Moving to Tampa .... help :) (houses, neighborhood, good schools)

[vilehelm]

Title says it all, moving from Atlanta and needing some advice / info.

Been reading the forums all day and having a hard time getting a handle on all the various communities and areas. I was hoping that I could get a short list of places that might be options.

Me and my wife are mid 30s and our son is 1 yr. old. We have two mid-size dogs (60 lbs.). I'll be working right in downtown Tampa in the Suntrust Tower.

My neighborhood preferences are I don't like to drive a ton but I live in Atlanta now where my 8 mile commute to work takes 30 minutes minimum most days ... so I'm used to it. I really prefer to get a house that I can eventually resell. I don't like the thought of moving into a house that I could possibly be stuck with for a very long time unable to sell if I have to.

Living smack dab in the middle of the city isn't as crucial to me as it used to be. I would obviously like to be near some good schools (though that may be premature but I do intend on staying where I move for a while). My wife and I would love access to the water but I don't really care for crowded beaches so I was hoping to load up the kayak and get to the state parks north and south and up along the Fogotten Coast.

Uh, that's about it, I'm a liberal if that helps. I don't mind being in a mixed neighborhood as long as it's a safe one. I've done my time in the hood of East Atlanta and seen a couple crack houses get hit by the SWAT teams and I really don't want to do that again but i don't mind a little flavor.

I make somewhere between 80k-100k. I'm looking for something under 200k if possible, not sure it is. :\

Anyway, just looking for some more specific places to check out. Thanks for any replies / info.