Thinking of going to Tampa? (Wesley Chapel: for sale, apartment, insurance) - Tampa - St. Petersburg - Clearwater - City-Data Forum

ev314 · 09-30-2006, 03:17 PM

We are thinking of relocating to Tampa.

Okay guys, bring it on!!!!

Positive? negative? Schools? (we have an 11 yr old daughter).
Things to do? Employment? Crime??(I know...I know...crime is everywhere)
Insurance? Taxes? HOA?

Hope I'm not asking too much.

Any help you can give will be appreciated.
Thanks to all of you in advance

Give me as much as you can!

scamutz · 09-30-2006, 03:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ev314

We are thinking of relocating to Tampa.

Okay guys, bring it on!!!!

Positive? negative? Schools? (we have an 11 yr old daughter).
Things to do? Employment? Crime??(I know...I know...crime is everywhere)
Insurance? Taxes? HOA?

Hope I'm not asking too much.

Any help you can give will be appreciated.
Thanks to all of you in advance

Give me as much as you can!

Ok, here it goes. Moved down 8 years ago to Wesley Chapel, (just north of Tampa over the Pasco County Line) I also have an 11 year old daughter and we all love it. I don't have a negative thing to say about the area. Probably one of the biggest positives is that most of the people have relocated here from outside the state, so most are looking to make new friends. We have made better friends here than in the towns that my wife and I grew up in.

The pay won't be what you are used to in most cases, but there are no state income taxes...and you get paid in Sunshine!

I can't speak for all of Tampa, but here in WC we love the schools. All that our children have attended have been brand new, and A-rated. (They don't get rated for the first year)

HOI is still reasonable over here...but going up. Fortunately we're further inland, and don't have issues with sinkholes, like W. Pasco County does. Our taxes are 9-10 mills lower than in Hillsborough County. (9-10 dollars per thousand of assesed value less)

Crime hasn't been an issue for us...but I'm sure that it exists.

Entertainment is great. We're only 25 minutes from downtown Tampa, restaurants going in faster than we can count. Huge new mall going in. 15 minutes from Busch Gardens, 75 minutes from Disney. We've got it all.

HTH

Muggy · 09-30-2006, 03:37 PM

ev314, have you visited Tampa?

I just checked your other posts. I doubt you will be happy in Tampa.

Being "close to the ocean" is a loaded phrase. Right now being "close to the Gulf" means having burning eyes due to the stench of red tide.

Quote:

Originally Posted by scamutz

...and you get paid in Sunshine!

You also get paid in mold, hit and runs, sex offenders, road ragin' monster trucks!

But yes, the weather has been especially beautiful the last few days.

scamutz · 09-30-2006, 05:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Muggy

You also get paid in mold, hit and runs, sex offenders, road ragin' monster trucks!

But yes, the weather has been especially beautiful the last few days.

LOL, come on now. I've had no problems with mold...as long as you live in a well built home, this won't be an issue. I've been here for 8 years and have not encountered mold.

I have never been hit and run, nor have any of my family or business associates.

There are sex offenders everywhere. It's a societal problem, not a Florida problem.

Road Ragin' Monster Trucks??? Where in the world do you live? We're awful civilized near me, and I've never been chased down by a Road Ragin' Monster Truck. In fact, I've never even seen one on the roads ... I have however taken the 25 minute ride down to Raymond James Stadium to take my oldest child to see Bigfoot and the rest of the "Superbowl of Motorsports" It was fun, inexpensive, and a good time was had by all.

Your post reminds me of the apocolypic propaganda movies of the 30's & 40's.

The bottom line is that the job market is good. According to cnnmoney.com Florida had the 5th lowest unemployment rate in the country in 8/06 at a staggeringly low 3.3%.

You were right about the weather being gorgeous... The latest numbers show that 1890 people are moving to The Sunshine State daily. Good thing their not reading your posts eh? They'd be afraid to walk out of their homes.

helix139 · 09-30-2006, 06:41 PM

I'm a nurse and make more here than I would in Tn, Sc, and Al. (Trying to find place to go to to get out of Tampa!) Most of the folks I meet who are like me...are very nice. The ocean? I'd rather go to some redneck riviera to avoid the horrible traffic and disappointment of looking at the trashed beach! You've gotta drive forever to get to a very nice beach. Expect to spend more than 15 minutes to get anywhere! No way your getting from wc to Busch gardens in 15 min! Traffic backs up for as far as you can see in am traffic from north on 75! Mold? Never seen it! I've heard of hit and runs and my wife had someone scrape down her car two days ago. 2 thousand worth! Maybe thats why we pay triple what we paid in Charleston, sc. $2400 per year. (hmmm)
The sex offenders move to Florida to get away from somewheres else and "start over" like everyone else that moves here. In my zip we have more than thirty! (33618) And I wouldn't live anywhere else...Original Carrollwood is the best! Schools...location to everything!
Monster trucks?! That's ridiculous! The only road rage I've had was from some crazy soccer mom that tried to run me down for not driving fast enough! The weather is nice, but no one goes outside during the summer. I don't think its that bad. People are soft! Make you kids go outside; put down the video games.
The reason we're moving and I believe most people are moving outta Florida is the insurance rates. We were paying 2400 last year...now we've been notified that it's now $4200 bucks! Our tax for 3br 2 ba 39yr old home is 2800. What sucks is if you live in an apartment you don't pay jack! It's unfair!
Things to do? I believe you don't need things around you to have fun, but to do things around here you've gotta drive. Yearly pass at busch gardens gets pretty **** tiring driving there, parking, walking...walking...walking. So I think I could be happy wit' my kids in the yard! ...
just think of what life would be like to live in an area with 1.4 million folks crowded together in less than 30 mile radius and you've got your answer!

bnepler · 09-30-2006, 06:49 PM

Problems are everywhere. Wesley Chapel is very nice. Everything is new, including the traffic. Hurricans can be very windy, you learn to prepare, just like snow storms or anything else. I'm from PA, don't miss the winter at all.
I"m building a new home and selling mine not far from here. What size home are you looking for? Florida areas are just building.

Muggy · 09-30-2006, 07:00 PM

Well ev314, there's your answer: 2 people trying to keep it real, 2 people trying to sell you houses.

scamutz, click on my name and review all of my posts. I will be fair and give you ample time to prepare before I tear all of your realtor stats apart.

I'm guessing you found this website to "check on this bubble nonesense." I am only interested in providing people a realistic picture of Florida.

bnepler · 09-30-2006, 07:04 PM

I'm not a realtor. Others just don't want anyone else moving here because of costs, traffic and all the other problems you find anywhere else.

Muggy · 09-30-2006, 07:43 PM

bnepler, I didn't say you're a realtor. Your post does read as if you have a house for sale. If I read that wrong, sorry.

ev314 · 09-30-2006, 09:38 PM

"You also get paid in mold, hit and runs, sex offenders, road ragin' monster trucks!"

Come on Muggy!! You didn't expect me to believe this?? Did you?

I live in Phoenix, Arizona!! The capital of the "witness protection program!"
I'm also originally from NY. (but not in the witness protection program).

It takes alot more than that to scare me!!!!!
Every town in this country has some of those.