Grand jury says St. Pete man cheated banks in Carrollwood condo project
A St. Petersburg salesman is at least the sixth person to face federal charges in connection with a condo conversion project that floundered as the real estate bubble burst. A federal grand jury indicated Gary Blankenship on charges of conspiracy, wire fraud and bank fraud for his role in efforts to convert The Arbors in […]
Economists optimistic about Tampa Bay jobs, tourism, housing
Two separate economic reports offer encouraging news for the Tampa Bay area. Job growth has reignited, regional tourism is gaining strength and housing demand is on the rise, according to a Tampa Bay market outlook from PNC Financial Services Group. Still, there’s a wage gap, with per capita income in the Tampa metro area about […]
Tampa, Sarasota top metros for home-flipping in second quarter
The Tampa Bay area continues to be a hot market for flipping homes, but overall the trend is on the decline. The Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metro was No. 5 in the country for the percentage of homes flipped out of total sales and the Sarasota-Bradenton-Venice metro was No. 7, according to data from RealtyTrac, a data […]
Amazon jobs add fuel to Ruskin building boom
The expansion of e-commerce giant Amazon.com Inc. in South Hillsborough County is redefining the area. Amazon is adding 1,000 jobs to its Ruskin distribution center, doubling the size of its workforce. The area has “historically been a bedroom community, but now it’s starting to come into its own,” said Bruce Erhardt, executive director with Cushman […]
Luxury townhomes planned in downtown St. Pete (Rendering)
A cluster of old buildings in downtown St. Petersburg will give way to a new luxury townhouse development in the next year. NJR Property Investments LLC, based in Tampa, said Wednesday that it is planning to build 20 townhouses at 141 Fourth Ave. N. Demolition of the older buildings on that property will begin in […]
Masonite makes second buy in two weeks in UK
In another sign that the housing market is back on track, Masonite International has made its second acquisition in less than two weeks. Masonite bought National Hickman, a supplier of door kits and other millwork in the United Kingdom. The purchase price was $82 million, Masonite said in a statement. Hickman, with 400 employees at […]