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Blue717 sounds like my neighborhood. What section are you in. And I have indeed seen houses in this area that are not livable. My house had to get ALL new plumbing, as the sink holes "slanted the pipes" so that I had no water pressure and the septic tank piping didnt have enough leverage to drain. Sorry if my terminology is not correct, but it was terrible to deal with. We were using the Winn Dixie to use the bathrooms. NOt kidding. I live in St Augustine now and would never go back!
Most people I know who are leaving the area are doing so because they can no longer afford to live here. Many folks bought at the time the market was hot, purchasing homes at over-inflated prices and then financing them with ARMs that eventually came back to bite them. We have a TON of forclosures in Spring Hill as a result. Add that to rising taxes and high insurance costs, and Florida (not just Spring Hill) is getting to be an expensive place to live. However, because the market here has taken such a dive, you can easily pick up a family sized home here for a good price now. And there are MANY to choose from. Some friends of mine just moved out of the area and ended up selling their beautiful house for less than what they paid for it four years ago.
My advice before buying a home here:
1.) Insurance - make sure you have adequate sink hole coverage. A great deal of homes have a sink hole under or around them, whether they realize it or not. It's just the way it is here. People make a bigger deal out of it than it is, though. Most sink holes here are slow-moving and it takes years for any real damage to occur. Our house was over ten years old when we first noticed signs of sink hole activity. We just had our house repaired ... they had to pump 42 truckloads of cement underneath our place! At least it's not going anywhere now. Thank God we had good insurance, or we'd be financially sunk.
2.) If you can, purchase a repaired sink hole home. Make sure you take a good look at the engineer's report to make sure it's been adequately fixed. I honestly feel a lot safer now knowing ours is fixed and would purchase a repaired sink hole home over one that is a big unknown.
I've been in Spring Hill for about seven years now and I like it. We have several decent stores and are less than an hour away from the big shopping and nightlife in Tampa. I've made a lot of really nice friends here and my kids have, too. The local Y is bustling with activities for them and so is our rec department. I've found the area to be a nice place to raise a family.
Because you have children, you will have to be careful about the schools here, though. Several of them are not up to par, even by Florida's standards. Chocachatti and Challenger are pretty good. So is Suncoast Elementary. We also have a few affordable private schools in the area. (Many parents get fed up with the public system here and end up going private. That's what we did and are now very pleased with the school our kids attend.)
You'll have to get used to the older population here. Most of them are very nice folks, but some are downright grumpy. This area used to be a big retirement community back when the Deltona corporation was developing it, so I think the many of the elderly people feel like the younger families are starting to take over their turf.
Let's see ... what else? Oh, yeah ... the weather. It's sweltering HOT here in the summer. The fall, spring, and winters are usually beautiful. We have a "beach" here called Pine Island that a lot of people frequent. I personally think they need to enlarge it because it's almost always closed in the summer due to crowding. However, keep in mind that Pine Island is a man-made beach ... very shallow and with pumped-in sand. It's not your typical, idyllic Florida beach. (I usually drive about an hour south to go to the beach instead of going to Pine Island. But, I grew up in Florida and am very spoiled when it comes to beaches, so I'm picky.)
Do you have a job lined up here? I know many people moving in have a hard time working locally unless they are professionals (doctors, lawyers, etc.). A lot of people drive to Tampa to work because they can make more money there. The Suncoast Parkway makes it convienient ... just make sure you factor in the cost of tolls and gas.
Medical care is OK for routine stuff. I would NEVER use any of the hospitals here for anything major, though. (I have my own horror story as well as several others from other people.) But I think you'd find that to be true for any smallish community.
You'll find a whole mix of people here, mostly from up north. I was born in Florida, so I'm one of those rare natives you never hear about anymore. At first I was really put off by all the New Yorkers and their attitudes, but now that I've gotten to know several, they don't intimidate me anymore. We also have a TON of mid-westerners, too. Spring Hill is really a huge melting pot of cultures from all over the country.
Good luck with your move!
Last edited by springhillbilly; 06-19-2008 at 11:52 AM..
I love reading these posts.. they are very informative.
I am a wife and mom of 3 kids ages 12, 7, and 16 months.. we currently live in NJ but are very seriously considering moving to Spring Hill. I do have a few questions, maybe someone can help.
My husband works for Waste Management and is trying to get a transfer.. I've heard rumors of quite the revolving door when it comes to drivers there.. he is not worried, he is a very hard worker and has a brain, rarely takes off of work and usually ends up cashing in his vacation time at the end of the year. He would love to advance in the company but here in NJ things are so jammed up. Besides, people don't generally want to promote someone who makes money for the company in the position they are already in.. if you know what I mean. Can't really blame them.
I do medical billing from home, my job won't change.
What is the Little League program like there in Spring Hill? My husband coaches up here and two of my kids (obviously not the baby) play softball and love it. Do they play all year around?
Is there a basketball program also?
What neighborhood's should I look at for kids that are this age? We would really rather not live in a community with HOA's or CDD's. Are there kid friendly neighborhoods outside of these? By kid friendly I mean, my 12 year old doesn't have to nag me for a ride across town everytime she wants to hang out with friends. (Not that I wouldn't take her) She can ride her bike/walk etc.
The issue with living here in NJ is, we pay $1400 per month mortgage payment (1200 square foot 3 bdrm house, that is too small..our taxes are about to go up significantly), the cost of living here is unreal.. our fear is that the cost to live in NJ will eventually swallow us up just like the sink holes you guys have going on down there.. just in a financial manner. On the up side, we do have a bit of equity which will help us with the move, etc.
We are nice people, we just want to be around nice people. We are homebodies, for the most part. Our point is, why are we living in a house that is too small when we can be in a gorgeous home, double the size? And in a place where you don't have to leave your home state to go on a vacation.
Hello! I hope I can help answer some of your questions.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Florida Fever
What is the Little League program like there in Spring Hill? My husband coaches up here and two of my kids (obviously not the baby) play softball and love it. Do they play all year around? Is there a basketball program also?
You'll definitely want to check with our local YMCA. They have all sorts of programs and are always in need of coaches and volunteers. Our recreation department also has loads of sports programs to choose from. My son often plays baseball through the Y and they play two seasons out of the year.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Florida Fever
What neighborhood's should I look at for kids that are this age? We would really rather not live in a community with HOA's or CDD's. Are there kid friendly neighborhoods outside of these?
We have plenty of HOA subdivisions that are nice (been there, done that) and plenty of normal neighborhoods (where we now live). Most of the neighborhoods are nice. If you want rural, look north of S.R. 50. If you want new neighborhoods and houses, try looking east near the Suncoast Parkway. If you like mature neighborhoods, try between Mariner Blvd. and U.S. 19. Just keep one thing in mind ... there are very few sidewalks around here unless you go into a deed-restricted, HOA neighborhood.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Florida Fever
Our point is, why are we living in a house that is too small when we can be in a gorgeous home, double the size? And in a place where you don't have to leave your home state to go on a vacation.
I don't think you'll have any problem finding a nice, larger-sized home for a good price in Spring Hill. There are PLENTY for sale around here and it's definitely a buyer's market. Just do a search on realtor.com and you'll pull up all sorts of houses.
And ITA with what you said about vacationing. I LOVE living in FL ... it literally DOES feel like I'm on vacation 24/7. We go to Disney several times a year and frequent the beach all the time.
Thanks so much for all the info. We definately want 4 bedrooms minimum. We have been all over realtor.com and the many, many houses can make your head spin. I am just a bit scared of the home owners association fees.. are they really high? All of the houses I saw in Sterling Hill didn't really have pools (we definately want one in the back yard) and we have a dog so we would need to have a fenced yard. It seems that the houses, while they are gorgeous, are kind of right on top of each other and the lot sizes are a bit smaller than what we are aiming for.
What in the world is a deed restriction? I don't think we have ever come across anything like that. We are currently in our 3rd home and never heard of that before. Please excuse my ignorance.. lol
We have our eye on a place that is a little older.. built in the late 80's.. I was thinking that getting a house that was a little older might have a better chance of avoiding the sinkholes, though I am sure sinkholes don't discriminate.
I keep reading about this mall they are building down there.. what's going in there? Is it going to be big?
We live just over the bridge from Philadelphia so we are used to convenience as you can probably imagine. We are not picky.. we love Walmart, Target, Kohls and chain restaurants. It sounds like we would fit in pretty well there.
I am just a bit scared of the home owners association fees.. are they really high? All of the houses I saw in Sterling Hill didn't really have pools (we definately want one in the back yard) and we have a dog so we would need to have a fenced yard. It seems that the houses, while they are gorgeous, are kind of right on top of each other and the lot sizes are a bit smaller than what we are aiming for.
I have several friends who live in Sterling Hill. It's a nice neighborhood with tons of families and it's directly across from Challenger K-8 school. I will ask my friends about the homeowner's fees. The reason most of the houses there don't have pools is because Sterling Hills has a huge community pool. It's really nice. Yes, the houses there are right on top of each other, as are most of the homes in the newer, affordable subdivisions. If you want more space, you may need to avoid the HOA type of subdivisions. Or be ready to spend a lot more money.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Florida Fever
What in the world is a deed restriction? I don't think we have ever come across anything like that. We are currently in our 3rd home and never heard of that before. Please excuse my ignorance.. lol.
Deed restrictions are put in place by subdivisions. They tell you what you can and can't do/build/have in the neighborhood. The last deed restricted neighborhood we were in specified the type of fence we had to have, what type of roofing, etc. It also restriced us from parking an RV or boat in our driveway. Deed restrictions are supposed to keep a neighborhood looking nice, so I guess that's why they have them ... to keep home values up.
One subdivision you might like is the Oaks off of Barclay. It has large lots, nice homes, sidewalks (whooo hooo!!), and optional HOA fees. It's a beautiful neighborhood and in a decent area. Home prices, last I checked, were still fairly affordable.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Florida Fever
We have our eye on a place that is a little older.. built in the late 80's.. I was thinking that getting a house that was a little older might have a better chance of avoiding the sinkholes, though I am sure sinkholes don't discriminate. .
Whatever home you buy, ask if it's had any sink hole activity. Then hire a home inspector just to be sure. Stair step cracks are a big tell-tale sign. so if you see those, think twice before you buy. Most of the time, if the home has been repaired, you'll be in good shape. Just make sure it has an engineer's report!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Florida Fever
I keep reading about this mall they are building down there.. what's going in there? Is it going to be big?
I don't think any big "mall" is coming to Spring Hill. We have had a lot of large shopping centers open up recently. I know they're working on a huge mall just one county away. Perhaps that's the one you're thinking of. Spring Hill has just about everything you need, though. Target, JC Pennys, Kohls (opening in Oct.), Sears, Wal-Mart (ugh - we have PLENTY of those, unfortunately), Belks, Lowes, Home Depot, etc. Most of the good chain restaurants are here, too ... as well as two Starbucks (one inside Target and the other is a freestanding building) and a Panera Bread. If you want the high-end shopping, it's all about 45 minutes away in Tampa.
I have several friends who live in Sterling Hill. It's a nice neighborhood with tons of families and it's directly across from Challenger K-8 school. I will ask my friends about the homeowner's fees. The reason most of the houses there don't have pools is because Sterling Hills has a huge community pool. It's really nice. Yes, the houses there are right on top of each other, as are most of the homes in the newer, affordable subdivisions. If you want more space, you may need to avoid the HOA type of subdivisions. Or be ready to spend a lot more money.
The HOA fees in Sterling Hill are not bad but the CDD will add $150 a month to your payment.
Deed restrictions are put in place by subdivisions. They tell you what you can and can't do/build/have in the neighborhood. The last deed restricted neighborhood we were in specified the type of fence we had to have, what type of roofing, etc. It also restriced us from parking an RV or boat in our driveway. Deed restrictions are supposed to keep a neighborhood looking nice, so I guess that's why they have them ... to keep home values up.
Just about all homes have some kind of deed restriction, the newer subdivisions will just have more.
One subdivision you might like is the Oaks off of Barclay. It has large lots, nice homes, sidewalks (whooo hooo!!), and optional HOA fees. It's a beautiful neighborhood and in a decent area. Home prices, last I checked, were still fairly affordable.
I am closing one in The Oaks tomorrow. They are minimum 1/2 acre lots and the optional HOA is $50 a year. Homes in there go from $200K up to $500K but are usually at least 2000 sq ft living areaand most are newer homes.
Whatever home you buy, ask if it's had any sink hole activity. Then hire a home inspector just to be sure. Stair step cracks are a big tell-tale sign. so if you see those, think twice before you buy. Most of the time, if the home has been repaired, you'll be in good shape. Just make sure it has an engineer's report!
Step cracks can be an indication of settling but it could just be ordinary settling or just bad stucco work. The only way to be sure is to have them have them come out and actually check for a sinkhole to the tune of $3000-$5000 and even if they don't find activity at that time you could still get one down the road. Sinkholes are just something that can occur but it is not as if it is every other house that has one.
I don't think any big "mall" is coming to Spring Hill. We have had a lot of large shopping centers open up recently. I know they're working on a huge mall just one county away. Perhaps that's the one you're thinking of. Spring Hill has just about everything you need, though. Target, JC Pennys, Kohls (opening in Oct.), Sears, Wal-Mart (ugh - we have PLENTY of those, unfortunately), Belks, Lowes, Home Depot, etc. Most of the good chain restaurants are here, too ... as well as two Starbucks (one inside Target and the other is a freestanding building) and a Panera Bread. If you want the high-end shopping, it's all about 45 minutes away in Tampa.
I agree for the most part with your post, good analysis of Spring Hill.
Jobs. There are plenty of houses to live in here in Spring Hill, but there are VERY few jobs. When I say very few jobs, please believe me. Almost everything here is retail, or general labor. I will say Spring Hill is a nice little place with great weather and the housing isn't as expensive as other places that are much less attractive.
However the Suncoast Parkway(toll road) can take you to Tampa in a thirty minute drive. There are beaches around and clear rivers and springs, and other stuff like that for kids(cept' most of Spring Hill doesn't have sidewalks like where I came from). Get your butt down here and don't even think about staying in Detroit. Just be prepared to have to drive someplace else for work. Oh and there aren't very many apartments in Sporing Hill at all. Its mostly houses and suburbs, so if you feel like an apartment is your best bet, get some phone numbers first. I'm sure someone on here could help with some apartments if you need help finding them because that can be as bad as finding a job here.This place is a godsend compared to the decayed rustbelt.
If you want to move here for the weather, family activities, beaches, and proximity to Tampa DO IT. There isnst a good enough reason to discourage anyone from moving here, especially if you're from the northeast or rustbelt. Also sinkholes are not a big concern. Just have the home inspected as others have said. They're few and far between. You would be a lot more likely to have your home ravaged by a hurricane in the near future than any problems with a sinkhole.
Last edited by the_pines; 06-20-2008 at 06:09 AM..
Wow! $3000-$5000 just for them to check for sinkhole activity? Sheesh! That guy sure has a good paying job! Probably takes him 2 hours!
Are the sinkholes happening on the newer built homes? I know that Spring Hill is a young town, there aren't any really old homes but, is this problem just a matter of builders not checking that the ground that they build on is secure? Or is it that there is just no way to tell. My point is, if an inspector can come in and find sinkhole activity, why don't the builders know that they are building on land that could potentially have these issues before they build on it?
They should be made to check out that kind of thing and then be held liable if a house starts to sink. Or maybe there really is no way to tell. What a shame for those families!
Does anyone have a link for homes that may be for sale in "The Oaks"?
Another question, does the bank really take less than asking price for short sale houses? or foreclosures? I know they are trying to get rid of these places but you would think that the asking price is pretty close to the minimum they would accept. However, I have heard that they are accepting bids at far less than asking. Is this true?
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Hi everyone
