New Home in Tampa

If you are looking for a new home, that is BRAND New Construction, in the Tampa Real Estate Market, and you are not working with an agent, it is VERY difficult to find what you are looking for. Most New Construction is not listed in MLS, or on Realtor.com, and is often under contract before the slab is poured!  The demand for new homes is high, so if you are relocating to Tampa, and you need expert advice, contact me today!

What is the cost of a “new” home in Tampa?

That depends on size, and, of course, location. Prices range from $300,000 to several million. Let me know if I can help!

If you are buying a house in Tampa, or Selling a house in Tampa, I can help with any Tampa neighborhood, including: South Tampa, Davis Islands, Beach Park, Sunset Park, Hyde Park Historic District, Culbreath Isles, Palma Ceia, Westchase, Waterchase, Odessa, Cheval, Avila, Brandon, Riverview, FishHawk, New Tampa, Tampa Palms, Hunter’s Green, Arbor Greene, Apollo Beach, South Shore, MiraBay, Golf Communities, Waterfront Homes, Luxury Homes in Tampa, Clearwater Beach, St. Pete Beach, Condos in Tampa and International Real Estate…contact me! Just give me specifics of what you are looking for and you will receive the newest listings on the market!

You can search my site, on the right sidebar, for any article related to Tampa Real Estate, Neighborhoods, or

Restaurants. Just type in a search word in the search box!

You can read my restaurant reviews on Urban Spoon, too! Any questions about Tampa Real Estate? Contact me today! And, if you like this post, please share it on Twitter, using the “Tweet” button below!

Moving to Tampa? PCS to MacDill Air Force Base?  Looking for expert advice in the Tampa Real Estate Market?

When you are buying a home in the Tampa Real Estate market, or anywhere in the World, you should NEVER fail to get a Home Inspection done to check for any structural, or mechanical, defects in the home you are buying. With the number of “foreclosures” on the market being sold “as is”, it is VERY important that you have any home you are intending to buy inspected by a PROFESSIONAL Home Inspector.

Very often, buyers are trying to save money by having a “friend” who claims to be a contractor do the inspection. BAD IDEA. Home Inspectors are certified through ASHI, a professional association of Home Inspectors. They have specialized training, standards to uphold and checklists they can follow, eliminating the likelihood that they might “miss” something. While no inspector is perfect, the more training the inspector has, the more thorough he is likely to be in examining the home for any possible defects, especially those not visible to the untrained eye.

Occasionally, you will need to hire additional inspectors, depending on the home. A waterfront home generally will require a seawall inspection, or a dock inspection. Property in a rural area may warrant a septic inspection or well inspection.

Wood-burning fireplaces should really be inspected for any loose mortar, or creosote build-up. I recommend a local chimney sweep for those inspections. Radon inspections are common in many areas East of Tampa and that requires a cannister to be placed in the home for several days, then collected, and tested, for the presence of Radon Gas.

While the cost of inspections is not inexpensive, the cost of NOT uncovering a problem until after you are the homeowner can be HUGE. Ask your Real Estate Professional for the best inspectors, not the cheapest ones!

If you would like to receive a list of homes in a certain price range…send me an email! I have been relocation families to Tampa for 17 years and have had three children in Private Schools, Magnet Schools and Public Schools! If you need help finding the RIGHT Neighborhood for your family, please contact me today.

I can help with your move to any Tampa neighborhood, or Real Estate Listings in the Tampa area, including: South Tampa, Davis Islands, Beach Park, Sunset Park, Hyde Park, Culbreath Isles, Palma Ceia, Westchase, Waterchase, Odessa, Cheval, Avila, Brandon, Riverview, FishHawk, New Tampa, Tampa Palms, Hunter’s Green, Arbor Greene, Apollo Beach, South Shore, MiraBay, Golf Communities, Waterfront Homes, Luxury Homes in Tampa, Condos in Tampa and International Real Estate…contact me!

Tampa is a great, family-oriented city. Located between the attractions in Orlando and the Gulf Beaches, along with one of the Best School Districts in the U.S., it is a fabulous place to live! I promise that you will NOT have to drive in snow, sleet, or freezing rain!

For more in-depth information on Tampa Schools and Tampa Neighborhoods, you should contact me today. I have been relocating families to the Tampa area for 17 years. I have three children who have been educated in both the public and private schools, along with the Magnet Schools. Most of my clients are busy professionals, or  families with children and I counsel them about the BEST choices for THEIR families.

Tampa is a large metropolitan area with many neighborhoods and many options at all price ranges, ranging from Gated Communities to Waterfront to City Living.  I can set up an online search for your specific needs, so send me an email, or give me a call, at 813.629.5757, so I can help narrow your options and find the Best Place to Live in Tampa for YOU!

When you are moving to Tampa, or anywhere in the world, contact me, to find the right home for your family’s needs!

For more information about the Tampa Real Estate market, Tampa Neighborhoods, including Culbreath Isles, MacDill AFB,  South Tampa, Harbour Island, Davis Islands, Beach Park, Sunset Park, Hyde Park, Channelside, Palma Ceia, Westchase, Waterchase, Odessa, Cheval, Avila, Brandon, Riverview, FishHawk, New Tampa, Tampa Palms, Hunters Green, Arbor Greene, Apollo Beach, South Shore, MiraBay, Golf Communities, Waterfront Homes, Houses in the Plant High School District, Tampa Schools, Luxury Homes in Tampa, Condos in Tampa, the Best Tampa Neighborhoods, or International Real Estate contact me

Osso Bucco

From start to finish, Cafe Pont is always amazing.  We enjoyed sips of Mushroom Bisque and Pumpkin Curry Crab Bisque, while awaiting our first course.  All agreed that our choices were delicious: from the Beefsteak Salad and Beet Salad  to the Sea Bass and THREE orders of Osso Bucco, we were very happy.  For dessert, we ordered a Raspberry Creme Brulee, Chocolate Tart and Artisinal Cheese Plate.  A selection of assorted chocolates topped the finish to a lovely evening. A bottle of Ferrari Carano Tresor was the perfect wine on a perfect night!

The dining room was full on Saturday night.  We were warmly greeted by Rebecca and promptly attended to by our server, Boyce.  The menu is a “twist” of Southern specialties with a “nibble” of hot boiled peanuts to start. The bread was  unique, with a touch of corn meal in the batter!   The “Geeno” chips are a MUST! Decadent and delicious…Fried Sweet Potato Chips, topped with melted blue cheese and balsamic vinegar.  The portion would feed a party of six!

The Underground Salad was a fresh, and light, medley of locally grown herbs, watermelon, goat cheese, a hint of mint, and a kumquat and vidalia vinaigrette.  We also tried the Summer Relish Plate with the Fried Green tomatoes, field pea “caviar” and bread and butter pickles.  Aside from the yummy pickles, of the entire meal, this was my only disappointment.

Our entrees were the Catfish and Grits and the Porkbelly Roulade.  At this point, we were feeling a little “porky” ourselves and decided it was time to share.  The tasty catfish beignets were served with a spicy homemade remoulade, smoked tomato grit cakes and some fresh grilled okra and green beans.  The  Hickory Smoked Pork Belly was rolled with carmelized onion and served with a potato tart, along with the grilled vegetables.  If you like bacon, you will “die” for that pork belly.  It was  all fabulous.

Totally satiated, but determined to “taste everything” , our dessert plate was a trio of  the Rich Chocolate Cake, a Lemon Cake with Strawberry Buttercream frosting and a slice of Curtis’ Homemade Lemon Cheesecake…that was the clear winner, though the Chocolate Cake was moist and yummy, as well.

We enjoyed a Block Nine Pinot Noir with the meal, though you can bring your own wine, if you prefer.

Overall, it was a wonderful dining experience.  Trust me…make the trip to Dade City.  And tell Curtis, Rebecca and Boyce that I sent you.  It was clear from all of the great food ,and local diners, that night that “Pearl in the Grove” is well on it’s way to being a bright spot on the Restaurant Scene in the area!

You can read my other restaurant reviews on Urban Spoon!

Looking for the Best Neighborhoods in Tampa, The Best School Districts in Tampa, or need help with Relocation to Tampa? Contact me today!

I have been relocating families, to Tampa, the Tampa Suburbs and MacDill Air Force Base for over 17 years. I KNOW the schools.  Hillsborough County has some of the best schools in the US, including Plant High School, which ranks at 38, in the top 500 High Schools in the country.

What is the BEST neighborhood? That is different for every family, and every price range. The Tampa area has many different areas at all price ranges, from city living in South Tampa and the Plant High School District, to the northern reaches of the county. Some families choose Pasco county for slightly lower property taxes.  How to decide where to live? That’s easy…contact me. Internet searches are no substitute for an experienced real estate agent.  I think searching for homes on the internet, without the knowledge of the area, neighborhoods, and schools, makes it MORE confusing for anyone considering a relocation to Tampa.

Tell me about your family situation, work location, desired commute time, school needs and your social life, along with your housing needs and price range.  I can quickly identify which areas and neighborhoods might suit your needs!  This is the busy season, so if you are trying to find the perfect home before the end of the year, now is the time to start when the inventory is most plentiful!

You can read some of my previous articles on “Moving to Tampa”:

New Suburb Beautiful…A Top Choice in The Plant High School District

Moving to Tampa? PCS to MacDill Air Force Base?

When you are moving to Tampa, or anywhere in the world, contact me, to find the right home for your family’s needs, and I can set up a search for you to receive the newest listings  in Tampa via email!

For more information about the Tampa Real Estate market, Tampa Neighborhoods, including Culbreath Isles, MacDill AFB,  South Tampa, Harbour Island, Davis Islands, Beach Park, Sunset Park, Hyde Park, Channelside, Palma Ceia, Westchase, Waterchase, Odessa, Cheval, Avila, Brandon, Riverview, FishHawk, New Tampa, Tampa Palms, Hunters Green, Arbor Greene, Apollo Beach, South Shore, Pasco County, MiraBay, Golf Communities, Waterfront Homes, Houses in the Plant High School District, Tampa Schools, Luxury Homes in Tampa, Condos in Tampa, the Best Tampa Neighborhoods, or International Real Estate contact me.

One of the nicest areas, Lutz, is in the Steinbrenner High School District.

This is home features 6 Bedrooms, 5 Baths, den and media room with 6000 square feet, on a golf course and pond  lot. In a gated community, with 24 hour guard gate, priced at $889,950.

Convenient to the Veteran’s Expressway, it is an easy commute to Tampa International Airport and just fifteen minutes from the upscale shops at International Plaza.

For information on this home, or any home in the Luxury Real Estate Market in Tampa, contact me today!

If you would like to receive new listings, in any price range, as they come available, just send me an email and tell me about your housing needs and the type of neighborhood that you are looking for.

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Listing and Photo Courtesy of IDX

One of the areas that attracts many families with school-aged children, is the “New Tampa” area.  With prices for homes ranging from $200,000 to over a million, there are many options available at all price points.

This home, located in the Wharton High School District, is priced at $460,000.

With 5 bedrooms, 3 baths and nearly 3000 square feet, it sits on an oversized conservation homesite.

New Tampa is also an area where you can build a new home, so that is a popular option for many of my clients.  The Shoppes at Wiregrass and the New Tampa Regional Library are just minutes away! If choosing your own homesite, neighborhood, and all interior amenities is important to you, contact me today.  Most of the new construction is not listed in MLS, so it is important to work with an agent who knows the builder inventory.

Commuting to Downtown Tampa, or Tampa International Airport  is about 30 minutes!

Looking for the “best” neighborhood in Tampa? It depends on your lifestyle! and your price point. Let me know what you are looking for and I can help find the perfect neighborhood for your family.  Contact me today!

I can help with your move to any Tampa neighborhood, including: South Tampa, Channelside, Harbour Island,  Davis Islands, Beach Park, Sunset Park, Hyde Park, Culbreath Isles, Palma Ceia, Westchase, Waterchase, Odessa, Cheval, Avila, Brandon, Riverview, FishHawk, New Tampa, Tampa Palms, Hunters Green, Arbor Greene, Apollo Beach, South Shore, MiraBay, Golf Communities, Clearwater Beach, Waterfront Homes, Luxury Homes in Tampa, Condos in Tampa and International Real Estate .

For assistance in finding a house in Tampa, or any of the surrounding suburbs, or any questions about the Tampa Real Estate market, please contact me. PCS to MacDill AFB or Moving to Tampa?

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Listing Information and Photo courtesy of IDX

Hurricane Irene is approaching the State of Florida, so if anyone is expecting to close on a real estate transaction in Florida this week, they should have gotten their homeowner’s insurance AND flood insurance in place before now.

Why is that important to anyone buying a home in Tampa, or anywhere in Florida, over the next week, or so? If you overheard any Real Estate agents chatting over lunch today, the conversation might have gone something like this….Realtor A: ”What’s going on with Irene?”… Realtor B:  “It should be in the “Box” later today.  Realtor C:  “Are we in the “Cone”?  Realtor A: “Not at this point, but we need to watch it, because we are in the “Cone” right now and that is not good. Cone? Box?  What, on earth, does all of that mean to the homebuyer coming from out of State where “hail” is the worst natural disaster they have ever seen!

Look at the illustration.  This is a tracking map of the 5-day projected path, as “predicted” as of this morning, from NOAA.

This shows the West Coast of Florida is now in the “Cone”.  Any area in the Cone may be affected by the storm, so Floridians need to keep an eye on it.  Any one closing on a home in Florida, during the next few days, who has not yet secured homeowner’s insurance is likely not going to be able to.

WHY? All insurance binding is suspended when a storm is in the “Box” (see below), the “boxed area in the Atlantic and Gulf regions, and when the “Cone” shows that any part of the State of Florida may be affected.

So, even if you are closing on a home in Tampa, and the storm is expected to only brush through Miami, you will not be able to get insurance and your closing will be delayed.

Additionally, Flood Insurance does NOT go into effect until 30 days after the policy is written.

So, there you have it…the “Boxes” and “Cones” of Hurricane Season mean…get your insurance policy as soon as you are under contract!

You can read some of my previous articles about Hurricane Preparedness:

If A Storm is Approaching Tampa, Do I Need to Evacuate?

Do I Need Flood Insurance in the Tampa Real Estate Market?

Need help finding the perfect home in Tampa, Clearwater, or any neighborhood in the Tampa Bay area?  Contact me today!

As I perused all of the menus for Dine Tampa Bay’s Restaurant Week, I really looked for “innovation”.  Something different.  I am not a fan of “chain” restaurants, but there a few exceptions to my rule, and Season’s 52 is one of them.  They consistently serve fresh, seasonal (hence the name) ingredients in interesting dishes. Whether you are having a glass of wine with one of their amazing “flatbreads”, lunch, or dinner, few could complain about the great food and service at Season’s 52.

From the valet service, to the hostess staff to the wait staff, they are polite and accommodating.  Last night, we were seated at a quiet booth in the bar, on time for our 7 pm reservation. The dining room was full and the place was bustling.  I didn’t want to be “rushed” through the meal and our server, Amanda, understood. She promptly brought a basket of toasty Basil and Parmesan Crispbread, while we pondered the many choices on the four-course menu. When we asked about the “vegetable soup”, we were offered a sample to taste.  This is great “restauranting” at it’s best. Taste it before you order it!

We ordered one course at a time and savored the meal.  Up first, our choices were the Vegetable Soup and the Buffalo Chili with black beans and Cilantro sour cream.  We agreed that the Vegetable soup was a bit lackluster. It needed a little more of “something”…a puree, or dash of cream?  It was not even close to the spicy, flavorful Chili, with chunks of Buffalo meat.  I would order it again in a heartbeat!

The second course offered three salads.  I chose the Organic Arugula with goat cheese, grilled golden beets and toasted pistachios.  I LOVE Golden Beets, use them often in my own recipes, and wish I saw more of them on local menus.  The salad was flavorful, but a little light on the dressing.  I would have used a flavored olive oil, like blood orange,for a bit more flavor,  but it was very good.  My friend sampled the Organic Baby Spinach Salad with raspberries, pine nuts and gorgonzola.  It was yummy.

On to the Main Course:  Carmelized Sea Scallops Grilled with Roasted Aparagus and tomato-mushroom pearl pasta.  This came “highly recommended” and the server was correct.  It was the winner. Perfectly seared scallops blended well with the unique pasta.  My Roasted Aritichoke-Stuffed Shrimp were served with wilted leaf spinach, pasta pearls and a clam cioppino sauce.  The Shrimp were very  good, but the Clam Cioppino sauce was absorbed by the pasta and barely noticeable.  Without the pasta pearls, I would have given it better marks.  Also on the menu that night were a Cedar Plank Salmon, All Natural BBQ Chicken and an Oak-Grilled Filet.  It was a great menu, with plenty of options for every palate.

Dessert was a choice of their signature “mini indulgences”….shotglass sized versions of many classic desserts.  Just enough “sweet” at the end of an amazing meal.  Our choices…Key Lime Pie and Blueberry Cheesecake…I joked with the server that it was about the “antioxidants” in the blueberries!

The prix-fixe menu, for Restaurant Week,  which runs through September 2, is $35.00.

My wine, of choice, was not something one would normally pair with a light, summer menu, but the ’06 Christopher Zinfandel, was velvety smooth, with just enough “berry”, and the closest I’ve had to the amazing Turley Zinfandel. It was a nice surprise.

Once again, a great dining experience at Season’s 52.  We never felt “rushed” and we were two of the last diners in the place. I love the fresh, seasonal ingredients carefully crafted into innovative plates and the ever-changing menu.

From The Best Restaurants in Tampa to the Best Neighborhoods in Tampa and everything about Living in Tampa and the Tampa Real Estate Market is right here, every day, on The Real Estate Sizzle.

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