Community Chat

[FrostyBabe1]

@homedecor1  - I am a golfer, and I will never, ever live on a course or in a golf community. I'll happily drive anywhere within an hour of AMI (and we know that during season that might only be 15 miles) to play golf, but I won't live on a course. Too clique-ish and why limit myself to just one or maybe two courses to play? 

[homedecor1]

@FrostyBabe1 

And I'm not a golfer nor did I know his friends spouses🙄🙄🙄 they all worked together.

Either way "paradise" has not yet arrived for me☹️.  Thankfully, I'm good at doing things alone -- personally I have maybe 2-3 "friends" here the rest are SNOB golfers & not my "type" & most are 2nd/3rd marriages.  So they move quickly here😉...and not a drinker - their idea of "fun" is everyday happy hour starting at 4 in our 19th hole.

I do laugh cuz sometimes I think the ladies are in competition for "botox" or who has more...I not a keep up with the Joneses type!

I am thankful I love to travel & go home every 6 weeks, this pandemic somedays has made me want to runaway but also opened my eyes to "many things" ...

As for golf he goes 4/week only here 2.  They go to lots of different places Tuesday & Friday's, a group of 10.

[DiAnne]

Many years ago I relocated from California to the Pacific Northwest.  The best decision I made was to rent for a year.  My idea of where I wanted to live changed drastically.  You watch the local evening news and get an idea about traffic, crime, etc.  Drive around on the week ends to look at different neighborhoods.  I did end up paying two months of both mortgage and rent because a house came up for sale near a lake in a wonderful neighborhood that seldom had houses for sale.  It was well worth it because I still live there and love it.  

[wildlifewitch]

Look into lutz, weslet chapel and bradon. close to everything, less hurricane drama.

[FiddleDeeDee]

Thank you all for your info.

DH and I know what type of house we want, our maximum price, the drive-time and what we want. We also know what we don't want. The MOST important thing, that which is NOT negotiable, is a top ranking high school.

Realtors have one goal in mind: their commission.Trust me, I know. I've had a license for 25 years; worked for a builder selling new homes to put myself through college. I use it solely for managing our rental properties (or adding one to our portfolio). They won't discuss schools (not allowed) and will refer you to the county/state information site. They won't discuss crime and will refer you to the county police site (or play dumb about both). They don't want to spend days, weeks or months looking for the right property; they want a quick sale because time is money. You bet it is; OUR money. So, we prefer to do the research on our own by talking to those who have lived in the location in order to get all the "dirt" be it good or bad. Same thing with any relo package or county site; it's going to play up what a wonderful place it is so come live here! It's all marketing and often, not honest.

Where we live, we knew going in what it was like. We knew the boundary line for this school vs that school (one street next to us). We know that no matter how gorgeous it is here, no matter how ritzy the stores, the zip code and the price of homes, you DO NOT go outside after dark. You do NOT go to shops after dark. You have multiple locks on all your doors and cute metal bars over the windows downstairs. You make it a point to know your neighbors and their cars. You have to. Someone not aware of this moves in and it can be a nightmare for them (especially regarding the schools).

In any event, thank you all again, Keep adding if you can think of anything else (good or bad).

[CJC]

Hi. Like another poster I live in the Trinity area of Pasco County right on the border of Pinellas County. I live in the older original section of Trinity, which is lovely, but the Starkey Ranch neighborhoods are favored by many younger families. Hubby and I had been visiting this area for 30 years before moving here; we knew the area fairly well. There is heavy traffic everywhere in Florida compared to the more peaceful roads of our home states of OH and SC. However, my brother lives in Rockville MD, and I know your traffic. Tampa traffic will be a breeze compared to D.C. traffic. Cost of living here is way less than D.C.  The high school in my area is JW Mitchell--very good school.  We don't worry about crime and feel perfectly safe going everywhere.  We have many choices in shopping, churches, parks & trails, medical offices and a hospital right around the corner.  This is not a hurricane evacuation area.  Many newer developments to look at along Rt 54 heading east to Suncoast Parkway and I-75, all away from the water. 

Good luck with your search and your move!

[Zhills]

You shouldn't have a problem finding a high school.  

Hillsborough County Public Schools’ students continue to outperform their peers as highlighted in the new high school rankings by U.S. News & World Report. The newly released Best High Schools report placed Hillsborough County high schools in seven of the top 10 positions.

In addition, 12 of the top 20 spots were filled by schools in Hillsborough County—with 11 schools operated by Hillsborough County Public Schools and one independently operated charter school.

Our teachers and administrators continue to demonstrate that they are among the very best in the nation, ensuring our students have all the supports and resources they need to succeed.

The high schools in our district that made the top 10 list are:

#1 Plant High School in Tampa (96% Graduation Rate, 65.2 College Readiness Score)

#2 Brooks Debartolo Collegiate High School in Tampa (100% Graduation Rate, 56.5 College Readiness Score)

#3 Newsome High School in Lithia (99% Graduation Rate, 58.6 College Readiness Score)

#4 Steinbrenner High School in Lutz (96% Graduation Rate, 54.4 College Readiness Score)

#5 Sickles High School in Tampa (95% Graduation Rate, 55.5 College Readiness Score)

#8 Robinson High School in Tampa (92% Graduation Rate, 56.1 College Readiness Score)

Every high school in our district made this prestigious list. The Best High School rankings are based on six key elements that contribute to student success: College Readiness, Math and Reading Proficiency, Math and Reading Performance, Underserved Student Performance, College Curriculum Breadth and Graduation Rate. The full list is available here: https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/florida/rankings/tampa-fl-45300

The area also has several GREAT Colleges and Universities!

[homedecor1]

@CJC 

you may be neighbor!!!   Yes, to everything you said.  I've never feared going out here or at night.  The area is growing in retail stores most likely for all the developments within Mitchell & Starkey Ranch.

Good friends of mine from church and other places had children go to JW Mitchell.  I only have good things about it .

homedecor1

[KarenQVC]

@FiddleDeeDee If high school is your focus, you may want to rent a few years, then move to an empty nest area.

I would look for a serious IB--International 

BA--program or a program that offers as many AP courses as possible.  If your child maxes out those programs they will be set.