The Bungalow Restaurant Tampa
Ask any Tampa homeowner what the best area of Tampa is to own and undoubtedly they will ramble off the usual suspects: South Tampa, Hyde Park, Carrollwood, New Tampa, or Westchase. While these are indeed fabulous historic districts with established Tampa homes and subdivisions, eclectic neighborhoods and prime real estate, the trade off can be a hefty mortgage and probably a lot less square footage for your money when compared to other areas. It is estimated that the average price of a South Tampa home is 91% higher than the average home in all of Tampa (Gtar.org, n.d.).
The good news is that searching for the perfect Tampa home doesn’t mean tightening your belt so eating becomes a luxury, nor does it mean settling for a less than stellar neighborhood where your kids can’t play outside. Consider a Tampa home in Seminole Heights, Riverside Heights, Lutz, Citrus Park, and Ybor City, to name a few areas. Homes in these neighborhoods boast great schools, modest prices, historic districts near great restaurants and nightlife, and in some cases, newer Tampa home construction.
Seminole Heights, Riverside Heights, West Tampa, and Ybor City represent a piece of Tampa where the coveted historic district charm of bungalow style Tampa homes meets the affordable pricing of the continuously evolving neighborhood. Schools in these Tampa home neighborhoods offer magnet programs in aerospace sciences, math, technology, performing arts, and international studies in the “A” graded school district of Hillsborough County. An endless array of Cuban and Spanish restaurants among other great Italian, Greek, and Japanese sushi spots are local. Ybor City has a thriving Cuban cigar business as well as a rich nightlife of clubs, events, and center called Centro Ybor. Since this area of Tampa is still experiencing the shift that Hyde Park did during the 1970s and 1980s, these Tampa homes are more reasonably priced than their South Tampa counterparts. Preservation of the quaint bungalow style homes in Seminole Heights occurs as the neighborhood offers the unique Tampa home pride in a non-deed restricted community.
A short drive north and a Tampa home buyer can find properties in Citrus Park and Lutz. All of the above mentioned amenities apply with the added peace of mind of recent construction. New shopping malls have even been erected to accommodate this growing area.
Deciding on a neighborhood to purchase a Tampa home can be as daunting, if not more, than deciding on the home. In order to mollify some of the stress of the process, consider making a list of the top ten must-haves in a neighborhood, the first two being non-negotiable. Then, take a drive through the area around various times of the day and week to get a realistic image of its liveliness. And finally, don’t forget to do your research!
Gtar.org, n.d. Retrieved May 7, 2009 from http://gtar.org/files/documents/Public_Stats/mlsmar09.pdf
About the Author:
Anna Wannos is a Tampa Bay teacher and talented writer, who has gained valuable insight of the Tampa real estate market while searching for her first home.
Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Tampa FL Homes – The Usual Suspects
