By: Ashley Gurbal Kritzer,
A nearly $8 million mansion on the Westshore waterfront hit the market quietly in early July, and there’s already been so much activity on the property that the listing agent thinks it could sell within six months.
The house, at 4942 Saint Croix Drive, was custom built by the current owners in 2009. It’s more than 8,000 square feet and has deep water access and unobstructed views of the bay — from the dock, listing agent Jeff Shelton says, you can “see all the way to downtown St. Pete.”
Several professional athletes have already toured the home, said Shelton, an agent with Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate. While prices are rising in the niche market of Tampa luxury waterfront real estate, it’s still a relative bargain, Shelton said.
Shelton launched a more public marketing campaign for the property this week. It is the second most expensive listing in Tampa and Hillsborough County; a $13.9 million, 100-year-old mansion on Bayshore Boulevard is the most expensive home on the market.
“When you compare what you can get in Tampa versus Miami or Sarasota or Naples, our waterfront is very affordable,” he said. “And because of the very desirable airport in Tampa, it’s becoming more popular for national and international buyers.”
But the affordability could be changing. The most expensive home that sold in Hillsborough County in 2015 was on Davis Islands’ Blanca Avenue, at $4.9 million. To date in 2016, four waterfront homes priced at more than $5 million have already sold. Another, not on the water but on the fourth green at the Palma Ceia Golf & Country Club, sold for $6 million in July.
“That’s a huge jump for Tampa,” Shelton said.
Those sales include a historic waterfront property that beer magnate Joey Redner purchased for $6.4 million and the $6.6 million sale of a home that was owned by the wife of former Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Greg Schiano.
The owners of the Saint Croix home, are downsizing, Shelton said. The home features a two-story living room, a stone fireplace imported from Italy and a resort-style swimming pool with views of the bay.
For photos and information regarding the property go to the homes website www.4942SaintCroix.com