So, the best homes ranged from 3000-5000 in taxes along, some adding about 150-300 in HOA's. I know this is all very foreign territory to me as well so this may sound like mumbo jumbo when I'm typing and explaining it to you all.
In simple terms, from what I understand HOA's have to do with fees for community taking care of lawn, landscaping as well as community oriented centers like recreation centers with pool, fitness and golf clubs etc.
Most decent homes in any decent area comes with a HOA. and, if you are not going to buy a home with an underground swimming pool - then you should have a community center where you are able to use their pool and facilities as Florida is very much a state where if you live in it, you want access to a pool or would find it necessary to own one.
I don't find it necessity to own one at this point although it would be nice because I simply believe we would take it for granted and never use it. When you have what you want, you sometimes become complacent and lose interest since its so easily available but I would definitely prefer to have a community center with a pool nearby where we could get membership in our neighborhood so that if we wanted to swim, we could.
I love swimming and we live in a complex with a big pool but we don't go that often. It's getting hot here and I plan to make use of it more and more during the summer like we did last year even if it's when we're doing laundry which is next to the pool or at nite when we just want a nice little dip to cool off.
When I go in, I try to swim at least five laps back and forth because swimming makes me feel good and is invigorating, refreshing to my energy. That said, if we even wanted to buy a home with an underground pool that is in good shape, we would be looking at anywhere between 200 and 400 thousand dollar homes and that is just way out of our league. But like I said, I'm okay with not having a pool.
I think it's Jimmy who wishes he could find a home with a pool, even if it's not in the best shape as we've looked at a few homes with pools that were plainly disgusting, green, dark green water with stains all over it and rust. I said, NO WAY. The rest of the home didn't even have much to offer and was not equipped with a lot of the things I liked in other homes. That said those homes were immediately dropped from our "buying consideration" list.
In any case, what it comes down to is this:
Originally Jimmy asked to place bids on these three homes and I will name them by their street name, each have appeared in my diary in a separate entry if you need to be refreshed in regard to what I am talking about, here is a small picture representing each one below as follows:
Stone Arch Ave.
Description
Dont miss this very loved 3 yr young four bedroom two bath house. Corner lot with view of pond, great location in the subdivision.Lennar built with many extras like the gourmet kitchen,tile in all wet areas,wall to wall carpet,garden tub and shower masterbath, walk in closets. Living room and den gives you lots of space to share with all the family. Dining room and split plan for master bedroom and guest rooms gives you all the privacy you need.Covered patio look at the pond in the large back yard. Corner lot gives you more space outside.Dont miss this great home at a great price. Price reduced.
Price Reduced: 05/14/08 -- $190,000 to $149,900
On Market: 83 days
Interior Features: Floor Coverings:CERAMIC TILE
Bathroom:TUB WITH SEPARATE SHOWER STALL
Kitchen: DISHWASHER, DISPOSAL, MICROWAVE, RANGE
Exterior Features: Parking: 2 CAR GARAGE
Siding: BLOCK Lot Description: CORNER LOT
Canterbury Lakes (our absolute favorite at this point)
Description/Info:
Subdivision name: Canterbury Lakes Phase 3
Size: Sq Ft: 1258; One Story Single Family Home// 3 Bedrooms/ 2 Bathrooms
List price: $155,000 ; HOA Fee: $300.00
Home Built in: 2005
Total Acreage: Zero Lot Line Water: View/Pond
Lot Size: 4,399
Kitchen, dining room, 3rd bedroom all 12x11 feet; living room is 19x12 ft. ; master bedroom 15x12 ft; 2nd bedroom 12x10 feet. porch: 12x12 ft.
Floor covering: ceramic tile A/C and Heat: central
Extras: volume ceilings, cathedral/vaulted ceiling, walk in closet , two car garage, patio/porch open 3 bed/2 bath 1258 square feet; $155,000
Canal Pointe
Basic house information and important facts:
Subdivision: Heritage Isles
Size: 3 bedroom/ 2 bathroom; one story, single family home
Square feet: 1385 sq.ft Total Acreage: 10889 sq. ft.
Water: frontage/pond
Built in: 2002
Selling price: $139,000
Taxes: 4,176
Annual CDD Fee: 2,420
HOA fee [quarterly] $75.00
Other ones out of our price ranged that we loved and most people complimented on my diary is:
Steel Dust
All of these homes were past $2400 in taxes and unaffordable for the kind of mortgage Jimmy qualifies for so they had to be dropped entirely and we cannot even consider any of those.
It is disappointing but both of us are also a bit frustrated as to why our real estate agent had not been more on the ball who is in constant communication with our loan guy Rick and knew the qualifications/limitations of what we could afford YET wasted her time but MOST of all, OUR time by showing us homes that we could not afford even if we wanted them.
Out of those homes she took us to in the past month--- a total of probably 20-25 homes where which we ended up ONLY liking between 6 to 8 homes and could see potential and would consider buying-- it looks like ONLY 2 or 3 out of those are in the range that we MIGHT be able to afford and its not even for certain if we are in the affordable range of all three potential homes right now. It is highly aggravating that she wasted so much of our time. I like her but she does seem very unorganized, a bit flighty, and not on her game.
A good real estate agent would know how to delegate time better and would steer away from wasting her or the client's time by being more informed, prepared, and organized. Like, for instance, I always thought she should have sat us down in her office and went over with us what homes were in the range of what we could realistically afford so that we would only see homes that we could realistically buy. It makes no logical sense to me why we did not map out a plan in her office if she is a so called real estate agent.
I know Jimmy only went with her because she is the sister of his best friend's wife [who barely talks to him] and there is some obligation there but I can think of other friends he has with far better personalities and skill that could help us far more than she is doing.
I feel like we are only backtracking with her and have to start all over again and wasted the last few months looking at prospective homes that we will never be able to realistically afford or buy , so what was the point of all that time wasted. It aggravates me. There is nothing more I hate than wasting time and having to do double the work because of someone's obvious incompetence.
That aside, these are now supposedly the homes of which we've seen and liked [some we didn't love but thought if the ones we loved fell thru, we could settle for them. Btw, most of the ones left to afford are ones we'd only settle for, not absolutely love.] That said these are the ones that would be in our affordable range based on the hours of research Jimmy had to do on his own last nite.
[isn't that the real estate and mortgage agent's job? i don't get it. why should they get commission for helping us if they are not even doing their job properly. stupid!!]
* 24940 Joiner Ct.; Lutz, FL taxes: $1,102.00; hoa: $206.50 semi-annually
tion:Beds: 3 Type: SFR Sq. Ft.: 1,216 Lot Size: 8,712 Sq. Ft. Baths: 2/0 Year Built: 1991 MLS #: T2309939 List Date: 04/25/08
Description
Price Increased: 05/09/08 -- $150,000 to $156,000; On Market: 23 days Not a short sale++new roof may '08(old pictures)+see virtual tour for floorplan tour++brand new real solid oak floors in kitchen, dining area and foyer++brand new ge smooth top range++brand new kenmore microwave++huge tiled and screen lanai++fireplace forcrackling fires in winter++ vaulted ceilings++built in window seat in master bedroom++walk in closet in master bedroom ++partially converted garage to air conditioned 12 x 12 bonus room, which could be used as a workshop,play room, nursery or craft room++pie shaped lot for extra space in side yards++inside utility for the laundry++freshly painted kitchen, neutral colors++neutral colored berber carpet in family room and bedrooms++pass thru window from kitchen to lanai is great for entertaining and griling++fantastic cul de sac location for room to play out front++no backyard neighbors ++no cdd fees!++low hoa fees++easy access to i-75++low pasco county tax rate++enjoy a community clubhouse, pool, playground and tennis courts.
Interior Features:
Laundry: WASHER/DRYER HOOKUPS; Fireplace: IN FAMILY ROOM, WOOD BURNING; Floor Coverings: VINYL, WOOD;
Bathroom: TUB WITH SHOWER;
Kitchen: DISHWASHER, DISPOSAL, RANGE, MICROWAVE, EATING SPACE, CLOSET PANTRY; Kitchen Dim.: 17 X 10; Dining Room: EAT IN KITCHEN
Living Room Dim.: 23 X 14Bedroom: SPLIT BEDROOM + Misc. Rooms: BONUS ROOM, UTILITY ROOM
Exterior Features:
Style: CONTEMPORARY
Parking: ATTACHED, DOOR OPENER, 2 CAR GARAGE
Siding: BLOCK, BRICK, STUCCO
Pool Type: COMMUNITY POOL
Lot Description: CUL-DE-SAC, SIDEWALK
Roof Type: SHINGLE
Yard/Grounds: OAK TREES, PATIO/PORCH COVERED, PATIO/PORCH OPEN, IRRIGATION SYSTEM
Foundation: SLAB
Lot Size: 8,712 Sq. Ft.
Utilities Heating: ELECTRIC; Cooling: CENTRAL; Water: COUNTY WATER
County: Pasco
Community Rec.: POOL, RECREATION BUILDING, PLAYGROUND, TENNIS COURTS
* 1632 Pintail Ct; Lutz, FL taxes: $1,940.00; hoa: $75.00 annually
* 6009 Sand Key Ln., Wesley Chapel, FL taxes: $1,299.00; hoa: $180.00 quarterly
General information on home:
Subdivision: Wesley Pointe Phases 2 & 3
Built: 2003
Type of Home: 3 bedroom/ 2 bathroomOne story, Single Family Home
Water: View/Pond
Square Feet: 1158 ; Total Acreage: Up to 10889 Sq. Ft.
Selling Price: $149,900 ; Taxes: $1,299; HOA fees $180.00 [yearly]
Extras: gated community, cathedral vaulted ceiling, walk in closet, garden bath, tub w/shower, pantry, patio/porch with sliding doors; two car garage with door opener.
* 6131 Sand Key Ln., Wesley Chapel, FL taxes: $1,707.00; hoa: $184.00
* 30424 Double Dr., Wesley Chapel, FL taxes: $967.00; hoa: $295.00 annual
And below is a list of places we will be seeing that we've chosen based on what we can afford and what looks good enough to want to visit in person.
We have an appt this saturday afternoon and I will be sure to share more after that meeting and pix if we love any of what we see :)
[note:
altho i realize this is mumbo jumbo to most, I'm including it in my entry to document what is going on in my life for myself and to keep my head organized as well with so much in my head LOL]
homes in Wesley Chapel
[outskirts of tampa, florida]
1. 30615 Double Dr. - list price: $139,900; taxes $1089.39
2. 6112 White Sails Dr. - list price: $149,900; taxes $2089.75
3. 32141 Northridge Dr. - list price: $149, 900; taxes $1806.18
4. 30446 Birdhouse Dr.- list price: $139, 900; taxes $1174.88
5. 6502 Tabogi Tr. - list price: $134, 000; taxes $1947.80
6. 30918 Stone Arch Ave- list price: $150,000; taxes $1942 plus hoa: 342
7. 30327 Pongo Way- list price: $129,900; taxes $1242.00
8. 6031 Sand key Lane- list price: $124,000; taxes $2166.00
Valrico, FL
9. 752 Cape Cod Dr. - list price $159,000
New Tampa/Tampa
10. 18113 Lembrecht Way- list price $140,000; taxes: $1806.10
11. 4125 Tartan Pl.- list price: $129,900; taxes: $1925.59
that's all for now!
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