Any Experience With Master Planned Communities? (Tampa, Westchase: HOA, townhouse, construction)

[071402]

Originally Posted by sportsterjohn

I live in downtown St. Pete and I see the damn smokestacks from my balcony!!!!

Sportster: How is the new apartment? and the hood there? Hope you're enjoying it. DM any time.

[markeg]

Originally Posted by ApolloBeachRetiree

Mark here's a townhouse in your price range:

125 Aberdeen Pond Drive, Apollo Beach, FL 33572 :: T2575702 :: 33572 (Apollo Beach) Real Estate :: Homesnap

and, what they call a detached town house:

208 Summerside Court, Apollo Beach, FL 33572 :: T2618715 :: Apollo Beach Real Estate :: Homesnap

both are a good size and have the granite counter-tops.

House - short sale - cannot tell if counter-tops are granite:

308 Manns Harbor Drive, Apollo Beach, FL 33572 :: T2569934 :: 33572 (Apollo Beach) Real Estate :: Homesnap

If you're going to be down this way looking, I can set you up with the agent who helped me (and we have become friends).

Thanks so much for your help!.. another question - Do you pay

HOA - Annual
Maintenance -Monthly
CDD Fee -Annual

I have a broker in the area, and I live in CT...we are planning to move to Tampa in July.

[ApolloBeachRetiree]

Originally Posted by markeg

Thanks so much for your help!.. another question - Do you pay

HOA - Annual
Maintenance -Monthly
CDD Fee -Annual

I have a broker in the area, and I live in CT...we are planning to move to Tampa in July.

Cool, Mark.

HOA fees are paid annually = 180
Maintenance is paid monthly = 180 - remember, I have no water meter and do not pay a water bill; plus, my grass is cut and trimmed pretty regularly and my plants are cared for (maintenance free is Bay Breeze only; not "regular" Mirabay)
CDD is paid with my tax bill annual and is escrowed monthly by my mortgage servicer.

July will be here before you know it.

[Stewabby]

We are renting in Covington Park which is right next to Waterset. Waterset is very nice. The only reason we would not build there would be the schools and worry about resale with the smoke stacks. The schools should get better as more people move in. There is a large hospital being built nearby that should be finished in 2015 which should raise property values as well.

[ApolloBeachRetiree]

Originally Posted by Stewabby

We are renting in Covington Park which is right next to Waterset. Waterset is very nice. The only reason we would not build there would be the schools and worry about resale with the smoke stacks. The schools should get better as more people move in. There is a large hospital being built nearby that should be finished in 2015 which should raise property values as well.

Yup.

[markeg]

Originally Posted by Stewabby

We are renting in Covington Park which is right next to Waterset. Waterset is very nice. The only reason we would not build there would be the schools and worry about resale with the smoke stacks. The schools should get better as more people move in. There is a large hospital being built nearby that should be finished in 2015 which should raise property values as well.

I originally thought of the smoke stacks being close by, but I don't believe it poses an environmental or health threat, they are just an eyesore.

I thought more of the phosphate mining that is done in the area by a company called Mosaic.
We looked at Magnolia Park by Centex, and if you drive in the community a huge white phosphate mine stares you in the face. I believe that may cause a health risk and I don't want to live near one.
Unfortunately Florida has many of them all over the state.

I have a feeling that we will wind up renting when we get down there for approximately 7 months until we find a place or have one built. So far for us, we really like Waterset. Aside from the smoke stacks they have everything we are looking for. Mirabay looks like a great place too, but I'd rather not pay for flood insurance if I don't have to.


Stewabby - How do you like Covington Park?

[Stewabby]

Originally Posted by markeg

Stewabby - How do you like Covington Park?

We like it, it is nice and quiet with pretty reasonably priced rentals. It also appears very safe- I left the garage door open all night by accident one night, when DH was out of town, and with the garage full of expensive stuff. Nothing was stolen. It is also an easy commute for DH to get downtown on the Crosstown.

The only bad thing is we are not anywhere near a SuperTarget or anything like that. There is a Walmart in Gibsonton, but you have to get on 75. More restaurants seem to be opening up though so I think there will be one in this area soon.

[ApolloBeachRetiree]

Originally Posted by Stewabby

We like it, it is nice and quiet with pretty reasonably priced rentals. It also appears very safe- I left the garage door open all night by accident one night, when DH was out of town, and with the garage full of expensive stuff. Nothing was stolen. It is also an easy commute for DH to get downtown on the Crosstown.

The only bad thing is we are not anywhere near a SuperTarget or anything like that. There is a Walmart in Gibsonton, but you have to get on 75. More restaurants seem to be opening up though so I think there will be one in this area soon.

It's only 4 miles up 75. If you don't like 75, drive straight east on Big Bend to 301. Turn right on 301 and drive south to 674 (Sun City Center Blvd.). Walmart will be on your left on the northeast corner.

[Occifer]

Originally Posted by markeg

Thanks, and that's in Mirabay.... hummmm... do you know of any others available with Granite countertops?
That's why new construction is so appealing to us.

We didn't mind the smoke stacks. I was told it was just steam. What you have to be concerned about is the phosphate plants that are all over the place mostly owned by Mosaic. I wouldn't want that in my backyard.

You can always put in granite countertops later, but you can't pick up your house and move it. If you can find a comparable house in Mira Bay, that would be a better investment. There's nothing wrong with Waterset, but Mira Bay is a nicer development. It's also smaller, which is probably a good thing. It's going to be YEARS before Waterset is fully developed.

[ApolloBeachRetiree]

Originally Posted by Occifer

You can always put in granite countertops later, but you can't pick up your house and move it. If you can find a comparable house in Mira Bay, that would be a better investment. There's nothing wrong with Waterset, but Mira Bay is a nicer development. It's also smaller, which is probably a good thing. It's going to be YEARS before Waterset is fully developed.

More reasons why we bought a house in Mirabay.