Question 1

Is Alford Farms selling homes yet?

Accepted Answer

Not according to the public record this site reviews. The PUD rezoning was approved in August 2024. Engineering and SJRWMD permitting were still the live steps into 2026. Rezoning is not a certificate of occupancy and it is not a sales opening. Check D.R. Horton and the county plat books before you plan a closing date around this community.

Question 2

Why do some pages say 700 homes and others say 559?

Accepted Answer

The 700 figure is the entitlement envelope described at rezoning. The 559 figure appears in later engineering documents. Large Florida PUDs often shrink between the political approval and the construction set. Neither number is a promise of a closing calendar.

Question 3

Is D.R. Horton the builder?

Accepted Answer

County filings name D.R. Horton, Inc. as an agent on Alford Farms, and local reports also attach Horton to a possible 189-home site at East River Road. “Named in the file” is not the same as a published community on the builder’s website. Confirm on Horton’s site and with the county before treating it as a shoppable community.

Question 4

Where is East Palatka relative to Palatka?

Accepted Answer

East Palatka sits across / along the St. Johns River from downtown Palatka, on the SR 207 side toward St. Augustine. Many people who work in St. Johns County look here because land and list prices are lower. The commute on 207 is real; so are school-district and utility boundaries that do not match the marketing name “Palatka.”

Question 5

Will I have city water and sewer?

Accepted Answer

Inside Palatka city limits, usually yes (confirm with the city). Unincorporated East Palatka and much of Putnam County still use wells and septic on older lots. New PUDs typically extend or build central utilities — that is one reason they take years. Ask the builder and the county utilities staff about the specific parcel; do not assume the neighbor’s setup.

Question 6

Clay Electric or FPL?

Accepted Answer

Both serve Putnam County. Clay Electric Cooperative has a Palatka district office at 300 N. SR 19. FPL also has a large footprint. Territory follows lines on a map, not city names. Use each utility’s address lookup, or the Florida PSC map, before you schedule a connect.

Question 7

What about flood zones and insurance?

Accepted Answer

You are on a major Florida river with tributaries, wetlands, and a hurricane coast two counties away. Pull the FEMA flood map for the exact parcel, budget for Florida property insurance (which has been volatile statewide), and ask about wind-mitigation credits. This site does not sell insurance and will not guess your premium.

Question 8

Which schools would we use?

Accepted Answer

Putnam County School District. Palatka Jr.-Sr. High is the main Palatka secondary campus. Elementary assignments depend on the address — use the district’s school locator, not a Facebook comment. St. Johns River State College has a Palatka campus for dual-enrollment and two-year programs.

Question 9

How does this site stay updated?

Accepted Answer

A scheduled job fetches county pages, water-management notices, and news RSS feeds. New items are matched to projects by name and case number. When an AI key is configured, the job writes a plain-language summary. If the job fails, the last good data stays on the site. An admin can force a refresh.

Question 10

Are you the county or a realtor?

Accepted Answer

No. This is an independent public report and moving guide. It is not Putnam County, not the City of Palatka, not D.R. Horton, and not a brokerage. Sources are linked. If a county PDF and this page disagree, the county PDF wins.

Common questions