Tampa / St. Petersburg Real Estate News - Mike + Michelle Grizzell

Are Tampa Bay Area Rentals the Best Housing Solution?

It’s a familiar moment: you are about to enter into an important agreement, and as you lift the pen to sign your name, you pause. Your pen hovers over the Signature line for an extra moment as you register how important this will be in shaping your future…

When it comes to home rentals in Tampa – St. Petersburg area, just such a moment occurs when you are about to sign the next year’s lease agreement. Tampa – St. Petersburg area rentals largely echoed the national trend to higher prices and tightening supply, so the number of dollars on the bottom line can make that hesitation linger a bit longer than before.

The fact is that the Tampa – St. Petersburg housing situation today is vastly different than it was just a couple of years back. Especially…

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Bel Mar Shores in South Tampa Florida

Bel Mar Shores is yet another vibrant neighborhood within the city limits of Tampa, Florida. In the year 2000 census, the neighborhood has a population of only about 421. For those looking for a place where there is less crowd and more serene, Bel Mar Shores is the place to be. The neighborhood is located with the 33629 Zip Code.

The Boundaries

It is essential to note the boundaries on Bel Mar Shores. On other north part of this neighborhood, one can find the Spring Lake Drive. The southern end the Eulclid Avenue. Old Tampa Bay is on the west, while the South Westshore is to the east. The neighborhood is part of the beautiful South Tampa District, Florida.

Demographics

According to the census made in the year 2000, as stated earlier, there is…

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The Landings in South Tampa

Address:

7614 SW Shore Blvd.
Tampa, FL 33616

Phone: 813-835-4000

Current listings

Price: From the Low $300,000′s

The Landings – South Tampa’s Award-Winning and Eco-friendly Community

Crafted by Ashton Homes, The Landings is considered some of the most coveted real estate in South Tampa, Florida! Boasting an assortment of exquisite homes in a vibrant and centrally located community, it’s the place to be for families large and small looking to take in all the best that Tampa living has to offer.

Established in 1893, this unique community has it all – beauty, history, location, value and a warm, hometown feel to it. As soon as you enter, you’re welcomed by an elegant boulevard of delightful streets, and all homes have a front porch,…

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Discreet Path to Marketing South Tampa Luxury Homes

According to the Reuters news service, the home market for those with high net worth incomes (HNWI) has remained surprisingly strong – even when there were dips in other sectors. Luxury homes are hot on the radar of those with the means to swing multi-million dollar purchases.

One listing tactic for the marketing of luxury homes – whether in Beverly Hills, Palm Beach, or here in South Tampa  – is the “pocket listing.” Pocket listings give the owners of luxury homes the ability to conduct a discreet, private sale by keeping it off the Multiple Listing Service. The most common reason our sellers opt to steer clear of the MLS is to give maximum leeway concerning general public knowledge of the offering.

I recall seeing one notable recent example (I…

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Tampa Bay Secondary Homes: Legitimate IRA Investments?

Investors are still shaking off the memory of watching what happened to their IRA stock portfolios during the nightmarish global financial crisis. Even the groggy recovery that’s been under way ever since has featured the kind of stomach-churning drops that drive investors to the Pepto-Bismol.

So it’s not surprising that some have been searching for alternative assets that could grow tax-free within their retirement accounts. And lately I’ve been hearing from more clients who are asking about the possibilities in real estate, including Tampa Bay area second homes and even vacant acreage.

You read that right: real estate is a little-publicized yet entirely legal vehicle for IRAs! Right now, when prices are at bargain-basement levels, investing for…

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Long-Term Factors Get Tampa Bay Buyers’ Attention

For a future homebuyer scanning through the Tampa Bay Multiple Listing Service (MLS) listings, first there are the meat-and-potatoes factors (baths, bedrooms, square footage), then any number of other distinguishing factors.  Is the kitchen upgraded?  Does the floor plan work?  Will I like the backyard?

It’s easy for buyers to become enchanted by the bells and whistles as they search through the MLS listings.  But no matter how permanent they consider their intended move, that home purchase should always include a thoughtful appraisal of its long-term investment value.  Some of the underlying factors in that respect don’t change a lot.

Location, Location, Location!  When your agent sends you a batch of new MLS listings, be sure to click on the link…

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Tampa Bay Negative Mortgage Rate News You’ll Love to Read

With election season poised to roar into high gear, I’m about to begin officially (oh, all right – unofficially) to discount most of what I read over the next few months. Especially from experts, since many seem to have a horse in the race.

But while we are still in the nobody’s-paying-attention-yet month of August, I thought I should bring Tampa Bay area real estate readers — homeowners and future homeowners alike – an item that caught my eye last Friday. I had to read it three or four times before it sank in.

The headline read, “Housing: Good Vibrations,” with the subhead, “Real mortgage rates plunge into negative territory.” It’s the kind of negative news I don’t remember seeing a lot, but it certainly sounded interesting.

The author was…

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Tampa Bay Foreclosures Go To Prepared Buyers

If you are organized and willing to put in some serious spadework, buying a Tampa foreclosure can save you thousands of dollars.  A new wave of foreclosures could be heading our way later this year. According to RealtyTrac, the leading source of foreclosure statistics, one in every 665 national housing units received a foreclosure filing in June. More foreclosures mean more opportunities; but it also means that more buyers will begin to think seriously about going after them. In other words – more competition.

If you have never looked into what is involved in snagging one of the foreclosures in the Tampa Bay area, a few basics will greatly improve your chances for success:

Do Your Research So You Can Act Quickly.

The foreclosure market performs…

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Fireplace Tradeoffs: What Tampa Bay Area Homebuyers Favor

Many potential Tampa Bay area homebuyers rate fireplaces near the top of their ‘nice to have’ list. Not a ‘gotta have,’ but definitely a solid plus. For them, fireplaces are romantic additions to any property.  Sometimes a backyard fire pit or open-hearth barbecue can fill the bill. Especially during these July evenings, the allure of the dancing flames, crackling sound and woodsy aroma are all that are needed to bring back fond family memories and build new ones…

However – whether indoors or out, there are some practical advantages and drawbacks to both wood burners and gas fireplaces.

The main advantage to a wood burning fireplace or an outdoor fire pit is the ambience it creates. Since wood is the original renewable fuel, all the positives that…

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Check Tampa Bay Area MLS Listings To Discover Value Shift

The latest indications that we have seen the end of the sagging real estate market have started some Tampa Bay area homeowners thinking it may be time to sell. For those who are wondering if the long recession has altered how people look for homes – and if so, in what ways  – we’ve noticed a couple of new trends.

As before, the first stop for most potential buyers is the Tampa Bay area MLS listings. When you compare the language and features most prominent there, huge changes do not leap out. But a comparison with former language does reveal something of a shift in emphasis: many details that highlight opulence (to some, excess) are being replaced by features much more in tune with practicality and efficiency (to some, frugality). You would expect…

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