AZ to Tampa!! (Orlando, Brandon, Lutz: transplants, short sales, rent)

[aztofla]

Hello,

My husband is originally from Avon Park, FL and he is begging to move back to FL. We are currently in Phoenix, AZ and he HATES it here. I don't like it either but I'm used to it sort of speak. I decided Tampa would be a nice place to move in FL, because it is near water (which I love to walk or sit near and the breeze) I don't want northern FL, and Southern FL is also a no go. Here are our specifics. We have 4 small boys ages 4-10 and they are in to sports (football). I'm getting my degree in Accounting and my husband is in school (still trying to figure out his major) however he has always been military and after that done security, corrections etc... We want a nice safe place to raise kids and have kid activities but also a place were mom and dad can have fun dates and just have a good time. We are not in to clubs and stuff but we just like to chill go to lounges, jazz, etc... I don't want a home right next to water (cause of kids) The most we can afford is no more than $250k or so for a home. We plan to move within the next year. Please advise of the areas and just small information that you may think is useful like cost of living, crime, weather (been to fl once) and etc...

THANKS!!!!

[MortonR]

The first thing you need to understand is that you should NOT come to this area without a solid job offer or commitment. Things are still somewhat depressed here job-wise, and as a result, you could end up in a shelter with your four kids....

I have a good friend who is a CPA, and he has been out of work after his company closed their office here over two years ago. There could be some sort of extenuating circumstances for him professionally that affect his ability to get a job, but I do know he has been looking aggressively for some time without success.

Low level service jobs, such as security, barely pays minimum wage here. It's certainly not enough for a family of 5 to survive on. There are no correctional facilities (that employ private sector personnel) in the immediate area, so that's not an option.

If you or your husband have not completed school, consider that if you attempt to enroll in a state university or community college when you arrive you will be categorized as an "out of state" resident for your first full year - I can tell you from direct experience that makes tuition costs triple. Yes, I said TRIPLE.

We've seen this so many times in this forum - people who want to move here for whatever reason that decide to come without any sort of local commitments. With the state of the economy and the limited amount of jobs, Tampa is NOT the place to go unless you have a year or two's worth of income set aside to live on or a confirmed job opportunity.

I hate to be negative, but consider the substantial risk you are taking if you attempt this. There are far too many examples of this here, and many who have found out the hard way. Not a pleasant thing.

If you're really set on this, spend the money to make some fact-finding and job interview trips. Get a local PO box that will forward your mail to respond to employment ads - some employers won't respond to out of state addresses, especially if they are not providing relocation expenses - the job pool here is simply too big to bother with recruiting outside of the area unless it's for a particular skill or trade.

RM

[LKJ1988]

Our summers will be a killer with our 74 + degree dewpoints.

[Garson]

We moved to the Tampa area last year from Phoenix and we do like it (although we would go back to Phoenix in a heartbeat)
There are things we miss about Phoenix and things we really like here.
Tampa is not as clean as Phoenix and it has not grown as intelligently - especially in regard to roads and traffic flow. The freeway system here is not well planned and is about 20 years behind the growth. Although they are working on certain sections the progress is stunningly slow. Traffic here is worse than Phoenix for sure (and traffic there is not bad at all compared to most large cities).
The weather here is great -yes it is very humid in the summer but personally I find it less oppressive than endless days of 110 degrees. The additional humidity in the winter is quite nice actually. We also really love how green it is, we are surrounded by beautiful big trees and lots of water.
Probably most coastal areas would be too expensive for you or inappropriate for a young family. However there are very nice areas a little more inland that are very affordable. Home prices have been flat for the last year or so and there is still a lot of inventory but the majority of listings are short sales with multiple offers. There are great deals on homes but you have to move fast. We found several homes we loved but many had five or more offers already.
I highly suggest that you spend time getting to know the area before committing to a place to live. Everyone has different tastes. There are places around the bay area that people have raved about that I find really quite ghetto. Where we lived in Phoenix everything was so clean, new and fresh so we got used to that. Most areas here not so much. We do LOVE where we live here though. We are northeast of Tampa in Wesley Chapel. We are a little removed from the city but close to everything we need and we can be at the beach in 30 - 45 minutes. Also - Orlando is less than an hour away.
There is no state income tax but other things you will find more expensive than AZ. It does seem that average pay here is lower than out west as well. So things balance out. Property taxes can also vary greatly between counties as well.
People are friendlier in AZ than here for sure. A lot of the transplants here are from the northeastern US (NY, MA) where a lot of the AZ transplants are from the mid west and southern CA. That makes a BIG difference.
There is a lot to consider - do a lot of homework before making any decisions!
Best of luck to you.

[FloridaKash]

Lota of good advice and perspectives here. Rent for a year before you buy. That's my advice.

[JSnFla]

the job market here is ABYSMAL always. If you can even find work the pay will be very low with advancement in your field probably requiring you to move out of the area. This is NOT the place for educated young aspiring professionals looking to start a career

[luckydawg003]

I live in Brandon, FL its a suburb of Tampa and a good place to live. I like it here. I have a lake in my back yard and their are tons of them around here. It rains a lot here but you won't have to put on lotion like you do in AZ because of the high humidity. My brother lives in Gilbert and my skin always dries out there when I visit. Plus we don't have Haboobs. Plus the Tampa VA is right here for your husband.

[gulfer]

It was only a few weeks ago when the Tampa VA was hiring 6 people for security right at the VA. Check out USA Jobs for Federal Government jobs and the counties/cities for the jobs listed there as well.
A very nice post by Garson that covers the Wesley Chapel area but also can use the same for Land O Lakes, most of Lutz, Odessa, Trinity and the like.
I don't find traffic that bad, but I have dealt with San Diego, D.C., Virginia, and a few other locations. So I would think that would be relative to where you are coming from. We had looked in Phoenix before we ended up here in Land O Lakes.
Definitately not a bad comment regarding renting for a year, but a lot of people find an area they like then look hard at purchasing. I think the two moves (here to the rental, then to the one you own) makes people want to buy.
If you do rent, I would recommend finding a school system that you like and will be good for the kids and provide the activities they want to be in.
Your desire to live away from the beach and the price range you are looking will leave you a lot of options for what it's worth. You can buy brand new here in certain areas for that price.
GOOD LUCK! Nice thread with some good info. Great to see.