Need info on Spring Hill, Fl. (Tampa, Hernando: squatters, tech jobs, taxes)

[SamsRX7]

I was traveling 100 miles a day round trip to Tampa for work, because there is not a lot up this way. If any one is looking for quality employes, let me know, I know of a few.

Originally Posted by seain dublin

Why would someone want to do a 90 mile round trip to Tampa everyday? I know people do it but why would they. When they can live in a nicer area and have half the commute?

Spring Hill has gotten very rundown looking. There are tons of empty homes, many with with weeds and grass waist high. The county can't keep up with the requests to get out an cut the lawns. Crime is way up. Many are drug related.

We have family there, it took four months of complaining to get the county to come out and take care of two homes on their block that were foreclosed on. Code Enforcement told them they are so overwhelmed with requests they can't keep up with them. When they did come out they used something to burn the lawn and weeds so they don't grow. Doesn't look great but is better than the four foot high grass which attracts snakes and rats.

And most people who retire from up north(at least the smart ones) don't buy a house twice the size they had in the north. First off the kids are gone, and second who wants to have more house to maintain as you get older.

So I don't know you who your talking about. All the retired people I know went with smaller homes, your right they did pay cash and had money left over. But they have lowered their overhead not increased it.

Don't understand why retired people would need more space?

Anyone who moved here and overextended themself isn't too bright.

You also left out the SH has many,many empty shopping centers. They keep building shopping centers that sit vacant. All they do is build there, they have thousands of homes for sale, in foreclosure, or vacant.

Hernando County also has one of the highest unemployment rates in the state of Florida. Yet they think building more houses is going to fix the problem,it isn't.

They never attracted any industry into the area and instead built too many homes and shopping centers. They have created quite a mess due to bad planning.

Originally Posted by Indiana-to-Florida

My husband and I are possibly locating to the Spring Hill area. Can anyway share information about this town (Spring Hill) and what all it has to offer such as shopping, resturants etc? Also how far is it to the beach and is this beach a nice one? I presently am a real estate loan manager/loan officer and will be looking for a job. Does this community have very many credit unions?
Thanks in advance.

[Songbird42]

Originally Posted by seain dublin

Why would someone want to do a 90 mile round trip to Tampa everyday? I know people do it but why would they. When they can live in a nicer area and have half the commute?

Spring Hill has gotten very rundown looking. There are tons of empty homes, many with with weeds and grass waist high. The county can't keep up with the requests to get out an cut the lawns. Crime is way up. Many are drug related.

We have family there, it took four months of complaining to get the county to come out and take care of two homes on their block that were foreclosed on. Code Enforcement told them they are so overwhelmed with requests they can't keep up with them. When they did come out they used something to burn the lawn and weeds so they don't grow. Doesn't look great but is better than the four foot high grass which attracts snakes and rats.

And most people who retire from up north(at least the smart ones) don't buy a house twice the size they had in the north. First off the kids are gone, and second who wants to have more house to maintain as you get older.

So I don't know you who your talking about. All the retired people I know went with smaller homes, your right they did pay cash and had money left over. But they have lowered their overhead not increased it.

Don't understand why retired people would need more space?

Anyone who moved here and overextended themself isn't too bright.

You also left out the SH has many,many empty shopping centers. They keep building shopping centers that sit vacant. All they do is build there, they have thousands of homes for sale, in foreclosure, or vacant.

Hernando County also has one of the highest unemployment rates in the state of Florida. Yet they think building more houses is going to fix the problem,it isn't.

They never attracted any industry into the area and instead built too many homes and shopping centers. They have created quite a mess due to bad planning.

Your right about overgrown lawns, I was going by a home everyday and the lawn was not cut since last year, I checked the property search website and found that they live out of the country, I called Code Enforcement three weeks ago, and finally yesterday the lawn was cut, the grass was up over the mail box......it looks soooo much better, I'm thankful that this was taken care of and I'm sure the neighbors on either side of them appreciate that the problem has been solved. I called about another one up the block from me, it was a drug growing house, they had a report on it, but so far, nothing has been done, I will keep on eye on this property too. If everyone would just pitch in, take down addresses, call code enforcement, we can be their eyes, I realize that they can't be everywhere, all the time. The gals that take the calls are nice and they are more than cooperative. This is our community and if everyone takes the time to try to solve the different problems, maybe we'll get somewhere. JMO of course.

[cbm34609]

Originally Posted by seain dublin

Why would someone want to do a 90 mile round trip to Tampa everyday? I know people do it but why would they. When they can live in a nicer area and have half the commute?

Spring Hill has gotten very rundown looking. There are tons of empty homes, many with with weeds and grass waist high. The county can't keep up with the requests to get out an cut the lawns. Crime is way up. Many are drug related.

We have family there, it took four months of complaining to get the county to come out and take care of two homes on their block that were foreclosed on. Code Enforcement told them they are so overwhelmed with requests they can't keep up with them. When they did come out they used something to burn the lawn and weeds so they don't grow. Doesn't look great but is better than the four foot high grass which attracts snakes and rats.

And most people who retire from up north(at least the smart ones) don't buy a house twice the size they had in the north. First off the kids are gone, and second who wants to have more house to maintain as you get older.

So I don't know you who your talking about. All the retired people I know went with smaller homes, your right they did pay cash and had money left over. But they have lowered their overhead not increased it.

Don't understand why retired people would need more space?

Anyone who moved here and overextended themself isn't too bright.

You also left out the SH has many,many empty shopping centers. They keep building shopping centers that sit vacant. All they do is build there, they have thousands of homes for sale, in foreclosure, or vacant.

Hernando County also has one of the highest unemployment rates in the state of Florida. Yet they think building more houses is going to fix the problem,it isn't.

They never attracted any industry into the area and instead built too many homes and shopping centers. They have created quite a mess due to bad planning.

The commute is 45 miles but that is all the way to downtown which is one of the furthest points in Tampa. Unlike other metropolitan areas 30 miles of the ride are in a speed zone of 70 mph with absolutely no traffic! However you do have to pay tolls which are not very cheap. Homes in Spring Hill were selling for a lot less than what they were in around a 25 miles radius of Tampa. The builders over built here just like everywhere else. Has anybody heard about a lot of the developments in or around Tampa that are like ghost towns. This has happened everywhere. Although one negative fact is that we do have the highest unempolyment rate. Most people should know that when they move here. SH is considered a bedroom communtiy for that reason. We never had jobs here before the boom and now in rough times we still don't. The unemployment rate really doesn't mean much if people know these facts. Everything here was based off from working in Tampa or owning your own business. Now Tampa has a high unemplyment rate and there are not enough jobs in Tampa. Tampa residents cannot find jobs in Tampa. What does that leave here for us? During the real estate boom you could purchase a home in SH for a lot less and of course the taxes were a lot cheaper here. That is why people would commute. Now things are not looking so good and people are freaking out. Think about why Long Island expanded the way it did. You think people moved to Long Island for jobs at first. No they moved there to be close to NYC and not have to pay the high cost of living in NYC. This has been going on for decades. Code Enforcement is overwhelmed just as they are everywhere across the United States. I'm not saying everybody buys a house twice the size as what they lived in up north but they are a lot of people that do because they can. I do know a lot of senior citizens and many do live in a house that has a few extra bedrooms. Just to name a few people. All of the older people that live on my street have houses that have a few extra bedrooms they don't use. Even my grandparent in laws have a nice home that they really don't need. My mother in laws neighbors who are retired also have a larger than needed home. Although this is a little off subject. It isn't just senior citizens that have recently moved to SH from up north anyways. I don't agree with the fact of vacant shopping centers. Once again that has happened in a lot of areas due to the boom and than a quick collapse. Any business here that goes out is always filled in by another. You will find a lot of examples of this in the list below. Comments on this forum make this place look like streets of empty homes and run down shooping centers. Just to name a few major and minor stores that have expanded here in the last 2 years. 2nd Office Depot, Petsmart, Best Buy, Sports Authority, Ross, JC Penney, Cracker Barrell, a building being built next to Cracker Barrell unknown, Pet Supermart, Microtel, 2 New Holiday Inns, Texas Road House, Carrabas, Panera Bread, Micheals, Marshalls, Kay Jewelers, Rue 21, Game Stop, A New Store by Sam's Club that is being built and is unknown, Kirklands Home, Linen & Things which is now currently being renovated to Bed Bath and Beyond, Old Navy, Petco, Plant Beach (Tampa Franchise), HH Greg--former Circuit City, Star Bucks, Five Guys, Aspen Dental, Target, Kohls, Supercuts, Applebee's (2nd Location), New Publix (around the 5th location) opened this week, Anyitme Fitness (2 Locations and currently building a 3rd location), 2 New Discovery Point Preschools, Silvethorn Plaza (more than 75% occupied), Small New Plaza Corner of N. Cliffe & Mariner 2 out of 3 Units Full ---Leslie's Pool Supplies and Papa Johns, 2 New Walgreens (corner of N. Cliffe & Mariner and corner of Spring Hill Dr. and Pinehurst), New Plaza just recently built in front of Publix on N. Cliffe and Mariner 50% Occupied, Mariner Cay Apartments Very Nice, Spring Hill Villas, Offices being built right now in recession on corner of Portillo Rd. and Mariner, 3 New Restuarants in the past month (Pit Stop--former Nellies, La Iguana Loca--former Village Inn, and Pueblo Viejo--former El Ranchito, the 4th Brand New Beef O' Brady's is being built right now, 2 New Large Gas Station Plazas 100% Occupancy on corner of SHD and Barclay, Circle K corner of Barclay and Powell, Superior Bank, Traditions Bank, Capital City Bank, 2 New Schools and one being built right now, Pasco Hernando Community College is building a state of art campus on US 19 currently (for senior citizens lol). I could probably go on but by now people should get the point. Why don't people list some of the vacant plazas they speak of? This is happening everywhere that had an extensive amount of growth during the real estate boom. When I post a comment I have the facts to support that comment. Some of the people who have posted on this forum probably have had one bad experience in the area which creates all of the negative comments they post. I do agree with bad planning. Now that I have listed all of the companies who have invested here lets keep in mind that most of them were retail. Seain is right about the county not trying to pull in any industy or commercial corporations. All we do have here is retail and a lot of residential. As mentioned before this is considered a bedroom community and that is what you should expect for now. It would be nice to see the industry and major corporations but it will be a long while before that happens. Especially considering the fact that we are now into a deep recession. Please let me know what you feel is incorrect about this post. Also houses are now a lot cheaper hear than ever before. Please access the MLS so I don't have to go into detail with this subject. When browsing the MLS compare this area to any other comparable area 40 miles outside a major metropolitan area in Florida with an easy accesible expressway. Then come back here and post what you think. If you have any questions please post them.

[seain dublin]

Not to the extent in Hernando County has in vacant shopping centers. The Kohl's shopping center is vacant except for one store. There is another strip mall going towards the post office there, 100% empty. Most of the shopping center on US 19 where Best Buy is empty. They just had an article on how the apt complexes are hurting there yet they just another huge complex with 7 or 8 buildings???????????????? Who is going to live there?

Yet they keep building.

On every block there are two and three homes for sale. Yes it is bad everywhere but HC is especially hard hit, their whole economy was built on new construction,the boom is over, yet they want to lower impact fees to bail out the builders.....LOL.

Yet they want to keep building.

You yourself just said Tampa is now hurting, and even if you aren't sitting in bumper to bumper traffic. Doing an 80 to 90 mile an hour commute takes it toll on the person and their car regardless.

When there are horrific downpours here who wants to be doing a commute like that.

Someone gets laid off from a job in Tampa it is slim pickings in HC. Can't pay mortgage working 20 hours a week at Target.

An older people(at least the smart ones) should downsize when moving to Florida, who are they trying to impress by buying a bigger house?

It is more to clean, higher in taxes, and two people don't need a 4 bedroom home.

[cbm34609]

Originally Posted by seain dublin

Not to the extent in Hernando County has in vacant shopping centers. The Kohl's shopping center is vacant except for one store. There is another strip mall going towards the post office there, 100% empty. Most of the shopping center on US 19 where Best Buy is empty. They just had an article on how the apt complexes are hurting there yet they just another huge complex with 7 or 8 buildings???????????????? Who is going to live there?

Yet they keep building.

On every block there are two and three homes for sale. Yes it is bad everywhere but HC is especially hard hit, their whole economy was built on new construction,the boom is over, yet they want to lower impact fees to bail out the builders.....LOL.

Yet they want to keep building.

You yourself just said Tampa is now hurting, and even if you aren't sitting in bumper to bumper traffic. Doing an 80 to 90 mile an hour commute takes it toll on the person and their car regardless.

When there are horrific downpours here who wants to be doing a commute like that.

Someone gets laid off from a job in Tampa it is slim pickings in HC. Can't pay mortgage working 20 hours a week at Target.

An older people(at least the smart ones) should downsize when moving to Florida, who are they trying to impress by buying a bigger house?

It is more to clean, higher in taxes, and two people don't need a 4 bedroom home.

I partially agree with you on a lot of subjects. I do see that you know about the shopping centers that are still empty. That probably means that you must still live around here or spend some time here. The shopping centers that you stated are still empty are ones that were most recently built that were in contract before the downfall. Of course they are still empty. When things pick back up (providing we all hope so) those shopping centers will fill in with no issues. I can feel your frustration but it isn't as bad as you are explaining. I grew up in a low income family and I know how it is for someone to be laid off and all the bad things that come along with it. This is not an easy place to live right now. If Spring Hill were just 15 miles more south it would probably be a different story. This recession is nothing like I have experienced before. A lot of things that are happening right now are new to all of us. I have heard and I don't know if this is true but some of the investors who own shopping centers throughout Florida are going to be abandoning their properties if this already hasn't happened. That could lead to so many more issues. You can go ahead and try to avoid it all but what happens if you own property in Spring Hill like most people do. You cannot sell it right now and then move to somewhere else. You have to look at the positives during times like this. It sounds like to me the largest issue you have with Spring Hill is the distance you have to go for well paying jobs. The point is it is a lot cheaper here than any other places people would move to. Places like Land O Lakes, Trinity, Wesley Chapel, Riverview, Brandon, Plant City, and etc. They are all much closer to Tampa but they are all having the same issues. The only difference is they have to drive 20 miles or less instead of 45 miles. Right now home prices are very hard to determine. If you do your research you will still see that homes are much more affordable in Spring Hill and the taxes are a lot less. This is just one major thing a person should think of before moving to Spring Hill if you are not a senior citizen. Were you a victim of a lay off or a foreclosure? I know I should probab;y not ask that but I have a feeling something like that has happened to you. No matter where you live there are always issues and that is just the way life is. Do you think there is something we could do as a community to try to help prevent some of these issues or at least slow them down until it gets better? I know you could just say move but as you know many people can't even afford to pay there current mortgage right now. Do you have any suggestions for the low income, service industry workers, people who have been laid off, that you feel would help make people make it through these rough times? If it does get better this place will continue to grow as it always has. We just better hope that in the next stage of expansion the airport industry park and any other areas pull in the industry and some decent corporations. The huge debate I see here is to live in the city where it is more expensive with more jobs or to commute to the city and spend a lot of moeny in transportation cost per year that you may have saved by purchasing a cheaper home in the suburbs. SPring Hill was never meant to be what it is today. As said in the original post it started as a RETIREE Development. It was never intended to be what it is today. Towns and cities have taken decades to get the population they have. Spring Hill had it happen in less than 45 years. What can we do to get this place going in the right direction? Do we want it to grow larger? We all know that brings along more problems. Do we really want to become a city? That is what would happen once we start to pull in large corporations and industry. If we could all do one thing to help Spring Hill in the future what would it be. Only time will tell us the truth and if people actually want to get together and not waste time on forums to solve theses issues maybe that would help. As we know that is usually never the case. Besides the point we are too busy working to pay our mortgages!

[seain dublin]

If gas goes back up to $4 and $5 a gallon people who have to commute to from SH to Tampa are going to be strapped, many were barely making it the last time it happened.

When a shopping center sits vacant or mainly vacant for more than a year that is not good. Lack of planning and overbuilding caused this mess.

I'm retired and am not in forclosure and have no mortgage, I am saying this area is no longer desireable.

Why would someone want to move into an area with so many vacant and rundown looking homes. Every street has them.

Retired people don't want that, worried about who might move in next door since there are now so many rental properties.

And if a working person is doing 90 mile round trip commute(insane even if there is little traffic) they want to come home to a nice area. SH has attracted since they opened up the Suncoast Pkwy alot of lowlifes into the area.

Lot of drugs and more crime. Most people who move into a rural/suburban area like that shy away from what SH has become.

Whose is going to move into that huge apt complex they just got done building, it has 7 or 8 buildings? There is no need for that, all though there has been talk it is for Section 8 housing.

[cbm34609]

Originally Posted by seain dublin

If gas goes back up to $4 and $5 a gallon people who have to commute to from SH to Tampa are going to be strapped, many were barely making it the last time it happened.

When a shopping center sits vacant or mainly vacant for more than a year that is not good. Lack of planning and overbuilding caused this mess.

I'm retired and am not in forclosure and have no mortgage, I am saying this area is no longer desireable.

Why would someone want to move into an area with so many vacant and rundown looking homes. Every street has them.

Retired people don't want that, worried about who might move in next door since there are now so many rental properties.

And if a working person is doing 90 mile round trip commute(insane even if there is little traffic) they want to come home to a nice area. SH has attracted since they opened up the Suncoast Pkwy alot of lowlifes into the area.

Lot of drugs and more crime. Most people who move into a rural/suburban area like that shy away from what SH has become.

Whose is going to move into that huge apt complex they just got done building, it has 7 or 8 buildings? There is no need for that, all though there has been talk it is for Section 8 housing.

A lot of things we have discussed are very true. As you can probably tell from reading our post we are both in very different points in our lifes. It sounds like you came here for retirement and I came here for a nice cheap place to live, work, and raise a family. It is sad to see what is happening. I said before it is happening all over the state of Florida. I know that this area was hard hit and they are many other areas in Florida that were hard hit as well (Cape Coral). Hopefully there will be some kind of turn around in the near future.

[Songbird42]

Originally Posted by cbm34609

A lot of things we have discussed are very true. As you can probably tell from reading our post we are both in very different points in our lifes. It sounds like you came here for retirement and I came here for a nice cheap place to live, work, and raise a family. It is sad to see what is happening. I said before it is happening all over the state of Florida. I know that this area was hard hit and they are many other areas in Florida that were hard hit as well (Cape Coral). Hopefully there will be some kind of turn around in the near future.

With umemployment in Hernando Cty at 13.8, the future doesn't look too bright. Again today as we were driving saw more moving vans loading up and leaving the area. With prices on homes in the dumpster, the same thing is happening with real estate, they are buying cheap, cleaning them up,new carpet and for lease or rent on the lawns, I"ve counted three that have sold in the past month, this will be a area of renters, people wanting to make a buck, and with renters comes more problems. I have my phone on speed dial to the Code Enforcement dept. I keep a list of all unmowed homes in my area, most are empty and in forclosure, this is Unit 8 which covers a large section of SH. I agree with you that this is happening all over the state, and other states are hit just as hard. Sorry to say, this is not the Spring Hill of 20 yrs ago, those people/families that love SH I wish only the best, I'm getting too old to argue the virtues of this area, the moving truck will be here at the end of the month.

[seain dublin]

First things first- the economy is PATHETIC!!
Um isn't it bad all over the country right now??

There are NO new businesses to support this area.
Why is it then that everytime i go there i see a new shopping center being built?

Have you SEEN the BROWN lawns in the summer months?:
Does Drought and conserving water mean anything to you? I'd rather see brown lawns vs overwatered lush green grass myself. I wonder how green your grass stays all summer long.

I also wrote to books-A-million/barnes & noble/borders and was told by all three that the education level and household income is not here in Hernando
Cty yet........
Oh come on... I find it hard to believe that they would discriminate based on the educational level of the people who live there. These kinds of stores would attract people from other towns as well. I'd like to see the actual proof from them stating that was their reason.

I'd like to say my husband has lived in Spring Hill since he was age 6 and his family is still there. He graduated top of his class in high school and has now recieved the highest achievement possible in Automotive technology. Sure times have changed but gosh, for someone who is considering moving to Spring hill and they read your post surely would probably feel quite depressed of how you claim it to be. You make it sound like that's the worst place on earth to live. Drugs, child molestors, abandoned run down homes, brown lawns etc. Name one town that you won't find any of this kind of stuff in. I hope you were just having a bad day when you posted this because you sure sound miserable and maybe you can sell your home to someone who actually wants to live there as long so you can find happiness somewhere else.[/quote]


So where is the bookstore? There is tons of empty retail spaces in Spring Hill( there is a huge new complex on US 19 which is mostly empty) still no bookstores.

While GetoutofSpringHill was somewhat over the top he/she was right about bookstore chains. They will not go into HC due to demographic studies showing not enough people have an interest in reading to warrant opening a store there.

Three different chains said no, maybe you're not aware of how retail works, but chains do studies before opening in an area.

So the question is do you want to be around people who are less educated and ignorant?

Yes they kept building shopping centers and they sit vacant for the most part. The shopping center by Kohl's is over a year old and is vacant except for one store.

[seain dublin]

Originally Posted by House4Sale

Spring Hill has plenty of shopping and restaurants. Two big hospitals, plenty of doctors and I believe there are a few credit union offices on Cortez in Spring Hill/Brooksville area. Best wishes.

Yes and you are trying to sell a house there. The healthcare is not good. Oak Hill is known as Boot Hill or Croke Hill and has a very high infection rate.

The other hospitals Brooksville/Springhill Regional rely on contract labor for the nursing staff. Which means there is no consistency in who is caring for the patients. Many people head to Tampa or up north when they need to go to the hospital.