big pockets south of Tampa (Clearwater, Brandon: HOA fees, condos, house)

[littlebeam]

I have a friend who lives in the Tampa area. I'm going to try and spell the city....Zephphrillis. Anyway, she was telling me that any place south of Tampa is more expensive. Do you find this to be true? And why? We are interested in the Sarasota area to start looking, but, money talks.

[bbronston]

What are you looking for and what is your budget?

[littlebeam]

Our budget is under $200,000. I have a thread about 55 and over communities, but that might not work for us because we have a large dog. We definetlely want a community that offers lots of activities. Manufactured home, stand alone villa or single family would all be a consideration. Condos would be out because we need private green space for our dog. Club house and pool, etc, would be nice, but would prefer to pay low HOA fees instead of the extras.

[bbronston]

What you want is doable and I think you'll find, generally, that prices for equivalent places will tend to be lower the further you are from places like Sarasota, Brandon, etc. because land prices are cheaper. Unless you want quick access to the special cultural amenities you will find in Tampa, Sarasota, Clearwater, etc., you'll probably find that they all offer great things with only a reasonable drive. Try using www.MyFloridaHomeMLS.com to search for homes in your price range in different geographic areas around Sarasota and gradually moving outward. See what you get for the money and begin to focus in on a few specific areas then contact an agent and start working to get it done!

[rock creek]

Originally Posted by littlebeam

I have a friend who lives in the Tampa area. I'm going to try and spell the city....Zephphrillis. Anyway, she was telling me that any place south of Tampa is more expensive. Do you find this to be true? And why? We are interested in the Sarasota area to start looking, but, money talks.

Its Zephyrhills by the way which is just to the north of Tampa