Home Rentals in Tampa Area (Brandon, Pinecrest: loan, buying, high school)

[flimflamman]

Hello,

The wife and I are moving to Tampa within a couple months (currently in Ohio). I have been lurking the Tampa forum for a while now and have read quite a few posts about the area. Buying is absolutely out of the question until we have been around for at least a couple of years. Then we might consider it.

The job will be near I-75 & Highway 60 in Brandon.
Our nest is empty but we do have pets (so schools are not a concern).
3-4 bedrooms/2 baths (family visits).
We would prefer a pool with a lanai.
Rental price range is $2k to $2500.
Preferred commute would be no more than 30 minutes.

We will probably have about a month of temporary housing, so we should have a little time to see things first hand. Parts of Tampa we have been eyeing are South Tampa, Brandon, Valrico, and Fish Hawk to name a few. I noticed there are some folks here that are not big fans of the Brandon and Valrico areas. I do like the location of South Tampa, but finding what we want in that area may be hard to pull off.

Here are some examples of what is appealing to us so far...

Fish Hawk Area

Brandon Area

South Tampa Area

We don't need to live near the beach, though we will visit them from time to time. I really dig the professional sports Tampa has to offer (esp. NFL and MLB), and hope there are some decent casino's in the area. I realize that Tampa has issues just like other places I have lived and I am confident the pro's will outweigh the con's. I don't mind the heat and humidity and can deal with the traffic. I try to maintain a positive attitude.

I am totally open to everyone else's opinions on where else we can consider to shack up based on the provided criteria. Thanks!

[springmac]

You should be able to find what you need in Fishhawk or Valrico. Both are nice areas. Fishhawk has two major subdivision, Fishhawk Ranch(where I live) and Fishhawk Trails. The trails is nice, but there are no rentals there. Fishhawk Ranch is huge. There are several different phases to the subdivision and quite a few rentals. Pros of Fishhawk are: nice community feel, Park Square, which is the town area of Fishhawk...nice shops & they have concerts there every Friday night during the summer. Lots of ameneties...pools, fitness centers and a lot of trails. That being said, some of the kids here can be rather spoiled & will think nothing of vandalizing your property. There is also a problem with drugs among the middle/high school kids. Also, you will have a fairly long commute timewise into Brandon. My husband works on 60 in Brandon & it takes him about 30 minutes to get there in the morning & longer to get home in the evening. Valrico has a lot of nice subdivision (Buckhorn, Riverhills). I have a friend who lives in Riverhills and loves it. Riverhills is just down the road on Lithia Pinecrest from Fishhawk. Oh, and I can get to Anna Maria Island's beaches in just about an hour. Good luck with your search! We moved down from PA last summer & love it here!

[flimflamman]

Thanks for your advice, springmac! We will check out places in Buckhorn and Riverhills as well. The Fishhawk area does look nice and I am glad to hear that confirmed from a local. I also appreciate you pointing out its down sides.