Comparing 2 locations in Tampa: opinions please!! (Miami, Plantation: real estate, apartment, HOA fees)

[eifvfeuin]

Hello Everyone,

We are considering a couple of condos and are seeking inside information from locals about the parts of town these properties are located in and which is better and why.

One is on Burchette Rd in the Tampa Palms area and the other is on Castle Hill Dr off of Gunn Hwy. This appears to be Carrollwood?

Our most important consideration is safety and peacefulness of the area.

Another question I have is why there seems to be such a large disparity between the HOA condo fees of some properties. For example, one of these places has a $263/month fee and the other only $17/month. The ironic thing is that the property with the LOWER fee is in a complex with a community pool, whereas the other one is not. I would expect the reverse regarding the fees.

Thank you in advance!

[FloridaKash]

I can't speak to the Tampa Palms area. I live just north of Carrollwood, so I am a it familiar with the area near Castle Hill Dr. It's a safe area, not the best area... but not dangerous in any way.

Convenience is great. The Mall is close by, Veterans is near and anything you could ever want can be found on Dale Mabry.

[algia]

"Normally" it is the amenities that dictate the amount of HOA fees.

Does the $17 dollar one include anything? like any utilities? (they probably found a cheap service to maintain their pool, or have been using the same company for years)

After the real estate crash, many, many, many x1000 condo associations upped their fees because condos were abandoned. Out of 16 brand new skyscraper condo buildings in Miami for example 1 had 2 residents, and the others were empty and left unfinished, so the two residents in that one condo building ended up paying over $1000 in HOA fees...(awful situation) but it happened, and happened at every scale.

Now, I wouldn't consider anything right on Gunn Hwy "peaceful". I know they build some brand new apartment/condos (not sure which) right on Gunn before Ehrlich rd, but those must have a ton of noise being smack on that road.

I am going to say that in Tampa Palms might be quieter.

Originally Posted by eifvfeuin

Hello Everyone,

We are considering a couple of condos and are seeking inside information from locals about the parts of town these properties are located in and which is better and why.

One is on Burchette Rd in the Tampa Palms area and the other is on Castle Hill Dr off of Gunn Hwy. This appears to be Carrollwood?

Our most important consideration is safety and peacefulness of the area.

Another question I have is why there seems to be such a large disparity between the HOA condo fees of some properties. For example, one of these places has a $263/month fee and the other only $17/month. The ironic thing is that the property with the LOWER fee is in a complex with a community pool, whereas the other one is not. I would expect the reverse regarding the fees.

Thank you in advance!

[crazynip]

Originally Posted by algia

Now, I wouldn't consider anything right on Gunn Hwy "peaceful". I know they build some brand new apartment/condos (not sure which) right on Gunn before Ehrlich rd, but those must have a ton of noise being smack on that road.

I am going to say that in Tampa Palms might be quieter.

Yes, because Bruce B Downs is a peaceful, quiet highway... get real

I wasnt familiar with Castle Hill dr, so I looked it up. Looks like an area of townhouses. The area is ok. It's in the Anderson/gunn area. It's in the area headed away from the better part of NW Hillsborough, hear the "Plantation" area.

[algia]

No, no...it would be "quieter" if it was NOT smack on BBD.....Last time I went there there were some places, can't remember the names right now, that were off the street and were pretty quiet.

Nah...if you're on BBD you can forget quiet!

Originally Posted by crazynip

Yes, because Bruce B Downs is a peaceful, quiet highway... get real

I wasnt familiar with Castle Hill dr, so I looked it up. Looks like an area of townhouses. The area is ok. It's in the Anderson/gunn area. It's in the area headed away from the better part of NW Hillsborough, hear the "Plantation" area.

[crazynip]

Originally Posted by algia

No, no...it would be "quieter" if it was NOT smack on BBD.....Last time I went there there were some places, can't remember the names right now, that were off the street and were pretty quiet.

Nah...if you're on BBD you can forget quiet!

I looked up the location "off of" (not ON) Gunn hwy, it's a subdivision of townhouses, if you can call it that. Well off of Gunn Hwy. So noise should be no more of an issue than any of the Tampa Palms subdivisions.

[algia]

Yeah...it might not be...definitely visit and see if it is what you're looking for.

Originally Posted by crazynip

I looked up the location "off of" (not ON) Gunn hwy, it's a subdivision of townhouses, if you can call it that. Well off of Gunn Hwy. So noise should be no more of an issue than any of the Tampa Palms subdivisions.