Service Member moving to McDill AFB area (Tampa, Safety Harbor: foreclosures, rent)

[MrPeterkin]

Good morning ladies and gents,

my family and I are set to PCS to Tampa, Florida early next year and I thought it wise to get on the community\job\house\leisure activity hunt...lol. A bit about us, spouse is a Major in the Army, I am a system administrator for a small geo-spatial firm, my son is 17 and daughter is 7. We are looking for a good community, safe with amenities for the kids. Maybe 30 minutes or so from the beach.

We do plan to buy and our budget is set at 300k. Yard space and a pool are a must; the boat has to go back there, along with other recreational vehicles. What areas offer the most bang for the buck without crazy congestion or draconian covenants in the subdivision? The larger the house we can find the better, since my 21 year old has it in his head to visit more frequently once we move to Tampa. With the economy the way it is, we are not opposed to foreclosures especially since we plan to keep the house indefinitely.

By the time we move from Shaw AFB, SC, my son will be a senior in HS, and my daughter poised to attend 3rd grade, so great schools are a must. As far as a nightlife, I can't stand the idea of driving 55 minutes to a city center like I have to do now. Originally from Atlanta, so the family is spoiled. Never thought I would miss a mall, this much or Olive Garden...but I do in Sumter, SC!

Looking forward to the feedback and a behind the scenes look at our options. Feel free to recommend a few zip codes. Our ideal home would have 4+ bedrooms, 3+ bathrooms, 2+ car garage, pool and yard space for the dogs.

Not sure what the job situation is like on McDill, or the local aria, but I am hoping to finagle my way into any position that has vet preference in the IT field.

[GoRays813]

Westchase sounds like a good neighborhood for you. It's a do-able commuting distance to the base, good family-oriented area, good schools, not too far from the beach, and not too far from anything in general.

[MrPeterkin]

Thank you. Do you have a zip code by chance?

[GoRays813]

Originally Posted by MrPeterkin

Thank you. Do you have a zip code by chance?

33626. Good luck!

[MrPeterkin]

Thank you!

[Keeper]

Westchase is a very nice area but they have HOAs and most have tiny backyards. No boats or RVs could fit there or probably allowed. You could rent a spot nearby to park them though.

You might want to check out S. Tampa or Seminole Heights. No HOAs, however the homes are older but most have large yards. Surrounded by the bay and not too far from the gulf.

Other areas to check out are Oldsmar and Safety Harbor although the commute might be a little longer than you desire.

[MrPeterkin]

Wow, thanks Keeper. The older homes aren't a deal breaker especially since I don't mind modernizing and customizing to suit my families taste and needs.

[Tim Tim Tim]

westchase is terrible if you want yard space and not too many rules. The place looks fantastic but unless your boat fits in the garage, it wont be staying there and same goes for any other recreational toys. How long of a drive to base are you trying to achieve? To have your time to a beach under 30 minutes you would really need to be in pinellas county but thats going to raise your time to get to base. There are beaches on the bay but there pretty gross to swim in although there fine if your just looking to drop the boat in there.

[Sunscape]

Oldsmar and Safety Harbor has some places that you can keep a boat.
Oldsmar zip code 34677.

[crazynip]

Originally Posted by GoRays813

Westchase sounds like a good neighborhood for you. It's a do-able commuting distance to the base, good family-oriented area, good schools, not too far from the beach, and not too far from anything in general.

Westchase would be my suggestion, but you can absolutely FORGET about keeping a "boat and RV in the back yard", this is not a white trash area, and keeping boats and RV's in your backyard is pretty white trash, and also against HOA and local zoning codes. If you want to do that, I would recommend West Pasco County, there is lots of that sort of stuff going on there.

Also, by the way, it's not just HOA, there are codes against this sort of stuff too... code enforcement will bust you up.

In all seriousness, if you can afford a 300k house, you can afford to store your RV and boat at a storage place, of which there are plenty.