Hello Mike;

There are many great homes in your price range. Florida is a beautiful State and of course if you like the beaches and being close to the water, I am sure there will be homes available for your needs. If not, there are homes in very nice areas that I am sure you will be happy with as well. Is a school district important for you? There are a few questions to ask to enable me to send you the right listings. If you would like me to assist you with your request, please feel free to contact me. Areas like Palm Harbor, Dunedin, Tarpon Springs (a little more North) are very nice too. We would love to have you here in Florida. Hope to hear from you.

Mary Ann Lemon
mlemon@tampabay.rr.com
727-243-8302

Heydrmike!
Welcome to Florida living soon--if you're looking at the Tampa Bay area, you're going to get a lot of different opinions on where the best places are, but I can tell you from having lived and worked here for over thirty years--much of that decision is based on other factors than simply where you can get the most house.

There is an abundance of homes in the $200K and under range in both Pinellas and Hillsborough, so since you are not constrained by proximity to a workplace, you will want to think about other factors, such as the community. My own personal favorite areas for community 'feel' and activities are Dunedin, Safety Harbor, Crystal Beach, and Ozona--all have very unique, Old-Florida style as well as lots of local events.

First things I ask my clients are:
What so you like to do most when you're not working? (Are you a boater, do you like theater, music, art?)
--One of the nicest things about Florida is the abundance of outdoor activities accessible so much more of the year!
Do you plan to spend more time outdoors or indoors?
Are you a biker/walker/rollerblader? If so, you will want to be very close to the Pinellas Trail!

Just a few ideas to get the thoughts flowing--along with these you'll want to work with a Realtor who not only knows the area very well, but who also knows your own likes and dislikes, and can help with planning your move.

If you have any questions about the area, please do feel free to send me an email: helpsavehomes@gmail.com or contact me through my website! Good luck!

Heydrmike,

One correction, I meant to say we cover western Hillsborough, closest to Pinellas. If you are looking on the eastern side I would be glad to refer you to someone who specializes in that area.

Sincerely,

Pam Cohn
Broker Associate, GRI, CDM
Prudential Tropical Realty
pcohn@prutropical.com
727-204-7155

Congratulations Heydrmike,

I remember when I threw away my snow shovel and moved here permanently...have loved it ever since. We cover Pinellas county, Pasco and eastern Hillsborough (Tampa). Your timing is perfect, as it is still a Buyer's Market. There is a lot available in your price range. It's a matter of making a search matching what you are looking for in a home.

I have a free service called “Listingbook”, which I provide for my clients. It is like a back door into the MLS which updates daily: price changes, solds & withdrawns, allowing you to really be able to follow and learn the market. I set up a basic search according to your guidelines. Once you are in, you can change the parameters as you need. If this is something you would be interested in let me know.

Sincerely,

Pam Cohn
Broker Associate, GRI, CDM
Prudential Tropical Realty
pcohn@prutropical.com
727-204-7155

The further north of Tampa you go, the more house you can get for $200,000. If you head more east of Palm Harbor, your going to be able to get into a bigger house. You can move in to some brand new homes in some great communities for that price. You can do a search on my site at
http://luxordreams.idxco.com/idx/4762/advancedSearch.php
or call me and I should be able to help you out.

Mark
Local#: (813) 333-9397
Toll Free#: (800) 303-1538

Good Morning Dr Mike,
Congratulations on the offer on your home in NC. You're getting out just in time to avoid the major cold. I'm a Realtor that works the Palm Harbor and surrounding areas with my sister Beatrice, but am currently enjoying the cooler weather in the Boone, NC area where we have a little cabin. Palm Harbor/Oldsmar/Dunedin are all great areas close to Beaches and beautiful Parks with very nice communities like Lansbrook and Eastlake Woodlands to name a few. We would be very happy to set you up on a custome search that suits your particular home needs and help you find your ideal home. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions.
Sincerely
Bibi Zanella - REALTOR, DSP (Designated Short Sale Professional)
COLDWELL BANKER RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE - PALM HARBOR
Direct: (727) 403-8947
Fax: (866) 348-2681
E-mail: BibiRealtor@aol.com
http://www.FloridaMoves.com/Bibi.Zanella

The only REAL stimulus plan that works! http://www.HelpingAMillionHomeowners.com
Real People Helping Real Families

Hey Dr. Mike,

I am sure one of the realestate professionals will find youa great home. I also know that you want to live mortgage free. If you find a great deal, and you will, on a property that is more than the $200,000 and you want to take advatage of 30 yr fixed rates under 5%, let me know.

Leverage your money over the $200,000 and take advantage of great loan terms. if you want a quote, please let me know.

Andrew Kashella

akashella@TLTLoans.com

727-331-8400

HeyDrMike,
Congrats on choosing a mortgage free life. The liberty of living with little debt truly changes the options available for directing your furture. As you may know, now is a good time to buy anywhere in the USA. From Seattle to Miami homes of significant value can be had at bargin prices.
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Dunedin Fl was identified by Money Magizine as the most affordable waterfront community in Florida. This combined with the quality of life assets found in Pinellas County has made this little slice of paradise a real jewel for those who desire the option to be a active, physical and in the face of nature as intimately as they choose. Salt water, lake water, spring fed rivers, and large parks within minutes of each other and miles and miles of white sand beaches. What's not to like!
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Mike, with a profile of your lifestyle and preferred activities we can identify if golf course homes or beach access homes or homes with easy access to the Pinellas Trail bring the most quality of life benefit to you. From there obtaining the best valued property for your investment begins.
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More information about Dunedin Fl can be found at http://www.mydunedin.com
Give me a call when you are ready to take the next step.
Annette Lawrence
ReMax ACR Elite Group, Inc
727. 420. 4041

What a great time to be looking for a home in the Tampa Bay area! We have great inventory at truly discount prices just about everywhere. You can find homes for under $200K within most communities even if the average values are higher. My suggestions: Look in Palm Harbor if you are looking for a neighborhood with similar homes in a suburban setting but not too far from shopping, restaurants, schools and golfing. You may also be able to find waterfront communities that offer waterfront access, although probably not a waterfront home, if you like boating. So many people love Dunedin. You can find an updated home in a friendly, fun loving, lots to do community that has the country's best beaches and located close to everything! I have shown homes recently in St. Pete, Largo and Seminole in that price range that have pools and great houses. Safety Harbor and Clearwater have lovely neighborhoods of classic Florida homes that will put you in the middle of the county with quick access to Tampa. I can't really begin to cover all the opportunities you would have in that price range, as it has the most supply. And you might consider a bank owned foreclosure if you don't mind a little work to bring it back to the neighborhood potential. Just work with a good Realtor and we can get you all the new listings as they hit the market! Happy looking!
Gwen & Doug Campbell
Sun Bay Associates at Keller Williams Realty
727-939-1515
Gwen@SunBayAssociates.com

Hello, to answer your question acurately, I would really like to speak with you either by phone or email. You can find homes priced very good in the areas you mentioned. Some are "motivated sellers" ( their home has been on market for some time & they have been following the pricing downward) ,bank owned, short sales ( some have already been approved by bank) some take a few months. If time is not an issue, you can find some "good deals" .As for price, a lot depends on what type of home you are looking for and size of home .(ie condo, villa, townhome, single family) How many bedrooms, baths, etc. I would be happy to send you some information of what is available. You can also look in parts of New Port Richey ,newer construction. One of my out of state clients put an offer on a s/sale(built 2006, never been lived in), but we are looking at a few months for bank acceptance. Please call any time or email , I can offer more information and answer any questions you may have. Thank you, RICH MEINKE, Realtor, GRI , SRES. RealtyNET 727 786 0900 (office) DIRECT # 727 644 5754 / richmeinke@tampabay.rr.com