Advice: Homestead and surrounding area (Miami, Kendall: new home, magnet school, where to live)

[Miamibound]

I don't have a choice. I'm heading that way. For the last several years we've lived in an apartment in the San Francisco area. Housing there was ridiculous to say the least. I really don't want to do the apartment thing again.

Thanks for advice. We've started taking Palmetto Bay and Pinecrest into account. However, looking at houses over the internet is proving a bit difficult. When I pull up houses w/ Palmetto Bay/Pinecrest addresses, they sometimes show quite a distance from the actual Palmetto Bay/Pinecrest location on map. It seems a bit odd, I guess I'll understand the layout once I arrive and am able to physically look around. I guess I'll just have to spend a lot of time looking when I get there. The only concern I have is really the housing market in Miami. I'd hate to spend a ton of money on a house in Miami only to have it depreciate tremendously over the next several years. I do plan on staying in the area for a long time. A lot to ponder though.

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by Miamibound

I don't have a choice. I'm heading that way. For the last several years we've lived in an apartment in the San Francisco area. Housing there was ridiculous to say the least. I really don't want to do the apartment thing again.

Thanks for advice. We've started taking Palmetto Bay and Pinecrest into account. However, looking at houses over the internet is proving a bit difficult. When I pull up houses w/ Palmetto Bay/Pinecrest addresses, they sometimes show quite a distance from the actual Palmetto Bay/Pinecrest location on map. It seems a bit odd, I guess I'll understand the layout once I arrive and am able to physically look around. I guess I'll just have to spend a lot of time looking when I get there. The only concern I have is really the housing market in Miami. I'd hate to spend a ton of money on a house in Miami only to have it depreciate tremendously over the next several years. I do plan on staying in the area for a long time. A lot to ponder though.

Wow, that sucks...I do think Pinecrest will stay intact though.

Would you mind an hour and a half commute down a 2 lane rural road from Broward County? Seriously, the future for that area is much brighter, especially if you are going to be spending several years and raising children.

[Miamibound]

Which areas In Broward would you guys recommend?

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by Miamibound

Which areas In Broward would you guys recommend?

For a family, Weston will give you easy access out to 27, provide some of the safest neighborhoods in the United States, and some really good schools. I am warning you though, the commute is loooonnngggg. Traffic is not really bad until you are south of 41, but it's still a problem. Also, its a dangerous route to take at night, so keep that in mind. Weston is really a place to raise a family, though. The real estate crash seems to not be effecting Weston too bad, properties in my area are still selling really quickly, albeit the prices are dropping. Basically, depending on what hours you work/how much you work, it can really be worth it to live up here for your family and peace of mind. If you really don't like the commuting idea though, Pinecrest is still very nice, but its also more expensive, yet the schools are not as good. But you ARE closer to work. Both are still pretty expensive, though.

PM me and I will give you some real specifics.

[PBCboy]

I would not reccomend Homestead. Its time has come and gone. It might have been a decent community 40 years ago but it's a pretty crappy place to live now.

[Weston_in_the_Pines]

america's top model FROM homestead (ok there is one good thing
http://www.buddytv.com/articles/amer...ges/anchal.jpg

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by Weston_in_the_Pines

america's top model FROM homestead (ok there is one good thing
http://www.buddytv.com/articles/amer...ges/anchal.jpg

THATS a good thing !!!!!!

[miamiblue]

Originally Posted by fort lauderdale

Would you mind an hour and a half commute down a 2 lane rural road from Broward County? Seriously, the future for that area is much brighter, especially if you are going to be spending several years and raising children.

I honestly do not see US-27 as being a reasonable commute option to Homestead. The road is not as heavily travelled as the Turnpike, but has a LOT of commercial truck traffic and is considered one of the most dangerous roads in S FL. I would not want that route to be my daily commute, especially if I were a parent with children. Not to mention, when there is an accident, you might as well just turn around and go back the way you came.

One thing I heard recently was that Palmetto Bay just changed its name to Cutler Bay, so this might help some in the search. Cutler Bay, Kendall, Pinecrest, etc. all will look far away from Homestead - about a 20 mile ride on the TPK I would guess. It isn't really that bad once you are on the TPK heading south, though, because all the traffic is heading north during rush hour. The Homestead area has been built up a lot recently where farmland has been developed into residential, and most of those people work in Miami, so they travel north. I actually know someone who moved from Kendall to one of the developments off the TPK and commutes back up to Kendall - this was based on housing cost alone. I would not want her commute.

[rogerbacon]

You might also want to consider buying a house West of US1. That is the road they use to determine hurricane insurance. East of US1 is closer to the ocean and you will pay higher hurricane insurance. Either way it will be high though. The houses out West in Homestead have a lot more land too. Soe areas are zones for 1+ acre per house. East of US1 and around SW 296 st are the cheaper, older homes that more represent the type of Homestead that some of the people in this thread are talking about.

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by miamiblue

One thing I heard recently was that Palmetto Bay just changed its name to Cutler Bay, so this might help some in the search. Cutler Bay

Cutler Ridge changed thier name to Cutler Bay. BAD choice to live in Cutler Bay.