Job Transfer, must figure things out fast! (Miami, Pembroke Pines: HOA fees, condos)

[MrsGHenderson]

Hi :wave

I started on the Miami board be cause my husband is being relocated there for a job. In trying to figure out where to live with our 3 & 5 year old boys, I keep coming back to Weston. I'm trying to figure out a few things so I'll just start with a few questions and hope someone can help me. Thank you in advance

How many different communities are there in Weston?

Is there a reference that will tell you the number of homes, the amenities available, when it was built, etc.?

We are looking to spend $600,00-750,000 which should get us a very nice house. I'd like something newer on at least 10,000 s.f., if not bigger. Who takes care of the property - the HOA fees, or do people hire gardeners, or do they do it themselves?

Are there other areas, with good schools we should consider - Pembroke Pines?

I appreciate any insight. We are coming from California and I'm a little worried about bugs, humidity, hurricanes and alligators (not necessarily in that order). I'm hoping I'll get accustomed to it after a while

[rkumar3]

Mrs. Henderson,

Weston would be a great choice, the only 2 other two areas I would consider would be West Davie or South West Ranch they both are practically attached to Weston and are more rural than Weston. To answer your question there are several communities in Weston with different price points..... Any house that is listed in the market includes the year built, sq foot area area, amount of land, amenities and a lot more..... Most of these communities have HOA which takes care of all the common area, the pool, gate etc. In most cases home owners are responsible for their own yard and a lot of people just hire someone for routine cutting of the grass. Ofcourse life is totally different here than CA but I am sure you will get use to it with time. I use to live in Weston and now live in Davie... and do business in both areas (besides Pembroke Pines, Miramar and Plantation) so feel free to DM if you have questions.

Good Luck on your move

[happymccamper]

I hear great things about Southwest Ranches, it is a more rural feel, large lots, some with horses. Pembroke Pines is good. We live in Plantation and love it. But if the commute is to Miami, you may prefer SRanches or PPines. Plantation has an excellent elementary school, Central Park, and Weston is also know for its good schools. Do not fret about alligators, I have been here for 2 years, no sightings as of yet. The humidity may take time to getting use to, mosquitos are bad in the summer as well as no see ums, a screened in patio may be for you. Knock on wood, for hurricanes, we have been here again for the past 2 years and so far so good. And the news keeps you super updated on the tropics. Just make sure you have a plan and a kit and you should be fine! Good luck!

[trekker954]

I have only been here 10 months and have seen an alligator in the lake behind my house twice. The previous owner told me he hadn't seen an alligator there in over 5 years. So go figure. It was big enough for me, but my son said claims it wasn't "that" big. My cats are indoor/outdoor - are friendly with the ducks, go down to the lake and have never had any trouble. I'm just trying to let you know they are around. Broward is having more issues with pythons (according to the news).

[jhlcomp]

To answer your questions:

1. Communities in Weston:
Communities In Weston Florida - Homes and Condos

2. Houses and amenities:
This is on a case by case basis and by community. So, once you find the home you are interested in, you can look it up by address or owners name on Broward County Property Appraiser's Network. You will be able to also look it up on zillow and other websites.

3. Given your price range, you will probably be looking in a gated community where there are HOA fees. These fees vary and you will want to ask your realtor.

4. Search some of the better known sites such as realtor, by zip code (33326 33327 33331 33332), etc,
City of Weston
Weston FL (Florida) ZIP codes, schools, jobs, demographics & more

5. Re alligators, insects, humidity, etc.
We are considerably more humid than California.
Broward County does a decent job of spraying for mosquitos.
You will want to get exterminating service which is reasonable and not a big deal - for yard.
The only time I have seen alligators near Weston were in the canels and not in residential communitiies. They do exist.
The houses that do not have screen enclosures tend to be ones that lost theirs during Hurricane Wilma (or other hurricanes) and were not replaced. I would be happier with one.

Hope this info helps.

[MrsGHenderson]

Thanks everyone for all the valuable info. We will be there in 4 weeks and will get started looking around. I'll keep you posted, and/or post more questions

[trekker954]

Good luck Mrs. H, it was about a year ago, I was planning my move. Looking at homes in August can be a saunabath, but there is nothing better than moving here in September. The greatest winters ever. Its really good to have an idea of towns you are interested in. I thought for sure I would chose Davie, Cooper City, Weston and maybe Pembroke Pines. I personally steered away from Weston because I heard they are extremely anal when it comes to their homeowners association rules. There are just soooo many homes to see now. I looked at 60 homes, no kidding. Just when I thought I couldn't look at another home, I walked into mine during a sunset over the everglades preserve and knew I found the house of my dreams in West Miramar (same zip as W. Pines. Luckily everything else fell into place. Another thing I found, not having lived in areas where there are so many gated communities, is some of them you literally sit at the guard house waiting to get in for up to 1/2 hour. Of course as a resident you don't, but i didn't want any of my friends or company to endure that. My development has a manned gatehouse at the community center only, my guardhouse is empty and only requires visitors to punch it my gatecode, and/or dial my house which I found far more tolerable. So just come here with an open mind. Everyone has an idea of what they want and where they want, but once you get here, you may find you can live with this, but not with that. I have friends who hate south florida, but I for one, love it here. There is no traffic compared to where I came from and everyone is just so nice.

[MrsGHenderson]

Thank you trekker954

[AttilaLaczko]

Hello MrsGHenderson,

I have corresponded with numerous relocating members, and many have the same conclusions, they started with Miami, discovered some of the realities of Miami, and end up in Broward!

Weston is a good destination - all the schools are A rated, and its filled with children. Also, it is accessible to all the areas of South Florida you want to be near - the airports, the beach, shopping, entertainment, all the roadways, etc.

My children are of similar age, and I can relate to the considerations you have for their development and safety. Broward is the best choice, I have worked in Miami and the two may as well be on different planets.

Other considerations for a Miami-bound commuter are western Pembroke Pines and West Miramar. Alot will depend on your tastes for property - gated or not. Land does come with a premium down here, but that also means you are buying some of the best homes at historically low prices.

When you get down here, feel free to ask any questions or request feedback. It would be my pleasure!

By the way, tell your husband to look at a map that shows how he can take I75 south, get on the Palmetto or Gratigny and make his way to Miami. There are many ways to get there and I have some ideas as to what routes to take if you can DM his jobs general location!

Take care. Attila

[compelled to reply]

First tier
1. (tie) Weston (Weston is a planned community, gated communities, homeowners associations, etc)
Pros- Clean, consistent, "know what your getting", extremely low crime, all good schools, nice dining and some shopping in city limits
Cons- Gated community lifestyle isn't for everyone, might be too sterile

1. (tie) Southwest Ranches (more rustic, no rules, no cookie-cutter, nice homes with land )
Pros- More "freedom" than Weston, more land than all of the other options, good schools, low crime, good location, rural feel with suburban convenience
Cons- Most expensive overall


2. Cooper City (mostly 1960s to 1990s built, nice sense of community, small town feel, more difficult access to I-75 via Sheridan St)
Pros- Good schools, low crime, tight knit and well kept neighborhoods with or without association, wide range of housing options
Cons- Inconvenient access to I-75

3. West Davie (west of University Dr, some leftover country feel, variety of homes, any lifestyle you want)
Pros- See Cooper City
Cons- Furthest north and (mostly) far from I-75, probably requires travel on I-595 which is about to get torn up for several years of construction

Second tier
4. Miramar (west of I-75, but try to get west of 184th Ave for the best elementary schools and lowest crime, very clean, "cookie cutter")
Pros- Brand spanking new, closest to Miami, top elementary schools especially west of 184th Ave, less congested than Pines, lower price point
Cons- Closest to Miami (spillover property crime in some communities), homeowners associations not for everyone, middle and high schools are "above average" but not the best

5. Pembroke Pines (west of Palm Ave but try to get into the West Broward High School district, clean, congested in some areas but many conveniences, most large homes are west of I-75)
Pros- Homes start at a lower price point than others, good location, most shopping/conveniences, low crime
Cons- Schools are "above average" but not at the same tier as the first three communities, can be congested, HOA communities not for everyone

My suggestion to quickly get a feel for all of these areas would be to do a circle starting from State Road 84 and Weston Rd/Dykes Rd, follow the street all the way down to Miramar Pkwy, loop around to Red Rd/Flamingo Rd, pull into Cooper City via Stirling Rd, and then take Palm Ave/Nob Hill Rd back into 595. You will get to see all of these areas very thoroughly.