Why buy a home? Top 10 benefits of ownership
Thursday, 26 January 2017
LAWTON, Okla. – Dec. 19, 2016 – Buying a home may be the American dream, but it’s also a monumental task: You have to clean up your credit, apply for a mortgage, scrape together a downpayment, and then move all your worldly possessions in after you close on the deal. Phew! So then why do
- Published in Blog, General, Housing Market, Important, Investors, Local, Luxury, News, Real Estate, South Tampa, St Petersburg
Competing metros: Tampa Bay rebounds to best performance in decade in Milken Institute rankings
Sunday, 22 January 2017
Here’s a feel-good column to unwrap this holiday season that will reveal the Tampa Bay metro area is rebounding as one of the better performing, larger metro areas in the United States. That’s great news after a decade of rough times in the bay area economy, hitting a low ranking among the nation’s top 200
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What’s the state of St. Petersburg’s economy? Despite some hurdles, it’s hard not to celebrate the boom
Tuesday, 10 January 2017
Everyone should take a moment to appreciate the stunning transformation of St. Petersburg from its former nickname as “God’s Waiting Room” to a city whose abundance of economic development opportunities under way nearly defies the ability of its leaders to capture them all. City officials tried, nonetheless, on Tuesday. The city’s second annual “state of
- Published in Blog, General, Housing Market, Investors, Local, Luxury, News, Real Estate, St Petersburg
Lots of positive trends in today’s housing market
Friday, 06 January 2017
WASHINGTON – Dec. 2, 2016 – What fall slowdown? In many markets across the country, the housing market is showing anything but the typical seasonal slowdown. In fact, a report released by the National Association of Realtors® (NAR) finds just the opposite. Existing-home sales eclipsed June’s cyclical sales and, in October, zoomed to the highest
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It’s a good time for move-up buyers to sell
Monday, 02 January 2017
NEW YORK – Dec. 2, 2016 – Smaller homes have seen significant price growth over larger ones, and that means some homeowners may be sitting on a lot of equity – more than they may realize. With mortgage rates still low by historical standards but expected to edge up soon, homeowners with equity in their
St. Pete will be the first city in Florida to use 100 percent renewable energy
Wednesday, 28 December 2016
St. Petersburg will become the first city in Florida to rid themselves of using fossil fuels. The city council unanimously voted to use $800,000 of $1 million they received from a settlement with BP over the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010 to move toward having the city completely running with renewable energy. The Integrated
Florida has 238 downpayment assistance programs
Saturday, 24 December 2016
ORLANDO, Fla. – Nov. 14, 2016 –The number of U.S. downpayment assistance programs decreased 3 percent from the previous quarter, according to Down Payment Resource’s Third Quarter 2016 Homeownership Program Index (HPI). However, of the nation’s 2,392 programs, almost 88 percent currently have funds available for eligible homebuyers, an increase of 3 percent from the
7 ways to add curb appeal for potential buyers
Tuesday, 20 December 2016
ORLANDO, Fla. – Nov. 22, 2016 – There are several things home sellers should do to improve curb appeal. These include painting the front door with a pop of color to create a focal point, adding a new mailbox that is modern and ensures the home’s address number is clearly visible from the street, and
- Published in Blog, General, Local, Luxury, Real Estate
Channel district apartment tower sold for $88 million
Friday, 16 December 2016
One of downtown Tampa’s newest apartment towers has a new owner. Skyhouse Channelside, which wrapped up completion in 2015, sold for $88 million to a corporate entity tied to Yonkers, New York-based AVR Realty, according to public records. Skyhouse, right, is a 23-story tower in downtown Tampa’s Channel district. The seller was Atlanta-based Novare
- Published in Blog, General, Investors, Local, Luxury, News, Real Estate, South Tampa
St. Petersburg’s Skyway Marina District to get $70 million mixed-use project
Monday, 12 December 2016
ST. PETERSBURG — Years after a popular gay resort closed and its property was sold to Home Depot, the empty, weed-strewn site is about to be developed. Phillips Development & Realty, which expects to close on the parcel in December, has unveiled plans for a $70 million mixed-use project that will include 300 apartments and