What do Locals think of these areas?? (Clearwater, Largo: real estate, rentals)

[EngGirl]

Originally Posted by PriusH8r

Because sellers are willing to pay it.

you mean buyers because sellers are using buyers money to pay realtors

[tinytrump]

because they can

[EngGirl]

that's why most of them are not doing so great money wise...

[cmjones311]

Realtors are pretty limited about what they can and can't say due to fair housing laws.

As far as the 3%, my realtor told me that her agency gets half. If you buy a $100k house, that's only $1500 before taxes. And realtors can show people literally dozens upon dozens of homes, and easily spend 50-100 hours or more on a sale. Would YOU want to spend that many hours and months on a sale only to make the equivalent to $15 bucks an hour...MONTHS later?

[The Villages Guy]

Originally Posted by EngGirl

you mean buyers because sellers are using buyers money to pay realtors

I guess that is one funny way to look at it. That is like saying your employer bought your groceries for you......LOL

[mary54mi]

All I know is when it rains a little many roads flood in St Petersburg. Have heard the land is not much above see level so when high waves at high tide with a storm it causes many problems getting over to Tampa.

[EngGirl]

Originally Posted by cmjones311

Realtors are pretty limited about what they can and can't say due to fair housing laws.

As far as the 3%, my realtor told me that her agency gets half. If you buy a $100k house, that's only $1500 before taxes. And realtors can show people literally dozens upon dozens of homes, and easily spend 50-100 hours or more on a sale. Would YOU want to spend that many hours and months on a sale only to make the equivalent to $15 bucks an hour...MONTHS later?

That's why I think people who really care about their paycheck have a real jobs... when you work your 40 hours and getting paid. Sure enought you need something better than 63 hours of pre-license courses and simple test to earn good money

[BBI]

Originally Posted by KylePac

So I am planning on moving to Florida from Missouri and don't want to drive all the way down there and then not have something set up. ...

1156 12th Ave S, Saint Petersburg, FL 33712
1160 Queensboro Ave S, Saint Petersburg, FL 33711
1161 Prescott St S, Saint Petersburg, FL 33712
1157 Moffett Ct N, Saint Petersburg, FL 33701
1158 15th Ave S, Saint Petersburg, FL 33701
1159 35th St S, Saint Petersburg, FL 33711

... I don't want to drive 16 hours down there and find out that these areas are crime ridden and horrible to live in.

These areas are pretty bad. The worst part of St. Pete is within the area bordered by 10th Ave S, 4th Street, 275 and Lake Maggiore. That'd include 1156 12th Ave S, 1161 Prescott St S and 1158 15th Ave S. 1159 35th St S is just outside of that, but I wouldn't look there either.

1160 Queensboro Ave S is in a poor section of Gulfport. Definitely better than those addresses in the worst part of town. You could walk to my favorite fish store from there. But it's still not very nice. Not a place you're going to want to walk around at night.

1157 Moffett Ct N is in Uptown, which is a neighborhood that's in transition. Feels safe during the day, very close to downtown (a big plus in my view). Not somewhere I'd want my wife walking around by herself at night. Gentrification in that neighborhood is happening north, towards Crescent Lake. Moffett Ct also seems to be under an interstate, so a particularly crappy part of Uptown.

Would suggest you say your price range and what you're looking for. We'll be more helpful that way.

Originally Posted by mary54mi

All I know is when it rains a little many roads flood in St Petersburg. Have heard the land is not much above see level so when high waves at high tide with a storm it causes many problems getting over to Tampa.

Flooding isn't an issue on most roads in town. The Shore Acres neighborhood has some drainage issues (rain plus high tide equals flooding), but that's really it. Also, the only times the 275 or Gandy bridges to Tampa closed in my 3 years living here were for a tropical storm -- not a good time to be out driving anyway. Not sure how important bridges will be to the OP; could be living and working in Pinellas.

Originally Posted by cmjones311

As far as the 3%, my realtor told me that her agency gets half. If you buy a $100k house, that's only $1500 before taxes. And realtors can show people literally dozens upon dozens of homes, and easily spend 50-100 hours or more on a sale. Would YOU want to spend that many hours and months on a sale only to make the equivalent to $15 bucks an hour...MONTHS later?

The broker gets half. Just pick an agent who's also a broker and you avoid that situation. More generally, you shouldn't pay more than the level of service you want. If you want a realtor driving you all over creation, showing you dozens of homes, handling everything for you, you should pay for that. On the other hand, if you're internet savvy and want to control the process yourself, you probably don't need more than a $15/hr level of service. The idea that 3% is sacrosanct misses reality, at least from my perspective, because it assumes everyone wants/needs the same level of service.

[adjc]

The addresses in Clearwater I can't help with except to warn you most if Clearwater is owned by the scientologists its there headquarters. You do not want to live in south st pete even the nicer parts out towards the beaches are becoming part if the hood the south side if st pete is a major dryg and crime area and is expanding despite claims tgat it us being cleaned up. Florida us currently NOT a good place to live the cist of luvung us rising quickly as are insurance prices and the state government seams to be in a state of permanent disaster. Don't forget either the extreme heat year round here abd if you have breathing problems the humidity will strangle you. If you must move to FL I wish you well if you have a choice I'd suggest looking anywhere else.

[kdubose]

It really depends on what you consider undesirable in an area because something that might bother one person might be ok with another. Clearwater is no LA, Chicago, or Atlanta...so the area morons that think theyre all tough and hood really would wet their pants around real hood guys…butttt most of the neighborhoods that your options are in really aren’t the best neighborhoods. I personally wouldn’t go walking at night, unless I had a gun or big dog with me in the majority of them.

I ranked them in my order (just the Clearwater ones…as I dont know every nook and cranny of St Pete)...but I think if you came down and checked them out, you would get an instant vibe just driving into the neighborhoods.

6 & 5 (tied) Engman or Russell options…these are just off of Betty Lane and probably the most “hood” out of all of your choices. At the convenience store at the end of the street a few years back, the clerk was robbed, shot, and murdered and this guy from high school got chased, shot, and left to die right on that street.

4. Pennsylvania – Near prostitute central (Alt 19) and going into Greenwood which is home to one of Clearwater’s only projects.

3. Vine – same as above…but it is a little more out towards the main roads

2. Drew St – I wouldn’t recommend living ON Drew St just because it’s a somewhat busy road and that location is kind of on the outskirts of Greenwood.

1. Hamlet - Not sure of your Hamlet address since Mapquest cant find that exact number…but the Hamlet right off of Ft Harrison isn’t in that bad of an area- its actually near Morton Plant Hospital, downtown, the Pinellas Trail, and the Clearwater Police Dept. =)

The 33755 area code is probably one of the worst if not THE worst to live in, in Clearwater…but just like anywhere, it is hit/miss and dependent upon what you don’t want to be around.