Looking for connections in Jacksonville
Member since 2020 · 14 posts · 16 votes
Looking for connections in Jacksonville
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Basit SiddiqiBusiness Member
Accountant · New York, NY · Member since 2015 · 8k+ posts · 3k+ votesYou are likely looking at a home in the 32254, 32208, 32206 or 32209 zip codes if you are talking about lower income homes.
You can definitely make it work there. You likely have to find a good property management company and contractor to make it work. There are a lot of professionals who will not work in those areas because they are deemed rougher.
Best of luck to investing in Jacksonville.
Basit Siddiqi CPA4.979 Reviews
13 Replies
- 1yBasit SiddiqiBusiness MemberAccountant · New York, NY · Member since 2015 · 8k+ posts · 3k+ votes
You are likely looking at a home in the 32254, 32208, 32206 or 32209 zip codes if you are talking about lower income homes.
You can definitely make it work there. You likely have to find a good property management company and contractor to make it work. There are a lot of professionals who will not work in those areas because they are deemed rougher.
Best of luck to investing in Jacksonville.Basit Siddiqi CPA4.979 Reviews - 1yDrew SygitBusiness MemberProperty Manager · Royal Oak, MI · Member since 2012 · 12k+ posts · 9k+ votes
How much do you know about Property Classes?
Recommend you spend some time learning about them, so you don’t mistakenly buy a property that will NEVER meet your expectations!
Why is Property Class so important for investors to understand and apply in their investing strategies?
Because the Property Class dictates the Class of the tenant pool that the property will attract.
The Tenant Class greatly impacts rental income stability and property maintenance/damage by tenants.
Both Property Class and Tenant Class will affect what type of contractors, handymen and property management companies you should target and be willing to deal with a property.
The Property Class will also impact the maintenance & renovations you do to,, “Maintain to the Neighborhood”.
Why is that important?
Well, if you buy & renovate a property in Class D area to Class A standards, what Tenant Class will actually rent it?
Or, if you put several Class D tenants in a Class A four-plex, what do you think will happen to the property?
So, if you fail to apply the correct assumptions to a property, your expectations won’t be met, and it may even be a financial disaster.
We use the following to rank Property Classes, in order of importance:
- Property Tenant Pool: closely linked to location, but not always.
- Property Location: closely linked to tenant pool, but not always.
- Property Condition & Amenities: it’s important to, “Maintain to the Neighborhood.”
Key metrics for each Property Class:
Class A Properties:
Tenant Pool: Majority of FICO scores 680+, no convictions/evictions in last 7 years.
Tenant Default: 0-5% probability of eviction or early lease termination.
Section 8: Class A rents are too high and won’t be approved.
Vacancies: 5-10%, depending on market conditions.
Cashflow vs Appreciation: Typically, 3-5 years for positive cashflow, but you get highest relative rent & value appreciation.Class B Properties:
Tenant Pool: Majority of FICO scores 620-680, some blemishes, no convictions/evictions in last 5 years.
Tenant Default: 5-10% probability of eviction or early lease termination.
Vacancies: 10-15%, depending on market conditions.
Cashflow vs Appreciation: Typically, 1-3 years for positive cashflow, balanced amounts of relative rent & value appreciation.
Section 8: Class B rents are usually too high for the Section 8 program.Class C Properties:
Tenant Pool: Majority of FICO scores 560-620, many blemishes, but should have no convictions/evictions in last 3 years. Verifying recent 2-years of rental history very important! Same for 2-years of job/income stability.
Tenant Default: 10-20% probability of eviction or early lease termination.
Section 8: Class C rents usually meet program requirements, proper screening still recommended.
Vacancies: 10-20%, depending on market conditions and tenant screening.
Cashflow vs Appreciation: Should cashflow immediately, at the lower end of relative rent & value appreciation.
Class D Properties:
Tenant Pool: Majority of FICO scores under 560, little to no good tradelines, lots of collections & chargeoffs, but should have no convictions/evictions in last 12 months. Verifying last 2-years of rental history and income/employment extremely important to find the “best of the worst”.
Tenant Default: 20-30% probability of eviction or early lease termination.
Section 8: Class D rents meet program requirements, often challenges to pass Section 8 inspection.
Vacancies: 20%+, depending on market conditions and tenant screening.
Cashflow vs Appreciation: Typically, all cashflow with little, maybe even negative, relative rent & value appreciation.
Where did we get our FICO credit score information from?
Check out this chart:
FICO Score
Pct of Population
Default Probability
800 or more
13.00%
1.00%
750-799
27.00%
1.00%
700-749
18.00%
4.40%
650-699
15.00%
8.90%
600-649
12.00%
15.80%
550-599
8.00%
22.50%
500-549
5.00%
28.40%
Less than 499
2.00%
41.00%
Make sure you understand the Class of properties you are looking at and the corresponding results to expect.
Logical Property Management4.9451 Reviews - 1yAndrew PostellPro MemberLender · Fort Worth, TX · Member since 2016 · 8k+ posts · 6k+ votes
@Amanda Moskowitz thanks for the post! I invested in Jacksonville, Florida for many years. Love that market. Now, if you are looking to connect with local investors there, then let's go local for it!
So, let's try some local real estate meetup groups. Meetup.com is a good resource for those but some of the groups will also post here on Bigger Pockets Marketplace too. Even facebook might have some good local groups for you. Some of those facebook groups have thousands of members. The priority is consistent recommendations from active investors. Oh, eventbrite too. But post locally for this. That’s the best bet.
- Property Manager · Erie & Millscreek PA | Maggie Valley & Haywood County NC · Member since 2024 · 264 posts · 118 votes1y
I’m not in Jax yet, but I’ve been researching it pretty heavily. A lot of investors do like the lower-income play because the rents hold steady, and once the property is paid off, it’s basically cash flow for life. The trade-off seems to be more tenant turnover and property management headaches.
If you’re looking for buy/hold, some people lean toward “middle-market” neighborhoods, less cash flow on paper, but steadier tenants and less wear/tear. Depends on your risk tolerance and how hands-on you want to be.
Definitely a market worth networking in, though lots of different strategies seem to work there.
- Lender · NC · Member since 2024 · 344 posts · 115 votes1y
Jacksonville has a lot of opportunity, but the best move is usually to first figure out your budget, then pick a few zip codes or areas that fit what you can realistically do. Once you narrow that down, you can dive deeper into rental comps, tenant quality, and appreciation potential.
I'd also recommend joining a couple of local Facebook groups or REI meetups in Jacksonville. They're great places to hear from people on the ground and even find off-market opportunities.
Do you also have hard or private money options lined up yet, or are you still exploring financing routes? That will really help determine which strategy works best for you.
- Property Manager · Orlando, FL · Member since 2016 · 479 posts · 277 votes1y
Quote from @Amanda Moskowitz:
Hi There - I know I connected with a few folks, but looking to expand my network in Jacksonville as I look to invest. Neighborhoods, strategies, etc.
Looking for buy/hold properties (either SFH or duplex/triplex).
I was speaking to a business contact yesterday and he has about a dozen homes in the Jacksonville market. His approach was to purchase in lower income homes with average rent of $1000 with most paid off. Thoughts around that approach in the Jacksonville Market?
Anyways looking to build a solid network of folks in the area.
Thanks!Hey Amanda, I love Jacksonville for investing. Been buying there since 2017, bought 150+ units of multifamily and we still own 51 units. We also manage about 140 doors between Jacksonville and central FL/Orlando as well.
I stay clear of C/D properties and a lot of the areas @Basit Siddiqi mentioned. A lot of times the yield looks better on paper but you get a lot more surprise expenses. I think finding C+ to B properties give you the best mix of risk and reward, but it's extremely tough to find those properties that make any sense at all right now. We haven't bought anything since 2022 for good reason.
Your management on those types of properties is even more vital than nicer properties so either you need to be dialed in when self managing or find a top notch management company who specializes in those types of properties.
- Real Estate Broker · Antioch, Ca. 94509 · Member since 2025 · 149 posts · 21 votes1y
Hey Amanda,
Welcome! Jacksonville has been getting a lot of attention lately, and there are definitely a few different ways to play it.
Your contact’s approach—owning lower-priced homes with ~$1,000 rents—can work well for cash flow, especially if the properties are paid off or lightly leveraged. The trade-off is those neighborhoods often come with higher turnover, more maintenance, and sometimes management headaches. The cap rates look good on paper, but you’ve got to factor in the “hands-on” side of it.
On the flip side, plenty of investors here focus on B-class neighborhoods or smaller multis (duplex/triplex) in solid rental corridors. They don’t always cash flow as strong out of the gate, but tenant quality is steadier, appreciation is stronger long-term, and management is more predictable.
If you’re buy-and-hold minded, I’d suggest you start by defining your risk tolerance (cash flow heavy vs. stable/long-term growth). You can tour a range of submarkets—Northside vs. Southside vs. Arlington vs. Westside, each have very different profiles. Then finally build a local team early (agent, PM, contractor)—this market is competitive, and the right network makes all the difference.
- 1yBridget BrickBusiness MemberLender · Direct-to-Wholesale DSCR Loans | BRRRR & No-Seasoning Refi | 46 States · Member since 2025 · 53 posts · 11 votes
@Amanda Moskowitz If you're planning to finance, line up with a DSCR lender who can do lower loan amounts, we can go as low as $75,000 value and $50,000.
@Kawania Lott We can finance your buyer for this portfolio at 80% LTV on all properties, no exposure limit as long as they have the down payment and reserves. Or we can refi 75% LTV if you decide to keep them but still want liquidity. - Contractor · Jacksonville, FL · Member since 2017 · 1k+ posts · 2k+ votes10mo
Welcome! Local investor/ contractor here, can be boots on the ground. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions!!
- 10moYoel GoldbergPro MemberInvestor · Member since 2024 · 12 posts · 1 vote
You should speak with Beau Berry; he's like the master of Northern FL. I'd be more than happy to introduce you guys.
- Specialist · Member since 2025 · 48 posts · 11 votes10mo
Jacksonville’s been active lately for value-add properties. Hope you find solid local connections
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