Young family considering a move to Tampa (Clearwater, Palm Harbor: sales, insurance)

[SusieComp]

Hi. My husband is interviewing for a position in Tampa. It is a sales position and he would be traveling all over the city and in the surrounding areas so we are pretty much wide open as far as location where we can choose to live. However, we know nothing about Tampa and which areas are best. High considerations include schools (we have a 4 and 1 year old), safety, child/family friendly neighborhoods. We also enjoy being close to nice shopping and grocery stores. Nearby children indoor/outdoor play areas are a plus as well. Please give your recommendations based on that criteria as we hoping to research the available living options to help us decide on whether or not we would like to make this move. Thank you!

[SusieComp]

Also, would consider homes up to $450,000-$500,000 if it's just an area that is perfect for our description but would rather stay in the $350,000-$400,000 range

[floridagirl777]

Check out Safety Harbor, Palm Harbor, Oldsmar, Westchase, and South Tampa. Those are all really terrific family-friendly areas.

[rnedd]

All the areas mentioned by floridagirl777 are good with Palm Harbor probably being one of the best for schools up through High School. With younger children you may not need to worry yet about being in an area with good high schools though. The Countryside area of Clearwater and nearby Palm Harbor could be possible areas - you'd be close to Countryside Mall which is an indoor mall with Macys, Dillards, Sears and Penneys plus numerous specialty shops and a Whole Foods that will be opening this September. Westchase is also a very nice area that you should check into when doing your research. South Tampa is nice but would be in the higher end of prices.

Sincerely,
Ron

[SusieComp]

Thank you for your recommendations. Are there any builders in those areas that are superior above the rest?

[dystopian]

You will not find many builders in Pinellas County. Most of the land has been developed already.

If your looking for new I would recommend checking out SR54 in Southern Pasco County from Trinity through Land O' Lakes into Wesley Chapel. There are many builders and some that are building in the price range you mention.

If you are looking for a home in the 350-500k price range I personally would recommend checking out "Homes by Westbay" specifically their neighborhood Terra Bella. In my opinion they are some of the nicest homes being built in the Tampa Bay area in that price segment.

[Stewabby]

Also check out Fishhawk Ranch. Westbay is my favorite builder there right now and who we will probably have build our house.

[rnedd]

One thing to watch for in new construction homes is that often there is an additional tax called a CDD fee for newer communities. This may not be an issue for you but you will need to be aware it can be up to a few thousand dollars a year on top of your regular taxes and any association fees.

Additionally, if you will be financing your purchase you should watch out for any homes in a flood zone as they will then require flood insurance and you will want to get enough information to determine how much your flood insurance will cost you as that can be significant in some cases (but in other cases it can still be a reasonable amount so that is why it is good to get the info you need to determine this).

Sincerely,
Ron