Looking to relocate but worried about Tampa Bay Safety (Brandon: for sale, real estate)

[SouthFloriduhGirl]

Hello Tampa Bay people.... We my spouse and I are thirty-somethings looking to relocate to the Tampa Bay area for my spouses employment. There is a strong possibility that we will be relocating in the next two - three months. However after reading this forum I am a little worried about schools and crime rate, as I have two teenagers and a 5 year old that will be attending kindergarten in the fall.

My spouse will work at a Power Plant in Apollo Beach. He does not mind commuting for work (within reason) as long as we live in an upper to middle class, family oriented, safe area with good schools and little to no crime. Can someone point us in some sort of general direction? Any assistance will be greatly appreciated

[twototampa]

Harbour island is a great area.

[bnepler]

Just south of the town of riverview are quite a few communities around Big Bend Rd and Rt. 301. They are all close to the power plant .

[SouthFloriduhGirl]

I just looked on craigs list at Harbour Island but it seems that there are lots of Condos. We are looking for a residential area with Single Family Homes that preferably have lots of young families and chidren (yes I am not asking for much huh, lol)

Not sure if Lithia is far but looking online we liked the Fishhawk Neighborhood. Are there any planned family communities similar to Fish Hawk in Riverview or any other surrounding areas that are not too far from the Power Plant?

[BucFan]

Absolutely. Recommend you look at all the subdivisions around Big Bend and US 301. Panther Trace, Summerfield Crossings, Ayersworth Glen, Avelar Creek.

http://www.zillow.com/homes/panther-...zm/0_mmm/1_fr/

[SouthFloriduhGirl]

Thank you all for the information. It gives me a good start. I googled Panther Trace and I love the neighborhood. How far is that neighborhood from the Power Plant? And Is Apollo Beach nice?

[SouthFloriduhGirl]

Originally Posted by BucFan

Absolutely. Recommend you look at all the subdivisions around Big Bend and US 301. Panther Trace, Summerfield Crossings, Ayersworth Glen, Avelar Creek.

Panther Trace Real Estate & Panther Trace Homes for Sale - Zillow

By the way why are the rentals so inexpensive? Is this not a desirable area?

[BucFan]

You'll have to be careful about who you rent from - some houses may be in foreclosure or short sales and sold from under you while you're renting. Real estate agents on this forum can tell you more.

BTW, use Google Maps and plug in two locations to see the distance and commute times.

Google Maps say 6.7 miles.

As far as Apollo Beach is concerned, search Apollo Beach on this forum and you'll see several threads on the subject. Not much happening at AB, but not far from Brandon (20 mins) where most stores, restaurants, etc are. AB has a few grocery stores and restaurants, but not much else. There is a thread about one new person who is concerned about the schools in the area.

https://maps.google.com/

[SouthFloriduhGirl]

Wow so Riverview seems to be a great location then should we decide to relocate. Thanks again. I will continue to surf the boards and ask questions that pop up in my head. As for foreclosures we will definitely go with a realtor as my spouse will ask for a relocation package,etc.

[DUNNDFRNT]

I would not look at Riverview, the schools are not great, its very hit and miss. I would concentrate on Lithia, they have great schools, Bevis Elementary was the #1 elementary school in the state in 2011, and top to bottom, elementary to high school they have high performing schools. Your commute would be a breeze as most people will be heading towards Mcdill or Tampa, you would be going south, reverse commuting.