Retiring from military moving to Tampa area (Brandon, Bradenton: HOA fees, insurance)

[rayrayunc]

I am retiring from the military and my wife and I are planning to move to the Tampa area in the spring. We would like to live somewhere with an easy commute to MacDill AFB. We have heard good things about Riverview, Brandon, Wesley Chapel and New Tampa but we open to other areas as well. We have no kids so good schools arent important. Can anyone give a couple in their ealy 40s advice on a nice Tampa suburb with shopping, highway access, low taxes, low or no HOA fees? Thanks in advance!

[rezfreak]

Originally Posted by rayrayunc

I am retiring from the military and my wife and I are planning to move to the Tampa area in the spring. We would like to live somewhere with an easy commute to MacDill AFB. We have heard good things about Riverview, Brandon, Wesley Chapel and New Tampa but we open to other areas as well. We have no kids so good schools arent important. Can anyone give a couple in their ealy 40s advice on a nice Tampa suburb with shopping, highway access, low taxes, low or no HOA fees? Thanks in advance!

Brandon has very little areas with HOA fees, mostly the communities as far as i understand and most neighborhoods in brandon are NOT communities. We live the side closer to valrico and its a great little area. I cant say anything to the taxes as we rent.

But, the commute during rush hour to Macdill kinda sucks and the gate backs up pretty far if you dont get there super early. But, with that being said, there's plenty of us military in Brandon in riverview for you guys to make friends too To be honest, even though we live brandon, I rarely have a need to go on base.

[BucFan]

Originally Posted by rayrayunc

I am retiring from the military and my wife and I are planning to move to the Tampa area in the spring. We would like to live somewhere with an easy commute to MacDill AFB. We have heard good things about Riverview, Brandon, Wesley Chapel and New Tampa but we open to other areas as well. We have no kids so good schools arent important. Can anyone give a couple in their ealy 40s advice on a nice Tampa suburb with shopping, highway access, low taxes, low or no HOA fees? Thanks in advance!

Thanks for your service and your accomplishing a hard-earned retirement from the military. If you plan on working, you'd be better to find a place relatively close to your job. If there are hobbies you plan on taking up (golf, tennis, boating, fishing), some communities are better suited for those sports. I live S. Hillsborough and have easy access to I75 and not a far trip to Brandon, Tampa, St Pete, Bradenton. MacDill is 40 mins away (via Selmon) - (retired military as well). I don't find I use MacDill as much as I thought. Brandon has a nice satellite clinic that I used (Tricare) and I was allowed to get a non-military doctor nearby after a year later - the commissary is nice to be near, but I find the PX to be expensive. The golf on MacDill isn't very good, imo (I still play there probalby once a week, though).

Unless you plan on working at MacDill, I don't see a reason to live in close proximity to the base. If you do want to be near MacDill, recommend Hyde Park or the Ballast Point areas - not sure about their HOAs.

BTW, some HOAs are worth looking into. Security, maintenance, insurance along w/ some utilities (H20, basic cable) are included -