HOA Nightmares: Tampa Area Neighborhoods You May Want To Avoid
If you are looking at buying a home here in Tampa Bay, the one thing you’ll need to take into consideration is the Home Owner’s Association (HOA). The hidden HOA fees could be a killer when you are trying to figure out how much you can afford to pay for your mortgage every month. Some HOA fees can be over $1000 a month which can really throw your finances out of whack. Now don’t get me wrong, the HOA money goes to improve the grounds in your neighborhood, and access to the community pool, and sometimes it includes basic cable too. Beware, HOAs can be strict and put a lean on your house if you don’t pay them.
The worst part of the HOA is when you just so happen to live next door to the President of your HOA and they take their job a little too seriously. This is exactly what happened to me!
I was living in a nice community in Lee County, FL and we lived right next door to our HOA President. She ended up being a crazy psycho who broke into our lanai and kidnapped our kitten to bathe him. I know, that sounds crazy and that’s because it was. She was the definition of a “crazy cat lady”. As soon as she got into it with my wife over stealing our cat, she made our lives miserable. We were getting notices for a tree branch hanging 6 inches into the street, mold on the bottom of our mailbox post, our mulch being the wrong color a small oil stain on our driveway…you name it. Since she was making our lives miserable, we had no choice but to move.
So watch for not only the HOA fees but whether or not you live next to the crazy HOA president. What a deal breaker. Do you have a Tampa HOA horror story? Share it with me on social or you can email me at jeff.zito@bbgi.com.
We asked our listeners and went to Reddit to see which Tampa areas to avoid with strict HOAs. Here are the top 5 Tampa Bay area neighborhoods to avoid.
- Hunter’s Green (New Tampa) – We read on Reddit and reviews from Niche.com, and everyone seems to agree that the HOA in this New Tampa neighborhood is way too strict.
- Westchase – I’ve heard about some great reasons why Westchase is a good place to live. It’s pretty centrally located and can get to Downtown and other parts of Tampa Bay pretty quickly, they have some delicious restaurants, and overall safe neighborhoods. Westchase was named the best suburb in Florida last year. However, some of our listeners warned us about some strict guidelines set by HOAs in this neighborhood.
- Carrollwood – There are lots of neighborhoods in the Carrollwood area, so they might not be all bad. However, some reviews mention strict guidelines or high HOA fees.
- Edgewater Place – Listeners tell us that even though most homes in this neighborhood are midsize and just alright, the HOA can be a nightmare. I’ve heard that they will nitpick with you over the smallest things. Some couldn’t take it anymore and moved to a different neighborhood.
- Clearwater – I’ve been told about numerous neighborhoods in Clearwater. I’d imagine the closer you are to the beach, the stricter the HOA will be.
Realistic Advice For Moving To Tampa
Pack Some Patience
This is slightly a joke but also kind of serious because it really does take an hour to get anywhere in Tampa. If you plan on moving to Tampa be sure to bring some patience. Trust us, you’ll need it for driving on 275 or across the Howard Frankland during rush-hour (or any time of day really).
Get Your Insurance FAST
One of the biggest cons of moving to Florida/Tampa is the insurance rates. You have 10 days to title and register your car, boats, mobile home, etc. You’ll have 30 days to obtain a Florida driver license. If you don’t, you could see a hefty $500 fine. It’s also worth noting the cost of car insurance is 30% higher than the national average.
Also since Florida is constantly threatened by major hurricanes, expect to pay A LOT for home/flood insurance.
Learn Our Driving Habits
It’s something that even locals are guilty of doing. If you want to fit right in with the rest of Tampa, be sure to never use your blinker and let other drivers know your next move. Also, instead of making a u-turn, it’s Florida policy to cut over 3 lanes of traffic to correct your mistake. (For legal reasons, this is a joke).
If you go anything under the speed limit in the left lane, be prepared to be met with a lot of middle fingers from Tampa locals.
Don't Brag About Your Hometown
Seriously, you made the move. Now you’re a Floridian. We don’t care “how you did it in New York”. If you liked it so much, you could’ve stayed. Related note: Once you make the transfer to Tampa, leave behind your old team sports gear. You’re a Bucs/Rays/Lightning fan now.
Sunscreen, Bug Spray, and Allergy Medication Are Your New Best Friends
One thing you may not have realized in Florida is the bugs are INTENSE. Mosquitoes, fire ants, and palmetto bugs are extremely common. You also might want to get used to wearing sunscreen daily and have some allergy medication on hand. We have plants that bloom year-round which causes a lot of issues for people with bad allergies. Plus the ocean breeze can move pollen for miles.
Learn To Wait Out The Rain
If you’ve visited on vacation you probably experienced this. It’s a beautiful sunny day until around 4pm when we get our daily showers. If you’re at an amusement park like Busch Gardens, don’t worry about gathering your things and leaving (unless otherwise stated by the park). Majority of the time, you can wait out the storm in 30-60 minutes.
Do A Trial Run
Before making the move to Tampa, maybe consider doing a trial run during our “worst” months. It’s the hottest in July/August, hurricanes really pick up in September, traffic is TERRIBLE during spring break. If you plan a 2-3 week visit during any of these months, you’ll get a real taste of what it’s like living in Tampa.
