Sun City Center Association

We visited Sun City Center June 3, 2009. The staff at the Visitor Center was very helpful and gave us a quick tour of the colossal clubhouse for this community of over 11,000 residents. There are nearly 200 clubs representing a multitude of interests, plus recreational facilities of all types. There are probably more things to do in Sun City than any other community in the Tampa Bay area.

Most housing is single family homes (SFH) selling for anywhere in the $50k – $600k+ range, new and resale. There are a few condo units and a number of older duplex villas dating as far back as 1961. The SFHs include older homes for as low as $150K and newer golf view homes at the high end of the price spectrum. There are over 100 home owner associations, each with their own maintenance fee that typically covers landscaping, lawn care and irrigation ($100+ per month). Insurance, taxes and utilities are the home owner’s responsibility. A $252 annual activities fee covers all the facilities, including pools and clubhouse, and all activities.

Most of the retail and community amenities can be accessed by golf cart, and in fact, there are 81 holes of golf for the community plus other special membership courses. This is an enormous community with over 6000 homes and 3 separate amenity campuses. Safety consists of a volunteer patrol that watches the community all night. The location is next to a state park far from the congested urban areas, but ample shopping is on site, and not far away are beaches and Tampa Bay.

For more information, call the Visitor Center at 813-642-2044 or visit Sun City Center.

Kings Point Clubhouse

We visited Kings Point June 3, 2009 as we were leaving the Sun City area. This is a gated community, and in fact, security is such that we didn’t get to see much of the community; we were directed to the on-site sales office where Walt Towner answered our questions and provided plenty of information about this community. In spite of its location in Sun City Center, FL, Kings Point is a separate entity, physically separate from Sun City Center, and has different bylaws that govern its over 100 home owner associations. There is a palpable rivalry between the two sections that we sensed on more than one occasion. Housing here consists of mostly attached villas, and some one-story condos in contrast to single family homes in Sun City Center. There are over 100 clubs representing a multitude of interests, two clubhouses, 63 holes of golf, indoor and outdoor pools, and walking and hiking trails. Kings Point borders on Little Manatee Park.

Kings Point opened in 1973, so its over 5200 units are newer than the original units in Sun City Center. Housing ranges from 800 sq ft condos to units with nearly 2,000 square feet. All homes include covered parking ranging from a one-car carport on older units, to 1-2 car garages on newer homes. Expect to pay $125K – $200K for nice 2BR. Maintenance costs $350-600 per month, but includes all recreational amenities (except golf) as well as exterior building maintenance, insurance, basic cable, landscaping, trash removal, security patrol and water service.

Like the rest of Sun City Center, most of the retail and community amenities can be accessed by golf cart. Ample shopping is on site or nearby, and not far away are beaches and Tampa Bay.

For more information, contact Walt at 813-215-9319 or his website, visit the King Point official web site, or the Kings Point golf website.