5 Great Reasons People are Living in the Tampa Suburb of Spring Hill, FL

A wide range of people are buying homes in Spring Hill, FL from retirees who are downsizing to younger families who are first-time home buyers. Here are five reasons why “Florida’s Nature’s Coast” may be right for you.

# 1 Spring Hill is away from city congestion

Folks moving to Spring Hill are purposefully moving away from city congestion and toward a more relaxed way of life. The town doesn’t have the big-city hassles of traffic and overcrowding, with new-home communities blending in nicely with older neighborhoods and local shopping.

# 2 Spring Hill is still close (enough) to the action

Spring Hill is still close to the action with easy access to the Suncoast Parkway. Tampa and Clearwater are within an hour and St. Petersburg one and one-half hours -- three cities with an amazing array of entertainment, dining, shopping, professional sports and outdoor activities, as well as home to some of the nation’s best beaches. And when you’re done you leave the bumper-to-bumper traffic for Spring Hill’s more relaxed lifestyle and more spacious environments. Folks buying homes in Spring Hill might tell you it’s close enough, but still far enough away.

# 3 You can get away at Weeki Wachee Preserve

Spring Hill treasure Weeki Wachee Preserve is more than 11,000 acres of wildlife habitats and numerous walking trails throughout. Also, there are more than five miles of paved and hard-packed bike trails for cyclists. The area has several lakes for fishing, boating and paddling, and is a designated black bear habitat (though the bears pose no threat to people).

# 4 You can see live mermaids and really big cats

Spring Hill is the only place in Florida (maybe the universe) where you can see live mermaids. Weeki Wachee Springs State Park is home to the The Mermaids of Weeki Wachee Springs who perform underwater feats to music. And the Wildlife Survival Sanctuary rescues big cats like tigers, leopards and cougars, as well as exotic animals like lemurs. Take the tour and visit the big cats (no petting allowed). 

# 5 You can get way more for your money when you buy a house

It’s said that in Spring Hill, FL people are getting up to twice the home for their money but may have to travel a bit further for work. And it’s a tradeoff they’re willing to make. Reflecting this trend, new home communities are becoming popular in Spring Hill.

For example, at the William Ryan Homes Tampa community of Hawthorn at the Villages of Avalon, homebuyers are getting larger homes with prices ranging from the high $100s to the high $200s. That gets a buyer three or four bedrooms in one- and 2-story homes that have floor plans as large as 3,200 square feet. Bike rides and leisurely walks are common at Hawthorn at the Villages of Avalon, which has one way in and one way out, reducing traffic on many of the community’s streets. Home buyer incentives this month include a free outdoor kitchen or $10,000 in flex dollars to use toward upgrades to your home site and design options.

Nearby, Somerton Place at the Villages of Avalon has floor plans of up to 3,800 square feet with prices from the low $300s to the mid $300s. All lots are one-third of an acre and all the homes include 3-car garages and covered lanais, with some offering two master suites that provide for multi-generational living. There are only 34 homesites at Somerton Place at the Villages of Avalon. Homebuyer incentives this summer include a free pool or $25,000 in flex dollars.

Photo credit: Weeki Wachee Springs State Park