Cary Bond Thomas, Realtor. Newsletter - Serving St. Petersburg's downtown district, Snell Isle, Venetian Isle, Brightwaters, The Old Northeast, Allendale, Shore Acres and Harbor Isle

There are many factors driving the local real estate market in St. Petersburg. There may be others, but these are the ones I've personally experienced:

These are exciting, record-breaking times in real estate sales! Each year, I think sales prices have soared through the roof and might level off...but they continue to go up, up, up! Our county has only a limited amount of land and the demand gets stronger and stronger particularly for waterfront properties and homes in established neighborhoods.

The bottom line is real estate is an excellent investment! If I can assist you in doing a private market analysis of your property, please call me. There's no obligation on your part and our discussion will be completely confidential. Please review the rest of my website to see what I have accomplished and am now doing.

On Snell Isle, in the 800 Block of Brightwaters Boulevard NE, I sold a property to a local well-known condominium builder who is going to build a large home on the property. Another home in the 1200 Block of Brightwaters Boulevard NE sold to a young family who had been living in St. Petersburg in a downtown townhouse development. With this couple expecting a second child, it was necessary to provide their family with a yard and a new neighborhood lifestyle versus their condo. In the 900 Block of Brightwaters Boulevard NE, I sold a newly built home to a family relocating from Atlanta because of a job transfer. This "off-water" home set a record price for a home not on the Bay. Also, I had a back-up contract on this home since its "new construction and all completed" aspects were so desirable. After 30 years in their residences in the 1600 Block of Brightwaters Boulevard NE, an elderly couple sold their home though me to a development company.

A restored 1920's home in the 200 Block of Brightwaters Boulevard NE sold to an executive from Charlotte, North Carolina, who serves on the Eckerd College Board of Directors and wanted to have a St. Petersburg home. He is working on plans to construct a new home on the property. The local sellers of Mediterranean Revival home downsized to a townhouse close to the central business district. The CEO of a large company purchased an outstanding property I had advertised in "Christies Great Estates" International Magazine and on their "National Web Site". Located in the 1700 Block of Brightwaters Boulevard NE, it set a record price for waterfront properties. This executive and his family are decorating it to their taste. I sold a home in the 800 Block of Brightwaters Boulevard NE to an executive from Charlotte, North Carolina. He was living in a new Vinoy Condominium but said he was not quite yet suited for condo living. The seller of this Brightwaters home relocated to Albuquerque, New Mexico. The property sold for a record price and in a brief period of time. It's interesting to note that I have sold several condominiums for owners who could not adjust to condo living, and vice versa. I also sold and off-water home in the 1300 Block of Brightwaters Boulevard NE to a buyer who had a home in San Francisco as well as family living in Venetian Isles and Sarasota. This home sold for over $250 per square foot and needed a new kitchen and had only two bedrooms.

I sold, in the 1200 Block of Cordova Boulevard NE, an off-water home to a couple who liked the original floor plan. Everything about the home was "original" and in mint condition with terrazzo floors and a pink-tiled kitchen. It was very "art deco" and lovely. It was so nice to find a buyer who did not want to gut the home but would keep it as it was originally. A waterfront, remodeled home, also in the 1200 Block of Cordova Boulevard NE, sold to an executive from Shore Acres. In the Fall of 2002, I sold a Florencia Condominium, at 100 Beach Drive NE, for a family who moved into a single-family Snell Isle home in the 100 Block of Ramon Way NE, across from the Vinoy golf course. The sellers of this home were teachers who wanted to move closer to the schools where they teach.

In Shore Acres, a Tampa physician bought a large, newly remodeled home on open water in the 6100 Block of Bayou Grand Boulevard NE. The sellers bought a smaller home in Allendale Terrace, desiring to scale down from the large waterfront home they had maintained for years. I sold a home in the 4700 Block of Bayshore Boulevard NE for a "record breaking price" to a family from Virginia. He was moving his company to St. Petersburg. A beautifully renovated waterfront home in the 3600 Block of Bayshore Boulevard NE was sold to an executive moving from the "West chase" development in Tampa.

Just over the Snell Isle bridge, I sold an historic Tudor-style home in the 2100 Block of Coffee Pot Boulevard NE to a family who is researching plans to restore and enlarge the home. An historic Mediterranean Revival home in the 2300 Block of Andalusia Way NE in the Historic Granada Terrace Section, located off of Coffee Pot Boulevard, was purchased by a family moving from the Pinellas Point area to Old Northeast. Also a couple from Atlanta purchased 2600 Coffee Pot Boulevard NE from me. It sold so fast I did not even get a chance to market it! The buyers had two children and wanted to buy a home "with character," so this Mediterranean Revival home sold very quickly to them.

In December 2002, I sold my listing in the 400 Block of 13th Avenue NE, located in the Historic Old Northeast Neighborhood, close to Beach Drive. The new buyers relocated from North Carolina in order to start a new business venture in Clearwater. This Historic Old Northeast home I listed sold in less than an hour. The buyers found my web site and called me right away to buy this home. Also, I sold an historic home to buyers from Tierra Verde in the 100 Block of 13th Avenue NE. It is one of the "Four Sisters" homes on this street. The sellers moved to a condominium since they did not want the constant upkeep of an older home.

A young family purchased a small home in the 400 Block of Rotary Place NE near Riviera Middle School. A developer purchased an historic "Allen" home in the 3600 Block of Foster Hill Drive North in Allendale. The architects who owned it had moved to Jacksonville after they were awarded the "bid" to build the new public library for the City of Jacksonville. The sellers used a relocation department to purchase their new home in Jacksonville. I interviewed several realtors in the Jacksonville area to see who would the "best suited" to work with my clients. They were happy with the outcome and the purchase of the their new home there. A vacant lot on 20th Avenue North, owned by former owners of Sunken Gardens, was sold to a builder who plans to construct a "spec" home on the property.

I sold three homes in Venetian Isles. One on Hawaii Avenue NE sold to physician relocation from Utah. The people selling were downsizing and moved to a condominium. Another home on Hawaii Avenue NE was sold to a surgical supplies salesman who wanted to be on the waterfront. I sold still another home on Hawaii Avenue NE to another physician and family moving form Palm Harbor.

In Harbor Isle, I sold a huge 9,000 square foot home in the 7400 Block of 14th Street NE, on waterfront property, to young family with the husband in the advertising business. A couple living in the newly built Florencia condominium bought a home from me in the 8300 Block of Tallahassee Drive NE in the Renaissance Neighborhood. This family was not cut out for condo living, they said. I sold their condo in the Florencia, at 100 Beach Drive NE, to buyers from Sun City who wanted to be part of St. Petersburg's downtown revitalization and our waterfront area.

A Tampa physician bought a new Vinoy City Home on 5th Avenue NE from me after the original owner decided not to move into this property and instead purchased property in Martha's Vineyard, "Up East". A widow bought a waterfront-view condominium at Bayfront Towers at One Beach Drive SE to be closer to her family. This sale set a record priced for Bayfront Tower waterfront condo. Her home in the 1300 Block of Snell Harbor Drive NE sold to an executive with Derby Lane who is remodeling and updating this waterfront residence.

A local judge moved from a waterfront unit in Bayfront Towers at One Beach Drive SE to a single-family residence. The price paid for this condominium set a "record price" there. The residence that the judge purchased was a newer and beautifully maintained home in the 1000 Block of Marco Drive NE. This development of Caya Costa has a security guard and gate that were important to this buyer. Another Bayfront Condominium on the 9th floor with a fabulous waterfront view sold for a very high price furnished. The buyer had other Bayfront units. The sellers moved to Colorado.

I sold an "architectural award winning" building to a veterinarian specializing in felines. The physician who owned this office building on South Park Street just South of Central Avenue was downsizing his practice.

I sold an apartment house on Monterey Boulevard in Snell Isle to an investor who was buying up commercial properties across from Coffee Pot waterfront

34 Homes
6 Condominiums
1 Commercial Property
1 Lot