Wesley Chapel vs. Lutz? (Tampa, Brandon: short sales, foreclosures, insurance)

[cjtex23]

Hi All,

I'm moving to the Tampa area this summer and am looking at Wesley Chapel and Lutz as possible places to live. I'll be working in South Tampa, however, I will only need to go in to the office a few times a week. So, I'm not really worried about the commute.

What are the differences between WC and Lutz? House styles? Stores? Congestion?

Thanks!
Kim

[TampaKaren]

Just a little geography IMO.

[cjtex23]

I hate to ask, but what is IMO?

[TampaKaren]

IMO = In my opinion. Sorry, I didn't mean to be a smarty pants. They're both north of Tampa bordering the Pasco and Hillsborough County lines. Are you also considering Land O Lakes? It's close by Lutz and Wesley Chapel as well.

[bnepler]

The area is great, except for the traffic congestion, it's bad.

[BucFan]

The traffic and length of commute from WC to downtown Tampa has well documented here. Its suburbia @ Wesley Chapel, from what I see.

[ntfeldman]

Lutz is a little less "organized". It's due North of Tampa and Wesley Chapel is north and east. There's traffic in Wesley Chapel because there are more homes and it's close to the n/s highways and major roads (Bruce B. Downs.). Lutz really just has 41/Dale Mabry as a n/s artery into the city. You're in the middle with Lutz though, so you can go 75 n/s or Suncoast Pkwy (toll road) into the city.

There are dozens of planned communities in WC where there are very few in Lutz. Most of Lutz (but not all) is in the unincorporated area of Hillsborough county and Cheval (a planned community there) is on the edge of the Urban Service Boundry which is the edge of where the county will bring water and sewer. So there are large areas (in Odessa too) where there is no water and sewer service, just well and septic options (and the water table in Florida is LOADED with iron - you'll see rust stains on everything when you get here and wonder what the heck it is that turns everything brown) But you can filter for that. In Lutz you also have lower density to the housing (because there's no water/sewer) so you're likely to get a larger lot. There are also many lakes in lutz, fewer in Wesley Chapel.

Wesley Chapel is "new" and offers lots of planned communities, it's in Pasco county. the taxes are a little lower but most of the planned communities there have CDD bonds so you won't know it unless you buy in an area that doesn't have a CDD... of course there are CDD's in Hillsbourough county too (it's a Community Development District and the bond goes to off set the infrastructure costs and the amenity centers that most of the communities there offer - but it pumps up the taxes - which of course you deduct but pay nontheless.

So IMO : ) where you'll prefer to live will depend more on whether your lifestyle is suited to an organized community with some predictablity and sameness vs. a larger lot with a little less structure and the services offered by a neighborhood and amenity center.

For the most part, the quality of the schools are good in both areas but check out the specific schools for the home you fall in love with. Hillsborough has "school choice" but Pasco has district lines (although they have choice too, it's just not maditory.)

There is a new mall going in at 56 and 75 in Wesley Chapel to be opened spring 2009.

If you're going to work in S. Tampa, are you considering Brandon / Valrico?

Good luck with your move. Hope this helps.

[queens5]

Lutz is great if you like more of a country feel. The Hillsborough side has some rough patches but beautiful older homes and many more lakes. The Pasco side offers more suburbs and lower taxes (by far) Wesley Chapel will be the next town to watch when this housing fiasco ends but for now your best bets are Seven Oaks, Saddlebrook, great community centers for you to enjoy and help offset that couple of days that you drive in. Lutz is sorta in the middle no quick way on the interstate or to the Suncoast to get to south tampa, wesley chapel offers 75 connecting to 275 or Suncoast on the Land o Lakes side. Brandon/Riverview would be comparable in travel although I prefer Riverview or Southshore to Brandon, which is highly congested. Be picky and ask whoever your agent is to only send you foreclosed homes. there are so many that many are almost new or barely lived in. Insist on it! Some agents are resistant because the compensation may not be as high for the process (I said some so no angry posts from all the agents, and for full disclosure, I'm one) but they are great deals. Wish I were in your shoes! Have fun..

[TampaKaren]

Originally Posted by queens5

Lutz is sorta in the middle no quick way on the interstate or to the Suncoast to get to south tampa, wesley chapel offers 75 connecting to 275 or Suncoast on the Land o Lakes side.

There is a south bound ramp to the Suncoast aka Veterans Xway just off Dale Mabry Hwy at Calusa Trace, and the DOT are currently constructing another ramp at Lutz Lake Fern Rd. Or you can go west on Van Dyke to the Suncoast and go North or South. It's also easy to get on I-275 via US41 at Bearss Ave. One exit north is I-75 and one exit south to east on Fletcher will get you to I-75 in 4-5 miles (mol).

Originally Posted by queens5

Be picky and ask whoever your agent is to only send you foreclosed homes. there are so many that many are almost new or barely lived in. Insist on it! Some agents are resistant because the compensation may not be as high for the process (I said some so no angry posts from all the agents, and for full disclosure, I'm one) but they are great deals. Wish I were in your shoes! Have fun..

Actually, REOs pay agents like every other retail re-sale. Except in a REO, the bank is now holding a non-performing asset that is usually been trashed by the previous owner, paying for property management, taxes, insurance, HOA, maintenance, repairs, and the inevitable cost of sale. If you have time to wait, the short sales and even many re-sales (purchased prior to the bubble) are way outperforming Foreclosures.

I'm hope you don't think I'm trying to be difficult, we just see this differently which is what makes CD so interesting!

[TampaKaren]

Originally Posted by ntfeldman

There are dozens of planned communities in WC where there are very few in Lutz. Most of Lutz (but not all) is in the unincorporated area of Hillsborough county and Cheval (a planned community there) is on the edge of the Urban Service Boundry which is the edge of where the county will bring water and sewer.

Good post, but I would like to add that there are many planned communities in Lutz, just not as much contiguous vacant land available as was/is in Wesley Chapel. Probably the oldest community is Avila (a good portion of it is in Lutz), followed by Cheval. But Lutz also has Heritage Harbor, VillaRosa, Calusa Trace, Deer Park, Oak Grove, and Wellington. Currently under construction are Ladera, Stonebrier, and the megaplex-sized properties along Livingston. Of course, there are many smaller communities in Lutz that can't compare to the giant developments in WC. I'm hoping we can keep that rural feel in Lutz, but who knows what the future will bring?