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Buying a house in Florida... to buy or not to buy? Taxes, Insurance... HELP!?

My husband and I are are tired of renting, however we want to find a house that we absolutely adore especially since the market is the way it is... we have lots to choose from. We can't spend a lot, and would like to buy a first house for an investment and to start our family. Any suggestions for first time home buyers? What are the taxes and insurance like? We are hoping to find somewhere by the end of this year. We live in Pinellas county. Is it even a good time to buy? Any advice is appreciated!!!

Public Comments

1. You should be able to get a good deal in Pinellas County......locate a good real estate agent and start looking. People are desperate to sell now, so it's a buyer's market. Get yourself pre-approved at the bank before looking so you will know just how much you can spend. Taxes and insurance all depend on where exactly you live ( flood zones, evacuation zones , etc) Good luck.
2. How much can you afford calculator... http://www.ginniemae.gov/2_prequal/intro_questions.asp?Section=YPTH Up to $10,000 for Florida residents for down payment assistance if your income qualifies http://www.floridahousing.org/Home/HomebuyersRenters/FTHB/HOME+Loan.htm Foreclosure listings http://www.freeforeclosuredatabase.com/ http://www.realtytrac.com/foreclosure/foreclosure-listings.html I'm not sure about insurance, but some of the calculators automatically take teh average into account. The actual amount will depend on how close to teh water you buy, your credit rating...etc. If you can find a place within your budget I woudl definately buy now. We are going to be looking soon too in NWFlorida :) **ETA**We had a special on TV last night abotu hurricane preparedness, nothign else on so I watched. Anyhow they mentioned that flood insurance averages $370 a year-that's JUST for flood though since most regular home owners policy only cover wind damage.