I am probably moving the family

[ForFuxakes]

to the Tampa/St Pete area...

Any advice or suggestions on housing/schools would be greatly appreciated.

We are currently renting at about $1400/month (4 bedroom in a sub) due to some credit issues and would like to possibly stay in that same demographic/price range (of course cheaper would be better).

I will be working in St Pete and don't mind a reasonable commute.

Thanks in advance to my new Florida DU buddies!

:hi:

[flvegan]

1. You shouldn't have any problems finding

housing in a decent area with good schools. Any idea whereabouts you'd want to live (Tampa, Clearwater, St. Pete, Largo)?

Welcome to the neighborhood, btw!

[ForFuxakes]

4. Thanks for the reply

Pls check my post #3 for what my thoughts are.

I am pretty ingorant of the area so any advice would be greatly appreciated. BTW, I have been reading some horror stories on some boards about snakes (reptiles) in the area...any experiences there?

[ixion]

2. welcome to Florida, ForFuxakes!

I'm south of St. Pete, but lived up in Tampa for awhile. Rent isn't cheap anywhere down here, but there's plenty of places to rent. Be sure and check where the schools are for the area you looking around in, as sometime the kids wind up being bussed a ways away. If you don't mind the commute, you might be able to get a better deal closer to Tampa. I was at Rocky Point, and I would recommend them for a place to rent. It's a pretty convenient location -- on the causeway to Clearwater and close to the causeway to St. Pete.

Hope this helps, and that you're able to get settled in. :hi:

[ForFuxakes]

3. I was think of Bradenton

or in that general vacinity. If to the north maybe New Port richey.

Any thoughts there...

And thanks for the quick reply

[flvegan]

5. Bradenton is pretty far south.

New Port Richey should be an easy area to find good housing for that price. Maybe a 20 mile journey down US 19 to St. Pete. There's also Palm Harbor, Oldsmar and Holiday all up towards that area, too.

[ixion]

7. yeah, but 19 sucks for commuting, although it's getting better now that

they've finished the series of overpasses in Clearwater. Traffic is backed up there badly during rush-hour commutes.

[ixion]

6. Bradenton is about 30-60 mins commute from St. Pete,

depending on traffic. I live down here in Sarasota, which is just south of Bradenton. I like the area down here better than north of the bridge, and I think you'll have better schools down here, the people are friendlier and the air is better, but the price is going to be about the same.


So, yeah, if you don't mind the commute (costs a buck to go over the bridge, so that's 10 bucks a week just in bridge tolls), I would say you're headed in the right direction.

[kerry-is-my-prez]

8. You'll have to go over the skyway bridge every day & it closes down a lot

At least it closed a lot one year. Whenever there was fog or high winds they closed it. I don't know if it's improved at all. You'll also have to pay the tolls - not sure how much that is now.

I know a lot of people who are scared to drive over it (personally - I love it. It's sort of like going on a mini-roller coaster).

[Dr.Phool]

12. New Port Richey or the Holiday area are affordable.

You can buy a home in the Holiday area for under $200k, but, insurance and property taxes will kill you. And it,s close to an hour drive to St. Pete. on the craziest, most dangerous highway in the country, U.S. 19.

Don't even think of anything west of US 19. Insurance companies classify that as a wind field area, and insurance is double the outragous rates east of 19.

I live in Holiday, right on the Pinellas-Pasco county line, and I love it. The homes in the Forest Hills area are a buyers market.

[kerry-is-my-prez]

9. South Tampa is great and the two areas to live in St. Pete is near downtown

and on 9th street north.

[kerry-is-my-prez]

10. I know people who handle rentals there - if you're interested PM me.

n/t

[Lowell]

11. St. Petersburg Here

The housing market went through the roof here the past couple years, but the bottom is beginning to fall out of it now. Rent is steep, but bargains can be found if you look hard enough. The wages down here are depressed. Florida is famous for its lousy pay. They figure since we don't pay state income taxes they can pay us less.

Good luck.

[seasat]

13. What age ranges are your kids?

I'm in St Pete and my wife is a teacher. I'll ask here where the best schools are in the area. You might want to look at the area surrounding Tyrone square mall in St Pete. I've seen some rental houses in the price range you posted. It's also pretty easy to get around using 1st aves N and S. I can get from my place to the west side of the peninsula in about 10 minutes.

[seasat]

14. Oops, I meant east side. nt/