Hello,
I know this is a travel board but was hoping that someone could point me in the right direction to perhaps another resource online. We are looking at relocation to Tampa, FL. Specifically, the following areas... Westchase/Country Way/The Eagles seem to be in the are of where we would prefer to live.
If anyone can provide any advice or insight into these areas or perhaps give us a clue as to the differences in these communities.

Oh, we are a fairly young family with a baby on the way. We have visited Westchase and it seems ideal, but you seem to get more for your money in Country Way. Just wondering if there are problems in that area that lead toward lower prices...

Our son and his family live in Westchase. Their area is gated is a very nice area to get out and walk or
ride bikes. I do know the taxes are very high.

I live just north of Tampa and those are very nice areas that you have selected. Westchase was especially a favorite of my wife and I, but unfortunately a little bit pricier than what we settled for.

I prefer Westchase to Country Way...a little nicer, IMHO. We have friends trying to sell in Westchase and houses are sitting forever...6 mos, no offers, so you may find there are bargains to be had. You are most certainly in a buyers market now, lucky you!!

It has been a few years since I moved from the Tampa area (we lived in Tampa Palms in New Tampa and loved it) but I remember that the covenants and restrictions at Westchase made some of my friends look elsewhere (fences, colors of houses, cars in driveways, etc). You should check the restrictions at each subdivision you are thinking of before you sign a contract.

Westchase is full of young families, and I agree with OO that it's a bit nicer than Country Way. It's definitely a buyer's market at the moment, so good for you--bargain hard! And be prepared for high taxes, indeed--in other states, one can assume that if the house is affordable, the taxes will be, too, but not so in Florida. (That "no income tax" deal isn't free...)
Good luck!

What you may want to do is locate a realtor, who is familiar with the communities you mentioned, and can provide you with specific details on each of those communities. Ask for a list of comparable properties which are available in the price range you're looking to buy in, and with the features you're looking for. The Lord bless you.

Joe
http://josevega.topcities.com

State lawmakers just passed a rollback of property tax rates. Taxes will be frozen at last year's levels and then rolled back by a percentage that varies by county. Hillsborough's rollback is 5%. Going forward, there will be a cap on increases.

http://www.miamiherald.com/458/story/173352.html

http://unitedwaytampabay.wordpress.c...x-reform-news/

5% will save me peanuts. My point is that you can't run a state on property and sales taxes alone.

The average tax payer will save $1,300 (after tax dollars). For most families, that's a considerable amount of money.

If that's peanuts to you, I take donations. ;-)

p.s. my point was only to let the OP know so she could consider it in assessing whether a property was affordable for her or not.

Check with your realtor to make sure you are in an area that is insurable. Often homeowner's insurance runs a lot higher than the property taxes. Realtors tend not to factor that in and it can be a BIG factor depending on where you are living. Both Westchase and New Tampa are lovely areas for families and it is a buyer's market. However, traffic from both areas ANYWHERE is really a stumbling block IMHO.

Try Arbor Hollow Dr off S. Mobley north of where Erlich Rd/Gunn Hwy meet Sheldon at Sickles HS, cost less, nice people, no CDD fees, close to best mall

hills27, where did you get the statistic that the average homeowner will save $1300? My property taxes are $3500 for a home valued around $200,000 or so. I'm going to save close to 1/3 of my tax bill? When I figured out what I would save from the bill that was passed, I was only going to save a few hundred dollars. I certainly hope you are right and I am wrong - could you give some sources for your statistic?

I second what birder said--I figured I'd save about $350, too. If it were $1300 I'd jump for joy.

It's in one of the articles I linked above.

Maybe you live in one of the counties that's only getting a 3% haircut (versus 9%). Or maybe you live in a county that has a lower than average millage rate.

Keep in mind too, that the median home price in the most populated counties (e.g. Miami-Dade and Broward) is almost double the value of your home. They also tend to have higher millage rates so their taxes are exponentially higher than yours. That, combined their 7-9% haircut on top of the rollback, means their savings will be much higher than yours, thus increasing the average.

The source for the $1300 average reduction was from a United Way blog. They did not give a source for their statistic. I am skeptical. I just don't want someone who is moving to the Tampa area (not Miami or another really expensive area) to look at the old property taxes of a place and think, "I can reduce this by $1300." It's extremely unlikely.

How's this source?

http://tinyurl.com/24c8zq

Not that I ever said everyone would get this tax break, just that the rollback was not peanuts.

Btw, the savings doesn't just come from the rollback. The majority comes from the new Super Homestead exemption, which comes into effect for the 2008 tax year.