Looking to find the best neighborhoods in Tampa?  Start by finding out what the crime rate is.

Hillsborough County: I found a great site that allows you to map out the crime in a particular zip code or you can even search by street address.  Let’s say you are looking to buy a home and want to know what type of criminal activity has happened in the past 30 days.  If you are searching in Hillsborough County, you would go here , input the information and in real-time have the capability of seeing all criminal activity. The website allows you to search by theft, assault, murder, robbery, drug activity and even more.  The Hillsborough County Crime website is by far the most comprehensive out of the three sites I’ve used.

City of Tampa: If you are looking for crime stats in the Tampa City limits, you won’t be as impressed with the information available to you online.  The latest reports aren’t updated as often and the website is just plan hard to use.  Here’s the link to the page You’ll have to do some digging around  to get any real information unfortunately.

Pasco County: If you are looking for crime in Pasco County they have a site that will allow you to search by subdivision.  Better than what the City of Tampa has to offer, yet not as robust as the Hillsborough County site.  If you are thinking of buying a home in Pasco, you can go here to search criminal activity

Sexual Predators Living in your neighborhood?

This Neighborhood Search allows users to enter any address in Florida and search the Florida Sexual Offender/Predator Registry for any registered sexual offender or predator living within a 1 to 5 mile radius of the address entered.  You can find the site here.

When you are considering moving to a new neighborhood these sites can be invaluable information to help you decide where a safe place to live is for you and your family.

Many subdivisions have taken a big loss on unpaid homeowner’s association dues, which have lead to unsightly common areas, landscaping and the overall financial stability of the HOA may have been jeopardized.  You can only see so much online!  You will also want to know the condition of a particular neighborhood, which can’t always been seen in photographs in MLS.  Consult with a Realtor first!

If you have any other resources for crime statistics that I may have missed, please leave a comment and share!

Related articles

• Unstable HOAs-What You Need To Know Before You Buy-Tampa, Fl (thetamparealestateinsider.com)

Communities of Tampa Bay-Best Places to Live, Work and Play

Tampa Bay is a seven-county region on Florida’s west coast offering a diversity of communities. The counties of Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk and Sarasota come together to shape a vibrant market where lifestyle options reflect all the best Florida offers. Whether you seek big city downtown living, quiet golf course communities, a waterfront lifestyle, majestic horse farms or historic neighborhoods – the communities of Tampa Bay provide a mix like nowhere else in the country.

Tampa/St. Petersburg/Clearwater

Touting Downtown Tampa

With its relaxing waterfront views, world-class entertainment, pulsating nightlife and gripping professional sporting events, downtown Tampa is the place to be. An old movie house, a historic Victorian era hotel and museums are yours to EXPERIENCE. Conventioneers and cruise passengers to office workers and urban pioneers, the treasures of Tampa’s downtown are there for the taking.

St. Petersburg Keeps Shining

St. Petersburg, the state’s fourth largest city, is one of the most progressive communities for business in the United States. St. Petersburg, roughly 58 square miles and surrounded by sparkling blue water on three sides, boasts 234 miles of exquisite shoreline. With an average temperature of 73.7 degrees and 361 days of sunshine a year, it’s easy to see why St. Petersburg is the “Sunshine City.”

Clearwater Adds Touch of Class

While fun ‘n sun lovers still come from around the world to get away, it’s an even better place to live. With one of the most pristine beaches in the world, and acknowledged as one of the nation’s premier sailing and powerboat environments, Downtown Clearwater enjoys a vibrant economic and livability that draws businesses, residents, and tourists to the area.

See Also: Best Neighborhoods in Tampa or you can search all homes for sale here

Moving Companies: What You Need to Know about Relocating..

I found some great information on moving companies that I thought I’d share with you.  You can also read a past article I posted “Deducting Moving Expenses on your taxes”.   All the tax forms can also be found there.

See also: Tampa Bay Relocation Guide   and Search all Listings in Tampa.  Need help relocating to the Tampa Bay Area? Contact me to find your perfect home!  Rae Catanese, PA-Licensed Realtor-Tampa, St. Pete, Clearwater.  813 784 7744 or email

Arranging the move to a new home requires dozens of arrangements – particularly in the case of a long distance move. Hiring a professional moving company can save you both effort and time. Moving companies can provide a variety of services for a range of fees, and in many cases leaving the actual move to the professional can free you and your family up to focus on other details.

Picking the Right Mover

Choosing a moving company who will transport your possessions both carefully and swiftly can be something of a daunting task. The tips below can help you find a quality moving company while weeding out some of the less than trustworthy candidates.

Only Accept Visual Estimates – It’s nearly impossible for a mover to offer an accurate cost estimate on the transportation of your things without completing a detailed inventory of your house in person. Only get quotes from companies willing to review what needs to be moved before providing an estimate. You should also accompany each moving company’s representative on their walk-through to make sure the inventory is thorough.

Price Shop - While it may be tempting to go with the first company that you like, obtaining multiple quotes is the best way to assess the market rates for the service.

Avoid Dramatically Lower Offers - Shopping three or more price estimates is also a good way of identifying a company who is providing a “low-ball” quote. Companies who quote a price far below the median are more likely to either provide a final bill far above the initial (inaccurate) estimate or tack on arbitrary fees that will result in an unexpectedly high final total.

Avoid Movers who Promise a Precise Delivery Date - Most moving companies will provide you a delivery window during which your items will reach their destination. Any company that promises to deliver everything at a precise date and or time should raise your suspicion. Moving companies provide delivery windows specifically because precise delivery dates are often beyond the control of the movers themselves, especially in the case of long-distance moves.

Check for Proper Licensing - You always want to make sure that the moving company you’ve chosen is properly licensed and has a strong safety record. Interstate moving companies are required to be licensed through the Department of Transportation. If you’re moving in-state, you will want to check with local or state authorities to verify the mover’s licensing.

Check for Numerous Complaints - Asking for testimonials from past clients can provide some insight, but the best way to avoid hiring a moving company you will regret is to check the Better Business Bureau for any sign of numerous (unresolved) complaints about the mover.

Questions to Ask a Moving Company

• How long have they been in business?
• How are move estimates priced?
• What extra charges may come into play?
• Does the company have any repeat clients or references of business moves?
• How do they handle expensive or challenging items such as a pool table or grandfather clock?

Common Moving Costs

A professional moving company can save you time and keep your back muscles in working condition, albeit at a financial cost. Here are some of the most common charges levied by movers.

Packing Materials - Regardless of whether you are boxing everything up yourself or having the movers pack for you, boxes of various sizes, bubble wrap, packing tape and loose packing fill will all need to be purchased. If you rely on the moving company to pack boxes, they will charge top dollar for packing materials (sometimes double retail value). Movers may also impose an additional packing fee.

Self-packing all items is one way to save money. Remember that movers usually won’t load anything that is not already boxed and well-taped, so buy extra boxes and rolls of packing tape as a precaution on moving day.

“Line-Haul” Charge - This is the base charge for the transportation portion of your move. Line haul charges are based on the distance of the move and the quantity of moved items (determined either by weight or cubic space occupied).

“Long-Carry” Charge - The “Long Carry” is an additional charge allotted if there is an excessive walking distance between your home and the mover’s vehicle.

“Stair” Charge - Similar to the “Long Carry” charge, most movers will add an extra fee if they are required to haul your furniture and boxes up or down an excessive amount of stairs. Some movers will charge any stairs in place (by the flight).

Third Party Charges - Many services involved in a move are not handled by the moving company directly, in which case the movers will pass the charges from third-party companies on to you (typically without markup). Examples of third-party charges include appliance servicing (disconnecting &hookup), disassembly/assembly of exercise equipment or playground furniture/equipment and the crating of fine/fragile items.

Insurance Surcharge - The moving industry faces high costs for trucking insurance. Insurance surcharges help the moving company off-set some of the trucking insurance costs they pay on the truck(s) that actually transport your goods and furniture. Note that an insurance surcharge does not offer protection against the loss or damage of your goods.

Valuation Charge & Supplemental Insurance - The valuation charge compensates the mover for assuming liability of your goods during transportation. Moving companies are required by law to have a minimum protection, and federal law requires interstate movers to offer you the option between two different levels of liability. Some movers may also offer to sell or obtain for you separate liability insurance on top of basic valuation coverage. 

Relocating?  Deducting Moving Expenses on your taxes may make your relocation a little less stressful.  Here are the IRS rules to see if you qualify:

If you are moving due to a change in your job or business location, or because you started a new job or business, you may be able to deduct your moving expenses.  To qualify for the moving expense deduction, you must satisfy two tests.

Under the first test, the “distance test”, your new job must be at least 50 miles farther from your old home than your old job location was from your old home. If you had no previous workplace, your new job must be at least 50 miles from your old home.

The second test is the “time test”. If you are an employee, you must work full-time for at least 39 weeks during the first 12 months right after you arrive in the general area of your new job. If you are self-employed, you must work full time for at least 39 weeks during the first 12 months and for a total of at least 78 weeks during the first 24 months after you arrive in the general area of your new work location. There are exceptions to the time test in case of death, disability and involuntary separation, among other things.

If you are a member of the armed forces and your move was due to a permanent change of station, you do not have to satisfy the “distance or time tests”.

Moving expenses are figured on Form 3903 (PDF) and deducted as an adjustment to income on Form 1040 (PDF). You cannot deduct any moving expenses that were reimbursed by your employer.

For more information on deductible moving expenses, please refer to Publication 521, Moving Expenses.

See also: Tampa Bay Relocation Guide

Need help relocating to the Tampa Bay Area? Contact me to find your perfect home!  Rae Catanese, PA-Licensed Realtor-Tampa, St. Pete, Clearwater.  813 784 7744 or email

 It seems that everyone wants to know how to find the best neighborhood in the Tampa Bay area. 

Here’s a link I posted a while back on The BEST neighborhoods in Tampa so feel free to check it out.