Considering move to Tampa Bay area (St. Petersburg, Sarasota: sale, for rent, insurance)

[gv0928]

Hey y'all! My husband and I are planning a move for early 2023 and Tampa is one of our top two cities. We are a gay couple, 32 and 39, with three dogs. I am Latino and originally from New York, he is white and from Mobile, AL. We currently live in New Orleans, but have remote jobs that will allow us to relocate while employed. (And if we do eventually seek other employment, our work is remote, so that should not pose any issues.)

We anticipate renting first, and then finding the right place to purchase. Ideally, we would like to be closer to the beach or within a reasonable distance of good eateries and the like (within a 20-minute drive). We imagine we will of course have to choose, so we're reasonable. For renting, we would like at least a 2-bedroom, ideally no more than 1600. What neighborhoods or areas would you recommend? Additionally, whenever we do purchase, we will likely seek out a 3-4 bedroom with 2+ baths, ideally under 350, but we can possibly flex up to 400. Would love suggestions for areas that may fit us so we can also explore. We know we did not enjoy Ybor City from our most recent visit, and that we aren't as interested in cookie-cutter suburbs.

We'll be in the area for two weeks later this month, split between Tampa and St. Petersburg, so we're excited to get to visit some of the areas you may recommend.

Thank you for your help!

[gv0928]

OH! And would the Sarasota/Bradenton area be worth considering? We aren't quite as familiar with that side.

[FL_Expert]

You’d probably like Kenwood, but you’re going to need to raise your budget quite a bit. 350-400k or $1,600 for a 2br won’t put you in a good neighborhood unfortunately.

[gv0928]

Originally Posted by FL_Expert

You’d probably like Kenwood, but you’re going to need to raise your budget quite a bit. 350-400k or $1,600 for a 2br won’t put you in a good neighborhood unfortunately.

Thanks! What would be a more appropriate budget for that area, in your opinion? Just hoping to establish a baseline so I can better navigate searching through listings.

[MortonR]

Agreed, the closer you are to the water, the higher the rent/price. $1600/month or $350k-$400k won't get you close unless it's a hovel or in a sketchy area.

Try searching this forum for "relocation" threads. Nearly everything you need to know can be found in them, as your questions have already been asked/answered - many times over.

Also be aware that the Tampa area is one of the top overvalued markets in the country, so housing and rent prices are sky high, and as stated previously, will be higher the closer you are to water. If you're considering purchasing property, you'll also be dealing with very expensive flood insurance that will be increasing substantially in the future.

RM

[kab0906]

st pete is more gay friendly. sarasota is more conservative.


Your budget for homeownership is lacking. Check out Zillow to see how crazy prices are right now.

[FL_Expert]

Originally Posted by gv0928

Thanks! What would be a more appropriate budget for that area, in your opinion? Just hoping to establish a baseline so I can better navigate searching through listings.

Conservatively speaking, $2,200 and $600k.

[EngGirl]

Originally Posted by gv0928

Ideally, we would like to be closer to the beach or within a reasonable distance of good eateries and the like (within a 20-minute drive). .............
we will likely seek out a 3-4 bedroom with 2+ baths, ideally under 350, but we can possibly flex up to 400.

I actually had to double check the date, you know sometimes people pull super old topics from many years ago and start responding.

I don't think there is anything within this budget in Tampa Bay area

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by EngGirl

I actually had to double check the date, you know sometimes people pull super old topics from many years ago and start responding.

I don't think there is anything within this budget in Tampa Bay area

Correct ^^ and absolutely nothing in St. Pete or Sarasota for rent or sale in this budget. I have friends willing to pay nearly $3,000 per month for a smallish plain house in Sarasota and even THAT is almost impossible to find. Anyone looking now is pretty much a day late and dollar short as they say. Sorry OP! May I ask why you are wanting to move to this area?

[MortonR]

Originally Posted by gypsychic

Correct ^^ and absolutely nothing in St. Pete or Sarasota for rent or sale in this budget. I have friends willing to pay nearly $3,000 per month for a smallish plain house in Sarasota and even THAT is almost impossible to find. Anyone looking now is pretty much a day late and dollar short as they say. Sorry OP! May I ask why you are wanting to move to this area?

I've had people tell me that it's worse in Sarasota than it is in the Tampa Bay area.

RM