Millennials discuss why they cannot afford to buy homes
Survey respondents share how they spend and what concerns them financially.Original Article
Meet the 2018 Fast 50 honorees: Highland Homes
Company: Highland Homes Location: Lakeland Industry: Home builder How would you describe what your company does to a friend or family member who may not know? We build dream homes. What are some key accomplishments/statistics your company has achieved in the past 12 months? Recognized as the No. 75 largest homebuilder in the nation on Builder Magazine's Builder 100 List (May 2018) Sold 715 homes in 2017, exceeded our goals for the year (Dec 2017). Closed 642 homes in 2017, a 12.6 percent…Original Article
With neighbors for and against their plan, Caspers tweak proposal for private club at historic Stovall House on Bayshore Boulevard
When the Casper family's plans to convert a historic home on Bayshore Boulevard into a private social club were met with fierce opposition from some neighbors, the Caspers paused and reconsidered their plans. "We’ve taken a step back and thought about it: 'Is this really the right thing to do?' We weren’t expecting this much pushback," said Blake Casper, CEO of Caspers Co., the state's largest McDonald's franchisee. "Everybody — my wife, my sister, our attorneys, our architects has had their…Original Article
Crystal Lagoon resolves permit issues, but testing means it won’t open until ‘later this summer’
The developer of the first Crystal Lagoon in Wesley Chapel says it has been working diligently with Pasco County and now says it has all the permits it needs to complete work on its first of several planned lagoon amenities in the region. It was scheduled to open May 19, but Pasco County issued stop work orders. A Pasco fire inspector found that Metro Development Group didn’t acquire appropriate building permits for 11 buildings and eight cabana structures. The cabanas have been removed, at…Original Article
Renting vs. buying – the struggle continues
A new survey from CoreLogic confirms what many real estate agents already know — housing inventory cannot match the number of people who want to buy a home. In the survey, 15 percent of homeowners and 28 percent of renters say they want to buy a home in the next 12 months. That compares to just 11 percent who say they're ready to sell. Renters are especially caught in the bind in markets that have the highest home-price growth. “Even in the most expensive markets, we found four times as many…Original Article
Waterfront Davis Islands home sold for $6.2 million (Photos)
A waterfront home on Davis Islands that hit the market nearly two years ago has been sold for $6.2 million. A buyer closed on the 7,289-square-foot home at 88 Martinique Ave. on Friday. It is the second highest priced home to sell in Hillsborough County this year; the top sales price was the Casper family's $9.5 million acquisition of the Stovall-Lee estate on Bayshore Boulevard. Julie Mullen Lux, an agent with Smith & Associates Real Estate in Tampa, was the listing agent on the property. Jennifer…Original Article
Here’s what Water Street Tampa will look and feel like at street level (Renderings)
The developer of Water Street Tampa has unveiled its vision for the streetscapes, parks and public realms within the district — and it is a stark contrast to present-day downtown Tampa. Strategic Property Partners, the developer of Water Street, on Thursday released renderings and a vision that reveal for the first time what the mixed-use district will look and feel like at street level. It will have large, shaded sidewalks — anywhere from 16 to 45 feet wide — with space for outdoor dining,…Original Article
Tampa developer building ‘live-work’ townhouses near St. Pete’s Edge District (Renderings)
A new townhouse development near St. Petersburg's Edge District will include "live-work units" that feature a separate 800-square-foot space that can be leased out to commercial users, like a coffee bar or bike shop. Icon Residential is under construction on The District on 9th, a 34-unit townhouse development at Arlington Avenue North and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street North. Of those, four will be live-work units, with the 800-square-foot space meant for commercial tenants, which could include…Original Article
53-story Riverwalk Place in downtown Tampa unveils pricing and floor plans for luxury condos
Riverwalk Place, the mixed-use tower proposed on the downtown Tampa waterfront, has released pricing and floor plans for its condominiums. Brenda Daly, a listing agent with Smith & Associates, on Tuesday sent out a "VIP package" with details on the residential units. Developers of the 53-story tower — a partnership of Feldman Equities, Tower Realty and Two Roads Development — had previously said that pricing would range from the $600,000s to $2 million. The "VIP package" is the first time…Original Article
Culbreath Isles home listed for sale at almost $7 million (Photos)
A home in Culbreath Isles, a South Tampa waterfront neighborhood, has been listed for sale at nearly $7 million. The mid-century contemporary home, built in 2008, hit the market in early June. Hughes Shelton Realtors at Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate has the listing, priced at $6.9 million. That price point is at the higher end of Tampa's luxury real estate market. The highest price ever paid for a residential property in Hillsborough County is $9.5 million, which the Casper family paid…Original Article