican Point | A larger gated oceanfront tower nearby with fees that include water and sewer at a lower price point. |
Hidden Things Buyers Should Know
Read the reserves and coastal insurance
On an oceanfront high-rise, the building's reserves, any special assessments, and the windstorm and flood coverage matter as much as the price. Confirm the reserve study and the master policy before you buy.
Inventory is rare
With only 25 residences, The Watermark rarely has homes for sale, so a specific residence and its floor and plan drive the value. Confirm recent sales in the building for a true read.
Momentum Expert Insight
The Watermark is a boutique gated oceanfront building on Jacksonville Beach, 25 large residences with private beach access and secured parking. It suits a luxury buyer who wants a large, lock-and-leave oceanfront home with few neighbors.
The diligence is the condo fundamentals and the coast. Confirm the fee, the reserves, any assessments, and the windstorm and flood coverage, and line up condo-approved financing early. A local specialist will price the residence off the building's recent sales.
Selling a Home in The Watermark
If you are thinking about selling in The Watermark, the right list price comes from the recent comparable sales in this specific community, not an automated estimate. Pricing to the home and the current The Watermark inventory is what earns the strongest offer in the fewest days on market.
Across the wider Jacksonville metro, Momentum's listings have run a 97.98 percent sold-to-list ratio and 64 days on market for our agents, against a market average closer to 96.73 percent and 72 days, year to date. A The Watermark listing specialist will give you a true home value from real comparable sales and a pricing strategy built for the current market. Start with a no-obligation home value request below.
Get a no-obligation home value for your The Watermark home, based on real comparable sales in the community rather than an automated guess. Tell us about your home and we will personally prepare your numbers and a pricing strategy. No obligation, no spam.
Whether you are buying, selling, or just gathering information about The Watermark, drop your details below. Every inquiry comes straight to us, and we will personally help you and connect you with the right agent. No obligation, no spam.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Related Reading
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