Cheapest RE in safe neighborhoods? (Tampa, Clearwater: real estate, insurance, condos)

[franklindelanoroosevelt]

I'll take any offers of information on cheap property in safe neighborhoods with big thanks.

I'm researching on my end, but figured throwing it out to the locals might better guide me.

Any input is appreciated.

[retiredcop111]

Originally Posted by franklindelanoroosevelt

I'll take any offers of information on cheap property in safe neighborhoods with big thanks.

I'm researching on my end, but figured throwing it out to the locals might better guide me.

Any input is appreciated.

It is all relative. What do you consider cheap? Price range?

[franklindelanoroosevelt]

Originally Posted by retiredcop111

It is all relative. What do you consider cheap? Price range?

I left it open intentionally to let folks supply their own assessment, but I'll repeat the two key words of CHEAP and SAFE. Go from there. With your own numbers or estimates and explanations greatly appreciated.

Tampa St Pete area and near surrounding.

I could give a bit more, but I really am looking to maximize just those two considerations for now.

Thanks!

[MortonR]

Originally Posted by franklindelanoroosevelt

I left it open intentionally to let folks supply their own assessment, but I'll repeat the two key words of CHEAP and SAFE. Go from there. With your own numbers or estimates and explanations greatly appreciated.

Tampa St Pete area and near surrounding.

I could give a bit more, but I really am looking to maximize just those two considerations for now.

Thanks!

And with that broad of a requirement you're likely to get nothing. I can think of any number of CHEAP and SAFE areas, but the costs for each are wildly different as are the areas themselves. If you don't give some specific criteria or requirements, the responses you get, if any, will be equally worthless.

RM

[gypsychic]

Pick one or the other - you do NOT get both cheap AND safe. Places are cheap for a reason - meaning usually run down and not safe.

[lavender]

Nowhere is utterly safe, depends on your level of safety too. Do you have children who like to play outside? Be near to good schools. Affordable? depends on what you can afford. Rare bargains to be had here, too many people chasing too few properties, I wish I had $20 for every time someone has said, keep your eye out for a bargain for me - well if I found one, guess who would be lining up behind the others for that LOL. Anyway, Under $300K Parts of Largo, Seminole, they would be smaller homes nowadays, and maybe not perfectly fixed up. Fixed up, will cost more and you may be paying for someone elses (not always good) work. Buy Brick, not frame, long run better for you and better ins. Dont buy in flood zones, insurance will eventually get to you, because even if you dont believe in rising sea levels and global issues, the insurance companies charge for it already! North Pinellas county, lots of possibles there, Palm Harbor, East Lake, Countryside, parts of Clearwater, prob around the $275-$300 k but plenty at higher prices of course. Townhouses and condos are cheaper often, and many in decent areas, like downtown edges of St Pete, currently selling new builds around $500K (cheap for downtown) - schools an issue there if important to you. Many areas of Tampa, east of Bay, North Tampa areas along Bruce B downs corridor, North of Bay by West Chase/Citrus Park, but not much less than $350K if anything. Just did a quick search and found a very small handful of block built, 3/2/2 in pinellas or hillsborough between $300-350K that were single family homes not in a flood zone. Hope that helps some.

[franklindelanoroosevelt]

Originally Posted by MortonR

And with that broad of a requirement you're likely to get nothing. I can think of any number of CHEAP and SAFE areas, but the costs for each are wildly different as are the areas themselves. If you don't give some specific criteria or requirements, the responses you get, if any, will be equally worthless.

RM

i certainly didn't mean to be dismissive, but didn't want to cloud with more detail, hoping to get individual's assessments of that intersection of the cheapest safe neighborhood they can think of in tampa/st pete.

i am seeking the bottom of acceptable, if you will, since that's the hardest to determine from a distance.

[franklindelanoroosevelt]

Originally Posted by gypsychic

Pick one or the other - you do NOT get both cheap AND safe. Places are cheap for a reason - meaning usually run down and not safe.

it is relative, but since i'll be looking for transition areas, i'm essentially looking for people to give me the most modest area that comes to mind without being literally dangerous.

[franklindelanoroosevelt]

Originally Posted by lavender

Nowhere is utterly safe, depends on your level of safety too. Do you have children who like to play outside? Be near to good schools. Affordable? depends on what you can afford. Rare bargains to be had here, too many people chasing too few properties, I wish I had $20 for every time someone has said, keep your eye out for a bargain for me - well if I found one, guess who would be lining up behind the others for that LOL. Anyway, Under $300K Parts of Largo, Seminole, they would be smaller homes nowadays, and maybe not perfectly fixed up. Fixed up, will cost more and you may be paying for someone elses (not always good) work. Buy Brick, not frame, long run better for you and better ins. Dont buy in flood zones, insurance will eventually get to you, because even if you dont believe in rising sea levels and global issues, the insurance companies charge for it already! North Pinellas county, lots of possibles there, Palm Harbor, East Lake, Countryside, parts of Clearwater, prob around the $275-$300 k but plenty at higher prices of course. Townhouses and condos are cheaper often, and many in decent areas, like downtown edges of St Pete, currently selling new builds around $500K (cheap for downtown) - schools an issue there if important to you. Many areas of Tampa, east of Bay, North Tampa areas along Bruce B downs corridor, North of Bay by West Chase/Citrus Park, but not much less than $350K if anything. Just did a quick search and found a very small handful of block built, 3/2/2 in pinellas or hillsborough between $300-350K that were single family homes not in a flood zone. Hope that helps some.

i appreciate it, but what i'm really after is the cheapest single family homes in areas that don't command those prices, but are still safe. my thoughts are that they're probably diverse areas of working families. maybe this might be the better way to attack this: where do you get the closest to "hood" pricing, but without the overwhelming crime?

[franklindelanoroosevelt]

i'm genuinely sorry, if i seem obtuse, but i am trying to determine core neighborhoods that really are the bottom of acceptable, but maybe i didn't take into account who is on this board, so that trying to get this is out of a normal range for readers here, who probably don't really entertain these lower lines. what i'm really after is determining the neighborhoods that will allow the lowest risk for starting a real estate investment and flip business. i'm doing my own research based on demographics, but hoped that locals might color that. i'm going to be visiting in a week or so to basically investigate these "edge neighborhoods".