Melanie Loves Tampa Bay

With a crazy nationwide housing market, the frenzy seems particularly high here in Tampa, Florida. If you're considering a move to Florida in 2022, or planning to buy a home - check out this update from experienced real estate agent Melanie Atkinson, who works in the Tampa Bay area. She'll also talk about new construction options and Realtor tips for buyers on actually getting your offers accepted in order to secure a house.

Melanie is a Tampa Bay area Realtor with Smith & Associates.

She loves Tampa Bay area area, houses, and helping clients buy and sell real estate.

melanielovestampabay.com

Email: [email protected]

Call/text me if you are looking to buy / sell a home in the Tampa Bay area! 813.368.6084

DISCLAIMER: All content provided on melanielovestampabay.com and the Melanie Loves Tampa Bay YouTube channel/social media platforms is for informational/entertainment purposes only. The owner of Melanie Loves Tampa Bay makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site. Information provided is subject to change.

It can be difficult to figure out where to buy a house when you don't know the Tampa Bay area, so I'm revealing the most popular neighborhoods for my own clients. Giving advice as to where to move can be tricky for me as a Realtor, because we have professional and ethical guidelines in place to discourage steering our clients to certain areas. People ask all the time, "Where are the good neighborhoods?" but it's not one I can answer directly. Not only for ethical reasons, but because everyone has their own definition of what a 'good' neighborhood is. 

Here is a list of the top spots my buyers chose to move to since the beginning of 2020:

Looking back on the past couple years, I was surprised at some of the places missing on the list including St. Petersburg and Safety Harbor.

Hopefully, by knowing where my previous home buyers chose to purchase will help you with your own decision making. It's been a whirlwind real estate market since early 2020, and I don't have any reason to think it's going to slow down in 2022. More on that to come in upcoming episodes!

Melanie is a Tampa Bay area Realtor with Smith & Associates.

She loves Tampa Bay area area, houses, and helping clients buy and sell real estate.

melanielovestampabay.com

Email: [email protected]

Call/text me if you are looking to buy / sell a home in the Tampa Bay area! 813.368.6084

DISCLAIMER: All content provided on melanielovestampabay.com and the Melanie Loves Tampa Bay YouTube channel/social media platforms is for informational/entertainment purposes only. The owner of Melanie Loves Tampa Bay makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site. Information provided is subject to change.

Two of my favorite small cities here in the Tampa Bay area are Dunedin and Safety Harbor - wonderful places to live and visit. 

Dunedin and Safety Harbor are waterfront communities with quaint, bustling downtown areas, plenty of fun events, things to do, places to eat and drink. Dunedin is located north of Clearwater and the beaches on the west side of the peninsula. Safety Harbor is located on the east side of the peninsula at the top of Tampa Bay. Dunedin isn't too far from Honeymoon Island (a favorite local beach) as well as easy access to the Pinellas Trail. 

There are lots of housing options from older and newer construction, condos, townhomes, and single family homes. Homes built closer to the downtown areas tend to be older, historical homes = $$$$. As you get farther away from the main areas, you will find larger new homes.  Average home prices in Dunedin are approximately $365,000 with a recent sale over $4 million. Prices in Safety Harbor differ a bit - with the average home approximately $420,000 and a recent sale over $2 million. 

https://www.dunedingov.com/about

Melanie is a Tampa Bay area Realtor with Smith & Associates.

She loves Tampa Bay area area, houses, and helping clients buy and sell real estate.

melanielovestampabay.com

Email: [email protected]

Call/text me if you are looking to buy / sell a home in the Tampa Bay area! 813.368.6084

DISCLAIMER: All content provided on melanielovestampabay.com and the Melanie Loves Tampa Bay YouTube channel/social media platforms is for informational/entertainment purposes only. The owner of Melanie Loves Tampa Bay makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site. Information provided is subject to change.

White powder beaches, palm trees, luxurious new houses, manicured golf courses, and waterfront parks. There are so many gorgeous things to list in the Tampa Bay area, but everywhere can't be pretty - right? Is it possible that parts of Tampa are actually UGLY? Recently, a home buying client flat out told me, "It's ugly here." At first it kind of felt like she was calling one of my kids ugly, but then I thought about it and realized she was right. Every city has some not-so-glamorous parts, but with so many people looking to move to Florida I want to make sure you understand the whole picture and get a reality check before you start packing up the moving van. 

Most of this region was built a long time ago, and buildings were constructed for sturdiness - not architectural design. Houses from the mid-1900s were mostly small block homes and we have tons of commercial strip centers. Older neighborhoods tend to have above ground powerlines, and some may find oak trees to be a nuisance compared to lower maintenance palm trees. Surprisingly, property values in older parts of town also happen to be the MOST expensive and desirable. Areas in the city centers and near the beaches were among the first to be developed. Clients with big budgets tend to be confused on why these areas aren't aesthetically pleasing. 

Newer neighborhoods also have issues of their own - homes are very close together, and I've had clients tell me subdivisions lack charm and have a generic 'cookie cutter' look. Buyers tend to overlook those factors because they want new construction and community amenities. 

Driving on U.S. Highway 41 through Apollo Beach, it's hard to notice the large smoke stacks of the Big Bend Power Station - a coal-fired power plant operated by TECO Energy. While the area boasts some lovely waterfront homes, some clients are turned off by this landmark.

Melanie is a Tampa Bay area Realtor with Smith & Associates.

She loves Tampa Bay area area, houses, and helping clients buy and sell real estate.

melanielovestampabay.com

Email: [email protected]

Call/text me if you are looking to buy / sell a home in the Tampa Bay area! 813.368.6084

DISCLAIMER: All content provided on melanielovestampabay.com and the Melanie Loves Tampa Bay YouTube channel/social media platforms is for informational/entertainment purposes only. The owner of Melanie Loves Tampa Bay makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site. Information provided is subject to change.

While it may have felt like everything shut down in 2020, there's lots of building and development in the Tampa Bay area. In this episode, I want to update you on some of the most exciting residential, commercial, and infrastructure projects. 

Midtown Tampa

Water Street Tampa

St. Pete Pier

Selmon Expressway Extension

FDOT Projects

Citrus Park Drive Extension

Melanie is a Tampa Bay area Realtor with Smith & Associates.

She loves Tampa Bay area area, houses, and helping clients buy and sell real estate.

melanielovestampabay.com

Email: [email protected]

Call/text me if you are looking to buy / sell a home in the Tampa Bay area! 813.368.6084

DISCLAIMER: All content provided on melanielovestampabay.com and the Melanie Loves Tampa Bay YouTube channel/social media platforms is for informational/entertainment purposes only. The owner of Melanie Loves Tampa Bay makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site. Information provided is subject to change.

With the current state of the housing market, busy real estate agents must work together in order to best serve our clients. In this episode, I'm introducing you to my Smith & Associate colleagues and give them the opportunity to share their insight on what it's like to move to Florida and live in the Tampa Bay area. We talk everything from popular neighborhoods, weather, school districts, traffic, family life, and best local places for fun and food. 

Timestamps:

Chantelle Boothe / REALTOR 📱 813.417.6699 📧 [email protected]  

Melanie is a Tampa Bay area Realtor with Smith & Associates.

She loves Tampa Bay area area, houses, and helping clients buy and sell real estate.

melanielovestampabay.com

Email: [email protected]

Call/text me if you are looking to buy / sell a home in the Tampa Bay area! 813.368.6084

DISCLAIMER: All content provided on melanielovestampabay.com and the Melanie Loves Tampa Bay YouTube channel/social media platforms is for informational/entertainment purposes only. The owner of Melanie Loves Tampa Bay makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site. Information provided is subject to change.

By now you've probably heard about the low inventory real estate situation here in the Tampa Bay area, and I'm sharing my advice for how to best navigate this housing market. As of March 2021, Hillsborough County only has three weeks of single family home inventory, when a balanced housing market would have about six months worth of homes available. 

Take a close look at your finances, because you might have to get creative. It is very normal for a buyer right now to guarantee to pay a certain amount over appraised value. In order to win that contract, you may have to put down a larger down payment or the seller might want you to put more of an escrow deposit down. It's going to be difficult to get sellers who will accept a contract contingent on the sale of your home, so you may need to tap into other money sources such as investment accounts. 

For those lucky enough to be a cash buyer, you are likely to win the contract in a multiple-offer situation if it's the same price as finance offers. 

Be flexible, but don't settle! There will probably never be the perfect house, but cosmetic items can be changed. Be flexible on the "wants," not as flexible on the "must-haves." 

Why even jump into this housing market right now? My buyers are choosing to proceed for several reasons including historically low interest rates, the ability to work from home, and out-of-towners looking to leave more expensive states.

Melanie is a Tampa Bay area Realtor with Smith & Associates.

She loves Tampa Bay area area, houses, and helping clients buy and sell real estate.

melanielovestampabay.com

Email: [email protected]

Call/text me if you are looking to buy / sell a home in the Tampa Bay area! 813.368.6084

DISCLAIMER: All content provided on melanielovestampabay.com and the Melanie Loves Tampa Bay YouTube channel/social media platforms is for informational/entertainment purposes only. The owner of Melanie Loves Tampa Bay makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site. Information provided is subject to change.

Reading your comments and answering questions in the 3rd edition of this series! Leave questions you have down below in the comment section and they may be answered in future episodes.

Timestamps:

Florida Department of Education resource (researching school districts)

http://www.fldoe.org/accountability/accountability-reporting/school-grades/

https://www.greatschools.org/

https://www.niche.com/

Juless_TheTipsyCook

MOVING ACROSS COUNTY *Rhode Island - Florida* https://youtu.be/7uHP5QkPL04

Melanie is a Tampa Bay area Realtor with Smith & Associates.

She loves Tampa Bay area area, houses, and helping clients buy and sell real estate.

melanielovestampabay.com

Email: [email protected]

Call/text me if you are looking to buy / sell a home in the Tampa Bay area! 813.368.6084

DISCLAIMER: All content provided on melanielovestampabay.com and the Melanie Loves Tampa Bay YouTube channel/social media platforms is for informational/entertainment purposes only. The owner of Melanie Loves Tampa Bay makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site. Information provided is subject to change.

Planning to move to Florida in 2021? Here are some important updates for anyone considering a relocation to the Sunshine State. This episode will be building on information shared in a previous video about moving to Florida in 2020, so check that one out if you haven't seen it yet.

Topics discussed:

The Mortgage Firm Tampa / Patrick Storch  

Contact Maria Rodriguez for your insurance needs within the state of Florida

Melanie is a Tampa Bay area Realtor with Smith & Associates.

She loves Tampa Bay area area, houses, and helping clients buy and sell real estate.

melanielovestampabay.com

Email: [email protected]

Call/text me if you are looking to buy / sell a home in the Tampa Bay area! 813.368.6084

DISCLAIMER: All content provided on melanielovestampabay.com and the Melanie Loves Tampa Bay YouTube channel/social media platforms is for informational/entertainment purposes only. The owner of Melanie Loves Tampa Bay makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site. Information provided is subject to change.

It's hard to imagine buying a house without ever seeing it in person until after closing, but it's happening now more than ever. For much of 2020, there have been travel restrictions in place so house hunting has largely gone virtual. If you wait to fly down to see a home in person, it may already be gone so buying sight unseen has become a common practice. So how can you do it successfully and what are the risks? In this episode of Melanie Loves Tampa Bay, I'm sharing my best tips and advice. 

For all of you out there about to take the leap into buying a home sight unseen, best of luck to you! Use all of the available resources and ask a lot of questions.

Melanie is a Tampa Bay area Realtor with Smith & Associates.

She loves Tampa Bay area area, houses, and helping clients buy and sell real estate.

melanielovestampabay.com

Email: [email protected]

Call/text me if you are looking to buy / sell a home in the Tampa Bay area! 813.368.6084

DISCLAIMER: All content provided on melanielovestampabay.com and the Melanie Loves Tampa Bay YouTube channel/social media platforms is for informational/entertainment purposes only. The owner of Melanie Loves Tampa Bay makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site. Information provided is subject to change.