This week’s featured Just List ‘Em affiliated city is sunny Tampa, Florida. Tampa’s real estate market has been on the rise recently and we wanted to highlight some of the great things about that city and why it’s THE place to buy and sell real estate right now.
Attractions: Tampa’s wide array of museums, theaters, and other attractions makes it THE city to live in. Tampa features Busch Gardens Tampa Bay AND Adventure Island, a water park located just down the road from Busch Gardens. Both parks are great places for families, couples, singles, or those of us who just want to relax for a day and have fun. Busch Gardens even offers discounted season passes for the price of ONE admission if you are a Florida resident. (How awesome is that?) Tampa is also home to the Museum of Science & Industry which houses Florida’s ONLY IMAX dome theatre and planetarium. In addition to these great places, Tampa has a large aquarium, art galleries, and great sports teams — making it an incredible city rich with entertainment, education, and culture.
Neighborhoods: Although it is a large city with a population of over 304,000 people, it’s neighborhoods and communities that lie within the city limits give Tampa a very small town feel. Some notable communities include: Downtown Tampa, Davis Islands, Ybor City, and Sulphur Springs.
Downtown Tampa: the central business district and chief financial district of the city. This area is home to the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center and the University of Tampa.
Davis Islands: the Davis Islands district is made up of TWO islands in Hillsborough County, Florida which are in very close proximity to downtown Tampa making the islands a very popular place to live. The islands house NUMEROUS parks and fishing inlets making this a very popular place to reside for families and fishing enthusiasts. .
Ybor City: This historic neighborhood and district is home to numerous museums, festivals, and other outdoor activities. This neighborhood is actually famous for its cigar museum and cigar festival. Cigar enthusiasts from all over the world travel to this district every year for the Tampa Cigar Heritage Festival held in November.
Sulphur Springs: this small tight-knit community has a population of a little over 6,000 people and features many different community gatherings and parties. Sulphur Springs is actually famous for the Sulphur Springs water tower which was erected 1927.
The Real Estate Market: Okay, so now we know why Tampa is a great place to live, but what does it’s real estate market look like? Here are some recent statistics (SOURCE: Trulia.com):
The median sales price for homes in Tampa FL for Feb 09 to Apr 09 was $138,000. This represents a decline of 7.7%, or $11,500, compared to the prior quarter and a decrease of 28.2% compared to the prior year. Sales prices have depreciated 3.5% over the last 5 years in Tampa. The average listing price for Tampa homes for sale on Trulia was $334,255 for the week ending Apr 29, which represents a decline of 0.7%, or $2,456, compared to the prior week and a decline of 0.3%, or $1,113, compared to the week ending Apr 08. Average price per square foot for Tampa FL was $94, a decrease of 33.3% compared to the same period last year.
Although these numbers are down from previous years, they have been on the rise in recent months, in addition to being higher than the national average (as we know, home sales and prices are down all over the country). What these statistics DO mean, however, is that the Tampa market is the epitome of a buyer’s market. For example, the average mortgage rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage, right now, is a little under 5% — which is an INCREDIBLE rate saving YOU lots of money in the long run.
So, do you LIVE in Tampa and are you thinking of selling your home? Well, if you were to use the services of Just List ‘Em and sell your home at the MEDIAN price of $138,000, you SPEND the flat fee of $299 to list your home with us on the MLS. A traditional realtor would charge you 6% commission which equals out to about $8,280. You would save $7,981 by using Just List ‘Em!
All of these aspects of the area and real estate market make Tampa Bay a great place to buy and sell homes. And don’t forget when considering the sale of your home, trust Just List ‘Em to help YOU get your home SOLD!
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