Housing

St. Petersburg Opens A Little Bit Of Housing For Everyone

St. Petersburg has opened a new 156-unit apartment complex near Edward White Hospital. Booker Creek Apartments at 2468 13th Ave. N. is now open for new tenants and features such amenities as nine-foot ceilings, energy-efficient appliances and modern cabinetry as well as a clubhouse with free WiFi, a Wii playroom and  fitness center. According to Joshua Johnson, housing director for the city of St. Petersburg Community Enrichment program, the apartment complex is expected to meet the housing needs of families with all levels of income. "Sixty three of the units are required to be rented to families who make 60 percent or lower of area median income," he says. "The remaining units will be rented at market price. The complex is the result of the combined efforts of the city of St. Petersburg, the Richmond Group of Florida, the Housing Finance Authority of Pinellas County, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo and Freddie Mac. The units were designed and built by the Richmond Group and financed through funding by the other entities, which made the $20 million project possible."The city contributed $3 million to the development," explains Johnson. "Which is how we were able to set aside the 63 units for lower income families." "Every five years we conduct an analysis of what the city needs and provide a document for HUD indicating the housing needs for the city; what it lacks and needs in order to continue to grow," says Johnson. "Booker Creek is what affordable housing should look like." Writer: Missy KavanaughSource: Joshua Johnson, City of St. Petersburg

Home Sales Up At Neal Communities In Lakewood Ranch, Bradenton

Home sales by Neal Communities in Bradenton are up 25 percent from last year.Neal Communities signed 41 home sales contracts in August, the most of any month so far in 2010.Neal builds homes in 14 communities and 18 of the August contracts were in the Central Park Community of Lakewood Ranch in Bradenton. Lakewood Ranch, one of the Tampa Bay region's largest real estate developments, straddles Sarasota and Manatee counties east of the cities of Sarasota and Bradenton.The Central Park Community had its grand opening on July 17. It features homes that are priced starting in the mid-$100,000s and range in size from 1,040 to 2,442 square feet. This community has 40 contracts signed so far, 38 on homes built by Neal Communities and two by Bruce Williams Homes.The other communities with signed contracts include: eight in Forest Creek, six in River Sound, five in the Country Club at Lakewood Ranch, two in Wisteria Park, and one each in Harborage on Braden River and Mandalay.According to Maryann Grgic of Neal Communities, the company hired a dozen people in the first quarter of the year and have hired several people since then."Our traffic is very strong and steady and we plan on selling more houses next month," Grgic says, adding that the company will add more jobs if business stays steady.Neal Communities is the largest locally and privately owned home builder in the Bradenton area. The company was ranked number one locally by Hanley Wood Market based on the number of homes sold.Neal Communities has won 24 2010 Parade of Homes awards, 44 Aurora Awards, five Best in American Living Awards and hundreds of local and regional industry awards."We're optimistic about what's to come," Grgic says.Writer: Mandy ErfourthSource: Maryann Grgic, Neal Communities

Tampa Resort-Style Community Adds New Units, Unique Promotion

Valencia Lakes, a resort-style adult community located in Wimauma, is adding six new homes to its collection and is hosting three-day, two-night packages to promote its unique lifestyle of living for active adults.Its "Dream Stay and Play" promotion invites potential residents to stay in one of its fully furnished single-family homes for two nights and enjoy activities both within Valencia's community as well as events in the Tampa Bay region.According to Marisa Lufkin of GL Homes' Valencia Lakes, construction on the six homes will be completed by the beginning of October, and mirror the architectural style of existing homes in the community's collections, all of which offer standard safety features such as skid-resistant drop-down tubs and medical and fire emergency panic buttons in each low-maintenance luxury home.But Lufkin says it's the environment and amenities that set Valencia apart. "There is really no active adult community like what we offer in the Tampa market," says Lufkin. "We have perfected the model for active retirement living starting with our East Coast communities as we extended onto the West Coast. We've mastered a top-notch lifestyle for this demographic from our multimillion-dollar entrance to our clubhouse amenities to our custom building options. There's really no area where we're lacking."The entrance features an entry bridge and floating fountains with a Craftsman-inspired security gatehouse. Its 27,000-square-foot clubhouse features a complete fitness center, steam room, sauna, resort and resistance pools, spa, cabana bath, art studio and gallery, wine bar and social hall with a raised stage and dance floor. Also included are a gaming room and Internet café. Ample grounds contain space for tennis, basketball, pickleball and bocce ball courts, a grandchildren's tot lot, horseshoes and community gardens. RV and boat parking also are available.Writer: Missy KavanaughSource: Marisa Lufkin, Valencia Lakes

Investors Offer Hip, Urban Condos For Rent In Downtown St. Petersburg

A group of Canadian investors have made it possible for The Sage Condominiums in St. Petersburg to begin renting units that offer urban amenities such as a fifth-floor terrace pool, club house with bar, media lounge and art program for under $2,000 a month.The Sage, located on the corner of 4th Avenue and 4th Street S., sits within walking distance of downtown St. Petersburg and the University of South Florida's St. Pete campus. Despite its amenities, convenient location and panoramic views of Tampa Bay, units were not selling as well as expected. Enter Canada."Seventy-five condominium units were purchased by Bayshore Investors, LLC, a partnership formed by Southwest Properties Limited and Armco Capital Incorporated of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada," explains Gordon Laing, Southwest's president and CEO.Laing says his interest in The Sage stems from the region's positive growth. "Tampa Bay is one of the largest metropolitan areas in Florida, with strong employment opportunities and vibrant recreational and shopping amenities," he says. "In particular with The Sage, it's ideally located near the University of South Florida and Bayfront Medical Center, as well as the waterfront, shops and restaurants." Pashé Douglas-Sampson recently moved to St. Petersburg to start her occupational therapy career. She chose The Sage after a search around town. She was the first rental resident."I used to live in Miami and am used to living in towers and condos. I wanted to find something similar. When I first came here I didn't notice this building. But once I went inside I knew it was where I wanted to live. I really, really love the structure, the floorplans. And the pool has a great view of the city." Writer: Missy Kavanaugh Source: Gordon Laing, Southwest Properties Limited; Pashé Douglas-Sampson, The Sage Condominiums

Encore Planned Community Breaks Ground Near Downtown Tampa

Tampa Luxury Homes Include Special Accommodations For All

A new housing development in Tampa offers a little more diversity than your typical suburb. And no, it's not about blending cultures or ethnicities. It's about inclusive, intergenerational living. Ravinia Luxury Courtyard Villas in Carrollwood is building a gated community of homes that cater to the needs of family members -- regardless of age or ambulatory ability. Floor plans offer wider doors, entryways and hallways; and provide curbless showers, single-lever faucet controls and reinforced walls to bear the extra weight of grab bars and handles. "These are designs that are receptive and accessible to everyone," says Ellen Zusman, a representative affiliated with the development. "Whether you are a young family living with strollers or one with older members who can't climb steps, our designs make life a little easier. We actually have intergenerational families buying more than one house so they can be in the same community. "When you buy a home," Zuffman continues, "you don't think about how an older family member will get up the steps to the front porch or how a stroller will fit through a doorway. We have young couples looking at our property and floor plans who are searching for their first home. Some day they may need accommodations that require they retrofit whatever home they're living in by then. If they buy here, this may be the only home they'll ever need." Ravinia has been under contract for three years. But financing suffered during the recession. "Our private financers were persistent," says Zuffman. "We just broke ground on the models. And our first home will be finished by August 1, 2010." Writer: Missy KavanaughSource: Ellen Zusman, Ravinia Luxury Courtyard Villas

Fannie Mae Aims To Boost Florida’s Condo Market

Cool Digs: New Spaces In Old Places

Former hotels, churches and factories converted into new condos and loft apartments represent some of the coolest digs in town both in Tampa and in St. Petersburg. Some were built for industrial, commercial or religious purposes. Some were in terrible shape. The Sunday school even had a tree growing in it. Now, they are people's homes.