Best "low" - cost , big - lot Miami suburb ( e.g Homestead ) (Davie: high crime)

[harrymiafl]

Your opinion on areas with "big " vacant lots ( 1-2 acres ),suitable for a country home ,which are relatively affordable ,( $ 250-300k),like Homestead,Davie etc...

[crisp444]

The best semi-rural neighborhood for that (although it is surrounded by suburbia) is Horse Country in western Kendall. You wouldn't be able to purchase a large lot and construct a home there for anything less than $500,000, though. For your budget, you may be able to find something in NW Homestead (west of US1 and above SW 296th Street) or the Redlands. The next best place to try is the Country Estates, Rolling Oaks, and Sunshine Ranches areas in SW Broward, but again, I do not think your budget would be enough for that. You can buy a nice, suburban home within your price range, even one on a good-sized lot, but for a rural setting and 1+ acres, South Florida and most other large, coastal metro areas in this country will be expensive.

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by harrymiafl

Your opinion on areas with "big " vacant lots ( 1-2 acres ),suitable for a country home ,which are relatively affordable ,( $ 250-300k),like Homestead,Davie etc...

Try The Acerage or Loxahatchee in Palm Beach County. Far north from Miami, but otherwise meets the requirements.

[harrymiafl]

Thanx. I guess I have to narrow my requirements down to 1 acre for $300k...

[doggiebus]

North of Homestead in The Redlands may be an idea as you can larger lots and its cheaper than in the city.

[tallrick]

Drug dealers and other shady types do prefer "rural" areas so prices are extremely overinflated. However, I have seen some properties in distress around Krome from Homestead to 168 street sell for less than 200K with 1-2.5 acres. If you can buy with cash there are deals to be had. Nothing in Broward with acerage is priced right yet, but Palm Beach county also has deals in Acreage (cancer cluster/bad press) and in Loxahatchee, the redneck's paradise. Since all development since the 90's has been cookie-cutter on tiny lots all acreage is premium in this market. Yet those big lots will protect you from eventually living in a slum. No areas in south Florida with homes on acreage ever declined into high crime ghettoes.

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by tallrick

No areas in south Florida with homes on acreage ever declined into high crime ghettoes.

There are some pockets of north Dade that are the exception to the rule. If you don't believe me, check this out...

miami fl - Google Maps

Not 100% bad by any means, but definitely borderline. I can think of quite a few pockets like this in north Dade, some with very large homes on multiple acres. Often there are well maintained homes mixed in, but they usually have iron gates around the properties and burglar bars, indicating a crime issue. There are some areas nearby with smaller lot sizes that feel much less dodgy, like Sky Lake, Highland Oaks, or even Andover and Miramar, all of which are older areas that had plenty of time to decline.

[Chelito23]

Have you considered rural Collier County (down 8 St. on the other side of the Everglades)? There might be some cheaper land over there, well inland, near Golden Gate. I always see adds on TV selling lots in Golden Gate...which is basically a massive area where they sell land. You could buy several parcels and assemble a big lot there. Lehigh Acres also, dirt cheap, but crime due to low lifes and speculators turned it into a ghetto in the country (check the NY Times for that article). However, if you want LAND and can secure your property that may not be an issue for you. Also Hendry County would be cheap...but personally I can't imagine finding what you want in Miami Dade for a fair price. Then you have taxes and Team Metro...