Sunday, June 17, 2018
Tampa Bay Times | Sunday, June 17, 2018 |
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Homes Sold in the bay area
$515,000
379 Boca Ciega Point Blvd., No. 504 3 bedrooms, 3 baths St. Petersburg in Boca Ciega Point: Built in 1972, this luxurious waterfront villa features Brazilian cherry flooring, chef’s kitchen with high-end appliances and floor-toceiling pull-out pantries, Radio-RD Lutron lighting system, master suite with Bain Ultra jacuzzi tub and two-person walk-in shower, Pella glass doors, 500-square-foot lanai, composite dock with 16,000-pound boat lift and 52 feet of protected waterway. The 1,900-square-foot home was listed at $589,000 and sold in May. Smith & Associates Real Estate, Debbie Momberg & Lee Stratton
$370,000
7526 Third Ave. N 3 bedrooms, 3 baths St. Petersburg in DaVista: This open-plan home, built in 1952 on a brick street, has a covered front porch, kitchen with granite counters, GE stainless-steel appliances and breakfast bar, floor-length windows, recently renovated bath with marble and porcelain tile, large screen-enclosed pool and spa, third bedroom located in garage, back and side yards with majestic oak trees, two utility sheds, one-car garage and alley access through a double gate. Listed at $375,000, the 1,672-square-foot home sold in May. Northstar Realty, Debbie Harris
It can be a case of ‘hurry up and wait’ for thousands of drivers during the afternoon exodus from the Tampa Bay area, as they make their way home to bedroom communities north and south. Here, traffic comes to a crawl at the notorious S.R. 56 and I-75 junction in Wesley Chapel.
The numbers prove it — Long drives not deterring new commuter culture’ BY NICK STUBBS Times Correspondent
$340,000
8900 Saint Andrews Drive 3 bedrooms, 2 baths Seminole in Seminole Lake Golf & Country Club Estates: Built in 1983, this block stucco home features a private courtyard in the entryway, double-entry doors opening to a foyer and living/dining room combination with pool view, carpet and ceramic tile flooring, screen-enclosed pool and lanai, laundry room with sink and storage, attic, shingle roof and two-car garage. The 1,921-square-foot home was listed at $359,000 and sold in May. Biltmore Group, Rom Soares
$295,000
19202 Red Bird Lane 5 bedrooms, 3 baths Lithia in Lithia Estates: Built on a 1.16-acre lot in 1996, this three-way split-plan brick home has a spacious office, den, music or playroom behind French doors, formal living area with oversized front window, kitchen with breakfast nook, raised-panel cabinets and striking backsplash, secluded master suite with his-and-her closets and remodeled bath with dual sinks and walk-in shower, and large screened lanai. The 3,153-squarefoot home was listed at $275,000 and sold in April. Signature Realty Associates, Brenda Wade Team TO SUBMIT YOUR SALE for consideration in this column, please send us a photo of the home plus the address, sale price, listed price, month sold, TH91425 number of bedrooms and baths, and short description. Submissions may be emailed to bmoch@tampabay.com (put HOUSE VALUES in the subject line) or mailed to: Tampa Bay Times/House Values, Attn: Barbara Moch/ Newsroom Services, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731
For some, living close to work seems like a great way to make life easier and less stressful. For others, there’s no place like home—in the next county. A lot of people don’t want to live near noisy, crowded work centers in cities because it stresses them out. Still others are pushed to their breaking point commuting in heavy traffic during the much dreaded morning and afternoon rush hours. It’s pick your poison, said Steven Blinder, a real estate agent with Keller Williams Tampa Central. His primary market is the Brandon and South Shore area, where many who work in and near downtown Tampa are flocking at a break-neck pace, happily accepting the commute. “It’s about the quality of life, family-friendly neighborhoods, and the houses are clearly more affordable than south Tampa,” said Blinder, who said growth in the area is exploding. He noted there is one other factor important to residents in the region: The Lee Roy Selmon Expressway, often referred to simply as the “Crosstown.” For most, he said, the decision whether commuting is practical usually depends on the viability of available routes like the Selmon.
Blinder often makes the drive to his office in downtown Tampa using the expressway. If he leaves home at 7:30 a.m., he’s at the office by just after 8 a.m. — even quicker if he leaves at 9 a.m. “It’s manageable; you don’t spend a lot of time stuck in traffic,” said Blinder. “If anything, it’s getting to the Selmon that can be the slowest.” Blinder said a trend in the Brandon and Riverview area is homeowners who work south, in Bradenton or Sarasota. They use Interstate 75 and U.S. 301, both of which he considers “manageable” routes, even during the rush hours. Another important and booming bedroom community is the Wesley Chapel region, extending west along the State Road 54 corridor into Land O’ Lakes and Trinity. Many living there work in Tampa or Pinellas County, said Greg Armstrong, chairman of public policy with the West Pasco Board of Realtors. Those living in these south-central Pasco County neighborhoods have three major commuting routes south (and north) in I-75, U.S. 41 and the Suncoast Parkway. Just how “manageable” these routes are during rush hours is questionable, said Armstrong. “Every day the north-south routes are getting slower and slower,” he said, adding that with the rapid housing growth in the region, about 100 cars a week are being added to the traffic stream. Still they come, said Armstrong, drawn to Pasco for new, familyfriendly communities, better schools, and lower taxes. The majority of new residents are transplants from Hillsborough and Pinellas counties, where most still work. Armstrong
Home may be where the heart is, but it’s also where the city isn’t—at least for members of the commuter culture. Quiet, well-manicured enclaves like Spring Wood in the Seven Oaks community in Wesley Chapel sit well north of Tampa but are close to Interstate 75 for those who need to make the drive to work.
helped a friend who works in Pinellas relocate, and together they didn’t find what suited her until they got to Hernando County. With the Suncoast Parkway she is able to get to work in a little more than an hour, but she’s happy to live in a bigger place at less cost and less local congestion, Armstrong said. “Seventy-five percent (of new residents heading north to live) are coming from Hillsborough or Pinellas, and they are willing to accept horrific traffic” on their daily commutes, said Armstrong. Most of the new residents are families with school-age children, but there are respectable numbers of couples of retirement age still working and willing to commute, Armstrong notes. Another factor driving the commuting culture along the 54 corridor is the demand for modern amenities, both within the home and the communities, by 20- to 40-year-olds. Those things are found in new homes and new communities, something difficult to
find in more built-out Hillsborough and Pinellas. “Expectations by that age group are extremely high and the only way to get it is to buy new,” said Armstrong, adding that the booming region of Pasco is adding the highest percentage of new homes per month of any place in Florida, and is near the top in the U.S. Armstrong said studies are showing that some 11,000 to 13,000 new residents are moving to Pasco County annually. With most working out of the area, it’s a testament to their willingness to commute. But at that pace, he’s worried transportation planners won’t be able to keep up. He is happy to see projects like the divergent diamond, set to start in the fall to relieve the massive traffic jams at the S.R. 56 and I-75 junctions, but he’s concerned that by the time it is completed in a couple of years, growth will have outpaced it. “We’re going to gain (some traffic relief) but I’m not sure if the gain is enough,” Armstrong said.