Villages of Fireside

Executive Summary

Villages of Fireside is an established community dating to 1991 and after, southwest of Orange Park along Fireside Drive off the Blanding and Knight Boxx area, with mostly single-family homes of roughly 1,835 to 2,522 square feet plus townhome sections that broaden the price ladder.

The community runs its own active HOA through villagesoffireside.com; the fee was not published at the time of writing, so get the current figure in writing, and no CDD was found in available records, which you should still confirm on the tax bill.

The community price range has run roughly 270,000 to 470,000 dollars across product types, with recent single-family listings at 414,900 to 469,990 dollars per Redfin and Compass in 2025, so the townhome sections and the larger single-family homes occupy very different rungs.

Quick Facts

Community Overview & History

The creekside establishment off Knight Boxx

The Blanding and Knight Boxx junction is one of the busiest crossroads in Clay County, and Villages of Fireside has sat just off it since the early 1990s, close enough for convenience without living on the asphalt. The differentiator is Black Creek: the HOA maintains a nature walk and picnic area on the creek itself, which gives residents real water access in a county where creekfront is usually a private-lot luxury. Add a mixed product ladder, townhomes through 2,500-square-foot single-family, and the community covers more buyer types than most of its neighbors.

How it feels on the ground today

This is a settled community with grown trees and an HOA that visibly functions, with its own site and an active board. The single-family streets and the townhome sections are distinct products with distinct price points, which means listing feeds blend two markets under one community name, the same trap that catches buyers in every mixed community. The creek amenity is low-key, a nature walk and picnic area rather than a marina, but it is a genuine quality-of-life feature most established neighborhoods at this price cannot answer.

Single-Family Streets and Townhome Sections

Villages of Fireside is one community with a real product ladder, so the first decision is single-family versus townhome, then size and position.

The single-family core

Homes mostly in the 1,835 to 2,522 square foot band, early-1990s and later construction, which is where the recent 414,900 to 469,990 dollar listings per Redfin and Compass in 2025 sit.

The townhome sections

Attached sections inside the same community at a meaningfully lower entry, which is what stretches the overall range down toward 270,000 dollars; verify the specific section fees and rules before comparing.

The creek-side positions

Streets and lots nearest the Black Creek nature area carry the lifestyle premium here, and proximity to the walk and picnic area is a legitimate resale talking point.

Real Estate Market

Recent single-family listings ran 414,900 to 469,990 dollars per Redfin and Compass in 2025, while the broader community range across product types has run roughly 270,000 to 470,000 dollars, so the average depends entirely on the product mix in any given quarter.

Because townhomes and single-family share the community name, aggregator price feeds blend the two; comp single-family against single-family and townhome against townhome or the numbers mislead.

The buyer pool is families who want established Clay County at a mid-band price, townhome buyers seeking an attainable entry in a maintained community, and anyone who values the Black Creek access.

Who Lives Here

Villages of Fireside draws families who want an established, HOA-maintained community near the Blanding and Knight Boxx conveniences, townhome buyers looking for an attainable rung in the same neighborhood, and buyers who value real Black Creek access.

Schools

Villages of Fireside is served by Clay County District Schools, with attendance zones by home address. Confirm the exact zoning for a Villages of Fireside address before you buy. Zoned schools for this community were not verified by third-party sources at publish time, so run the address through the district locator before you write an offer.

Amenities & Lifestyle

The amenity story centers on the creek: the HOA maintains a nature walk and picnic area on Black Creek, a genuine feature most communities in this price band cannot match.

Black Creek nature walk

HOA-maintained walking access along the creek, the signature amenity of the community.

Creekside picnic area

A maintained gathering spot on the water for residents.

Active homeowners association

A functioning HOA with its own site at villagesoffireside.com, which keeps common areas and standards maintained.

Established streetscape

Three decades of tree growth and settled landscaping, the amenity new communities cannot buy.

HOA, CDD & Costs

The community runs an active HOA through villagesoffireside.com, but the fee was not published at the time of writing; get the current dues, what they cover, and the townhome-section fee structure in writing before contract.

No CDD was found in available records, which keeps the assessment picture light, but confirm on the tax bill for the specific address since records beat summaries.

The townhome sections likely carry different fees and maintenance obligations than the single-family streets, so match the fee disclosure to the exact product and section you are buying.

Commute Analysis

Fireside sits just off the Blanding and Knight Boxx junction, so daily errands are immediate, the First Coast Expressway pickup is a short run, and the Orange Park and NAS Jacksonville commutes are the standard corridor drives.

Shopping & Dining

The Blanding and Knight Boxx junction covers groceries and daily errands within about three minutes, the Orange Park Mall and Wells Rd cluster sits about 15 minutes north, and Oakleaf Town Center handles the newer big-box runs via the expressway.

Pros and Cons

Villages of Fireside vs. Comparable Communities

Hidden Things Buyers Should Know

The creek access most buyers miss

The HOA-maintained nature walk and picnic area on Black Creek rarely makes it into listing photos, so out-of-area buyers routinely shop Fireside without knowing the community touches the creek at all.

The blended-feed trap

Townhome and single-family sales share one community name in the data feeds, so any Fireside average mixes two products; a 270,000 dollar townhome comp says nothing about a 2,500-square-foot house on the creek side.

The unpublished-fee homework

An active HOA with an unpublished fee is not a red flag, just a phone call; get the dues, the budget, and the reserve picture in writing, because a functioning association is a value asset when documented.

Momentum Expert Insight

Selling a Home in Villages of Fireside

Fireside listings win by comping within their own product type and leading with the Black Creek access, the feature aggregator feeds and casual buyers consistently miss.

We document the HOA picture up front, dues, coverage, and the maintained creek area, because a functioning association with real amenities is a selling point once a buyer can see it in writing.

Flood Zones & Insurance

Clay County flooding concentrates near Black Creek, Doctors Lake, and low-lying and wetland areas, while many newer inland communities sit in lower-risk zones.

The reliable move is to pull the FEMA flood designation for the exact Villages of Fireside 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 populated Clay County corridors are served by AT&T and Xfinity (Comcast), with fiber expanding and some gaps in the more rural western areas. If working from home matters, confirm the options, and fiber in particular, at the specific Villages of Fireside address rather than assuming.

The Tax Reality

Clay County total millage is generally lower than the City of Jacksonville, though it varies by district and any CDD is billed separately. 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 Villages of Fireside 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

Clay 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 Villages of Fireside 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 Villages of Fireside home is priced to the real market.

The Villages of Fireside Playbook

If you are buying in Villages of Fireside, 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 Villages of Fireside: 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 Villages Of Fireside Middleburg 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 Villages of Fireside?

Along Fireside Drive off the Blanding Blvd and Knight Boxx Road area in Middleburg, ZIP 32068, just southwest of Orange Park.

When was Villages of Fireside built?

The community dates to 1991 and after, so it is an established resale community.

What do homes cost?

Recent single-family listings ran 414,900 to 469,990 dollars per Redfin and Compass in 2025, within a broader community range of roughly 270,000 to 470,000 dollars across product types. Confirm current pricing.

How big are the homes?

Single-family homes mostly run about 1,835 to 2,522 square feet; the townhome sections are smaller and trade lower.

Are there townhomes in the community?

Yes, townhome sections sit inside the same community alongside the single-family streets, which is why the overall price range is so wide.

Is there an HOA?

Yes, an active association with its own site at villagesoffireside.com; the fee was not published at the time of writing, so get the current dues and coverage in writing.

Is there a CDD?

No CDD was found in available records; confirm on the tax bill for the specific address before contract.

What amenities are included?

An HOA-maintained nature walk and picnic area on Black Creek; there is no pool or clubhouse campus.

What schools serve Villages of Fireside?

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

Is Villages of Fireside gated?

No gate is advertised; confirm current details with the HOA.

Does the community really touch Black Creek?

Yes, the HOA maintains a nature walk and picnic area on the creek, a feature that rarely shows up in listing photos.

How is the commute?

The Blanding and Knight Boxx retail is about three minutes, the First Coast Expressway about eight, and NAS Jacksonville about 20 minutes.

What should I inspect on a home here?

With early-1990s and later construction, focus on roof age, HVAC, and the usual Florida insurance-sensitive systems, and pull the HOA documents for the section you are buying.

Is new construction available here?

No, the community is established; inventory is resale across both the single-family and townhome sections.

Who should I call about Villages of Fireside?

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. In a resale community the listing agent works for the seller. Your own agent represents only you, and in most cases the seller side funds the commission anyway.

Related Reading

If you are weighing Villages of Fireside against the rest of the Middleburg market, these guides are a good next step.