All Blog Posts

Home owners and buyers in the St. Petersburg and Tampa Bay real estate market, beware of rising flood insurance rates. You may have notice an increase in your flood policy premiums as of January 1st 2013, well this is only the beginning.  The Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012 becomes effective October 1st, 2013. [...]

Congratulations, we’ve officially moved to the seller’s market here in Tampa Bay! The inventory of homes for sale is currently at the 4 months consumption rate and that is very low compared to 6.5 months same time last year. Low inventory and continuous strong demand from buyer is currently causing prices to start going up.  [...]

The Madness Fire Is On And Banks Pour Oil On It Yesterday James and I went to a listing appointment.  We researched comparable sales and market stats and the market value for the home we will be listing is between 250k and 280k.  And at the high point of this range I would be a [...]

Or, welcome to the seller’s market. I couldn’t believe my eyes!  I sat down in front of my laptop blinking in awe at the numbers.  39!  Yes, there are only 39 homes (single family houses, as of 4/4/13) for sale in St Petersburg in the range between $275k and $325k.  This is a sweet spot for many [...]

Relocating can be exciting and also exhilarating.  Often you will have accumulated a lot of personal items and if you have a family, well… the amount of your treasured possessions triples or quadruples.  Your mind is restless, you need to call movers, learn about the area you are moving to and find that leasing agent [...]

I’ve heard them say some views and locations are simply priceless.  I can nod in agreement standing at the edge of Grand Canyon, but not on the balcony of a luxury condo with water views.  It may be a million dollar view but it’s not priceless.  Fortunately, there are many breathtaking views and locations in [...]

We are officially starting our monthly newsletter.  Frankly, I don’t know what kind of information would perk your interest on a regular basis, yet we’ll try to provide only high quality content.  We are Realtors, so naturally we want to share news related to real estate in St Petersburg and Tampa Bay area.  But we [...]

Allow Yourself Some Luxury There are many options to choose from when you are in search of a luxury condo in St Petersburg, Florida.  In the past 10 years the downtown skyline has changed dramatically.  Some new condominium complexes, like Signature Place, Sage, Walker Whitney and Ovation were built in a very modern architectural style.  [...]

And Why The Most Important One Is Marketing (watch video below) Location, location… location?  Wait a minute? Really?  Yes, you’ve heard it many times, but, in my opinion, it’s an overrated statement and often not true for several reasons.  If the buyer is an investor they care more about their rate of return or net profit rather [...]

Yes, folks, it is winter and I know many of you just came inside after shoveling snow from your driveway.  The only snow we see here in Florida is usually in a shape of a snow cone, or even better – shaved ice.  By the way, check out SnoBalls in Treasure Island, you’ll love it! [...]

And Why It Is Important In Real Estate I believe one can get a degree in communications.  What to say, how to say it and when to say it can pretty much determine your communication success not only in business but also in your private life.  We must remember who we are trying to communicate [...]

Have you ever been to a botanical paradise?  If not, come visit Sunken Gardens, located on 4th street in St Petersburg, FL.  It is over 100 years old and features some of the oldest tropical plants in Tampa Bay.  It’s a great place to come and unwind.  Sit in the shade of the trees and [...]

So Breath Normally, St Petersburg Resident, You Are Good For This Year! If the Mortgage Debt Relief Act would not have been renewed for 2013, it could have created a serious damper on the real estate market recovery and growth this year.  Fortunately for many home owners planning on going through a short sale this [...]

Obtaining an FHA loan for purchasing a home in St Petersburg is a huge advantage for home buyers.  The downpayment is very low, only 3.5%, the loan is guaranteed by the government and is assumable by future buyers, which can be a great selling point down the road when rates go up. At the same [...]

Yes, it is 2013 and January is quickly gaining speed!  But some of our clients are starting to wonder, how did 2012 do in terms on real estate? We’ve made a couple videos for you to sum up 2012 real estate market activity in St Petersburg and all Tampa Bay.  Take a look and you’ll [...]

By guest blogger/writer Jared Diamond The real estate forecast for 2013 is cautiously optimistic.  Modest gains are expected in leasing, rents, and pricing across the nation.  Quick profits will still be a distant dream for developers and investors who have been hoping to make a killing, after all, the recession continues and taxes and prices [...]

Things To Remember When Making An Offer On A Short Sale Recently I’ve submitted an offer on a short sale listing in St Petersburg.  As typical, seeing that the property has been on the market for a couple months, we went a little below the list price, but within reason.  I could find several comparable [...]

Tuten’s Timely Tips for Sellers during the Holidays During the holiday season you will probably have some time off from the regular routine.  Use some of this ”free” time to take care of the little things that make a big difference in your home presentation. 1.   Curb Appeal – during the winter the grass may [...]

Tuten’s Timely Tips for Home Buyers in 2013 As you step into the arena of the New Home Search in St Petersburg or anywhere in Tampa Bay, you need to be prepared and that requires having a plan.  Consider the following: 1.  Develop a “Wish List”.  These are the “must haves” and the “would really [...]

Waterfront Lifestyle – Is It Something You Seek? For so many happy home owners in Tampa Bay life is very much about living on the water.  Wide, wide water.  The kind of bay or canal that makes you want to get out to your back porch in the morning with your coffee mug and be [...]

Double Waterfront Lot In St Petersburg Once in a very rare while an opportunity presents itself.  The kind of opportunity that makes you smile and nod while saying to yourself: yes, this is a good deal! Living on the water in Tampa Bay is a dream of many and a reality for some.  A lifestyle [...]

As A Realtor You Have To Choose Your Position On Zillow And Trulia We have an interesting discussion going on our Tampa Bay Realtors® Facebook group, which  I started over a year ago with a purpose of educating and helping local Tampa Bay real estate agents.  It’s an open group where we share experience, exchange referrals and post [...]

Definitions You Should Know Many of us in Tampa Bay still don’t know the difference between a mortgage, note and warranty deed.  Here’s a quick review of definitions.  I hope it helps you when you are buying or selling a home in St Petersburg, FL.  The terms have the same meaning throughout the USA. Mortgage [...]

Understand the FHA short sale process Today, when so many home owners in St Petersburg are still “under water” a short sale may be your only option if you need to sell your home.  But type of loan do you have? Here’s an outline of a FHA loan short sale process. All short sales are [...]

7 Reasons for Unreturned Realtor Calls Today I met a client from Georgia (state) and she decided to hire me as a buyer’s agent.  She’s relocating from Atlanta to Tampa Bay, and the funny thing is she’s a Realtor herself.  She was trying to arrange showings on her own calling listing agents and not getting [...]

Is The Lack Of Inventory Causing Changes In The Market? I just did a quick search and came up with only 2 short sale listings in Old Northeast.  Not too long ago the situation was radically different.  The market was overloaded with short sales and bank-owned homes (REOs).  Even in an established St Pete historical [...]

What Will Take Place Of This Historical Building In St Pete? A well-familiar structure in St Petersburg, FL at 232 2nd St N came crashing down.  A nearly 100 year old building of a unique mission-style was recently demolished.  It was sitting vacant for several years, slowly deteriorating.  I often wondered about the fate of [...]

President On Treasure Island, FL In Miami Beach folks can ride bikes and roller blade along the trail paved directly on the beach.  There’s a place in Pinellas where you can do the same, that place is Treasure Island.  Granted, it’s not as long or as fancy as the one in Miami but that’s your [...]

RNC in Tampa and Surfing in St Pete It is Monday afternoon, I’m sitting by the window at Bayfront Baby Place watching Isaac.  No, not my newborn.  My second daughter, baby Natalie came into this world yesterday, quite dramatically, but she’s fine and recovering well at All Children’s.  Isaac hasn’t arrived yet, not to St [...]

Flash flood in west St Petersburg 6.05 left my office in Downtown St Petersburg. Thunder. No rain. 6.10 started raining, hard. 6.15 can’t make it to my neighborhood because my street is flooded. 6.20 looking for a spot to park my car in my neighborhood. Water rips off plastic engine guard at the bottom of [...]

Foreclosure Buying Process  Foreclosure is a process that allows a lender to recover the amount owed on a defaulted loan by selling or repossessing the property securing the loan.  Below are some tips for purchasing a foreclosure in St Petersburg or anywhere in Tampa Bay. Get an estimate of what you can afford, which enables [...]

And Fun In the Sun On Treasure Island In the heat of a summer day there are few things better than enjoying a cup of Hawaiian-style shaved ice.  Well, that plus spending some time on the beach.  You can do that with ease if you live in Tampa Bay.  Just head to Treasure Island and [...]

And Why Saturday Morning Market in Azalea Park is the answer. We’ve all been enjoying Saturday Morning market in Downtown St Pete for a decade now.  It is a vibrant weekly event featuring dozens of produce and dining vendors, local artists and musicians.  It is probably one of the best places to hang out with [...]

And What It Means For Seller And Agent I feel like I’m about to embarrass a few agents in my area.  Let it be if so.  My commitment first of all is to a client and so should it be for every listing agent in Tampa Bay area.  I’d like to talk about Realtor.com and [...]

And What It Means For You Are you looking for a home in Snell Isle?  It’s a large community and you may find homes here from $200k’s to properties with a tag of several $ million.  That’s why so many people love it. It’s an area that accommodates various lifestyles and they all fit together [...]

And Why It’s More About You Rather Than Your House There is a slew of information on the web regarding how to get your house ready for a sale.  You may have read such blog posts with headlines like these: Five ways to improve curb appeal, three interior paint colors that sell most homes, fourteen [...]

Lassing Park and Old Souteast Judge Robert B. Lassing donated Lassing Park (see video below) to the city in 1924.  The gift included an understanding that the city of St. Petersburg would erect “no buildings other than necessary for park purposes,” according to a citation included in the survey. The City acquired additional land in [...]

And is it a Buyer’s or Seller’s market? 6,358 – Number of homes listed for sale in Pinellas County as of today.  Same time last year we had about twice as many homes for sale on our market.  What is going on?  Inventory is rapidly depleting, banks are strongly controlling the release of new REOs [...]

Unique area in St Pete Beach with amazing views. It’s Upham Beach! Upham Beach is a public beach and a small residential area on the barrier island of St Pete Beach.  This place has long been a beloved spot for many locals and tourists alike.  You are guaranteed to hear foreign speech when you visit [...]

Overnight Waterfront Homes – Thanks to Debby For many people in Tampa Bay today’s situation is far from being exciting. Tropical storm Debby blasted through our area and not only did some damage but also caused some unpleasant flooding. While some are having fun, kids skim boarding in their driveways, folks riding through streets in [...]

A Peninsula of Paradise in Pass-A-Grille Pass-A-Grille!  What a unique beach community!  Located at the southernmost tip of Pinellas County, it is a peace of paradise and a vacation haven for locals and tourists alike.  Although Pass-A-Grille belongs to the St Pete Beach municipality, it feels like a separate little town with a culture of [...]

Will you call Caya Costa in St Pete your home? Today I’m showing a few properties in Caya Costa.  It is a gated community of about 230 homes in the northeast part of St Petersburg.  Developed in mid 1980’s it is located across the channel from the main Riviera Bay community.  Many homes in Caya [...]

How about a vacation on Indian Rocks Beach? Shady cottages, quaint businesses, less crowds, few high rise condos…These features characterize perfectly the uniqueness of Indian Rocks Beach, my favorite among them all (and there are many here).   Every time we cruise through Indian Rocks on Gulf Blvd, I confess than I’m a little jealous of [...]

All You Need To Know About Snell Isle in St Pete When was Snell Isle developed? –  1920s Snell Isle was developed by C. Perry Snell in 1899 after he returned to St. Petersburg from traveling around Europe.  The first piece of land purchased was North Shore Park followed by Crescent Lake (located off of [...]

Luxury Short Sales In St Pete and Tampa Bay For some people the term “high-end short sale” sounds like an oxymoron.  There are definitely more lower and middle price range short sale listings in St Petersburg and all Tampa Bay market.  Typically the homes that are considered luxury start at a $500k price point.  Some [...]

And Who Will Get A Piece Of The Robo-Signing Settlement Pie? I’m sure that by now you’re heard enough about the settlement between the government and 5 major banks.  The lenders did a naughty thing trying to speed up the foreclosures. Technically a bank can initiate such process by filing a lis pendens on someone [...]

Back To The Future? St Petersburg Mid-Century Modern Homes. There’s something exciting about mid-century modern homes.  You can take a look at one and think it was built just yesterday.  (Real our earlier post about mid-century modern homes in Tampa Bay wtih more photos here.)  Even though this design was popular in the 50’s and 60’s it is [...]

Car Dealerships Compared to Real Estate Brokerages. IS the Power in the Brand? I find many similarities between car dealerships and real estate brokerages.  Car salesmen and real estate agents typically rank low in public trust, have the perception of being sleazy, unprofessional and are thought to only think about their commission.  This is often [...]

Downtown St Pete. What’s for sale? St Petersburg has truly evolved in the last 10 years.  A lot of changes are seen in the skyline of the downtown area.  It has become a major attraction for the Tampa Bay visitors.  We can’t imagine downtown without The Signature Place, 400 Beach Drive, Parkshore, The Ovation and the new [...]

Realtor.com vs. Homes.com – you choose Recently I wrote a post on Zillow and Trulia.  I hope it was helpful to read on pros and cons.  It’s time to review the other two giants on the real estate search arena. Realtor.com – should I say more? Perhaps. Realtor.com – is without a doubt the leader [...]

A Morning Walk In St Petersburg, FL Have you even been on top of the St Pete Pier?  Many have, but have you watched the sunrise there?  I was fortunate enough to be there before the sun came up a few days ago and the guards have just opened the elevator and let me in.  [...]

Before You Build a Pool By Katherine McKenzie, guest writer/blogger(www.newhomesource.com) Maybe it’s the perfect blue of the Florida sky, or the pool parties your new St Petersburg neighbors keep inviting you to—but somewhere along the line almost everyone in this climate gets hit with the urge to build a pool. Pools in St Petersburg are [...]

Google Earth – a Helper or a Bummer? My wife and I love to travel the world.  Well, I suppose I should say” loved” as most of our world travel happened prior to the arrival of our beautiful daughter who’s now 5.  But even at her young age she’s now been 3 times across the [...]

Zillow, Trulia, Realtor.com and Homes.com – what’s right for you? Whether you are a new agent in St Petersburg/Tampa area and someone just entrusted you with the sale of their home (your first listing…gulp!) or a seasoned professional with dozens of listed homes, I’m sure you’ve given these big 4 a serious thought.  That’s if [...]

Update on Pinellas real estate We are close to the finish line of this exciting year.  2011 so far has been a very interesting year for real estate in St Petersburg and all Tampa Bay area.  We didn’t see dramatic changes in home prices, though definitely observed a huge decrease in St Pete real estate [...]

Criminal record and real estate license Interesting article was posted on Sunday on Tampabay.com.  It talks about real estate agents and if they should be allowed to obtain their license if they have a criminal record.  The author points out that different states have different regulations, where some don’t allow former criminals to have a [...]

What will the new St Pete Pier look like? The news about the total restructure of St Pete Pier is no longer news.  We’ve all been hearing for a while about this plan and possible architectural ideas of what the future Pier should look like.  Not too long ago we’ve written a post about the Pier and [...]

Help!  I need to sell my home in St Petersburg! Some say the real estate market in Tampa Bay is improving.  While it may be so in some areas of St Petersburg and other cities of Pinellas, it is still a challenging time to sell your home.  We talk to sellers daily and all of them have [...]

Searching for rental homes in St Petersburg and Pinellas. By popular demand we’ve compiled a list of current homes for rent in St Petersburg, FL and surrounding cities like Seminole, Gulfport, St Pete Beach, Treasure Island, Madeira Beach, Redington Beach, Redington Shores and other cities of Pinellas. Here you will find houses, condos and townhomes currently [...]

Not ready to buy a house? There are many rental options in St Petersburg. If you are not ready to become a property owner quite yet, then you are choosing to rent.  Unless, your folks or friends are kind enough to let you live with them.  Renting is simple, less worries, no maintenance to deal [...]

Got Florida Real Estate Tax Bill? If you live in St Petersburg, Florida just like me you have probably received your real estate tax bill.  You either have it escrowed and paid by your lender, who then breaks it down and adds to your monthly mortgage payments, or you pay one lump sum. HOW IS [...]

Short Sale Relocation Assistance Program by Bank of America. What is it all about? We love your real estate questions and we enjoy answering them to the best of our ability.  The big news for St Petersburg and all Tampa Bay residents in the past few weeks was the fact that Bank of America rolled [...]

Wells Fargo makes a terminally ill seller pay defficiency after short sale We’ve processed hundreds of short sales.  In deed, in St Petersburg and all Tampa Bay area the words “short sale” have become so common, people mention them whiling drinking their Starbucks coffee and socializing with friends, and the local news talk about short [...]

Home searching. What is the best tool? Ok, so I did a little research for you.  I used Compete.com which is a web solution that offers statistics on websites’ traffic.  It’s not necessarily a 100% accurate, but quite reliable as we actually compared the stats of our own website traffic data with Compete’s.  Numbers were [...]

Short Sale Process. What you need to know. Perhaps you ‘ve been behind on your payments, gone through a hardship and/or need to relocate.  Regardless of the reason, if you must sell your house and find that your home value is lower than what you owe, there are only 2 ways to sell your home [...]

Foreclosure filings, home prices, REOs and sinkhole madness One of the things we mentioned last week is that there’s a possibility of a Seller’s Market in place in Tampa Bay area, specifically in St Petersburg.  While nationally the median sales prices are slightly down, be careful to rely on national real estate data.  Always remember [...]

Is real estate going up? Is it time to sell or buy in Tampa Bay? In the last few months we’ve been actively talking about the reducing real estate inventory in St Petersburg and all Tampa Bay.  We’re simply trying to carry the message to the consumer.  It is our duty and responsibility as real [...]

Old Historical Homes In Tampa Bay, pre-1920 Tampa Bay real estate doesn’t have centuries of unique history, so an “old house” for us is often something over 50 years old.  Well, there are actually quite a few homes in St Petersburg, Belleair, Tarpon Springs, Tampa and all over Tampa Bay that were built even over a 100 [...]

Are you free to sell your house whenever? We like when you ask us questions, especially if they are real estate related.  But today we’d like to ask YOU a question.  Should you be allowed to resell your home whenever you want for as much as you want?  What?  I’m not allowed to do that?? [...]

Then you might want to see what homes are for sale in Countryside today We wrote a blog post recently about Countryside in Clearwater area.  You can read it here.  While it’s a great area to live, you may be having a hard time finding homes for sale in Countryside.  So, for your convenience, here’s an interactive map [...]

Homes and condos for sale in North Beach, Clearwater After our recent post on North Beach in Clearwater Beach we thought it would be appropriate to show what’s currently for sale in that area.   The interactive map is very easy to use, just hover your mouse over listings and click on each to see more [...]

North Beach, Clearwater Beach – perhaps the most quaint residential beach area? You are crossing the bridge from main land into Clearwater Beach.  The view is amazing; small boats and yachts cruising the intracoastal waters and white sailboats rushing into the Gulf of Mexico.  You manage to get on and off the crazy round about [...]

Do you want to live on the beach in Florida? By Katy Pilato, our guest blogger Who doesn’t?  Well, you will definitely like the Mandalay area in Clearwater Beach, Florida located on the North end of the island.  Watching the sunset at Pier 60 is a highlight for locals and foreigners alike, as is catching a weekly [...]

What’s A Lis Pendens and What To Do When Served One day you may have someone knocking on your door asking you to sign off on a Lis Pendens notice.  You probably know the reason why they are at your door.  For whatever reason you’ve been behind on your mortgage payments. You are not alone [...]

“Must see inside!” By Emily Zobanov, our guest blogger Indeed.  Up for grabs in the medieval town of Visby, Sweden is a quaint 18th century house built over the remains of an ancient Russian church.  The five-bedroom house comes with an unusual feature – an 800-year-old Russian skeleton.  His grave is covered only by glass, [...]

Fresh listings in Old Northeast and Snell Isle in St Petersburg From the top of this list of homes we start with the latest listings.  That perfect Old Northeast or Snell Isle home may have just been listed today and it will be on this list.  Enjoy browsing and fee free to contact us with [...]

Old Northeast Hostorical Tree Is Coming Down In the beginning of July this year we had a storm in St Petersburg and I’m sure you’ve noticed a few downed trees in the area.  One of them unfortunately was this huge tree on 20th Ave NE in the heart of Old Northeast.  The tree split and [...]

Watch The Sunset At Don CeSar on St Pete Beach The summer is slowly passing by, so we are taking every chance to spend some time on the beach.  Being Florida residents we don’t chase the sun trying to get tan like tourists do, but we do like to watch the sunsets.  St Pete Beach [...]

Snell Isle: Oasis in the City Looking for a serene place in the city where historic homes line shady, winding streets?  A quaint neighborhood that has an authentic “old Florida” charm?  Snell Isle near downtown St Petersburg, Florida may suit you to a tee.  Located just minutes from downtown St. Pete and connected to the [...]

Have you been to Countryside in Clearwater? By Katy Pilato, our guest blogger Home of the Countryside Cougars, the Countryside area in Clearwater, Florida is a relaxing place to live!  A great school system of Pinellas County, from experience Countryside High School is a grade A school.  The Countryside area has well-manicured, landscaped properties and [...]

Free Red Bull in St Pete? Yeah, I was getting tired at my desk right around 4 pm and all of a sudden there it was, a cool little Mini Cooper with Red Bull logos all over it and a gigantic Red Bull can bolted on its roof.  A couple young ladies (should I even [...]

Live in St Pete? How’s your home’s Zestimate? So, I’ve just received a Zestimate report from Zillow in my email.  Looks pretty good, if you ask me.  I don’t really agree with the actual estimated value of my home, but that’s probably because I’m so “emotionally attached” to my property and don’t know the “real market [...]

Does your street in St Pete flash flood? I live in Eagle Crest, a lovely community in west St Pete.  We love it because of its layout, location and history.  The red brick paved streets are wide and there’s plenty of parking comparing, for example, to Old Northeast.  A couple streets are curved and make the [...]

Tanglewood and Harbor Isle listings. What’s new? We’ve been hearing complaints from local Realtors about the lack of real estate inventory on the Tampa Bay market.  Specifically in St. Petersburg it is getting harder and harder to find a move-in ready house.  There are many reasons for this: investor activity, people can afford homes at current [...]

Do YOU like Popsicles? The hard part is over; you have found your home destination: Tampa Bay, the perfect place!  But have you found a perfect dessert shop in your area yet?  If you have, please share a link to your favorite dessert place below.  Not long ago my cousin moved to the east coast for school and recently visited St. Augustine.  [...]

Tampa Bay Real Estate market trend. How does it look? A few days ago we listed a house for sale.  We did our market research and comps analysis to price it right.  Then out of curiosity I went to Zillow.com to check out their graphs.  I seldom refer to Zillow in order to find the [...]

Tips on Curb Appeal for St Petersburg and Tampa Bay residents By Rick Orr - agronomist, blogger Curb Appeal? Try these ideas to get started making your house inviting to potential buyers. Even Weeds look Good Mowed Mowing can really change the appearance of the home. And mowing as high as the mower will go is best. The [...]

Scalloping in Steinhatchee, FL No city noise, fresh air and a serene nature setting.  It’s Steinhatchee!  If you want a little break from your busy St Petersburg or Tampa lifestyle, perhaps you might want to try scalloping.  Just three and a half hours north is a perfect place for this fun activity.  Scallops are plentiful [...]

But don’t know where to begin? Beautiful, ugly, cute, nice, dump, got curb appeal, elegant, so-so, starter home, total rehab, is this a joke?, fixer-upper.  Buyers and sellers use these terms to describe a house – yes, often your house.   Once you bought your home, your mind probably drifted to other things besides real [...]

Yes!  You better believe it!  Look at these Tampa Bay beach homes! I know, I know, I know, the real estate values are continuing to decrease.  We expect an average home value to drop by around 7-8% this year.  But it is better than 15-20% we used to lose annually during 2007-2009.  By today our home values dropped by [...]

A Boost for LA’s Real Estate Market! By our guest writer, Katy Pilato Even though you may be living n St Peterburg or some other place in Tampa Bay, I know, you still like to know what’s going on with celebs in California.  Keeping Up With the Kardashians beauty queen TV star, 30 year old is [...]

3 major banks lose loan modification incentives and what it means for you! Are you behind on your mortgage payments because your interest rates are too high?   Have you tried the HAMP loan modification program?   If you have, you know how hard it is to actually get approved, get the modification done in your [...]

Have you seen this Google Maps car in your neighborhood? I’ve already written a post about the Google Maps street view vehicles driving through St Pete and Tampa Bay neighborhoods and what it means for you.   But recently I actually had an opportunity to see one for myself.   Driving on 5th Ave N in St Petersburg, [...]

7 Things you should know about short sales and foreclosure in Tampa Bay We meet people in St Petersburg and all over Tampa Bay who have questions about the short sale and foreclosure process.  Here are just 7 things we’d like to address today: 1. How long does the short sale process take? From submission of [...]

GENERAL LENDER REQUIREMENTS FOR SHORT SALE – LOAN MODIFICATION – DEED IN LIEU Seller/Owner docs 1. Borrower(s) Written Authorization to discuss the loan with 3rd parties (not our borrower) and listing agreement if working with an agent 2. Borrower(s) Hardship letter (reason for delinquency) 3. Borrower(s) Financial statement – monthly income vs outflow 4. Borrower(s) [...]

Do you know your options?? As we mentioned in our previous post, Distressed property solutions for Tampa Bay residents, there are many options to be found today for those that find themselves in a tough financial situation with their homes. A short sale can be an excellent solution for homeowners who need to sell, and [...]

Distressed property solutions for Tampa Bay residents • Are you behind on your mortgage? • Do you owe the bank more than the house is worth? • Do you have 1,2 or even 3 mortgages on your property? • Have you tried to obtain funds to bring your loan current without success? • Is your [...]

Boats, snorkeling and cornhole.  It’s Memorial Day weekend in St Pete Beach!   St Pete Beach on Memorial Day As I write this post on the evening of Memorial Day I can smell something delicious on my neighbors grill.  I hear them splashing in the pool and laughing loudly.  There’s something good about this day.  There’s something [...]

Was Tony Robbins wrong? Back in August of last year Tony Robbins’ “Economic Warning” videos popped up on YouTube and many people trembled with fear of an upcoming disaster.  Some of my friends ran to the silver and gold dealers and stocked up on precious supplies.  Was Tony wrong in his predictions?  Or is the [...]

How about building a house on the beach? Let’s face it, most people buy homes that are already built, often old homes.  While an old house can carry its’ own charm, history and specific style, why not consider building a house on a vacant lot in Tampa Bay? I have heard many arguments on this [...]

10 reasons to build a SIP (Structural Insulated Panels) home in Tampa Bay. If you dream of building a house in St Petersburg, FL or anywhere else in Tampa Bay, here’s some food for thought before you go on with your project.  In fact, we will be writing a whole separate post on what you [...]

  If you live in Tampa Bay here are 5 things you should know about home staging. If you’re selling a home in St Petersburg or anywhere in Tampa Bay and it’s been listed by a trusted real estate professional you might be left wondering, “What else can I do to help this house sell?”  [...]

Bank-owned homes are often called REOs. 10 things to consider before buying one. If you are considering buying a bank owned property or what is often called an REO (real estate owned) or a foreclosure in St Petersburg or anywhere in Tampa Bay, here’re 10 things you need to consider before taking action: 1)      REOs are not [...]

Learn about Riviera Bay, Harbor Isle, Tanglewood and Venetian Isles Often when we mention waterfront communities in Tampa Bay people think about the homes on the beach.  While there are definitely many exquisite waterfront communities along the beaches of Pinellas County, today I wanted to talk specifically about the waterfront communities in St Petersburg, FL.  [...]

Got Bugs? Who You Gonna Call? Doug The Bug! The termite swarming season is approaching and I feel like we need to say a few words on this issue.  If you live in St Petersburg, FL or anywhere in Tampa Bay you’ve probably dealt with termites at some point in your life.  There are dry [...]

And some things are simply huge.  I’ve lived in America for over 8 years now and I’m a proud citizen.  Several aspects of American life have fascinated me throughout the years.  For example, the American mentality for being the best of the best  and the vision of making a comfortable lifestyle accessible to everyone.  In [...]

Let me show you what $500k can buy in St Pete Beach, FL If you love having your vacation in Florida and especially Tampa Bay area, then you know that St Pete Beach is one of the most desirable destinations for tourists.  But something that a lot of vacationers may not know is that aside [...]

Buying a home in St Pete? You gotta look at these! It’s no secret there are so many good real estate deals today.  We talk about this on our real estate blog all the time.  In St Petersburg and all Tampa Bay it is still a buyer’s market.  We’ve picked a few options for you today, and even [...]

St Pete Real Estate sales.  Are we still going down?? Here’s a quick real estate sales update for St Petersburg, FL.  Literally every day people ask me about the market and where we’re heading.   Well, let’s take a look at YTD of 2011 home sales in St Pete. Where are we today?  So far there [...]

Will Donald Trump Run For President? He is certainly giving many interviews and many talk show hosts like to keep Trump as a center of attention.  You never know what the master of real estate has on his mind.  Except one thing – money, lots of money.  And he’s been good at making large sums [...]

A Modern Day Huck Finn Among Us He smokes a pipe and drifts along the waterways of Ocala National Forest with his dog.   The name of his boat?  The Huckleberry Finn.   He bathes in a creek, eats by his own hand, and carves canoes from fallen cypress trees.  If the modern world comes too close, [...]

Largo Central Railroad and Pawfest Weekend Last Saturday we headed to the Largo Central Park.  This is probably one of the nicest city parks in Pinellas County.  There’s a lot of money being spent there on maintenance and activities, all for the good of local residents.  Currently a brand new playground is being built and I [...]

The answer is yes! St Petersburg FL offers endless “Kodak moment” opportunities. One can never get tired of photographing St Petersburg. If you live in Tampa Bay and love taking pictures – you know it.  There’s a great combination of office towers, condominiums, marinas with boats, historical buildings and parks to take a perfect city [...]

You deserve quality listings! Regardless of what site you choose to look for a new house in St Petersburg or anywhere in Tampa Bay, when you are shopping for a house you will most likely be browsing through listings that fall within you budget, or within whatever limits your bank approved you for (sigh). We’d like [...]

Do you live in St Pete? Maybe you should read this book! By Emily Zobanov, our guest writer The Seamless City:  A Conservative Mayor’s Approach to Urban Revitalization that Could Work Anywhere is now available on Amazon.com.  The book is divided into two sections.  The first reveals Baker’s views on how to plan a great [...]

Is it a video tour or a virtual open house? Well, it’s both! The idea behind bringing the video tours to our buyers is to make them feel as if they were experiencing their own private open house.  Virtual tours and slide shows just can’t do it, no matter how nice they are.  If you can [...]

Paddling through Clam Bayou in Gulfport A few weeks back my wife took me kayaking as a part of her birthday surprise to me.  I never thought I’d enjoy it as much as I did.  Searching for an adventure doesn’t come to me naturally but I will often join yours if you invite me.  We [...]

Have you even been to Indian Shores? It was a beautiful weekend in Pinellas, especially if you were spending it on the water.  Clear skies and a light breeze created the perfect weather for being on the beach.  Indian Rocks Beach and Indian Shores are beloved locations for many tourists but especially for Tampa folks.  I suspect it’s [...]

Deals Of The Week in Dunedin, FL New listing in Dunedin this week.  Take a look at these homes and condo that just came on the market. Dunedin is a great community, a town located on the west side of Pinellas County offering an exquisite lifestyle to tourists and locals.  You are also welcome to search Tampa [...]

Why Listings Expire in St. Pete, Tampa And Anywhere Some listings don’t sell during the listing period for a variety of reasons, including: 1)     market conditions (oversupply of homes available for sale); 2)     property condition; 3)     listing period too short; 4)     uncooperative owner or tenant; 5)     overpriced; or 6)     poor marketing effort. Except for the [...]

1920’s: The Florida Land Boom   Easy credit.  Sky-high real estate prices.  Speculation. Sounds like the housing situation of recent years but these trends were the norm in early 1920’s Florida.   The Victorian Era was long gone and the new middle class had leisure time and money to travel.   Florida was readily accessible through railways [...]

Seminole, Fl home sales and listings stats Today we’re giving you a quick update on the Seminole, FL real estate market.  This town is an exciting place to live where you can find the county’s best schools, family friendly neighborhoods and be close to the beach.  Located on the west side of our peninsula, Seminole [...]

How Much Do You Know About Isla Del Sol? If you are looking for a prestigious level of service and lifestyle – think about Isla Del Sol.  It is an extravagant golf course community that is an island surrounded by intracoastal waters.  Isla features multiple pools spread through the area and nestled between condo towers [...]

What Will Justin Bieber’s Home Look Like? There are rumors that Justin Bieber is looking for a place of his own.  Is he looking for a house or condo?  You may know that he lived in Canada with his Mom and grandparents and recently moved to Atlanta, GA.  However his rep confirmed that Justin is [...]

The Refinery. American modern cuisine in Tampa Bay. Last week was my birthday, and by the way, thank you all for the Facebook birthday wishes, all several hundred of them!  Well, my wife had a little surprise for me, actually two surprises.  In the morning she took me kayaking at Clam Bayou, which is located [...]

New Listings in Seminole, FL In The Past Week In the last 7 days there were quite a few new listings in Seminole, FL.  This town is well-known for being very family friendly, having a great school system and being close to the beach.   We’ve picked several listings we’d like to share with you today.  Enjoy browsing and [...]

7 Guidelines For The First-time Home Buyers According to a National Association of Realtors survey conducted in 2006 and 2007 the average first time home buyer’s age is 31 years.  This average is pointing towards Gen X, but in our experience we also have educated Gen Y’ers (or Millennials) on first-time home buying process.  Even people that [...]

Did You Know Al Capone Lived In St Petersburg? In 1926 St Petersburg, FL became a regular get away for Al Capone.  While being an occasional guest at the Don Cesar Beach Resort and Spa, it is also rumored that he owned a home in Shore Acres.  Supposedly he used a house for his elderly [...]

How’s Your Curb Appeal? Everyone knows how important curb appeal is when it comes down to selling or buying a house.  If you are a seller you want your home to have a curb appeal to attract buyers and if you are a buyer you are naturally drawn to a house that simply stands out, [...]

How Much Do You Know about Old Northeast? by Emily Zobanov, guest writer Historic Old Northeast, located between 5th and 30th Ave N and east of 4th Street, was the first official neighborhood in St. Petersburg.   There are approximately 4,000 households in Old Northeast.  A walk or drive through the shady, brick-paved streets of this district [...]

Did Britney Just Spend $18.9 Million On A New House? This Tudor style mansion in Hidden Hills, California is a Britney Spears’ new home.  After living for a few years in an $8 million Mediterranean style home in a gated community in Beverly Hills, she is moving into this 20,000 sq.ft house in Los Angeles. This property was recently listed [...]

This Week’s Real Estate Deals On The Beach The spring time is here and we’re starting to get more calls on beach properties, so today The HOME Team is bringing you some new deals along the beaches that came up in the past week.  We’ve researched in St Pete Beach, Treasure Island, Madeira Beach, Redington [...]

Window Listings And QR-Codes.  Are You In The Game? One of the traditional ways Realtors market homes is by placing listings on the window of the office. It is definitely a good way to advertise your home since there are so many people walking by real estate offices every day, especially in high traffic areas. [...]

Hot Winter Day At Taco Bus! What a beautiful day it was this past Saturday!  You could get sunburn being outside for too long.  It’s full blown spring time in St Petersburg and all Tampa Bay. No wonder “snowbirds” and tourists from all over the world are flocking to our area.  I was told many were [...]

Do You Own A Mid Century Modern Home In Tampa Bay? What style home is your home?  If it is a 50-60’s era home, it might very well be a mid century modern home.  From 1955 through the first half of the 1960’s, a huge change in home design took place creating mid-century modern homes.  The style [...]

Real Estate Deals Of The Week in Tampa and St Petersburg Here are a few listings that have been listed in the last week.  It is always exciting to see ”fresh” homes on the market, especially because their listing price often can tell us where the market is going.  If you’d like to see any of these [...]

Orlando-Tampa High-Speed Rail Line. To Be Or Not To Be? Many have heard about the high-speed rail line project.  The line was supposed to connect Tampa and Orlando and provide a quick commute for businessmen as well as for tourists visiting Disney World, who would want to get away from the parks’ busy life to [...]

Owner Financing vs. Lease-To-Own Purchase We meet many buyers and sellers in St Petersburg and Tampa who are confused and don’t know the difference between the two.  For your convenience The HOME Team provides the definitions and a brief explanation of the owner financing and lease-to-own terms, both for buyers and sellers. Owner Financing A home-financing practice in which a [...]

Tampa Bay Dining Discoveries. Beirut Cafe. Valentine’s Day has come and gone, and so many people we know probably went to Carrabas and various steakhouses to celebrate.  One of our favorite places, Cafe O’Bistro, came to mind, but after making a phone call there we found out they are booked for the night.  There were no [...]

Video In Real Estate, And Why You Must Use It. I consistently hear about the need to use video in order to boost the site’s exposure on the web.  I highly agree as I see our Google ratings get better and video often pop up on the first page.  The HOME Team has a full-time media specialist, creating and editing [...]

IS YOUR REALTOR BRINGING ON A PHOTO DISASTER? We’ve been working with home sellers and buyers for a long time.  Yet, it still amazes me sometimes to see how agents advertise listings.  I also can’t, in the right mind, understand why the home sellers list their homes with the agents offering this type of marketing.  PHOTO TAKING MISTAKES [...]

TAMPA LISTINGS AND SALES… WHERE ARE WE TODAY? LISTED HOMES STATS According to local MLS there are currently 4,899 homes listed for sale in Tampa.  2301 (47 %!!) of these home are listed under distressed circumstances (short sale, pre-foreclosure or bank owned).  This makes Tampa area a bit more “toxic” than St Petersburg and Pinellas [...]

What’s the Deal With That Sign? Have you ever tried to read this sign while driving down Park Street in St. Petersburg?   I’ve never bothered to stop there and wander but after driving by it for a few years I finally know what it says.   I’m still curious about Panfilo de Narvaez and the ancient [...]

SHORT SALES FLOOD IN TAMPA BAY CONTINUES? We’ve all seen the decrease in real estate prices in the last 5 years.  Home prices in Tampa Bay dropped near 50% from where they were at the peak of the market in 2005-2006.  As a result nearly 40% of all home sold in St Petersburg and greater [...]

Google Maps Street View. Are You Using It? You have probably seen a Google vehicle on the streets of your city.  Google has sent out one with a special camera mounted on it to every street of our country and even in places around the world.  All this work just to give us a street [...]

Celebrity Cribs Celebrities are not necessarily the richest people in the world.  But they are well-known, loved and admired by many.  They are talanted people who in combination with good looks and “luck” have become the world idols.  Yes, many celebrities are wealthy and for the status sake and desire to live a peaceful, private and comfortable life, [...]

Quick Facts About Florida.  How Will They Affect You? Just read some interesting facts about Florida in Florida Realtor® magazine.  As Realtors® we are continually studying local and state real estate market and statistics.  So, we thought you may be interested to know that in Florida there are: -          1,000 people move to Florida each [...]

In short about Peter Demens Many of us know that St Petersburg, FL was named by a Russian immigrant Mr. Peter Demens.  He named it after St Petersburg, Russia where he spent many years in service.  As a successful Russian entrepreneur he made good money in selling off lumber coming from trees that grew in [...]

Celebrities And Famous Who Call Tampa Bay Home Oh, Tampa Bay!  What a beautiful place!  “Snow birds” love you, tourists from all over United States embrace you with joy and foreign visitors come to your white sand beaches of the Gulf of Mexico and free beer (well, not so free any more) at Busch Gardens. [...]

The Snell Arcade Building By Emily Zobanov, our guest writer Do you ever wonder about that beautiful old building on the corner of Central Avenue and Fourth Street in downtown St. Pete?   This 1926 gem is on the National Register of Historic Places.  Judy Lowe Wells is the author of C. Perry Snell: His Place [...]

Tampa Bay’s Deals Of The Week It’s time for our Deals of The Week post and I wanted to share with you some nice listings in our area that just may be something you are looking for.  As always, we research the market daily and work with dozens of buyers, so feel free to contact [...]

Who Is Who In This Real Estate Market? I love observing and interacting with people of different generations. I was born in 1978 and have a hard time determining which generation I belong to: Generation X or Generation Y (The Millennials). I guess I’m stuck somewhere in between. It is also hard for me to be [...]

St Pete’s Central Aventue Through A Wide Angle Lens Since The HOME Team’s office is located Downtown St Petersburg, I like taking a break and stroll down Central with my camera in hand.  I’m no experience photographer, but I wanted to share with you a few shots I took today Downtown St Pete. ART REVIVAL [...]

Clearwater Real Estate Sales Statistics Today The HOME Team of Charles Rutenberg will bring you the home sales stats of Clearwater, FL.  Clearwater is one of the largest municipalities in Pinellas County and by looking at the home sales in this city we will get a pretty good picture of the real estate market state in the whole county.  Remember, [...]

Deals On Homes In Tampa Bay / St Pete Area Another week has gone by quick and we are still freezing here in Tampa Bay.  However, I’m very grateful that Florida is the only state in the US where it’s not snowing right now.  But who knows, it just might snow tonight, and I hope [...]

Team Concept In Real Estate CAN YOU BE A HAPPY LONE RANGER? A team concept is nothing new in business.  In fact it’s been there as long as the commerce existed.  However, for a long time there were several industries where working as a single entrepreneur only one person took all the credit, and did all [...]

If You Build It – They Will Come? The Pier Downtown St Petersburg. By guest writer Emily Zobanov Ideas and opinions are astir concerning The Pier, the famous (or infamous) inverted pyramid we all love or love to hate. Recently the city of St. Petersburg’s Pier Advisory Task Force issued a report titled “Alternatives For [...]

Tampa Bay’s Deals Of The Week The HOME Team of Charles Rutenberg is starting a weekly update on the best Real Estate deals.  We will limit these 3 listings to Tampa Bay / St Petersburg area and will try to show you homes that, in our opinion, are best buys.  What are the criteria?  Well, [...]

Tampa Bay’s Featured Listings Often the most valuable information we can provide to our buyers who search for homes in Tampa Bay and St Petersburg is a list of featured homes.  After all serious buyers are looking to buy a home and just a pretty website that tells you how good we are and what we do is [...]

Vacation On The Beach In Florida? How About St Pete Beach! I love St Pete Beach.  It’s not just one of the largest beach communities along the shores of Pinellas County, but it is also probably the most popular vacation place for tourists who come to Tampa Bay.  They are coming from NY, Michigan, Pennsylvania [...]

2010 Final Stats from The HOME Team / Charles Rutenberg At the end of this year we thought it would be nice to look back at 2010 and review some sales and listings statistics. We will take St Petersburg, FL as an example. LISTED In St Petersburg there are currently 3,387 homes for sale. 1,348 [...]

Do You Live In Tampa Bay? Find Out What Your Home Is Worth Now! When selling or buying a home – market information is a key!  The HOME Team of Charles Rutenberg Realty would like to provide this information to you absolutely free.  Market Snapshot is a unique tool that will not only show you [...]

Can we do better? Really, can we?  I’m sure you’d agree that Real Estate, like many other industries, is based on relationships.  Over 50% of you will pick your Realtor based on your relative’s or friend’s referral.  Many of you already know of one.  Some 10-15% will look up an agent on the Internet, read [...]

Who pays the commission? Well, let’s talk about it. Traditionally in Florida a seller pays a commission fee to an agent for selling their home.  If a cooperating agent brings a buyer then the commission is split between listing and selling agents.  Once in a while we work with investors and first-time home buyers who are looking [...]

…Is it possible? So how do you go from listing to offer in just 18 days? Well, it’s not always easy but it’s simple.  It all boils down to doing a job and doing it right.  Just like an assembly line worker has a check list of things he must do in order to build [...]

HAFA www.makinghomeaffordable.gov info is used for this post. The Federal Administration’s Making Homes Affordable Program is a critical part of the effort to stabilize the housing market and help struggling homeowners get relief and avoid foreclosure. Making Home Affordable includes opportunities for homeowners to modify or refinance their mortgage to make their payments more affordable. [...]

Is Loan Modification Possible? Let’s talk about HAMP www.makinghomeaffordable.com info used for this article Many homeowners are struggling to make their monthly mortgage payments on time perhaps because their interest rate has increased or they have less income.  A Home Affordable Modification through the Obama Administration’s Making Home Affordable Program will provide them with more [...]

Have You heard about HDR images? By now you’ve probably heard about HDR photography.  I’ve seen some beautiful HDR pictures of Tampa Bay and St Petersburg.  According to Wikipedia: “high dynamic range imaging (HDRI or just HDR) is a set of techniques that allow a greater dynamic range of luminance between the lightest and darkest [...]

Virtual Tours – No! Video Tours – Yes! Let’s face it, we are still experiencing a tough real estate market here in Tampa Bay. In St Petersburg, FL and in nearby cities the majority of homes sold are in the $50-300k price range. Homeowners that want to sell their homes and happen to be in [...]

Treasure Island Fun and Real Estate Just before sunset, I like taking the boat out into intracoastal waters or the Gulf of Mexico just off St Pete Beach.  At that time of day you’re bound to see dolphins and enjoy stunning views.  There are many boat launches all around Pinellas County.  If you keep your [...]

All right, it’s time for some sales stats in St Petersburg, FL! Research is what I truly love doing and today I’d like to share some home sales statistics in St Petersburg, FL. St Pete houses still sell and people still buy! Wow, that’s no revelation, give us stats! Ok, here we go: There are currently [...]

What To Expect From Realtors When Selling Your Home Ok, since I am a real estate agent in St Pete, I will be a little biased here.  But there was a time when I was not a Realtor, and dealt with several different agents in St Petersburg, FL when buying or selling homes.  I was [...]

Interview With A General Contractor, Joe Esposito If you’ve ever undertaken a construction project, you know how hard and time-consuming it can become.  I had a privilege to interview one of the best local General Contractors, Joe Esposito, the owner of J&J Builders and Developers. I’ve personally worked on multiple properties from minor renovations to [...]

Chattaway Drive-In In St Petersburg FL, Review and Video If you’re into “old Florida”, the Chattaway restaurant is a must-visit spot in St. Petersburg.  This local favorite has been around since the early 1950’s.   The outdoor atmosphere is casual-kitsch. Here’s a great description from www.Poynteronline.org    The Chattaway, a Southeast gathering spot at 22nd Avenue [...]

Skeet and Trap Shooting in St Petersburg, FL Video Ok, no, I am not talking about another homicide in Tampa Bay.   If you live in Pinellas County and love individual competitive sports, maybe Skyway Trap and Skeet club is a place for you to visit. This type of shooting is actually fun! There are lots of [...]

How Much Do You know About Florida’s Pink Lady, The Don CeSar Hotel? By Emily Zobanov If you find yourself on St. Pete Beach, you can’t miss the lovely Don CeSar Hotel.   This hotel, in all it’s pink glory, presents a striking contrast against Florida’s clear blue skies.   Listed on the National Register of Historic [...]

St Pete Beach, Fl Houses Overview, Video Tour St Pete Beach, FL is probably one of the most desirable destinations among tourists visiting Pinellas County.  With about 10,000 permanent residents and thousands more vacationers it is the largest community on barrier islands of our peninsula. When looking for a home in St Pete Beach you [...]

Reasons Why You Need To Use A SFR Certified Realtor® Almost everyone in the United States has now heard of short sales.  Those that have gone through a short sale process know that it is time consuming and requires a lot of work with a lender.  Most likely you will have a very thick file [...]

Lake Pasadena Estates, St Pete Houses And Neighborhoods, Video Tour The west side of St Petersburg, FL has some really cool neighborhoods.  We all have a different definition of “cool” but I prefer lots of tree shade, old restored houses, a mix of architectural styles, and brick-paved walking-friendly streets.  Lake Pasadena Estates offer just that! [...]

St Pete Houses In Eagle Crest, St Petersburg Neighborhood Video Tour We are St Petersburg FL Realtors and Real Estate is our passion.  Providing neighborhood video tours is our way of sharing some local real estate knowledge with you.  We hope to eventually cover most neighborhoods in St Petersburg and Pinellas County through individual video [...]

Radio Talk Show, on St Pete Houses, By St Petersburg FL Realtors Many of you know that John Rurkowski, Charles Rutenberg Realty broker has been hosting a radio show now for a few week on 1340AM.  The show is called Today’s Agent and covers multiple real estate topics.  I was fortunate enough to be on the show [...]

Short Sales on St Pete Houses, Loan Modification, Deed In Lieu and more. Interview If you live in St Petersburg, FL and are thinking about short selling your home, or simply want to know more about the short sale process in Tampa Bay - you need to talk to James Tuten.  James is a manager of The Home Team at Charles [...]

Madeira Beach Video Tour And Sold Homes Price Review Saturday was a stormy day in Pinellas.  I wanted to film Madeira Beach on a sunny day and possibly write a few condominiums reviews, but due to weather we ended up filming some waterfront homes, mostly from our car.  See sold prices review below.  In the video [...]

If Price Sells, Why Hire A Realtor? 10 Reasons Good question.  Being one of St Petersburg FL Realtors, sometimes I have people ask me about it.  It’s no secret that 75% of a successful home sale is pricing it right.  So why not save on commissions and sell it on your own?  Well, let’s look at what it takes [...]

How Much Is Your House Worth? St Pete Houses, Seminole FL Houses, etc. Let’s talk about non-waterfront homes in St. Petersburg, Seminole, Pinellas Park, Largo and Pinellas County in general.  Living in a waterfront home may be a fine experience but most folks don’t live on the water.  And that’s fine since there are many great homes and neighborhoods [...]

Planes And The Philli Flyer – It’s The Hangar I had my first lunch at The Hangar today and I really enjoyed it.  This place opened not long ago at Albert Whitted Airport terminal.  I expected it to be good, since the same owner runs Parkshore Grill and 400 Beach Seafood, and these places are always [...]

WATERFRONT COMMUNITIES IN St PETE/TAMPA BAY Pinellas County and waterfront homes go together hand in glove.  Every year thousands of people are realizing their dream of living on the Florida coast.  From Tarpon Springs in northern Pinellas County all the way south to St Pete Beach, there is a myriad of waterfront options, with many homes [...]

Good Eats Around St Petersburg And Beyond What is good living without good eating?  Being one of St Petersburg Fl Realtors, I work with buyers that are new to our area and I often get a question: so where’s a good place to eat around here?c Of course, then I ask what they mean by good, what type of [...]

Parking ticket in downtown St Peterburg I happened to be in a wedding this past Saturday and it took place in a downtown St. Petersburg park under those huge Banyan trees.  Yes, the two-hour limit on the parking meter wasn’t sufficient and there was a brightly colored slip on my windshield by the time I got back to the [...]

Welcome to www.HomeTeamTampaBay.com! Our goal is to become your trusted real estate advisors.  We know that whether you are a buyer, a seller or simply browsing – you want information.  That’s what we’ll strive to provide in order to keep you knowledgeable and up to date on what’s going on in St. Petersburg real estate and beyond.  We [...]