Homestead vs Florida City - what's the safest area? (Pembroke Pines: renting, houseboat)

[tricon7]

I may be taking a job at the Air Force Reserve Base near Homestead, and I want to find a safer area to live at. I'll be renting for a while, and after that I'd like to find a decent place to get a home.


My budget would probably be around $450-$500k. I've been trying to talk my wife into just getting a houseboat to dock in the marina in order to avoid land prices, but I'm not sure I'm making any headway.



Also, I currently live in an area of Central Florida where shopping is everywhere around us. I wouldn't want to move to an area where I had to drive 30 minutes to get to a Costco, Home Depot, or Red Lobster. Is there a happy middle somewhere between a good shopping area, not too far from the base, and in a relatively safe area that's not million-dollar homes?

[popcorn247]

I lived in Homestead for 38 years. I believe that Homestead is far safer than Florida City. Homestead/Florida City has a Home Depot/Lowes, three Publix grocery stores, lots of restaurants. It is close to the Florida Keys, Biscayne National Park and the southern unit of Everglades National Park. Lots to do in the area, especially if you like the outdoors!

[FeRail]

Over the past few several years, Homestead has been undergoing a major building boom and will probably be much like Coral Springs and Pembroke Pines in the next 10-20 years. Overall, I would say it's much better than it was more than 10 years ago. The area is well-known for being ground zero for Hurricane Andrew in 1992, and some traces of the storm can still be seen today.


Due to the growth, the prices have seen significant increases, but it's still one of the more affordable parts of Southeast Florida. There are plenty of options under $500 that are in safe areas.