Moving to Tampa, Florida

[Rey Orinion]

Hi fellow BPers,

Presently living in Seattle but will soon be moving to Tampa, Florida for job relocation and beaches, of course.  Currently, I and my wife have 3 properties in Seattle Washington that are cash flowing just fine.  Haven't been in Tampa, Florida before so we're not sure if we should rent an apartment first or buy our own owner-occupied property right away?  We will be total strangers there so we have no inkling whatsoever what the real estate market is like over there.  So, I am reaching out to you Tampa investors--seasoned or not--for a piece of advice.  Thanks in advance.