Has anyone else given up on South Tampa? (Orlando, Plant City: rent, homeowners insurance)

[BucFan]

Walden Lakes @ Plant City has some nice houses. I'd live there.

[TampaKaren]

Have you looked at the areas just south of Kennedy down around Westshore Blvd. (zip 33609) or in the Interbay area just south of Gandy (zip 33611)? Also, you may know this already, but the newer homes in south Tampa are a result of the builder/developer subdividing a lot and building two houses. Therefore, many of the newer houses are on lots 50 feet wide. The wider lots will have older/smaller houses, except those costing $$$$$.

[Keeper]

There is nothing wrong with Plant City if you are aware of what amenities are available in the area. Many people move to a new city, away from all the amenities they are accustom to being close by and then wonder why they are unhappy. Some ppl want to be able to go malls, restaurants and entertainment only 10-15 minutes away. I lived in Odessa before the expressway and the closest mall was Tampa Bay Mall and the closet grocery store was on Dale Mabry at Busch. I would never recommend that area to anyone back then if they weren't looking to live in the country.

Tell the OP what makes Plant City a great place to live..

[saltzman143]

TampaKaren: I was told to stay away from any area that is South of Euclid and North of Kennedy. I was also told that the only decent neighborhoods in South Tampa are (in order of desirability):

Hyde Park (although it has narrow streets, which is a big negative IMHO)
Golfview
Parkland Estates
New Suburb Beautiful (also narrow streets)
Culbreath Bayou
Beach Park
Sunset Park
Ballast Point
Bayshore Beautiful
Virginia Park
Gray Gables

The above areas also have the highest potential for resale value in the future.

So I am looking only in those areas. And FYI, the definition of a "decent neighborhood", according to my friends in South Tampa, is:

Quiet, tree-lined WIDE streets
Residential zoning (no apartment or condos on the street)
Consistent care/maintenance of properties (no run-down shacks or properties with junkyards in the front lawn, for example)
No cut-through traffic
Friendly neighbors


TampaKaren: Please tell me if I should give up finding a 4/2, 2000 square feet, on a quarter-to-half acre (oversize) lot, quiet street with canopy, sidewalks, for 500k in those areas (I am willing to accept an UNremodeled house if every one of the other requirements are met and the house is not a tear down).

[Keeper]

I think you were told that because of the size house you are looking for. My SIL lives S. of Euclid/Himes and that is not a bad area. If you live S. of Euclid around Westshore and Himes, most of the homes were built back in the 60s - 70s. They have big lots w trees especially around Westshore and S. Euclid

N. of Kennedy around Westshore there are a few streets that have some nice homes but you are also close to commercial property.

There are also some 'Big' old houses around Port Tampa that are being refurbished and even some new homes being built but the lots appeared to be smaller.. The area is slowly be updated.

[tampaguy03]

There are oversized lots in South Tampa less than 500k with a house? And whats wrong with south of Euclid, Bayshore Beautiful is south of Euclid, as is Ballast Point, and parts of Port Tampa City are nice right next to the AFB, brand new construction. Westshore Yacht Club off Westshore south of Gandy is beautiful waterfront property(may bit out of the price range).....I live in Bayside West neighborhood of Westshore South of Euclid, but the homes are smaller than 2000 sq feet unless they have been updated...sidewalks, large mature oaks, the neighborhood was built in the 40's.

[rtjr]

South Tampa is an urbanized area with most lots being 50x100 or 100x100 in size - finding a home on half an acre is tough. I live in Virginia Park and love it. The homes are well maintained and there is not a shortage of trees - we have 3 Oaks in our yard. I can also tell you that in our neighborhood, there have been a number of 2,000sf or so homes in great shape built in the 90's or newer that have sold in the low 400s or less in the past year

[gypsychic]

I didn't see Palma Ceia on that list, and that is about my all-time favorite neighborhood in Tampa, let alone South Tampa! I also really, really love Ballast Point. If I were to have to go back to Tampa to live, these are the neighborhoods I would look into.

[tilli]

Take a look at the Twelve Oaks area off W. Waters Ave. in the Town N Country area.

[saltzman143]

The last house I saw, it was in Virginia Park, it had two kitchens. Yes, TWO kitchens? Every single house I see under 500k in any of these South Tampa neighborhoods has a big issue/or problem like that.

Oh and Palma Ceia is not on my list because of the extremely narrow streets and parking problems there (even though it is indeed gorgeous). That is a dealbreaker for me.