Spacious areas within one hour of downtown? (Tampa, Brandon: real estate, HOA) - Tampa Bay - Florida (FL) -Tampa - St. Petersburg - Clearwater - City-Data Forum

chavezdomingo · 08-20-2011, 01:05 PM

I'll try as best I can to follow the instructions on location inquiries:

Married Couple, middle 30's, no kids, 3 dogs and two cats. Looking to be under an hour from Macdill. Price range is 250-300K, would like a descent size lot but don't want to get so far out that we hear banjo music (joke). Don't need to be close to water (I assume there are Marinas somewhere to store a boat...) and schools are not an issue. I know nothing about the area that I haven't read here or seen on the internet so please educate me. Thanks in advance, CJ

Keeper · 08-20-2011, 05:20 PM

Well personally I would look in S. Tampa in 33629 zip code. Older homes but very close to MacDill. Yards are also larger in the older areas. You are close to the bay and downtown. Lots of shopping and restaurants. You would be less than 20 minutes to base if you stay North of Gandy which is recommended.

If you want newer and don't mind a driving a little further I would check out Valrico or Fish Hawk Ranch. There are a lot of areas that could fit your criteria though. You can even go to St. Pete. I am sure that other folks will also recommend other areas too.

chavezdomingo · 08-21-2011, 01:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keeper

If you want newer and don't mind a driving a little further I would check out Valrico or Fish Hawk Ranch. There are a lot of areas that could fit your criteria though. You can even go to St. Pete. I am sure that other folks will also recommend other areas too.

Thank you for taking the time to help out. I have looked at some of the houses in Fish Hawk Ranch (online) and it seems like quite a nice area but a lot of places look great over the WWW but in reality aren't that great. Would that be considered a suburb of Tampa? Valrico seems to have a lot to offer for very affordable prices, is there a reason for this other than the current housing market (i.e.. bad utilities, high taxes, or crime)?

Sunscape · 08-21-2011, 05:46 AM

Fish Hawk is a nice place to live, just more upscale than Valrico, which is also nice to live. I have not heard of crime in any of those areas.

Keeper · 08-21-2011, 06:52 AM

You probably want to get a realtor to help you out on your search for a new home. We have a couple of really good realtors who post here. They offer good advice to our members.n

Prices are down from 5 years ago. There are newer homes but the commute is going to be longer and the lots much smaller

springmac · 08-21-2011, 08:44 PM

We moved to Fishhawk Ranch a few weeks ago, and we absolutely love it! The homes are nice, there is everything we need here (grocery store, restaurants...). If we need a Walmart or other type of store, they are only about 10-15 minutes away. Great neighborhood feel...the people here are very friendly (for the most part). There is also a bus which transports people to MacDill. It is a free shuttle provided to residents. I would highly recommend this area.

Tampa Homes · 08-21-2011, 10:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chavezdomingo

I'll try as best I can to follow the instructions on location inquiries:

Married Couple, middle 30's, no kids, 3 dogs and two cats. Looking to be under an hour from Macdill. Price range is 250-300K, would like a descent size lot but don't want to get so far out that we hear banjo music (joke). Don't need to be close to water (I assume there are Marinas somewhere to store a boat...) and schools are not an issue. I know nothing about the area that I haven't read here or seen on the internet so please educate me. Thanks in advance, CJ

What size of home? Style? There is a lot to consider. I love the 33609 and 33629 area code and you're also in the Plant High school district which is great for resale but you'll get a much smaller home. However that area is great for restaurants, walking, etc.

As the other poster already said you could EASILY commute from Fishhawk and be at MacDill under and hour. You'll also get a lot more house for the money as well. It all really depends on what you want.

chi_tino · 08-22-2011, 08:12 AM

Spacious for $250k in South Tampa? That will get you a 50's era concrete block home on a postage stamp-sized lot.

I'm not exactly sure why a "real estate agent" would recommend a childless couple being near Plant High School (with the accompanying high property taxes), unless one of their dogs or cats is really, really smart. Perhaps the real estate commissions are higher there.

I'd open your search to NE St Pete as well. 15-20 minutes to MacDill over the Gandy Bridge and $300k puts you in the range of waterfront homes on 1/4 acre and up lots.

chavezdomingo · 08-22-2011, 04:06 PM

Thanks for the positive feedback so far, I appreciate the help, home value in the long run is important to my wife and I so being near quality schools is something I hadn't thought about. I think something that is also important is the ability to put up a fence. I know certain areas have zoning laws that make it difficult. I have been on Homes.com looking at a lot of homes in St. Pete neighborhoods and south Tampa and the outlying areas (Valrico, Brandon, Fish Hawk. etc..). There is a large price difference but that is to be expected when you get farther away from the heart of the show which is the base and downtown Tampa, as well as water (it is Florida, people go there for sun and water). I'm not a fan of crime, we want to feel relatively safe in our castle. We don't mind driving to water as there is plenty of it in your great state.. We are also both very active outdoors enthusiasts (triathlons, marathons, hiking, etc..).

Tampa Homes · 08-22-2011, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chi_tino

Spacious for $250k in South Tampa? That will get you a 50's era concrete block home on a postage stamp-sized lot.

I'm not exactly sure why a "real estate agent" would recommend a childless couple being near Plant High School (with the accompanying high property taxes), unless one of their dogs or cats is really, really smart. Perhaps the real estate commissions are higher there.

I'd open your search to NE St Pete as well. 15-20 minutes to MacDill over the Gandy Bridge and $300k puts you in the range of waterfront homes on 1/4 acre and up lots.

Insults aside, it is a highly desirable area, a great place to live (my opinion, it all depends on the life style you would like) and great when it's time to sell again. In that case a highly rated school district is important. However, as I pointed out earlier, it all depends on the wants and needs of the particular client. Commissions are irrelevant as the price is the same regardless of where they live.

My wife and I happen to love South Tampa and would trade in a larger home to simply live in that particular area. Others may be more happy with a larger home with HOA and a commute. It's all a matter of personal preference.