How much is the CHEAPEST house with a water view? (Coral Gables: realty, foreclosure)

[Panks]

Thats too bad about the lack of hills, no wonder water views are so expensive since you have to be right on the water to see it.

I am looking for a job right now in medical sales, so i'd rather find the best area for my needs rather than the closest commute since I'll probably be doing a lot of driving anyway.

Any ideas on good locations would be HUGELY appreciated.

What I need ...

1) safe to walk around at night for older parents who may be living with me
2) within an area of good hospitals
3) close to either a nice YMCA or JCC with a pool (very important)
3) homes that are up to current hurricane/tornado codes. Not necessarily new, just built well.
4) a big big yard
5) ideally a duplex or a very large SFH or they will DRIVE ME CRAZY!!!
6) the nicest neighborhood I can afford for up to 400k possibly 450k depending on interest rates.

Thanks a zillion!

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by Panks

Thats too bad about the lack of hills, no wonder water views are so expensive since you have to be right on the water to see it.

I am looking for a job right now in medical sales, so i'd rather find the best area for my needs rather than the closest commute since I'll probably be doing a lot of driving anyway.

Any ideas on good locations would be HUGELY appreciated.

What I need ...

1) safe to walk around at night for older parents who may be living with me
2) within an area of good hospitals
3) close to either a nice YMCA or JCC with a pool (very important)
3) homes that are up to current hurricane/tornado codes. Not necessarily new, just built well.
4) a big big yard
5) ideally a duplex or a very large SFH or they will DRIVE ME CRAZY!!!
6) the nicest neighborhood I can afford for up to 400k possibly 450k depending on interest rates.

Thanks a zillion!

Weston. Good hospitals are everywhere in S. Florida. We have Cleveland Clinic right in city limits, were about 15 minutes to the JCC in Davie and we have a YMCA in city limits. However, that's as far from the water as your gonna go...if you want to be a little closer to the water, find a post-1991 property in Plantation (stay west of University Drive and select your neighborhood wisely), which has a significantly sized JCC. You won't have a problem finding a 2000 sq. foot home in a decent neighborhood for 400-450.

Good luck on the big yard part though. They just don't make em big in South Florida. When I went on realtor.com I DID find this though...

Single Family Home - 16445 Sapphire Pl, Weston, FL, 33331 - Realtor.com

That's what you should expect for 400k. This is in a good neighborhood. You could probably find an older home in good shape in Davie with more land, but it won't handle a storm as well. You might be able to find an older, well built 1950s style home somewhere east in a good neighborhood for that price as well, on a similar size plot of land as shown home.

[Panks]

Thanks Compelled I will definitely check out Weston when I arrive in a few weeks. I noticed the house had some kind of lake or pond behind the fence...

Not to sound totally paranoid (which I am) but do yoiu think there would be gators in there? I read somewhere that they are in every body of water in FL.

I'd never forgive myself if one of my cats got eaten by an alligator because I had to have a water view

[PBCboy]

Originally Posted by Panks

Thanks Compelled I will definitely check out Weston when I arrive in a few weeks. I noticed the house had some kind of lake or pond behind the fence...

Not to sound totally paranoid (which I am) but do yoiu think there would be gators in there? I read somewhere that they are in every body of water in FL.

I'd never forgive myself if one of my cats got eaten by an alligator because I had to have a water view

There is a gator that lives in a canal near my house. It has never bothered anyone, though - even the stupid kids who tease it by hitting it with rocks and poke it with sticks

BTW, let me know what you think about Lake Osbourne. It might be a little lower income than what you're looking for, but it has that old Florida charm and is on a beautiful lake to boot

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by Panks

Not to sound totally paranoid (which I am) but do yoiu think there would be gators in there? I read somewhere that they are in every body of water in FL.

I'd never forgive myself if one of my cats got eaten by an alligator because I had to have a water view

I think gators are kinda funny. I personally love them. They don't bother anyone unless neighborhood morons start feeding them, which is exceedingly rare in Gator-aware South Florida. Now your animals, thats a different story...

Well, I didn't feel like posting again so I'm editing to say the poster below gave good advice. I was in no way suggesting that they are not dangerous at all.

[mg83]

YES. There will be gators in every body of water in Florida - that's no joke either. Be extremely careful... Watch your animals!

There are also crocs, they are in no way "salties" though. These aren't the 17 foot monsters like in Australia, but there could be some dangerous things in the brackish waters.

In Florida, your safest bets are pools, the ocean, and... maybe the springs in Central/North Florida

[Chelito23]

The big yard requirement combined with the 450K tops limit makes it hard. You can get a decent sized yard by South Florida standards though...and I woud recommend Silver Bluff, which is between US 1 and Coral Way. The homes are older, but I think the older the better, I mean they have been through a lot of hurricanes and bad weather and they are still around. Plus location wise it is more convenient to the Hospitals (South Miami, Baptist, Jackson Memorial, Aventura) whereas a location in Weston for example is kind of far from the other major areas in Miami.

Silver Bluff or Shanendoah are relatively safe depending on the exact block. I think that many people take strolls down Coral Way to enjoy the trees in the evening with pets and their spouse from what I have seen. It is not as safe as Weston is, but it isn't dangerous either, but remember, it is a major city so you will always have run of the mill things happen.

[Panks]

Originally Posted by Chelito23

The homes are older, but I think the older the better, I mean they have been through a lot of hurricanes and bad weather and they are still around.

You must have read my mind! I was just going to ask that question. I didn't know if an older home still being in good shape meant that it was built well and had survived hurricanes etc or if there hadn't been hurricanes very close to it? From what you wrote, it sounds like it means that its built well.

What is a big yard by Fl standards? to me its 1/4 acre or over..or is that a farm by Florida standards??

There is a small chance I could pay up to 750..but thats if my brother's family wanted to move from CA..in which case we'd need a triplex because I am absolutely, positively not willing to live in a family commune!!

I wrote down all the good areas around Miami from another post but can you guys please suggest any other areas that might fit for me North of Aventura? ..(even if I can't afford them )

Aventura,
Bal Harbor
Biscayne Bay (There are nice enclaves along east of Biscayne Blvd).
Biscayne Gardens area -
Biscayne Park,
Coconut Grove,
parts of Cocoplum
Coral Gables,
El Portal,
Fisher Island,
Gables
Gables by the Sea.
Grove
Kendall (east of 874),
Key Biscayne (if you don't have kids and you like lots of people)
Miami Beach (except between 60ish St & Surfside - 88th St)/Surfside/
most of North Miami Beach (near Sky Lake & near Greynolds
Park) & most of North Miami (San Souci Estates)
Miami Shores,
one section in Miami Lakes (can't think of the neighborhood's name) are exclusive.
Miami Beach, parts of South Miami (east of US1),
Palmetto Bay,
Pinecrest,
Rhodes,

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by Panks

I wrote down all the good areas around Miami from another post but can you guys please suggest any other areas that might fit for me North of Aventura? ..(even if I can't afford them )

All of those areas you named are south. That 400 thousand dollar house in Weston (top notch secure suburban area) I showed you was on almost 1/4th an acre,newer 4 bedrooms and had a pool. When you say north of Aventura, I think you have a very large area to explore. As rule of thumb, you pretty much just need to stay east of U.S.1 (once you get north of downtown Fort Lauderdale east of Dixie Hwy) or west of University Drive. This basically includes

*Eastern Hallandale Beach
*Eastern Hollywood, and also, the Emerald Hills and Hollywood Hills pockets of Hollywood might have sturdy well built older homes to look into.
*Fort Lauderdale east of Dixie
*Deerfield Beach east of Dixie
*Coral Springs
*Margate
*Weston
*Cooper City
*Coconut Creek (north side better than south)
*Tamarac
*Wilton Manors
For these, use the west of University Drive rule
*Davie
*Plantation
*Sunrise
*Pembroke Pines
*Miramar


Don't live in
*Pompano Beach, even the coastal parts aren't that great. Palm Aire and Olde Pompano are really the only nice parts
*Lauderdale Lakes (ghetto)
*Oakland Park (lots of porno stores, sleazy)
*East Davie (white trash)
*areas west of U.S.1 bordering on Dade County (until about Red Road, then it's good again)
*Sans the named exceptions, Hollywood west of U.S.1 (gritty, prostitution, mixture of trash of all races)
*Hallandale West of US1 (see Hollywood)
*Areas bordering on Dade County until Red Rd.
*Fort Lauderdale west of Dixie Highway (ghetto, sleazy lots of porno stores)
*Deerfield Beach between Dixie and 95 (ghetto)
*Pembroke Park (see Hollywood)

Also, Lauderhill isn't for the faint of heart and is a relatively high crime area. I kinda like that area though (enjoy the Jamaican/Island vibe). North Lauderdale also isn't for the faint of heart but it's about average crime wise. Nice working class city but (knowing how City-Data is, this tends to be a racist forum) some might be turned off by the very broad mix of cultures. I call those areas "the good ghetto" as I find them quite vibrant.

I excluded all of the cities you can't afford. These are all cities you can afford within your criteria. You might even be lucky enough to find a quarter acre lot in your price range AND a nice house as shown in my other link.

[Panks]

Thanks compelled I really appreciate the great info! I added all the names to my list of good and bad places. The Weston house is great ...if it was just me, but me plus 2 parents who want to know every detail of my life...lets just say it'd be explosive!!

I need either a duplex or a big house that can be split into two residences. I'd prefer side by side, but up and down could work if it meant a better location or a bigger yard.

I just saw a 1920's house in Coral Gables on a real estate website and I'm in love (even though its above my price range).

Can anyone please tell me ..

1) is ALL of Coral Gables nice/safe?
2is the area around it safe?
3) are there any other places that look like coral gables? (1920's/30's homes, big trees etc) and are safe?