Jensen Beach Real Estate Guide: Buying & Selling a Home

For Buyers

Buying a home in Jensen Beach: what to know

Jensen Beach, Ocean Breeze or St. Lucie County?

Jensen Beach is an unincorporated census-designated place, so Martin County handles zoning, permits and code enforcement. The Town of Ocean Breeze, which Jensen Beach surrounds on three sides, and the nearby Town of Sewall's Point are separate municipalities with their own rules. Some properties with a Jensen Beach mailing address, such as Nettles Island on Hutchinson Island, are in St. Lucie County. Confirm the jurisdiction on the county property appraiser's record for any home you consider.

Property taxes and the homestead exemption

To qualify, you must own the home and make it your permanent residence by January 1, then apply by March 1 with the Martin County Property Appraiser, or the St. Lucie County Property Appraiser for St. Lucie County addresses. The exemption deducts $25,000 from assessed value, plus a second exemption of about $25,000, now adjusted each year for inflation, on assessed value above $50,000. After you qualify, assessed value can rise no more than 3% or the change in the Consumer Price Index each year, whichever is lower. Taxes reset for a new owner, so don't budget from the seller's current bill.

Flood zones and flood insurance

Riverfront homes along the Indian River Lagoon and oceanfront property on Hutchinson Island may sit in higher-risk flood zones. Most homeowners policies do not cover flood damage, and homes with federally backed mortgages in high-risk A or V zones must carry flood insurance. Look up any address on Martin County's flood zone resources. The County reports 25% and 10% flood-insurance discounts for unincorporated residents through its Class 5 Community Rating System status; that rating does not apply in Ocean Breeze, Sewall's Point or St. Lucie County.

Condos, HOAs and inspections

Florida requires milestone structural inspections for condo and co-op buildings three or more habitable stories tall, generally at 30 years and every 10 years after, and condo associations in those buildings must complete a structural integrity reserve study at least every 10 years. Before buying a condo, ask for those reports, the budget, reserves and any planned special assessments. In HOA and 55+ communities, review the association documents and rules on rentals, pets and boats. Florida insurers commonly ask for a wind mitigation inspection and, on older homes, a four-point inspection, so get insurance quotes during your inspection period.

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Lifestyle

Living in Jensen Beach

• Jensen Beach's public beach on Hutchinson Island, at 4191 NE Ocean Blvd., has Martin County lifeguards, and this stretch of coast is one of the most significant sea turtle nesting areas in the country, with loggerhead, green and leatherback turtles nesting from March through October.
• Indian RiverSide Park, a 63-acre Martin County park on the lagoon, has a 780-foot fishing pier, a mangrove boardwalk, a splash fountain, a children's museum and the historic Mansion at Tuckahoe.
• The Indian River Lagoon, one of the most biologically diverse estuaries in North America, is popular for kayaking, paddleboarding, fishing and manatee watching.
• Savannas Preserve State Park stretches north from the Jensen Beach area into St. Lucie County, with more than 17 miles of multi-use trails for hiking, biking and horseback riding, plus paddling in its wetlands.
• By the 1890s Jensen was known as the “Pineapple Capital of the World,” and the annual Jensen Beach Pineapple Festival still celebrates that history.

Also see William's Hutchinson Island, Stuart, Port St. Lucie, Palm City, Hobe Sound and Vero Beach real estate guides.