How much are you going to pay in property taxes here in St Petersburg Florida?Call the Pinellas County property appraiser's office NOW, talk to them, get an estimate and let them explain WHY and HOW they came up with this number.One of my buyers wanted to know the property taxes before she made the offer on a house here in Pinellas County. I gave her my rule of thumb but told her that this is just a wild guess and urged her to call the appraiser's office herself and get the answer directly from them. (but I was confident that my old rule would still work, like it had the last 10 years or so) In this particular neighborhood sales in 2007 indicate a 30% drop in property value (lots of short sales and foreclosures) So, the comparable properties that sold last year are around $200,000 . The... 04/12/2008

The real estate market in St. Petersburg, Florida is picking up, despite all the doom and gloom you read in the newspapers. When we call to make appointments, we find that properties have gone under contract in the last 24 hours; we have offers on our listings; we're making offers for our buyers; all three of us are out showing properties to real buyers.Have we reached the bottom? Who knows? We don't have a crystal ball. But we can attest to activity in the market, as noted above.    04/11/2008

What's going on this weekend in downtown St Petersburg, Florida? Here are a few things:Theater in the Park: American Stage is presenting Pirates of Penzance. Bring your picnic and wine. (It runs from April 9 through May 4 at Demens Landing in downtown St. Petersburg.Florida Orchestra at Mahaffey Theater: Pinchas Zukerman, violinist and conductor.Tampa Bay Blues Fest at Vinoy Park, Friday through Sunday Festival of States on Saturday has the Day Parade at 10 am and the Family Fest in North Straub Park from noon to 4 p.m. - entertainment area, stages, food and drink.Every weekend it's great to be in downtown St. Petersburg - these are just a few of the special things this weekend.  04/11/2008

Confused about Short Sales in St. Petersburg? You are not alone! St. Petersburg Florida has see a lot of short sale listing lately and, yes, the concept has been around for a long time, but even I as a Realtor have not run into one for the last 10 or so years. Now they are everywhere. So, since I am one of these personalities that "NEEDS" to understand everything, early last year I went to a seminar on short sales. Guess what, they could not even answer half of my questions. Every second time I heard, "well, you got to talk to the bank about this" As you can imagine, I was very disappointed, but now I was one a mission to learn more. Since than my office has done quite a few short sales, on the buyer's site and the seller's site and what I learned in the very beginning is true. YOU HAVE... 04/11/2008

Snell Isle is located in north east St. Petersburg. It was  founded by C. Perry Snell in the early 1900's. C. Perry Snell had traveled in Europe and was influenced by their  architectural idea which is seen in many of the earlier homes in the neighborhood. He also brough many small statues that are still  in the streets of Snell Isle. today. Most of the original architecture and homes built in Snell Isle still stand.  The size and price range for homes vary widely. There are smaller older homes on streets several blocks from the Bay that start in the $200's and homes on Tampa Bay that are in the millions. Snell Isle is a great family neighborhood that is close to  the art galleries, fine dining, night life and activities that St. Petersburgh as to offer. It is also convenient to I-275 m... 04/07/2008

475 is a luxury condominium complex located in downtown St. Petersburg off of N. 2nd Street. It is a short 5 minute walk to St. Petersburg's waterfront parks. Residents can also walk to St. Petersburg's museums, BayWalk entertainment complex, the Vinoy, and all of downtown's shops, restaurants, galleries and nightlife. 475's residences are 2 bedroom codos. They are beautifully designed and outfitted. Most have at least 2 balconies. The building is steel-reinforced concrete construction. Security for its residents is maintained with electronic control access at entry and garage doors. The lobby is gorgeous with lush landscaping and Italian stoneware tile. Come check out these beautiful condos! The contents of this posting are the property of Pam Mabe and  Solaris Realty of TampaBay. Pam ... 04/07/2008

Signature Place is a condo complex that is being developed in downtown St. Petersburg. Signature Place will be the tallest building in St. Petersburg when complete. It will be a 36 story building. The builder for the complex is Cantor Development. Signature Place when complete will have 40 lofts, 203 units and retail and office space. The square footage for the units starts with a one bedroom at 894 square feet to large penthouse suites of more then 8000 square feet. All the units will have European cabinetry, contempory lighting, stainless steel appliances, Italian flooring in the bathrooms and more. The building amenities will include a 80 foot wide, 6 story waterfall, large pool, lush landscaping, two outdoor spas, gas fireplaces, two BBQ stations, outdoor picnic area, a club room wi... 04/07/2008

  Below is information on the sales history of homes sold in Sheryl Manor showing the average sold price, the number of homes sold and the average days on market (DOM).Year             Average Sold Price                Number of Homes Sold                           DOM 2003                   $139,000                                          52                                              42 2004                   $160,000                                          39                                              462005                   $209,000                                          55                                              342006                   $237,000                                          30                                              50 2007                   $198,000  ... 04/07/2008

Tonight is Rob's night out with the Boy Scouts. He and my grandson are camping in Myakka River State Park - and it's raining! Many of the students and parents from Shorecrest Preparatory School are camping out along the river.I asked Rob why they weren't going to Ft. DeSoto Park here in St. Petersburg, since Ft DeSoto was named #1 beach in all of America. Apparently it's too difficult to make reservations for that number of people. Too bad - it's 5 interconnected islands have over 7 miles of waterfront including nearly 3 miles of soft, beautiful white sand beaches. It has boat launching facilities, camping areas for tents or RVs, swimming areas, fishing piers, picnic shelters, recreational and biking trails, canoe trail and even a historic fort.     04/05/2008

  The local MLS reported the sale of 2763 64thSt N for $213,000 on 04/01/2008. This is a 1492 square foot 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 1 car garage home. There is one home currently under contract in the neighborhood. There are currently 23 homes listed on the local MLS for sale in Holiday Park ranging in price from $156,000 to $339,000. Pictured below are some of the homes for sale in Holiday Park.    The St. Petersburg neighborhood of Holiday Park consists of approximately 714 single family homes built primarily in the 1950's and 1960‘s. The homes in this neighborhood are well maintained. The neighborhood is close to Northwest Park and J. W. Cate Recreation Center. Some of the activities available to residents are baseball, soccer, tennis, gymnastics, karate, cheerleading, basketball, volleybal... 04/05/2008

    Two homes came on the market this week in Sheryl Manor. There are six homes currently under contract in the neighborhood. There are 21 homes listed on the local MLS for sale in Sheryl Manor ranging in price from $144,500 to $299,900. Pictured below are some of the homes for sale in Sheryl Manor.    The St. Petersburg neighborhood of Sheryl Manor consists of approximately 915 single family homes built primarily in the 1960‘s. The homes in this neighborhood are well maintained. The neighborhood is close to Northwest Park and J. W. Cate Recreation Center. Some of the activities available to residents are baseball, soccer, tennis, gymnastics, karate, cheerleading, basketball, volleyball, dance and swimming. The area is close to employment, shopping, medical facilities and other support ... 04/05/2008

When Tami called agents to set up showing appointments for downtown St Petersburg condos this weekend, each agent warned about the problems to be expected with parking, since The Grand Prix is taking place and many of the downtown streets are closed off. Her response?  "Oh, it's a walking day!" Isn't that what living in downtown St Petersburg is all about? That you can walk to everything?  One of the things I enjoy about showing condos in downtown is that we DO walk - from my office to each of the condos. That's the way to see what living here is all about - everything that we pass, everyone that we see.It's another wonderful day in Paradise - and a great time to see how vibrant downtown St Pete truly is!  04/05/2008

Grand Prix - St Petersburg, FloridaDowntown St Petersburg is bustling this weekend, with the Grand Prix races going on. Friday morning we heard the racing engines over our coffee at the Vinoy, and that was just the practice runs! The streets in the southeast part of town, including part of Albert Whitted Airport, have been lined with concrete, chain link, tires and banners, as the races will make sharp turns as well as fast straightaways.Bayfront Tower condominiums have the prime grandstand seat, whether from the balconies (noisy) or the slightly quieter inside rooms. Some residents invite friends and party; others plan to leave town for the weekend. We'll be there with friends tomorrow to watch the finals.For the first races, we picked favorites arbitrarily - by their numbers, how the ... 04/05/2008

                                Today's Real Estate Term is Legal Nonconforming Use  A nonconforming use of property is a use that does not conform to the current zoning ordinance of a municipality. If the property was a legal use prior to the adoption of a new zoning ordinance or regulation then the use is considered to be a Legal Nonconforming use. This legal use of a property that does not meet current zoning regulations is often referred to as being Grandfathered.   An example would be a single family residence located on a 6000 square foot lot that was constructed legally according to the zoning ordinance at the time of construction. If a new zoning ordinance is passed after construction of the home requiring lots to be 7500 square feet, this would result in the property still bein... 04/04/2008

    Today's Real Estate Term is Sales Comparison Approach.  The sales comparison approach to value is utilized by real estate appraisers when estimating the value of a particular property. This approach is considered the most reliable indicator of the market and is the primary method used by real estate appraisers. This approach to value compares similar properties that have sold recently to the property being appraised, which is called the Subject Property. It is preferable to use properties for comparison that are similar in size, age and appeal to the subject property.  The sold properties that are selected to compare to the subject property are called Comparables. The selection of which properties to use is as comparables is an important aspect of the appraisal process.   Some of th... 04/03/2008

Today's Real Estate Term is Effective Age.  Effective Age is the age determined by the condition of the property based on the wear and tear sustained. Effective Age is not always the same as chronological age. Buildings do not always depreciate at the same rate depending on the maintenance of the owners and/or occupants.  For example, a home that is 40 years old but has a new roof, new windows and had it's kitchen and bathroom updated could have an effective age of 10 to 15 years or less. Conversely a home that has been poorly maintained or neglected could have an effective age that is more than it's actual age.  The process of estimating Effective Age is used by Real Estate appraisers when they appraise a home.Real Estate Terminology provided by David Miller Realty. 04/02/2008

        Twists and turns for fans The downtown streets are closing. The tractor trailers are rolling in. And driver Danica Patrick is planning a Tampa Bay area pit stop. It’s race week again in St. Petersburg. As race officials finish preparing the 1.8-mile, 14-turn street course, here are some tips to get you ready for the races.   NOT A RACE FAN? You still can get around, despite the traffic and street closings.       GO TO TAMPA, SEE DANICA: Patrick, the IndyCar Series driver/cover girl, stops by the Seminole Hard Rock in Tampa at 8 tonight. After an hour of signing autographs, she'll raffle off a car. WELCOME PARTY: A free Central Avenue street party runs from 5:30-10 p.m. Friday. PARKING: All city lots are charging $10 through the weekend. The largest parking lot is at Tropicana F... 03/31/2008

Schools are one of the first questions families moving to St Petersburg, Florida, consider. Which ones are the best? Which school is this house zoned for? In many parts of the US, this is an easy question to answer. Here, it's not. Our school district is county wide, the 23rd largest in the United States, and serves over 150,000 students. None of the national sites give adequate information, because the zone covers the entire county - so there is no specific information on one side of town vs another.Pinellas County has also been in a state of change over the last years - from neighborhood schools to school choice and now transitioning back to close-to-home - with extensive grandfathering.Where will your children be assigned? Which school(s) is open to this property? You have to be livi... 03/29/2008

  The local MLS reported the sale of 5816 31st Ave N for $170,000 on 03/21/2008. This is a 1103 square foot 2 bedroom, 1 bath, 1 car garage home. There are five other homes currently under contract in the neighborhood. There are currently 22 homes listed on the local MLS for sale in Sheryl Manor ranging in price from $109,000 to $319,900.                                                   The St. Petersburg neighborhood of Sheryl Manor consists of approximately 915 single family homes built primarily in the 1960‘s. The homes in this neighborhood are well maintained. The neighborhood is close to Northwest Park and J. W. Cate Recreation Center. Some of the activities available to residents are baseball, soccer, tennis, gymnastics, karate, cheerleading, basketball, volleyball, dance and swi... 03/29/2008

  The local MLS reported the sale of 3196 65th St N for $329,000 on 03/28/2008. This is a 2066 square foot 4 bedroom, 2 bath, 2 car garage pool home. There are two other homes currently under contract in the neighborhood. Two homes have been listed for sale in the past week ranging in price from $299,000 to $329,900. There are currently 23 homes listed on the local MLS for sale in Holiday Park ranging in price from $156,000 to $339,000. Below are pictures of some of the homes for sale.     The St. Petersburg neighborhood of Holiday Park consists of approximately 714 single family homes built primarily in the 1950's and 1960‘s. The homes in this neighborhood are well maintained. The neighborhood is close to Northwest Park and J. W. Cate Recreation Center. Some of the activities available... 03/29/2008