The St. Petersburg neighborhood of Woodlawn consists of approximately 136 single family homes built primarily from 1920 to 1949. The architectural styles include Colonial, Dutch Colonial, Tudor, Cape Cod and Ranch. Approximately 50 of the homes are two story. There are many trees in the neighborhood and the homes in this small subdivision are mostly well maintained.    The square footage of the homes range from 964 square feet to 3270 square feet with the predominant size being in the 1500 to 2000 square foot range. A majority of the homes are located on lots that are less than ¼ of an acre.    The Woodlawn neighborhood is north of 22nd avenue north, south of 26th avenue north, east of 16th street and west of 12th street.   There are currently four homes for sale in the Woodlawn neig... 02/03/2008

Pinellas County Taxes, important for you Florida has voted   YES  on January 29th. Now you need to find out what it really means for you and your property. It might make a big difference for you and it might not. Educated yourself, it is your money. If you have bought and sold your homesteaded property in the last 2 years, please contact your local property appraiser's office. You might be able to save some money. The portability provision of Amendment 1 is retroactive to Jan. 1, 2007. Sellers may transfer their Save Our Homes credit. So, do yourself a favor and go the property appraiser's website. For Pinellas County it is   http://www.pcpao.org/ They have great information, a Save your Homestead calculator and a great question and answer page. Also look at the millage rate chart and h... 02/01/2008

This is good news for our Pinellas County St. Pete area. For most of us this might just be the right time to refinance. Not only because of the two big rate cuts this month but also and especially if the cap for Jumbo loans will be raised. The new cap on Jumbo loans will have a big impact for the beach areas where a lot of people have Jumbo loans and they are about 1% higher in interest rates than conventional loans. So, go check with your mortgage broker or lender, depending on what you have now, you might easily save 2% maybe even more. Think about combining the first and second and maybe an equity line into one low fix rate mortgage. Just be careful, make sure you understand all the fees involved and (Here is the Realtor speaking) try to negotiate them. Also, do not go out and shop "... 02/01/2008

I wanted to write this two weeks ago, but I did not have time because I was showing property here in St. Petersburg Treasure Island!!! Hard to believe, I know. It doesn't matter what newspaper you read or what magazine you open or which channel on TV you watch, bad news and more bad news about the market. Highest foreclosure rate, highest short sale rate, highest inventory, huge drop in sales prices etc. . . Well all this is true, but on the positive site, buyers are ready willing and able!!! We have seen a lot of activity here in treasure island, St. Pete beach and Madeira Beach. This is something I have not read anywhere yet. Fortunately as a Realtor, I do not need the media or statistics to tell me what the market is like. All I need is my phone. It is going crazy; I had more inquiri... 02/01/2008

Wendy Smith | Wendy Smith Real Estate | 727-452-3301 4431 Emerson Ave S, St Petersburg, FL Handyman Special - Foreclosure - Short Sale - Perfect to add to your rental portfolio - buy it cheap, rent it out - cash flow - 2 Bdrm Single Family House offered at $81,100 Year Built 1954 Sq Footage 800 Bedrooms 2 Bathrooms 1 full, 1 partial Floors 1 Parking 1 Car garage Lot Size 5,625 sqft HOA/Maint $0 per month DESCRIPTION Sweet 2/1 with garage - needs work, minor repairs, flooring, paint, etc. Make Offer - Bank has to approve short sale - drive by then call for more details see additional photos below PROPERTY FEATURES Central A/C Central heat Living room Breakfast nook Refrigerator Stove/Oven Microwave Laundry area - garage Yard OTHER SPECIAL FEATURES Alley Access Fenced Back Yard Screened ... 01/31/2008

Wendy Smith | Wendy Smith Real Estate | 727-452-3301 5061 42nd St S, St Petersburg, FL Best Price in Maximo Moorings!! Terrific short sale opportunity - large family home - huge family room overlooks pool 3 Bdrm Single Family House offered at $210,000 Year Built 1961 Sq Footage 1,378 Bedrooms 3 Bathrooms 2 full, 0 partial Floors 1 Parking Unspecified Lot Size 8,820 sqft HOA/Maint $0 per month DESCRIPTION Desirable Maximo Moorings - great location with EZ access to St Pete Beach, I275, in well kept neighborhood, best price in the area - drive by (please do not disturb occupants) then call to preview! see additional photos below PROPERTY FEATURES Central A/C Central heat Walk-in closet Tile floor Family room Dining room Refrigerator Stove/Oven Washer Dryer Laundry area - garage Yard Swim... 01/31/2008

Do we have to disclose that the house next door is in foreclosure? Here is the senario. I am a single agent for the buyer and we made an offer on a house last week. Asking price was $797,000 we offered $750,000 cash, closing asap, as is, no inspections, $50,000 in escrow. I explained to the listing agent that we came up with this price because of an old roof and a seawall that was in very bad shape etc. The seller countered with $795,000 with the argument that they had comps to support this price. So, here we go again and this time I used what I though might be my best argument I told the listing agent that the house right next door (no for sale sign, exact same location and lot size and view and age, same house, best possible comp you cold ever find) is a short sale and that the seller... 01/20/2008

Downtown St Pete is a fantastic place to live. Lots of great restaurnats and things to do. 01/20/2008

Is this you?   FSBO Trying to sell your property on your own. Well, as you might know by now, it is a lot of work and can be frustrating. Times have changed, there is lots of inventory in St Pete beach, your competition is huge. In order to sell you home, in today's market, the 2 most important things are 1   Realistic asking price, priced at fair market value or below 2   Advertising, marketing, visibility.   As a FSBO you can have the best price in town, if you do not advertise and just have a sign in the yard, the house will never sell. You need to expose the listing to as many buyers as possible.   On the other hand, you can advertise all you want, all day long and spend a fortune, your house will never sell if it is over priced. Buyer have done a lot of research on market value bef... 01/20/2008

Pre approval letter before you make an offer on a house. What a waste of trees (in my mind) How long does it take to get a pre approval letter? 10 - 20 minutes on the phone? Giving the "right answers" to a few questions without any verification other than credit score. Ok. It is a start, but does it really mean anything? I think it can be very misleading for buyers and sellers. I do not know how many times it has happen, but the sellers are always thrilled to see a per approval letter with the offer. Buyers feel like once they have a pre approval letter it won't be a problem to get the loan. Well, all you buyers and sellers out there, a pre approval letter from the bank, lender, mortgage broker in most, if not all cases is just a piece of paper. The lender does in no way, shape or form ... 01/20/2008

If you want to sell your property here in St Petersburg Florida, you have to think real hard about pricing it right. How do you do this? Find the right asking price for my property. First thing is to find a Realtor that knows the market and the area.  This Realtor will do a comparable market analyses for you. You have to look at everything that sold in your neighborhood over the last few months; this tells you what buyers were willing to pay for homes or condos in your area. You also have to take into consideration that prices have gone down over the last year, and some areas have not bottomed out yet. So what your neighbor got 4 month ago might be higher than what you can get now. The next step is to look at all the listings that are under contract. What were the sellers asking for it ... 01/20/2008

Parkshore Plaza is a luxury condominium building in downtown St Petersburg, completed in 2007 by Opus. There are currently 13 condominium units offered for sale, ranging from $825,000 to $3,000,000.In 2007 there were 8 resales, ranging in price from $539,000 to $2,376,500. Units in the tower building started at $745,000.There are currently 6 units offered for lease, ranging from $4,000/mo to $8,000/mo. 01/19/2008

The Vinoy Place condominiums in downtown St Petersburg Florida currently has 12 properties on the market, ranging from $749,900 to $2,799,000 No penthouses are currently available. Units with over 2,100 sq ft start at $1,100,000.During 2007 there were 5 condominium units that sold, ranging from $760,000 to $1,825,000.  Again, if you exclude units less than 2,100 sq ft, sale prices started at $1,039,900.Based on last year's sales, there is a 28.8 month supply on the market.There are currently two units offered for rent, one at $5,000/mo and the other at $5,200/mo.   01/19/2008

The Florencia condo is a luxury building developed by JMC Corporation (Mike Cheezem) at 100 Beach Drive NE. It's across the street from a park and has views of Tampa Bay.During 2007 there were 3 sales in the building:  $1,050,000       $1,250,000     $1,250,000There is currently one condominium on the market, which is priced at $1,150,000.  Based on last year's sales, there is a 4 month supply on the market. One unit at The Florencia is currently offered for lease at $5,800 per month.  01/19/2008

t. Petersburg is located at the heart of the most desirable business location in the country. It is ranked second overall among the fastest growing high tech areas in the country.Employment-search St Pete jobs:http://www.nationjob.com/stpete/TransportationInterstate 75 leads from points both north and south in Florida to the Tampa Bay area. From Orlando, I-4 connects in Tampa with I-275 southbound to St. Petersburg.  Tampa International Airport is only 30 minutes from St. Petersburg and the beaches. It is served by all major airlines. The St. Petersburg/Clearwater International Airport provides additional passenger service and Albert Whitted Airport in downtown St. Petersburg is a base for private aviation.  Amtrak offers passenger train service into Tampa, with bus connections to St. P... 01/19/2008

St PetersburgST Pete is located just south of Tampa on Tampa Bay. It is 245 miles northwest of Miami, 96 miles southwest of Orlando and 250 miles south of Tallahassee. Like Clearwater, any location in the state is less than a days drive.St Pete, is the state's fourth largest city. It’s a fast growing center of commerce and is aligned with the fast-growing Tampa Bay metropolitan area, which is currently (2005) the largest market in the state.St. Petersburg has changed from being primarily a retirement center to Hi tech. This change has brought the median age down to 38 and is reflected in the new revitalized downtown areas both in the architecture and the restaurants and shopping facilities. It still does retain historic quality however.St Pete is still a great to raise a family.Some sta... 01/19/2008

This is one of the days where I am a little frustrated.I had a great real estate day today, but one thing really starts bothering me.Pre qualifying buyers.One of the first things I do with a "new buyer" is talk about the buying process and the financing.I want them to understand what is involved and what they need to do in order to buy property. I also want them to find out exactly how much money they can spend on a purchase and still feel comfortable. I do not want to waste their time and energy and show them properties that they can not afford.  What is the point?  In the end all you get is an unhappy and frustrated buyer that now doesn't even enjoy looking at properties in his or her price range anymore, because you have shown them the nicer and bigger homes already.Why would you put... 01/17/2008

Do you think they will take less for the house?There was a time in our St Petersburg Real Estate market when I answered this question by saying "They might be a little negotiable on the price, and we should try to make a lower offer, but if you really want to buy this property, be prepared to pay full asking price "That was the time when we had a low inventory, lower property taxes, bank wanting to lend money, stable economy and we would get multiple offers on a house or condo within 30 days.Well, this time has gone, the inventory is at an all time e high, banks are very careful when it comes to lending money, nobody can call our economy stable and houses and condos sit on the market forever, the only times when we see multiple offers is with foreclosures and short sales.Today, my answe... 01/11/2008

Not sure whats going on, but over the past 3 or 4 weeks we have been extremely busy with Buyers and Sellers!  In the next 4 weeks we will be closing on over 1.6 million $$ in sales.  This seems to be happening all over our marketplace!  Is anyone else seeing this trend?  I'm hoping its not isolated to this area!  Many Sellers are finally realizing that its not early 2005 anymore, and are getting realistic about pricing.  Buyers are seeing that the market has bottomed, rates are incredible and they have alot of inventory to choose from! 01/11/2008

Westwood Villas is a 36 unit condominium community located on 1st Avenue South between 60th and 61st Avenues. The property consists of three concrete block, garden style, two story residential buildings built in 1968 with 12 units each. There are 20 two bedroom, two bath units that are 910 square feet and 16 one bedroom, one bath units that are 735 square feet. There is an air conditioned community room and an in-ground pool. The maintenance fee for the one bedroom units is $185 per month and the maintenance fee for the two bedroom units is $232 per month. The community association does not allow pets but does allow units to be leased.Westwood Villas is located between Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico and is a short drive to the beautiful beaches of Treasure Island, St. Pete Beach and M... 01/08/2008