I am needing help finding a realtor!!!!! Move is coming soon. (Tampa: real estate, rentals)

[Taken0624]

My family and I are moving down in the mid of October. We are in our mid 20's and we don't know a soul!! And I was needing some advice from everyone's experience with finding a good realtor in the area. We are looking for properties in Clearwater, Oldsmar, Dunedin, and Seminole. So I would like a realtor that possibly lives near by and knows the areas really well. I would also love any input on elementary schools as well. We have a 3 yr old daughter. So it is very important to us. I also have heard something about a different type of school that could be an option for kids that parents are willing to be a huge part in school activities. What are these called. I am very interested.

Also if any one has any insight or knows of any good Air conditioning and heating companies in the area. My husband is frantically searching for a good company to get hired with. How is the demand for that industry this time of year??

Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks

[Tampa Homes]

For an AC company I recommend "Air Flow Designs."

[Keeper]

We have some great Realtor's who post here.
They offer excellent advice plus we have some great members who do want to help newcomers.

There are many great areas in Tampa. Are you renting or buying? What price range? I think most folks will recommend that you rent first to be sure you like that area

[R2Dawn2]

I would like to get that information too, at least the Realtor part.

[Keeper]

Originally Posted by R2Dawn2

I would like to get that information too, at least the Realtor part.

We have several realtors who post here however we are not allowed to recommend realtors on the board but anyone can send you a DM with their recommendations.

You can tell Real Estate Agents by the house icon next to their name

[rnedd]

R2Dawn2,

(Is that a play on R2D2?). Re finding a Realtor - a lot will depend on whether you are looking to rent or buy. Most Realtors work with people who are looking to buy and not too many work with people looking to rent. For renting there is a lot less information directly available to Realtors except for those that specialize in property management. So that will be the first issue to be addressed - whether you are looking to buy or rent.

Then you'll want to find a Realtor who is knowledgeable about the areas you want to look in and probably the most important thing is you want a Realtor that is very good at communicating with clients. There are a lot of very good Realtors in the area so I don't think you will have any problem finding one who can help you. In my experience, those Realtors who work in real estate as a profession rather than just here and there to make a little extra cash are very professional. I have only had to deal with a very small number of Realtors who I would not ever recommend that people use.

Sincerely,
Ron

[lavender]

Most realtors know quite a bit about schools, it's a critical part of ensuring the right transition for new families to the area. After that a good sound knowledge of whats available in the county for their particular needs/interests. Of the four areas you mention above, there are a handfull of decent schools, seminole probably has the best pick of all levels over a larger area. Also possibly closest to beaches, always a good free amenity for younger families. Nice safe areas and almost all is out of flood zones too.

[Batman2007]

In addition to realtors, I would also suggest to search online, like zillow, trulia, etc for house rentals in the areas you like. They have information about neighborhood, schools and demographics information. There is quite a lot of houses for rent. It would be a good first step to explore the rental market and pricing.

[thirtytwopaws]

I think maybe the schools you are referring to are the fundamental schools? They are public but with a lottery system for admissions. You can check out the county school board websites for specific info.