LS1-450

iTrader: (33)

May relocate the Central Florida; Orange, Polk, Citrus, Hernando, Pasco, Sumter, Seminole, Lake, Osceola County areas. What cities or whole counties should we avoid?

We've been looking through the South from Alabama, Georgia & the Carolinas. We are pretty much decided on Florida. Just gotta get out of the weather up North.

Could also use some help locating Car people. We will be leaving a great group of car guys. Would be great to find the same in Central Florida.

Thanks for the help

kwiksilverz28

iTrader: (7)

I like Seminole/Volusia counties. Been here since early 90's. There are bad parts to any, but....

2camaros6702

iTrader: (2)

We are here in Polk (Lakeland) and there is a lot of car guys here (check out the Polk County thread). It is close to either coast and a few drag strips. Granted there is a LOT of rednecks around here but for the most part they are good people and the biggest thing you need to watch out for is getting run over by a truck that is bigger than the one you might be driving. LOL.

Ocala93TA

iTrader: (9)

I would avoid sumter county not much of anything in that county , Iam in citrus not to many car nuts over here , I would have to go to ocala or south to tampa .

2nd Gen Fl 'bird

iTrader: (13)

Been in Fl all of my life and have been here and there. If I had my way about it now, I would've moved to the Tampa area. There is serious money there and would've been a better financial environment for me. People there just seem to be regular people in a big city. Like before, every place is going to have idiots and scum. I would pick a place that you like and rent short term to scope the area out. That way you don't buy the first "good deal" and if it sucks pack and go. Mean while, I'm stuck on the east coast. Not so bad though.

badhombre

iTrader: (4)

As Greg said above, Lakeland isn't a bad area. if you want peaceful, relaxed area, look into Dade City, Zephyrhills or Brooksville area though. a little farther from larger cities, but it all depends on what you ar elooking for. Lakeland has a pretty good variety of all of it though. I'm in north lakeland and in the middle of the country, but 15-30 minutes from anything I want

LS1-450

iTrader: (33)

Thanks gentlemen. Do any of these cities stand out good/bad? We have looked @ adds for homes is each city.

-Lake City
-Lakeland
-Orlando
-Apopka
-Kissimmee
-Groveland
-Deland
-Webster
-Wesley Chapel
-Bradenton
-Dade City
-New Port Richey
-Weekiwatchi
-Spring Hill
-Homosassa
-Dunnellon
-Lecanto
-Crystal River
-Citrus Springs
-Inverness
-Floral City
-Frostproof (???)
-Haines City
-New Smyrna Beach
-Mulberry (Andy Griffith & Aunt B, lol)
-Babson Park
-Jasper

TruBloodTransAm

iTrader: (24)

I used to live in Seminole County. Lake Mary is a nice to live.

I think it was rated Top 5 by Forbes/CNN a few years ago.

Edit, found the article.

usf3983

I have friends that live in Lakeland. I'm not very familiar with all of it, but I definitely hear about bad crimes there about as often as I hear about bad crimes here in much bigger Tampa. They live in the north area in decent neighborhoods but the different socio-economic classes seem to mingle too closely.

I'm very familiar with Wesley Chapel since its just a few miles north of me. The south end by me is newer and very nice. The northeast side towards Zephyrhills and Dade City start to get rednecky but still some pockets of nice neighborhoods. The northwest side towards Land O Lakes has some rural spots but has some nice neighborhoods. I'm in New Tampa which is a suburb of Tampa, which is very nice also. Its starting to get the big city problems though like increased traffic issues.

Land O Lakes isn't on your list and I would also recommend that area. Some redneck parts but a lot of nice neighborhoods. They're all also located at the apex of I-275 and I-75 which will take you just about anywhere in Tampa. At one point these were some of the fastest growing areas in the country and there are record foreclosures so you might find some good deals if you're buying a house.

Dade City has a really nice neighborhood called Lake Jovita but as far as I know its far from stuff and pretty rednecky.

Mulberry is nice....if you like to live in the middle of nowhere. lol.

Orlando is a typical big city. I don't know much about it outside of the amusement parks on the west side. Actually I went to a car meet on the east side of Orlando. There were some really nice, older neighborhoods in an area called Oviedo. We went on a cruise around Apopka which seemed like it had some really nice rural areas with nice houses.

I might have been making generalizations about Lakeland but that's my experience. I haven't been to too many other areas. There are a ton of areas I wouldn't recommend in Tampa. Each area has its flaws.

usf3983

Oh and the east part of Orlando (Oviedo, Altamonte Springs), seemed like they do a ton of car stuff all of the time. And it is in a convenient location for accessing most parts of Florida. Maybe 45 minutes from Daytona, 2 hours to Tampa, 2.5 hours to Jacksonville, 4 hours from Miami (which might be a shorter distance than most of the cities on your list, lol), and not to mention right next to Orlando. Ok enough jocking on Oviedo, lol. I've only been to the place once but it seems to me to have it all.

speedtigger

iTrader: (16)

Around Tampa Pinellas and Hillsborough counties have nice areas, but Pasco & Polk counties are generally considered less desirable.

LS1-450

iTrader: (33)

Thanks guys. We would like something central to Tampa & Orlando, but it's not cast in stone. If anyone knows of good deals on homes for sale (we are gonna buy) please let us know. Can either post here or send a PM. Ideally, we would like something on fresh water (river, lake, pond) w/ an in ground pool. It will be @ least another month, probably more before we buy. Will be coming down to look @ a couple dozen or more places between now & then.

Looks like Lakeland is off the list.

usf3983

Don't take my word for it on Lakeland. It is pretty much directly between Orlando and Tampa. Maybe there are some decent areas that other people are more familiar with.

If you want to stay between Orlando and Tampa, I'd drop New Port Richey and New Smyrna Beach off. One is on the extreme west coast and the other is on the far east coast. I think Bradenton is pretty nice but its not that close to Orlando and still at least an hour from Tampa.

kwiksilverz28

iTrader: (7)

Of your list I vote Deland and New Smyrna....

philsblwnz28

iTrader: (10)

Stay away from Kissimmee/St. Cloud......It takes you 45 min to drive 3 miles. To many damn people

dewey04

iTrader: (7)

New Smyrna Beach FTW, Bradenton is like tampa but they have an 1/8th mile track there. Dunnellon, Lecanto, and Crystal River are more very small towns not city's you will have to drive a ways to go shopping or to work.

CS2 Sasuke XD

iTrader: (2)

North east polk on us 27 is where it's at

2nd Gen Fl 'bird

iTrader: (13)

I hate to slam on Polk county or Lakeland but, they sure seem to have a bad crime problem. Don't know why either. Always on the news. Good in my opinion= Oveido, Altamonte, New Smyrna(MY favorite), Deland(river), Defintely not Jasper, Lake City, Kissimmee, St. Cloud.

Inverness, Dunellon is Thoroughbred country, beautiful.

LS1-450

iTrader: (33)

Thank-you

Yah, we don't have to be exactly between the two cities. Between is the ideal location, but, we understand that the right place for us may be closer to one than the other.

Since homes can be bought @ 50-80% of their value 5 years ago & with 4% mortgage rates, we figure it's the best time to get into something that otherwise wasn't duable before the recession. Most of the homes that are highest on our list are in Paco, Hernando & Citrus counties; not central to the two cities.

Thanks for the PM's, as well. Please continue. This is very helpful.

ULTIMATEORANGESS

iTrader: (4)

id take a look in pinellas county. close to the gulf which has so many nice beaches and theres a ton of homes available at killer prices. youll be able to find what you want.