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
- Flood Zones & Insurance
- Internet & Connectivity
- The Tax Reality
- What Your Budget Buys
- The Future of the Area
- Resale Liquidity
- The Buyer Playbook
- Questions to Ask
- Mistakes to Avoid
- Frequently Asked Questions
Executive Summary
Windward Ranch is the structural-value resort community of the SR-16 corridor: 580 gated Lennar homes on 63 and 73 foot homesites with a true resort amenity campus and the rare pairing of NO CDD and low HOA dues.
The amenity campus earns the resort label: a zero-entry style pool with waterfall, a clubhouse with snack bar, a fitness center, a community mini golf course, pickleball, tennis, bocce, and playgrounds around the lakes.
For pricing context, homes run about 1,544 to 3,397 square feet across three Lennar collections. The community is essentially built out, so resales rule; price a specific home off recent comparable sales.
Quick Facts
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Location | Off SR-16 west of I-95, St. Augustine 32092 |
| County | St. Johns County |
| ZIP code | 32092 |
| Homes | 580 single-family homes, gated |
| Built | Lennar community on 63 and 73 foot homesites |
| Home sizes | About 1,544 to 3,397 square feet across three collections |
| Amenities | Resort pool w/ waterfall, clubhouse, fitness, mini golf, pickleball, tennis; NO CDD |
| Schools | St. Johns County School District (top-rated; confirm zoning by address) |
| Gate / HOA | Gated; HOA with low dues; NO CDD |
Community Overview & History
Resort amenities without the CDD line
Most resort-amenity communities in St. Johns County pay for the campus with CDD debt. Windward Ranch is the exception on SR-16: the waterfall pool, the mini golf, and the gate, funded by low HOA dues alone, minutes from I-95 and the historic district.
How it feels on the ground today
Windward Ranch reads as a polished gated community in its prime: the white Dutch-gable clubhouse and porte-cochere, the resort pool busy on weekends, the mini golf course in the middle of it all, and lakes threading the homesites.
The Community and What You Are Buying
Windward Ranch is about the collection, the lot, and the condition.
Three Lennar collections
Plans from about 1,544 to 3,397 square feet on 63 and 73 foot homesites.
Lake and preserve lots
Water and buffer lots carry modest premiums.
Updated versus original
2015-era and newer homes trade by condition and upgrades.
Real Estate Market
Windward Ranch appeals to families and relocators who want gated resort amenities without CDD debt.
With the community built out, resales set the market by plan, lot, and condition. Price off the closest comparable sales.
The no-CDD math against amenity-heavy rivals keeps demand steady.
Who Lives Here
Windward Ranch draws value-aware families, relocators, and empty nesters who want the gate and the resort campus with a clean tax bill.
Schools
Windward Ranch is served by the top-rated St. Johns County School District, with attendance zones by home address. Confirm the exact zoning for a Windward Ranch address before you buy.
Amenities & Lifestyle
The amenity campus is the headline, and the dues structure is the quiet second headline.
Resort pool with waterfall
The zero-entry style pool with waterfall anchors the campus.
Clubhouse with snack bar
A clubhouse with snack bar and gathering spaces.
Mini golf
A community mini golf course, rare anywhere.
Pickleball, tennis, fitness, playgrounds
A full active campus rounds it out.
HOA, CDD & Costs
Windward Ranch has NO CDD and low HOA dues for the amenity level; confirm the current dues and inclusions.
Confirm gate access procedures and any rental rules.
Pull the flood designation for the specific address, since lake lots vary.
Commute Analysis
| Destination | Typical drive |
|---|---|
| I-95 | About 5 to 10 minutes |
| Historic St. Augustine | About 15 minutes |
| The outlets | About 10 minutes |
| World Golf Village | About 10 minutes |
| Jacksonville Southside | About 35 to 40 minutes |
Windward Ranch sits off SR-16 minutes west of I-95, so the historic district, the outlets, and the WGV corridor all run inside fifteen minutes, with the Jacksonville commute manageable.
Shopping & Dining
SR-16 and US-1 retail cover everyday needs, with the outlets ten minutes away and the historic district fifteen.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Gated with NO CDD and low dues
- Resort pool with waterfall, clubhouse, snack bar
- Community mini golf, pickleball, tennis, fitness
- 580 homes, 1,544 to 3,397 sqft, multiple price points
- Minutes from I-95 and historic St. Augustine
Cons
- Built out, so inventory is resale-only
- Lennar plan repetition across collections
- SR-16 corridor growth means construction nearby
- Lake lots vary on flood
- Gate queues at peak times
Windward Ranch vs. Comparable Communities
| Community | How it compares to Windward Ranch |
|---|---|
| Wards Creek | The no-CDD neighbor with boat storage, a comparison for buyers weighing amenity styles. |
| Murabella | The established WGV master plan with CDD, a comparison for the carrying-cost math. |
| St. Augustine Lakes | The attainable Lennar neighbor on SR-16, a comparison for buyers weighing budget. |
Hidden Things Buyers Should Know
The math nobody runs
Resort amenities almost always ride on CDD debt; Windward Ranch funds them from low dues, which compounds into real savings over a decade.
Mini golf as a moat
It sounds small, but a private mini golf course makes this community unforgettable to kids and grandkids, which helps resale.
Resale-only market
With the builder gone, well-priced resales move fast; be ready.
Momentum Expert Insight
Windward Ranch is the SR-16 sleeper: a true resort campus, a gate, and a clean tax bill. When buyers compare the monthly math against the CDD master plans, this is where the spreadsheet points.
My advice is to move quickly on well-priced resales, weigh the lake-lot premium, and price off the closest comparable sales.
Selling a Home in Windward Ranch
Selling in Windward Ranch is about presenting the amenity campus, the no-CDD math, and the condition, and pricing correctly off the closest comparable sales.
We price from the most recent comparable homes and market the resort-without-CDD story to the families shopping the corridor.
Get a no-obligation home value for your Windward Ranch 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 Windward Ranch, 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.
Flood Zones & Insurance
St. Johns County flooding concentrates near the Intracoastal, the coast, and the creeks and marshes, while many inland master-planned communities sit in lower-risk zones.
The reliable move is to pull the FEMA flood designation for the exact Windward Ranch 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
St. Johns County is well served by AT&T (fiber in most newer communities) and Xfinity (Comcast), though fiber availability still varies by street. If working from home matters, confirm the options, and fiber in particular, at the specific Windward Ranch address rather than assuming.
The Tax Reality
St. Johns County total millage varies by district, and CDD assessments are common in the master-planned communities, which adds to the all-in cost on top of the millage. 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 Windward Ranch 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
St. Johns 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 Windward Ranch 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 Windward Ranch home is priced to the real market.The Windward Ranch Playbook
If you are buying in Windward Ranch, 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
Ask the seller
- What flood zone is this exact address in?
- What are the HOA dues, and is there a CDD or special assessment?
- What did the last few comparable homes actually sell for?
- How old are the roof, HVAC, and water heater?
- What is the true second-year tax estimate after reassessment?
Ask yourself
- Does the commute to work, schools, and daily life actually work?
- Do I need fiber internet, and is it at this address?
- Am I pricing against the right comparable sales, not the average?
- Does the lot and the condition fit my budget and my resale plan?
Mistakes to Avoid
The common ones around Windward Ranch: 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Windward Ranch?
Does Windward Ranch have a CDD?
How many homes are in Windward Ranch?
Who built Windward Ranch?
How big are homes in Windward Ranch?
What do homes in Windward Ranch cost?
What amenities does Windward Ranch have?
Does Windward Ranch really have mini golf?
Is Windward Ranch gated?
What schools serve Windward Ranch?
How far is Windward Ranch from St. Augustine?
How far is Windward Ranch from I-95?
Is Windward Ranch in a flood zone?
Is Windward Ranch good for families?
Who should I call about buying in Windward Ranch?
Do I need my own agent to buy in Windward Ranch?
Related Reading
If you are weighing Windward Ranch against other SR-16 corridor communities, these guides are a good next step.