See How Florida’s Natural Side Won the Hearts of This Virginia Couple

People have long looked to Florida for more than a vacation. For many, the sunshine, waterways, and natural surroundings offer a way of life that feels more relaxed. That same appeal has drawn newcomers to Tributary, a North Florida community with nature at its heart. This thoughtfully designed master-planned community has already welcomed hundreds of families from near and far. Among them are Michael and Elizabeth Carey, who traded the mountains of Virginia for quiet mornings by the water. We recently sat down with them to hear what drew them here.

A Journey South that Started with a Camper

Michael grew up in Deep Creek, Virginia, where his family’s roots stretch back to the 1800s. When the plant where he worked closed after COVID, he was offered a transfer to Florida. “We hooked up our fifth wheel and moved down,” he said. “We’d already paid for the campground season in Virginia, got three weeks in, then they said, ‘Hey, we want you here September 1st.’ So we just pulled down and settled in Jacksonville.” For the next 18 months, the couple lived in their RV at a KOA resort. Elizabeth, a teacher, started working for the Nassau County School District.

Searching for a New North Florida Home

Once they knew the north side of Jacksonville would be their home base, the Virginia couple began the search for their forever home. “We’d looked at Tributary early on, and coming from Deep Creek with all its water and woods, this felt like home to us,” said Elizabeth. “There are so many open spaces and preserves between the homes, which is beautiful. My husband kept saying, ‘I don’t want a two-story house,’” she laughed. “But everything about the one we toured from the builder was perfect — it faced the pond and even had room for his truck in the driveway.”

A Florida Community with Nature at Its Doorstep

For Michael and Elizabeth, one of Tributary’s most endearing qualities is the way nature is woven into daily life. “The neighborhood’s a perfect balance between community and wildlife,” Michael said. “We see deer, a few wild hogs, herons, a cormorant, ducks…I love the wood storks.”

Mornings on the patio have become a favorite ritual. “I’d sit out waiting for the sunrise, and now I have a hummingbird that comes to visit,” Elizabeth shared. A neighbor’s father even built them a birdhouse as a gift, and soon a family of bluebirds nested nearby. “We’d hear them every morning, chirping to welcome us — until their dad would tell them to shush.”

Meet-Ups for Four-Legged Neighbors

Michael says the master-planned community’s Pawsome Dog Park has been a favorite spot for both their pups — and their neighbors’ dogs, too. “Our dogs have little neighbor friends, and there are lots of dogs in this community,” he shared. “They even like to go on the golf cart rides to their friends. At the park itself, the small-dog section is bigger than most I’ve been to. I could throw a frisbee pretty far, and it would still be in the dog park.”

Finding Connections at the Amenity Center and Beyond

For Elizabeth and Michael, the Lookout Amenity Center quickly became a favorite weekend spot. “We come on Saturday and Sunday mornings to the pool,” Elizabeth shared. “I do my laps, and he walks around to stay active.” Over time, the pool deck became more than just a place to connect with others. Elizabeth loves watching families gather for birthday parties and cookouts. “To see their happiness, to live vicariously through them at their stage of life, and to be at our stage of life with people we connect with…it’s just special.”

“We’ve met some of our new family here,” she continued. “We do Mother’s Day together, we celebrate the holidays together, and we love them so much we didn’t even put a fence between our houses. Tributary really has felt like home.”

New North Florida Homes from the $400s

Spanning across 1,550 acres of land, residents of Tributary get to Explore More with a prime natural location and private on-site amenities. An impressive selection of new, single-family homes from the $400s is now available from top builders David Weekley Homes and Lennar. Model homes are open daily for tours, offering a closer look at the community.

To hear from more residents like the Careys on what makes life at Tirbutary so unique, request a complimentary copy of our Explore More lifestyle magazine. You can also visit TributaryLiving.com or connect with Tributary on Facebook and Instagram to get a full overview of the community and surrounding area.