Central Parc in Tamarac, Florida (Miami, Fort Lauderdale: rent, insurance, condos)

[flip714]

Hello everyone. New to this forum and wanted to get insight on people familiar with the area. I'm new to Florida and recently wanting to purchase a house in Miami or Fort Lauderdale. I have been looking at properties everywhere and have found a new development community that's building homes on Commercial BLVD and next to the Turnpike in Tamarac. Its called Central Parc being built by 13thfloor homes. The pricing is currently set at $289,000 for a brand new Construction which is extraordinarily a great price in my opinion compared to the other homes I've seen in Pembroke pines, Weston, Miramar ETC and other nice areas. I work in Miami off of 8th street on the west side and have clocked in the commute at 45 minutes which I wont mind.


My question Is Commercial BLVD and the turnpike (where they will be building in Tamarac) a good area to raise my family at and eventually settle down in that area? Don't know if things are changing in Tamarac and if home prices are in the up and coming there. Would like to know peoples personal experience with that exact area and if I'm making the right decision in buying this home to raise my family. It seems that everything in Miami Dade and Broward county has ridiculously gone up in pricing regarding homes. Rent now a days for a nice 3/2 home is in the $2000s and I'm better off investing in a home. I really love Pembroke pines area, but I cannot justify buying a home for the $290s range that's an older smaller home, where I can buy this home in Tamarac at the same price and its brand new. If not a nice area, will this home be at least a good investment considering the great price and the area in the future?


All opinions are welcome and I appreciate any feedback on this area of Commercial BLVD and the Turnpike in Tamarac.


Thank You.

[BNBR]

It's a predominantly black neighborhood. If you are black or you simply don't care, then you might be very comfortable. It's not a bad area but not great either. You mention a place to raise a family, and the neighborhood you are talking about is served by 3 horribly rated schools. All rated 2 or 3 out of 10. That doesn't mean the schools are like Compton or anything, but they are definitely schools people try to avoid. The reality is that even the not so great schools aren't THAT bad, providing you take care of your children and raise them right, it might be just fine.

Where schools are good, property is expensive. Which is why this home seems to be such a great deal. Families are not exactly flocking to these single family homes because they are served by poorly rated schools.

As a general answer... is it good to raise a family? No. Because the schools are rated very poorly. But that's short sighted, the teachers do show up and teach, and it might be right for you and your family.

[wizrap]

There's another thread about Lauderhill in this forum, and I can't help but feel that cities that are neither way east or way west (I'm looking at you Lauderhill, Lauderdale Lakes, Margate and the eastern borders of Tamarac & Coconut Creek) are just in search of a civic identity.

The western part of Coconut Creek is thriving due to The Prommenade & the shops and homes around it--and The Township section has always been nice. The western part of Tamarac is undergoing a change as retirees pass on and families have moved in--I'm thinking about The Woodlands in particular. And Margate has The Carolina Club and surrounding homes. But that's about it in each city--not a lot of choices for a family. That's why west Broward, especially west of University, is more popular, and more expensive. You can just close your eyes and pick--not so in Central Broward.

[flip714]

Thank you for the insight. If anyone else wants to chime in please do. Buying a home has been a big decision for me and the family and I dont want to regret it lol.

Thank you.

[Papillons2]

Central Parc has been getting a lot of attention in the local media because of the pricing -- new homes selling for $289,000 are nearly impossible to find in Broward County. And don't forget that these homes are built to meet the latest hurricane codes, with impact windows and garage doors, so you'll save a lot of money on windstorm insurance costs along with the affordable price.

The Tamarac location is the real issue here. On the one hand, it's keeping Central Parc's price affordable. On the other hand, the city is a real mixed bag. It was founded as a retirement community, and vestiges of that remain in stereotypical condo developments such as Kings Point. Many of the oldest homes in the eastern and central parts of the city also were geared toward retirees and are very small, and when the original owners died or moved, the low prices attracted younger, blue-collar, ethnically diverse buyers. The newer homes out west are nice and not much different than what you'd find elsewhere in west Broward.

The schools issue is very real and should be a concern. Maybe the prices in Central Parc are low enough for you to be able to put the savings from your housing budget into private schools.

Another issue with Central Parc's location is that the Turnpike and Commercial Boulevard obviously are quite busy, so you will have to deal with traffic and noise concerns. Then again, with two major roads nearby, it will make commuting more convenient.

Another thing that's always bothered me about Tamarac is that the city government has a reputation for corruption, if that is a concern for you -- it's always been run like a condo board, which isn't surprising considering Tamarac's roots.

On the whole, Tamarac is sort of stuck in the middle -- a cut above some of the towns nearby such as Lauderhill and Lauderdale Lakes, but definitely not in the same class as Parkland, Weston and the nice areas of Coral Springs, Plantation and Davie.

But ... new construction at $289,000 makes Central Parc worth a look.

[BroncoZ71]

As noted already, Tamarac was created back in the I Love Lucy era as sort of a Condo living in form of a house in lieu of condos for retirees from the north. That's why the houses on the east side east of Rock Island are small concrete block 2/1's that were in demand on a retirement income in 1960. Now, most of these retired people have died off, and the neighborhood has changed drastically and become more "diverse" with multiple family members from all over the world clogging into these neighborhoods and small homes causing congestion in traffic and increases in crime from "youths". Basically this area of Tamarac is essentially the same now as Lauderhill and Lauderdale Lakes, its two sister cities to its south. Central Parc is building in this area, and while very desirable location wise and new construction price wise for South Florida, you can forget decent schools and be prepared for the sounds of sirens of police rushing to all the crime reports.

[flip714]

Ummm another good point regarding police sirens and such nearby.

[flip714]

Well just signed a contract today for the new development in Tamarac. Looking forward to experiencing the area around Tamarac. Thanks all for the feedback. Ths forum is very honest and informative.

[wizrap]

Congratulations on your new home. After you get settled in, it would be great if you report back in and let us know how things are going. Your update will be able to help others in their home purchase decision in the neighborhood. Congrats again!

[flip714]

Will do. Thank you.