Harbour Isles in Apollo Beach or Bahia Lakes in Ruskin (Tampa: credit, lender)

[legalese]

Hello - my husband and I are planning to relocate in the Tampa Bay area. We are currently in SoCal and have been greatly disappointed with the housing market..it is crazy!! DH is from Tampa Bay before he joined the military so familiar with the Tampa city area but not so much with the new suburbs. I was in Tampa last week to take the bar exam and took a day off to look at the new developments in the Apollo/Ruskin area. I was just wondering if anyone here has any thoughts on those 2 developments and the surrounding area. Harbour Isles is the community right across from Mira Bay (way to expensive) and we are looking at the KB homes, and Bahia Lakes is a Ryland Homes development.

DH is a network security engineer and currently looking for a job in the area. We are in the chicken or egg situation as we don't know if should go ahead and buy a place since build out will take at least half a year or find a job first. How is the job market for IT and legal in the area?

Thanks for any information.

[crg28]

Harbour Isles also has homes from Toll Brothers, a much better builder than KB Homes. You will pay a little more, but you will get a LOT more....

Originally Posted by legalese

Hello - my husband and I are planning to relocate in the Tampa Bay area. We are currently in SoCal and have been greatly disappointed with the housing market..it is crazy!! DH is from Tampa Bay before he joined the military so familiar with the Tampa city area but not so much with the new suburbs. I was in Tampa last week to take the bar exam and took a day off to look at the new developments in the Apollo/Ruskin area. I was just wondering if anyone here has any thoughts on those 2 developments and the surrounding area. Harbour Isles is the community right across from Mira Bay (way to expensive) and we are looking at the KB homes, and Bahia Lakes is a Ryland Homes development.

DH is a network security engineer and currently looking for a job in the area. We are in the chicken or egg situation as we don't know if should go ahead and buy a place since build out will take at least half a year or find a job first. How is the job market for IT and legal in the area?

Thanks for any information.

[ma_denicourt]

I totally understand your situation. I would definitely be very careful in moving before getting a job in this area since there aren't that many. My husband works for IBM and now a day, he's working in ENgland! I gues it would depend on the IT's specialty.

I would definitely consider Harbour Isles. I actually went to visit their models a few weeks ago for fun ( I live in the best park of Covington Park ) and probably would move if the market would allow me to do so. I also adore "Valencia Lakes". However, they will be expanding 301 (street where the community sits) and heard it will have a direct access to the mall (??) and therefore might become a high traffic area. As far as many people's favorite, Fish Hawk is extremely nice ( great lifestyle ), but until they finish expanding the BOyette Road and surroundings, traffic is horrible. I guess in this market, you have many options!

Also, Apollo Beach will be getting a mall ( apparently the largest in SOuthern Hillsborough - larger than Brandon ). It should be right next to I-75.

If you are considering commuting from AB to St-Pete, you might actually want to go farther down 75, towards Bradenton, closer to the SUnshine Skyway Bridge, you could avoid the Tampa traffic. The downside is you have to pay toll to get on it but it's sooo beautiful! I definitely wouldn't wish you a commute from AB to St-Pete...

Right now, the traffic is pretty decent but eventually, will catch up. However, compared to SoCal I think you should be able to handle it!!! The really bad part about the traffic in Tampa is when getting close to I-4/75/275!

Good luck with your move,
MD

Originally Posted by legalese

Hello - my husband and I are planning to relocate in the Tampa Bay area. We are currently in SoCal and have been greatly disappointed with the housing market..it is crazy!! DH is from Tampa Bay before he joined the military so familiar with the Tampa city area but not so much with the new suburbs. I was in Tampa last week to take the bar exam and took a day off to look at the new developments in the Apollo/Ruskin area. I was just wondering if anyone here has any thoughts on those 2 developments and the surrounding area. Harbour Isles is the community right across from Mira Bay (way to expensive) and we are looking at the KB homes, and Bahia Lakes is a Ryland Homes development.

DH is a network security engineer and currently looking for a job in the area. We are in the chicken or egg situation as we don't know if should go ahead and buy a place since build out will take at least half a year or find a job first. How is the job market for IT and legal in the area?

Thanks for any information.

[wiltznucs]

I just took out a contract on a home in Harbour Isles last week. It came down to Harbour Isles or the Morrison homes community in N. Ruskin for us. I got a pretty good deal, it was an inventory home from KB and I feel like I got a bargain. But who knows what I'll say a year from now after seeing the market reports. KB has a relationship with Countrywide and will give you a break on closing costs if you use Countrywide as your lender. I've heard the horror stories about KB so I got a private home inspector who didnt find much and he said KB is no worse than the rest of the local builders in that pricing point. Its funny, in my previous home in Atlanta KB is very well thought of. A regional variation it appears. I like the area and the Apollo Beach/North Ruskin area seems primed for growth. Be aware that homeowners insurance in the area is tough to find and that what your quoted isnt necessarily what you'll get. I've had ranges from $800 to $3,000 a year from local insurers. I'm still looking to find a better provider as we speak. Good luck...

[legalese]

Thanks for all the input! We haven't had luck with the job market. Husband is a network security consultant, he's had some calls but nothing comparable to what he has right now. Looking forward to the holidays so we can both visit the area and see if he likes it as much I did. Our prospects of owning a decent home here in SoCal is dim unless the housing market plummets. Condos are still starting at high 300s, plus mello roos (comparable to CDD), HOA ($400 and up a month), property tax, insurance, and state income tax (9%!) we would rather take a reasonable paycut and have a house with a yard.

[Keeper]

Your DH might want to check into the company my son does consulting for in Tampa.
The contracting company is Indotronics International, Inc.

Pay scales are lower in FL as I am sure your DH knows. For $300K you can find a really nice big house and no state income tax.
Good luck..

[bnepler]

We live in the southern part of Riverview, ot far from Apollo Beach. We have a Morrison home, just built. Prices have come down much. They are also offering a great rate. Their 4/3/3 homes are under 300k with a large yard. Ours is a 1/2 acre. Good luck

[JSnFla]

the IT job market is nowhere near what it is in southern california. i work in IT and have lived in SoCal and tampa is about 1/20th the IT job market that SoCal is and the pay scale is comical here. U can find a random high paying IT job here and there but for the most part it is very very bleak as companies have u by the throat becasue they know they are basically the only game in town and u have nowhere else to go. Ruskin and Apolloe BEach are eery, half developed areas that look awful. Ruskin is plain ghetto and a horrible place with mostly illegals. Apollo is much nicer but i just find it to be very eery weird place built next to 4 huge smokestacks of pollution.

[MI UNHAPPY]

Originally Posted by legalese

Hello - my husband and I are planning to relocate in the Tampa Bay area. We are currently in SoCal and have been greatly disappointed with the housing market..it is crazy!! DH is from Tampa Bay before he joined the military so familiar with the Tampa city area but not so much with the new suburbs. I was in Tampa last week to take the bar exam and took a day off to look at the new developments in the Apollo/Ruskin area. I was just wondering if anyone here has any thoughts on those 2 developments and the surrounding area. Harbour Isles is the community right across from Mira Bay (way to expensive) and we are looking at the KB homes, and Bahia Lakes is a Ryland Homes development.

DH is a network security engineer and currently looking for a job in the area. We are in the chicken or egg situation as we don't know if should go ahead and buy a place since build out will take at least half a year or find a job first. How is the job market for IT and legal in the area?

Thanks for any information.

my husband and i just recently move to FL job relocation for my husband and have been looking for homes. We just put a offer on a KB homes in Harbor Isles. I would suggest not to work with MI Homes.. After 4 weeks of run around, pre-approval,down payment etc... they told us 2 days before closing that we are not qualified anymore even so we have excellent credit and were way higher pre approved that needed for the home. We had movers schedule to brung our goods.. etc... I would never again work with MI Homes since we are now trying to get our deposit back.. I have read about another issue, simulare to ours regarding MI homes.. We have been looking at Ryland Homes, but wasn't very please when talking to the Sales People with the answers we received talking to them, when looking at there homes in Mira Largo. We like Harbor Isles an as I mentioned the sales people there were very nice also.
IT jobs in the Tampa St Petersburg area are there. I am myself working in the IT field... Check with Jabil, Surena, Groms etc... if you go to career builder.com or Monster you will find IT jobs depends in what kind of area you looking for and what kind of job in IT.
This link brings you to another story regarding MI Homes
Rip-off Report: M/I Homes Of Tampa M/I Homes stole $18,500 from me.... Tampa Florida

[wiltznucs]

Originally Posted by MI UNHAPPY

my husband and i just recently move to FL job relocation for my husband and have been looking for homes. We just put a offer on a KB homes in Harbor Isles. I would suggest not to work with MI Homes.. After 4 weeks of run around, pre-approval,down payment etc... they told us 2 days before closing that we are not qualified anymore even so we have excellent credit and were way higher pre approved that needed for the home. We had movers schedule to brung our goods.. etc... I would never again work with MI Homes since we are now trying to get our deposit back.. I have read about another issue, simulare to ours regarding MI homes.. We have been looking at Ryland Homes, but wasn't very please when talking to the Sales People with the answers we received talking to them, when looking at there homes in Mira Largo. We like Harbor Isles an as I mentioned the sales people there were very nice also.
IT jobs in the Tampa St Petersburg area are there. I am myself working in the IT field... Check with Jabil, Surena, Groms etc... if you go to career builder.com or Monster you will find IT jobs depends in what kind of area you looking for and what kind of job in IT.
This link brings you to another story regarding MI Homes
Rip-off Report: M/I Homes Of Tampa M/I Homes stole $18,500 from me.... Tampa Florida

Please PM me, as a resident of Harbour Isles I can give you some insights about some misrepresentations KB is passing along in their marketing of the community. I'll simply say theres lots of unhappy residents in the community. The message board rules apparently prohibit giving honest feedback about the builder as a few posts of mine have been removed by the moderators.