Ask any Tampa homeowner what the best section of Tampa may be to own and undoubtedly they will ramble off the usual suspects: South Tampa, Hyde Park, Carrollwood, New Tampa, or Westchase. While these are indeed magnificent historic districts with reputable Tampa homes for sale and subdivisions, eclectic neighborhoods and prime real estate, the trade off may be a immense mortgage and most likely a lot less square footage for your investment when weighed against to other regions. It is likely that the average price of a South Tampa home is 91% more than the average home in all of Tampa (Gtar.org, n.d.).

The good news is that searching for the ideal Tampa Fl homes for sale doesn’t signify tightening your belt so eating becomes a luxury, nor does it mean reconciling for a less than perfect neighborhood where your kids do not want to play outside. Consider a Tampa home in Seminole Heights, Riverside Heights, Lutz, Citrus Park, and Ybor City, to name a few sections. Homes in these areas offer great schools, modest prices, historic districts near terrific restaurants and nightlife, and in some cases, newer Tampa home construction.

Seminole Heights, Riverside Heights, West Tampa, and Ybor City stand for a piece of Tampa where the coveted historic district charisma of bungalow style Tampa homes meets the affordable pricing of the incessantly evolving neighborhood. Schools in these Tampa home areas offer magnet programs in aerospace sciences, math, technology, performing arts, and international studies in the “A” graded school district of Hillsborough County. An infinite variety 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 sensibly priced than their South Tampa counterparts. Preservation of the quaint bungalow style homes in Seminole Heights comes about as the neighborhood provides the unique Tampa home delight in a non-deed restricted community.

A brief drive north and a Tampa first-time homebuyer may find properties in Citrus Park and Lutz. All of the above mentioned amenities apply with the additional peace of mind of more recent construction. New shopping malls have even been erected to help this emerging area.

Choosing on a neighborhood to purchase a Tampa home may be as daunting, if not more, than selecting the home. In order to appease some of the nervousness of the process, ponder making a list of the top ten must-haves in a neighborhood, the initial two being non-negotiable. Then, take a drive through the neighborhood area around various times of the day and week to get a practical image of its vigor. And of course, don’t overlook to do your research!

Gtar.org, n.d. Retrieved May 7, 2009 from http://gtar.org/files/documents/Public_Stats/mlsmar09.pdf