A rural escape into southern Florida, Lithia boasts picturesque farmland bursting with fruit-farming businesses, abundant outdoor fun and modern amenities. Just 25 miles outside Tampa, this quiet Hillsborough County suburb is close to beautiful state parks, top-rated schools, nature preserves, shopping and dining while blissfully away from loud city life. “It’s relaxed with access to adventure,” says Jeff Gould, Broker of Jeffrey Gould Real Estate and resident since 2005. “It pushes you out of all the hustle and bustle but keeps you close enough to get into Tampa fairly quickly. The communities here are also really nice, and most people like the area for the schools.”
Custom homes, landscaped yards and water views
Lithia boasts single-family, ranch-style homes, bungalows, modern Craftsman-style houses, sprawling farm ranches, Key West-style conch homes and Spanish Mediterranean-style houses on sprawling estates. “They’re more private builders here, so it’s not cookie cutter, most look very different,” Gould says. Most homes were built in the mid-2000s, ranging from $380,000 to $3 million. Warmly colored homes match the Florida vibe, and beautifully landscaped yards filled with towering palm trees and glistening pools pepper the landscape. Lots range from 1 to 30 acres for rural river retreats on the outskirts for true country living. Newly constructed three-bedroom homes built in 2023 can be found in the Hawkstone community, and for more upscale living, consider Hawk Creek, a private gated community featuring custom-built homes with water views and large driveways for any aquatic toys. The highly sought-after FishHawk Trails subdivision is walkable to schools, gate-guarded and offers a playground and miles of scenic walking trails.
Larger homes with well-manicured lawns in Fish Hawk Trails offers the beauty of home ownership.
The Fish Hawk Ranch Community is an award-winning community developed by Newland Communities.
Fish Hawk Ranch is comprised of single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and villas.
Tucked away in a beautiful natural setting, Fish Hawk Ranch is located in Lithia.
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Wildlife and cyclists head to Alafia State Park
Alafia River State Park and area nature preserves are highlights of the community. The park is a favorite spot for active riders traversing International Mountain Bike Association trails. Small lakes within the park provide opportunities for fishing and canoeing as well. The Chito Branch Reserve is a natural sanctuary that’s part of the Alafia River Corridor’s conservation lands. A haven for native wildlife, including fox squirrels, gopher tortoises and wading birds, the 5,500-acre tract also includes trails for walking, mountain biking and horseback riding. Lithia Springs Conservation Park is known for a natural spring that flows into the Alafia River and is a popular spot for swimming year-round and a go-to camping spot. “Both Alafia and Lithia Springs are down 39, they’re both really nice and really close,” says Gould. “Lithia Springs stays at 72 degrees year-round, so people are always there.”
Alafia River State Park consists of 6,344 acres and was formerly an old phosphate mine.
Equestrians and hikers can explore 20 miles of trails that travel through mixed scenery.
Enjoy some fishing or canoeing at Alafia River State Park.
Red Hawk Ranch is a Native American goods store open on Saturdays.
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Farm-to-table dining is easy here
With open space plentiful in the community, a significant portion of Lithia’s land is dedicated to agriculture. Fruit farming is especially popular, with citrus, strawberries and blueberries among the products produced by local businesses. For dining and daily needs, most residents make the 7-mile drive to the FishHawk Ranch neighborhood, which offers a Publix, breakfast spots like EggTown, Irish pub and sports bar, Beef ‘O’ Brady’s and Café Cuba, serving up Cuban cuisine. For retail shopping, residents can head to Bloomingdale Square.
Strawberries, citrus and blueberries have been very popular exports from Lithia.
Being traditionally a rural area, large farm homes can be found out in Lithia.
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Sampling good books at Pinecrest Elementary
Served by the Hillsborough County Public Schools District, the No. 2 best district in the Tampa area, local students attend Pinecrest Elementary, Barrington Middle and Newsome High School. The elementary school earned an overall B-minus on Niche, and the middle school earned an A-minus. Pinecrest offers a genre book-tasting event, fall food drives and Science Olympics. Earning an A on Niche, Newsome High offers a Bright Futures Scholarship Program, soccer and wrestling teams and scuba and archery clubs.
Take a short drive to Wimauma Air Park Airport
While residents can easily walk to schools and hiking trails, hopping on Florida State Route 618 provides easy access to Tampa in 25 miles, and County Road 672 gets residents to both Riverview Regional and Wimauma Air Park Airport in 15 miles.
Taste the World's Best Strawberry Shortcake
A tight-knit community, Lithia prides itself on engaging residents with an annual Memorial Day celebration, Family Fun Carnival and a Movies in the Park series. The most popular event for those willing to make the journey is the Florida Strawberry Festival in Plant City. Central Floridians travel 15 miles in February to taste the "World's Best Strawberry Shortcake” and support the Florida strawberry's agricultural legacy. “A lot of people from this area go to that festival,” Gould says.
On average, homes in Lithia, FL sell after 67 days on the market compared to the national average of 48 days. The median sale price for homes in Lithia, FL over the last 12 months is $560,000, up 7% from the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
My entire full time professional career has been in Sales; 15 successful years in the printing sales business in NYC and 23+ successful years in real estate world right here in Valrico, FL.
What I have learned along the way is that if I don’t have a keen knowledge of and a passion for what I’m doing, well, I might as well not do it.
Most sales careers offer schedule flexibility and Real Estate is no different, but make no mistake about it: If you do not treat what you do seriously and have a plan you will not succeed.
But that isn’t all it takes to be a good Realtor. Knowledge of personalities and their respective traits along with treating these personalities how you would like to be treated is what it takes. On time show up, consistent follow up and delivering information (good or bad!) is all part of it.
Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
