Lipply's Blog: Pinellas County Real Estate

“The Housing Crisis is Over” so says Cyril Moulle-Berteaux, managing partner at Traxis Partners in New York, in his recent May 2008 opinion article in the Wall Street Journal.

Who is he and what can he know about it? Previously, he was a managing director for Morgan Stanley and left to start Traxis in 2003 with Barton Biggs, a long time Wall Street executive, also from Morgan Stanley. With that much credibility, he must know something about this after all.

So, let’s hear him out. He says that the housing market is bottoming out. This is music to the ears of all the real estate agents in the United States. Not just real estate agents mind you but everyone wanting to sell their homes and all the thousands of would be homebuyers currently sitting on the…

The School Choice Program in Pinellas County Florida has been a mixed bag with parents over the last few years. Parents had the opportunity to help choose which school their child will attend.  Schools were narrowed down by zoning into smaller categories and you could choose your schools from that selection. Most students received their first or second choices and all was well but some students did not and were left traveling long distances to and from their assigned school. Plus, since most parents were unsure of what school their child would be accepted at many of them opted to live outside the county to avoid the situation altogether.  This situation had a mild effect on real estate values and caused a lot of families undue stress.

In December of 2007,…

The East Lake area of Palm Harbor and Tarpon Springs remains one of the most popular areas in northern Pinellas County.  In fact, many people from the southern portion of Pinellas County continue to move up this way to take advantage of newer and bigger homes, fantastic schools, and tons of amenities.  Speaking of schools, Brooker Creek and Cypress Woods Elementary schools have both been rated a 10 by the parents of children who attend there, according to GreatSchools.net and East Lake High School has earned a Grade A rating from the State of Florida for 7 straight years in a row!  That's something to brag about!

I have lived in the East Lake area for over 10 years and I wouldn't want to live anywhere else. We have a website dedicated to real estate in…

Things have changed a lot in Pinellas County relating to homes prices.  I'm sure that this same story could be told in many other areas of the country, but Pinellas County is special and many people - just a few years ago - were thinking that they would never be able to buy a home here.  The fact is that homes prices were rising so high that people started looking toward Pasco County and Hernando County for new construction and better home values in existing homes.  Now, there's nothing wrong with Pasco or Hernando County, and there are some great deals to be had there.  But if you work in some of the more employable areas like Clearwater or Tampa, drive time to and from work may be a little more than most people want to deal with.

Also, it's no secret…

The Bay Arbor community of Oldsmar, FL couldn't be more well rounded and appealing to homebuyers today.  It's probably one of the most popular subdivisions in Oldsmar and for good reason too!  The beauty of Bay Arbor starts right at the gate where you are greated with a gazebo and a double iron entry gate.  Many people favor gated communities today for the extra sense of security they provide.  It's standard practice in the Tampa Bay area for gates to be closed at dusk and only those who have been granted access can enter.

Imagine, if you will, a subdivision where each and every home has a brick pavered driveway.  This is Bay Arbor!  Many of the two story homes have a split driveway with a two car garage on one side and a one car garage on the other…

The School Choice Program in Pinellas County has gained popularity over the last few years.  Parents have the opportunity to help choose which school their child will attend.  Schools are narrowed down by zoning into smaller categories and you can choose your schools from that selection.  In Pinellas County there are so many great schools to choose from parents often find themselves torn between multiple schools.

In northern Pinellas County in areas such as Palm Harbor, and East Lake there are many top rated schools to choose from.  These parents have a tough choice.  Brooker Creek, Cypress Woods, Leila Davis and Garrison Jones Elementary are some of the top choices in this area.  These schools excel in attendance, teacher retention, FCAT testing and… Read Full Post

Throughout the gorgeous cities of Pinellas County in Florida you will find tranquil parks that are nature preserves and a place to gather and relax at the end of the day.  Many feature fun children's playgrounds, boat ramps or lakefront settings, and have picnic pavilions for hosting a party or family gathering. Here’s a sampling of our favorites:
Seminole Park in the city of Seminole sits on a gorgeous lake that people enjoy water skiing, or just sitting by the water and having a picnic.  It's a great location for a party and has many trails throughout the park to observe wildlife, walk or rollerblade in a peaceful setting.  Also, in the city of Seminole you will find a playground at the Seminole Recreation Center that is covered so you can have shade… Read Full Post

Safety Harbor, Florida is located right outside of Clearwater, but also is just a few miles away from Tampa. This older town with a population of over 17,000 was started in 1917 and is located on the northwest side of Old Tampa Bay.   Living in Safety Harbor has the definite advantage of being close to recreational areas. The region serves as a tourist attraction so there are many activities and places to see nearby. Some fantastic national parks are within just a few miles of Safety Harbor and they include the Caladesi Island State Park, the Honeymoon Island State Park, the Sand Key Park, to name a few of many, and there are numerous beaches. Among the unique things you can do in this area is watch both manatees and dolphins, with tours going out… Read Full Post