Brandon Now. Forget New Tampa...? (Riverview: extended stay, foreclosure, lease)

[MFD]

Hello all,


i settled in an extended stay type hotel in Brandon area (friendly people, good deal), and started immediately to look for a house in New Tampa. it’s been few months now. looking back, i missed some good houses on account of being relatively new in the US and not realizing what was in front of my eyes.

frustrated enough, armed with my new house hunting education, i have decided to put aside New Tampa for awhile, and explore Brandon. i was amazed at how many beautiful (gated and non gated) streets and little communities can be found in this seemingly “ordinary” and non reputable town, as far as beauty goes.

and now i am thinking about purchasing a certain house in Riverwoods Hammock.

am a single lady, 50, not concerned about schools.
just looking for a safe, friendly, tolerant and peaceful place to live. would this neighborhood and the area around fit my general criteria?

any issues i should be aware of?

anyone familiar with Riverwoods Hammock and neighboring communities - please! need you help!

advices, opinions and recommendations will be oxygen!

[rezfreak]

i have been living in brandon since July and I love this neighborhood. Our house was attempted to be broken into back in November, but it was an isolated incident due to he holiday season and the neighbor is the one who stopped them (or my little 5 lb dog ) The police said that particular person had gone on a spree and only targeted my house because it was dark and we were away for the evening. my neighbors said that's the first anything like that has happened in our neighborhood for as long as they've lived there (20+ years).

I dont let that incident tarnish my view on the area though. I love it here and wouldnt trade my neighbors for anything. We have already begun to renew our lease for another year here.

[LKJ1988]

If you can handle the traffic then enjoy.

[rezfreak]

You learn alternate routes. I never take 60, far easier to take lumsden/causeway with much less traffic.

[bentlebee]

Read about the Riverview area online and decide for yourself...Be careful for Chinese drywall that is also used in some areas...

The rest is personal preference...and for you to decide.

[Tim Tim Tim]

yeah, I agree with the traffic comment. Its not fun

[MFD]

thank you all for your input!
much appreciated!

i have seen on TV there is something to be installed, to turn on the lights when you are away.


thanks for reminding me about the Chinese Curse. any specialist you know?


there seem to be two opposing forces - New Tampa on one side, and Fishhawk on the other. almost every realtor will try to sell you one of them, depending on the center of your search, N or S.

very few will try to push Brandon neighborhoods.
maybe they are better commissioned in those particular areas.

regarding traffic, well... once you are stuck on roads going towards New Tampa area time and time again, Brandon traffic seems a little better. or am i wrong?

[TampaKaren]

There are positives and negatives to both Brandon and New Tampa. Personally, I think traffic moves better in Brandon because there are more roadways into and out of it to include multiple exits on I-75 plus the Selmon Expressway. I think services (fire, police, EMS, etc.) are better and faster in New Tampa because it's incorporated where Brandon is unincorporated and county services are shared over a larger area. I hope this makes sense.

Riverwoods Hammock was started in 2005 by the now bankrupt Westfield Homes. Standard Pacific came in and finished the construction in 2007. It's a newer gated community with low homeowner's association fees and unlike most of New Tampa (and Fishhawk, too), there's no CDD which reduces your tax burden.

If you are looking at the Freddie Mac foreclosure on the market, it was built by Westfield. I know that some of Westfield's homes had Chinese Drywall in other communities but I don't know if any has been found in Riverwoods Hammock. If you're working with a professional, a Chinese Drywall Inspection addendum is customary for any home built or renovated between 2002-2007. This would give you the right to inspect and withdraw if the inspection results were not satisfactory. A good home inspector will look for the signs of CD and note any findings on their report.

[MFD]

TampaKaren, there was very heavy smell in the house i was seeing. my realtor and the listing realtor said it was cigarettes, but my nose was telling me it was cigarettes plus something else. now i am thinking perhaps chinese wall. it suddenly hit me.

[Toxic American Drywall]

MFD
You are wise to go with your gut. I live in Fishhawk. Our home (as well as many others here) has toxic drywall. I can tell you that depending on the time of year and its associated heat/humidity the smells given off by the drywall vary. Google hydrogen sulfide and carbon disulfide. These are the 2 things you will smell. I suspect the smell underlying the cigarettes was carbon disulfide.