I spent the last week in FL for work. My company has a twin operation in Tampa. Out of my week there came a possible (optional) promotion that would require relocation to FL. DH and I spent a lot of time talking with people there about what it's *really* like to live there, but would appreciate more input. We were introduced to the pros & cons, esp. the pests, but had limited time to find out what it's really like.

I'm also curious what the IT job market is there, and what major companies with IT are present, as that's DH's area of profession.

Also curious about neighborhoods. We picked up some real estate magazines and talked with some people at my work... so I know that some common areas for the commute are Valrico, Plant City, and Lakeland. We would prefer to be a litle inland from the coast, new construction, decent sized houses (3 pref 4 bed, 2.5+ bath, ~2000sqft). We've found lots of nice houses, but *no* information on the community names or specs. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

BTW - a potential move would likely be several months away, but I will be back for another work visit in May and we may try to talk with some realtors then, if DH can find the time to come along.

Would welcome all opinions, advice, etc.

K. I live in tampa. here is what you are looking for.

Tampa is a great city, IMHO. It is laid back, fun, lots of activities (there seems to be a parade every weekend LOL) and great people!! The neighborhoods can be hit or miss. But if you are working in tampa, you do NOT want to live in the areas you listed. the commute would be about 1hr to 1.5hrs one way. :confused: Thanks to the lovely I275. You are gonna want to look at areas called Dunedin, clearwater, safety harbour (that with were we are moving to on March 1st). St. Pete has a lot of crime, so try to stay north. This gives you a home close to the Water, but not right on the water. And the home prices range widly. The parameters you gave can land you a home from about $200,000 to $1million. It really depends on a lot. But there are plenty of homes to choose from. And you do not just have to look at new construction. The older homes around here are really well taken care of. And they are usually larger, and on a larger piece of property.

IT jobs are PLENTIFUL!!! Tell your DH to look up a company called Numara. Its where my DH works. Used to be a part of Intuit before it went independent. They are a good company. There are plenty of others, and plenty of IT jobs in other sorts of companies too.

Don't even think about the bugs. We have fun describing the bugs here in florida, but it really isn't an issue. You are going to find the most annoying thing is just ants, and you learn how to handle that quickly. Honestly, I do not think about it unless my daughter is freaking out over a spider of a fly (she has a bug phobia)

Tampa is, like I said, and awesome place. You are 1.5 hours from Disney and Universal, 2 hours from NASA and daytona, couple of hours from miami and the keys, orange groves everywhere, beautiful weather all year long (today was sunny and 78 :cake: ) and the pace is very beach bum-ish. Fruity drinks and hammocks are not out of the ordinary, and the tiki bar is always calling. :cake: If you have any other questions please ask. I am happy to let you know about particular housing areas too. I can drive by and let you know if it is a good neighborhood or not. DO NOT trust the realtor. There is a big thing realtors are doing here in trying to turn crappy neighborhoods into nice ones by bringing in people willing to do some rehab. Problem is the neighborhood will not become safe for 4 or 5 years. No good.

HTH!!!

I lived in tampa for a few years. I graduated from USF there. Traffice isn't that bad, there is a lot of things to do. I wouldn't go to Plant City or Lakeland, the drive is long and there are plenty of suburb areas in Tampa that are quiet and peacful, and if you want to go inland to avoid the hurricans forget it. My mom lives in Winter Haven (just next to Lakelans) and her house has just as much if not more damage then some other areas. There are some nice housing subdivisions past the University campus near the Hospital, when I moved three years ago that area was really developing. It doesn't feel like your living in a city at all. The Dale Mabery area is also nice. I would just call up a realestate agency there in Tampa and tell them what your looking for.