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
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
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
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. 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
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
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
1 in 4 Fla. owners with mortgage is ‘equity rich’ IRVINE, Calif. – Nov. 17, 2016 – ATTOM Data Solutions’ Q3 2016 U.S. Home Equity and Underwater Report finds that 23.4 percent of U.S. homeowners with a mortgage are equity rich, meaning their loan-to-value ratio is 50 percent or lower. It’s a year-to-year increase of
WASHINGTON – Nov. 14, 2016 – Can computers, big data and advanced analytics replace real live humans when it comes to accurately valuing the home you want to buy? One of the two largest financial players in U.S. real estate thinks so and is preparing to introduce changes that could prove momentous – and highly
Tampa Bay home prices continued to soar in October, with Hillsborough County recording its biggest year-over-year gain since January. Pinellas, Pasco and Hernando counties also showed dramatic increases as buyers vied for an exceedingly tight supply of single-family homes — Pasco had less than a three-month inventory. And even though interest rates have risen slightly