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Old 01-26-2011, 05:09 PM
 
Location: Tampa
2,602 posts, read 8,272,671 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tampa Bay FL View Post
Ok something else I noticed. On more than one house, the laundry area you have to walk outside to access it. Is there a reason for this?
Not that I know of. I haven't seen many houses like that, and all of them have been older.
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Old 01-26-2011, 08:10 PM
 
76 posts, read 77,939 times
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I saw two homes where there was a carport and the entrance to the laundry room was in the carport but you couldn't enter the house from inside the laundry room. I could easily build a door into the house. I'm used to Michigan where a lot of houses have mud rooms off the garage. Just weird to see it seperated from the house.
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Old 01-27-2011, 06:09 AM
 
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Putting laundry rooms outside was popular in the 50s and 60s. Until that time there was no such thing as a dryer and most washing machines you had to hook up to your kitchen faucet. You hung your clothes outside to dry.

You have to remember that in FL you don't have to deal with snow or long winters. Many homes have the washer/dryer in the garage.
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Old 01-27-2011, 02:08 PM
 
17 posts, read 40,519 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tampa Bay FL View Post
Another oddity I noticed is the lack of sidewalks. Not only were sidewalks missing, but some abruptly end and then start back up again. It's as if they never finished installing them.
I'm following your posts with interest. We are looking to relocate our family and I am interested in South Tampa. I would not be interested in a neighborhood that didn't have sidewalks. That is really going to narrow our search. I'm looking for an area where my older kids would have the freedom to walk around the neighborhood and grab a bite to eat. Please let me know if you come across other neighborhoods in the area that do have sidewalks and would be safe for teenage kids to walk around.
Side note, I grew up in MI and visit Royal Oak every summer. Good luck during your transition.
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Old 01-27-2011, 02:56 PM
 
Location: Tampa
2,602 posts, read 8,272,671 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mirlow3 View Post
I'm following your posts with interest. We are looking to relocate our family and I am interested in South Tampa. I would not be interested in a neighborhood that didn't have sidewalks. That is really going to narrow our search. I'm looking for an area where my older kids would have the freedom to walk around the neighborhood and grab a bite to eat. Please let me know if you come across other neighborhoods in the area that do have sidewalks and would be safe for teenage kids to walk around.
Side note, I grew up in MI and visit Royal Oak every summer. Good luck during your transition.
It's a problem that doesn't affect all of South Tampa, though. As goofy as it sounds, it really comes down to whichever block the house is on.
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Old 01-27-2011, 06:43 PM
 
76 posts, read 77,939 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mirlow3 View Post
I'm following your posts with interest. We are looking to relocate our family and I am interested in South Tampa. I would not be interested in a neighborhood that didn't have sidewalks. That is really going to narrow our search. I'm looking for an area where my older kids would have the freedom to walk around the neighborhood and grab a bite to eat. Please let me know if you come across other neighborhoods in the area that do have sidewalks and would be safe for teenage kids to walk around.
Side note, I grew up in MI and visit Royal Oak every summer. Good luck during your transition.

The sidewalks don't seem to be a big deal. The side streets aren't very busy and all the main roads seem to have sidewalks so i see no problems with having kids walking the streets. It seems that Sunset Park has more sidewalks than Virginia Park but that is just based on observation.

The neighborhood is different than Royal Oak. It's more spread out and the housing stock is different. The Hyde Park shopping area is kind of similar to downtown Royal Oak. Honestly I like downtown Royal Oak better. Royal Oak seemed more vibrant and I think more people live in the area as I didn't see as many condos or lofts like there is in Royal Oak. SOHO seems a lot different than Royal Oak. It's kind of like Ferndale except better. South Tampa is lot like suburban Detroit. Lots of 50/60's style ranches like what is found in north Warren, Sterling Heights, St Clair Shores. The neighborhood reminds me of north Southfield, Lathrup Village, Beverly Hills. You definitely get less house for the money in South Tampa than you do in equal neighborhoods in Michigan. Although milage rates are lower in Tampa, the taxable value is double so it evens out.

To be quite honest, I'm not sure about South Tampa anymore. It seems like a great neighborhood, but houses listed for 300k would only be 175k in neighborhoods equal or better than South Tampa in Michigan. I think I'm going to hold off buying for now. I got to see if I can make it through a Florida summer. If I can't I'm going back to Michigan.
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Old 01-28-2011, 07:30 PM
 
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Well personally I know an awesome realtor named Tim Terpening in your area and He works for keller williams. He is awesome and as far as Summer's in Florida. They are hot humid and it rains practically everyday and then the temps seem to get worse because it gets sticky outside.
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Old 01-29-2011, 01:05 PM
 
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I'm looking at homes in Farmington Hills MI which is equal or better than South Tampa and I can get a 3000 sq ft, 4 bedroom 2.5 bath, completely updated house on a 104 x 117 lot in a gated community for 279,000 and taxes and insurance are lower. I'm not sure if I'm getting cold feet, but 279,000 only seems to get about a 1500 sq ft ranch and is a down grade from my house in Royal Oak which is only worth about 100,000-120,000. Even going up to 400,000 still leaves something to be desired. I hope they are negotiable in Florida. I'll look at some houses in Oldsmar. I'll test out the drive and see if I can get more house for my money and then decide if the commute is worth it. I was commuting from Royal Oak to downtown Detroit so it's not like a drive is foreign to me. I'm definitely going to rent for the first year.

To be quite honest I'm not overly impressed with Tampa. It's like Grand Rapids with palm trees. I've been thinking I'm not going to do much boating in the summer because it will be so hot I will just bake on my boat. So that limits my boating season and Tampa Bay is the same size as Lake St Clair. I'm also assuming Florida is also ridiculous on their boating licensing. I'll have to look into that.

Another issue is my wife loves Florida since she is originally from south Florida. Honestly if it was solely up to me I think I would be on my way back to Michigan. Maybe I'm getting too down. I'll stay a year and see how things shape up. Maybe if I find a rental in South Tampa and get acclimated to the neighborhood it'll get better.
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Old 01-29-2011, 03:39 PM
 
Location: SARASOTA, FLORIDA
11,486 posts, read 15,259,103 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tampa Bay FL View Post
Ok something else I noticed. On more than one house, the laundry area you have to walk outside to access it. Is there a reason for this?

I have been looking at houses in Florida for a long time and notice this as well and really never though to as that question.

I do not like that concept at all and do not like my laundry being in my garage either.
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Old 01-30-2011, 08:51 PM
 
76 posts, read 77,939 times
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I'm strongly considering Seminole now. After talking to my wife and kids, we have decided to make parks and closeness to beaches top priorities. We also want to buy a house with a pool vs installing one. For $250,000 in Seminole, I can get a house around 2000 sq ft with pool. In South Tampa 250,000 is getting me a 1500 sq ft home with no pool and needing some updating. Taxes in South Tampa seem to run double than Seminole. I just cannot justify paying almost three times more than what my house is in Michigan and getting a worse house. I drove around downtown St Petersburg and I actually like it better than downtown Tampa. Since we have kids we don't go out as much and if we do, we can always drive to downtown St Petersburg. I noticed there is a Walsingham Park and Lake Seminole Park. How are these parks? The schools seem pretty decent in Seminole. The downside I see is the commute but I don't find the traffic as bad as some make it out to be on here. Are there any downsides to Seminole? How is the crime?
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