Carrollwood is a unincorporated planned community in northwest section of Hillsborough County, Like other suburban communities around Tampa, Carrollwood was built in the early 1960s and remains today one of the more popular residential areas being only about 7 miles from downtown Tampa and an even shorter drive to the Tampa International Airport.

It was one of the first planned communities within the State of Florida and the first in Hillsborough County. The community spread westward during the 1970′s and 80′s and the subdivisions of Fairway Village and Carrollwood Village were created.

The boundarties of the Carrollwood include Lake Magdalene to the north, the city of Tampa to the east, Egypt Lake on the south, and Carrollwood Village to the west. The community occupies areas to both the east and west of Dale Mabry Highway, the major north-south thoroughfare connecting Carrollwood to the metropolitan and downtown areas of Tampa. Carrollwood Village is the heart of Carrollwood and includes about every sort of shopping and dining venue you might want.

Carrollwood includes homes and maintenance-free townhomes and condominiums in many styles, sizes and price ranges, some with golf course and lake views. Children living in Carrollwood go to school in the Hillsborough County School District. There are also several private schools in the area.

Golf enthusiasts will appreciate the presence of several golf courses and country clubs in the area. Right within Carrollwood Village there is the Emerald Greens Golf and Country Club, a 27-hole course. Nearby is the Northdale Golf and Country Club, a 18-hole, par-72 course.

For professional singles, families and seniors alike, Carrollwood is an attractive place to live and enjoy the amenities so abundant in the Tampa and Tampa Bay area.

.In 10 of the past 12 months home sales in the Tampa area have increased. The November sales total was an increase of 7% from the same month in 2010. At 9,800 homes of the market at the end of November, there is only a 6.4 month supply of homes and condos on the market.  At the worst point in December, 2007, there were over 21,000 housing units on the market.  Six months of inventory is the point at which buying and selling pressure are considered equal.  If you add in the homes already under contract for sale, but not yet closed, the supply of homes and condos available drops even further. When the inventory of homes for sale drops below 6.0 months, the market is considered to be a “seller’s market” where prices may begin to rise.

Another important market statistic, the average number of Days of the Market dropped consistently during 2011 to an average of only 103 days in November. As this number drops, it means that homes are no longer sitting on the market awaiting buyers. They are beginning to sell more quickly.

On the most attractive and attractively-priced homes, buyers in Tampa Bay are beginning to confront multiple competing offers, something that hasn’t happened in  a long time. Even real estate investors are finding they can no longer make ridiculously low-ball offers with any hope of success.  They are finding that if they want to buy the property, they need to make offers at or real close to what the properties are actually worth, a healthy sign.

Local Realtors note that, given the improving market condition price-wise, banks are increasing the pace at which they are putting their distressed properties on the market as short sales but these are expected to be bought up reasonably quickly by the increasing number of prospective buyers here during the snowbird months.

Overall, several positive forces seem to be coming together in the Tampa real estate market. The lower inventory of homes for sale is stabilizing, and will eventually put upward pressure, on prices. Banks are moving more quickly to get their inventoried properties on the market rather than letting them go into foreclosure where the condition of the home frequently degrades quickly.  And, with the arrival of our “snowbird” friends, there are more buyers in the market who are looking to buy now at these historically low prices and interest rates.

If you are visiting Tampa Bay now or planning to come to our area in the near future, I encourage you to call a local Tampa Bay Realtor like <a href=http://www.tampafloridahomes.net/meet-cheryl-stimac.shtml” target=”_new”>Cheryl-Stimac</a> to learn more about the many attractive golf course and other communities in Tampa Bay.

Two years after the recession supposedly ended, many people still cannot qualify for a home mortgage and/or do not have the money needed for a down payment given the stricter loan requirements banks have imposed. Others who would qualify and have the required down payment funds are holding back fearing that prices will drop even further in the future. “Cash is still king.” This is allowing cash buyers to take advantage of the dearth of qualified buyers to be very aggressive price negotiators particularly on condominium properties which are still in an over-supply state.

Meanwhile in Tampa Bay, over 2,800 homes were sold in October in Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties compared to about 2,350 homes last year at this time for a 22% increase. Another sign of improvement here in Tampa Bay, according to the real estate industry sources has been the 32% decrease in the number of unsold homes on the market from this time in 2010.

The Tampa Bay real estate market is finally starting to stabilize. If you ask an average observer of the Tampa Bay real estate market, the feeling you get is that we are either at, or very close to, the bottom of the market. “Better times are coming as the snowbirds start arriving,” said Cheryl Stimac, a prominent Tampa FL real estate broker with Red Shoe Realty, Inc.

Similarly, the real estate market just south of here in the Sarasota Bradenton area is also, according to Brian Ward, a Sarasota real estate buyers agent. He notes that, “the smart snowbirds here in Sarasota and across all of Tampa Bay will decide that this season is the time to get serious and buy their own “little piece of paradise” here in South Florida.”

Bird Key is a fashionable island enclave with sparkling vistas of Sarasota Bay and gorgeous sunsets over the Gulf of Mexico. It is home to roughly 500 upscale, single-family homes, many of them right on the waterfront. It is situated across the John & Mable Ringling Bridge from downtown Sarasota between downtown Sarasota and St. Armands Circle.

“Once almost exclusively the province of Northern retirees, its quiet streets and striking vistas of the Sarasota skyline and bay skyline have drawn some younger residents in recent years, including many celebrities,” says Connie Belmont, an experienced Sarasota luxury homes Realtor and expert on Bird Key real estate offerings.

The island is a boater’s paradise, with many of its homes on Sarasota Bay, itself, or on deep-water canals. The Bird Key Yacht Club is one of the outstanding yacht clubs on the west coast of Florida. For beach lovers, Lido Key Beach is just a short drive away for those who love sun and sand.

Residents of Bird Key have the convenience of getting to the beach and downtown Sarasota very quickly yet Bird Key is secluded enough for a luxurious lifestyle with a great deal of privacy.

Most of the homes on Bird Key were built in the 1960′s. However, many have been torn down over the years and replaced by larger, more elegant homes. If you are looking for a Sarasota Luxury Home directly on the waterfront or a deep-water canal, but still very convenient to all that downtown Sarasota offers, Bird Key could be the perfect place for you to find yur “little piece of paradise.”

According to the NAR, single women aren’t just purchasing more homes. They are growing more savvy about the whole home buying process — much more likely to ask piercing questions and demanding straight answers to their questions regarding prices, features, financing options, etc. And, it is not just young single professional women who are buying homes, the range of single female buyers varies all the way from young singles to post-retirement women.

Due to the increasing number of single women now buying homes, home builders and real estate agents are both appealing to this important new home buyer market segment. Builders are offering homes with more complex security systems, low- or no-maintenance yards, gourmet kitchens, more spacious bathrooms, and softer color schemes – all features that appeal much more to female than to male buyers.

“When a woman is shopping for a home with a man, she tends often to defer to the man’s desire for a garage, a workshop, or a work-at-home office,” says Connie Belmont, a noted Sarasota FL real estate agent. Conversely, says, Judie Berger, another respected Sarasota real estate associate broker, “when a woman buys a home for herself, she tends to be more interested in how she may tailor the home to fit her own personal lifestyle, interesta and needs.”

As the real estate market continues to bump along without much growth, it behooves every real estate professional to pay close attention to marketplace trends like this one and adjust their marketing approaches and actions appropriately.

As the old saying goes, “You snooze, you lose!”

When those future residents look for the most attractive places to live in Florida, I’ll bet the Sarasota – Bradenton – Lakewood Ranch area will be high on their list of “most attractive places” and here’s why:

For starters, Americans Style Magazine ranked Sarasota 5th and Bradenton 10th on it’s list of the “Top 25 Small Cities.” Money Magazine listed Sarasota among the “Nation’s 15 Most Livable Communities” calling it a city with the charm of a smaller southern town with the conveniences of a big city. CNBC said Sarasota Florida is one of the “Most Popular Retirement Destinations.” And, AARP Magazine listed the Sarasota – Bradenton area as one of the four “Best Places To Reinvent Your Life.”

For golfers, the greater Sarasota Florida metropolitan area has over 80 golf courses ranging from public courses to semi-private and private courses which will challenge every level of play. Many of these golf courses lie within master-planned golf course communities like Lakewood Ranch. Residents of the Lakewood Ranch golf course community enjoy a casual, yet comfortable, lifestyle in a community of ten neighborhoods with homes and condos spanning a fairly wide range of sizes with prices ranging from the mid $200′s to over $2 million.

For lovers of the sun and surf, there are 35 miles of white sand beaches stretching from Anna Maria Island on the north to Venice and Venice and Northport on the south. The beach on Siesta Key was voted the “Top Beach in the U.S.” in 2011, with the softest, whitest quartz sand in the world. And for lovers, nowhere will you find more romantic sunsets than along the beaches for the Florida West Coast.

The area is known as “Florida’s Cultural Coast”; home to the renowned Ringling Art Museum, Sarasota Orchestra, Sarasota Ballet, Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall and Asolo Theater as well as many art galleries, jazz clubs and local theater groups like the Manatee Players in Bradenton and the Little Theater in Venice. Downtown Sarasota offers dozens of upscale shops and restaurants. And no one disputes the charm of the eclectic shops at famous St Armands Circle. For a less formal experience, Village of the Arts is a vibrant artist community in Bradenton.

Sailing enthusiasts, powerboat owners, scuba divers and fishermen spend relaxing times on the warm waters of Sarasota Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. Some waterfront communities even offer deep water marinas, yacht clubs and fishing docks.

Sarasota and Manatee County schools serve over 80,000 students in both public and privates schools. Nearly 80% of Sarasota teachers have post-bachelor degree training. Two-thirds of our high school graduates go on to college; many at local colleges including University of South Florida – Sarasota, USF – New College, Ringling School of Art & Design, University of Sarasota, Eckerd College, and The State College of Florida – Manatee – Sarasota.

If your youngsters, or grand children, enjoy educational experiences, they, and you, will enjoy the G.Wiz Science Museum, the Sarasota Jungle Gardens and the Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota and the South Florida Museum and Bishop Planetarium in Bradenton. Just up the road in Tampa, the world-renowned Florida Aquarium offers a truly unique experience. All offer informative displays and tours attractive to kids “of all ages.”

Sarasota, Bradenton, Lakewood Ranch and our Island Keys, Longboat Key, Siesta Key, Lido Key and Casey Key, offer the widest possible variety of residential housing options from Sarasota luxury condos in downtown Sarasota and on Longboat Key to golf course communities and waterfront homes in town or on one of our Island Keys in a price range to meet every imaginable desire.
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Whether you’re a “snowbird,” a one-time visitor, a professional, or an employee being relocated to the fast-growing Florida West Coast, get to know the Sarasota – Bradenton – Lakewood Ranch area on Florida’s Sun Coast. This may, in fact, be a place you’ll want to call home right now or in the future.

For a permanent home, vacation getaway or an investment property, the Sarasota real estate market, especially since the recent price correction, is priced at an extremely attractive level.

Those future residents will be looking for the most attractive Florida places in which to live. The Tampa Bay area will be high on their list of “most attractive places.”

You may ask, “Should I be considering the Tampa Bay Florida area in my plans?” The answer is “yes” and here’s why:

For starters, Tampa Bay offers more golf course than one could play in a year without ever playing the same course twice. Golf courses range from public courses to semi-private and private courses to challenge every level of play. Many of our golf courses are within planned golf course communities like Tampa Palms, Westchase, Hunters Green and other communities which have a wide range of housing options including single-family homes, condos and villas in every price range.

For sun and surf lovers, Tampa Bay includes miles of white sand beaches with some of the softest, whitest sand in the world. And for lovers, nowhere will you find more romantic beachfront sunsets than on Florida’s West Coast along St. Petersburg and Clearwater beaches.

Just south of Tampa Bay, the Sarasota area is known as “Florida’s Cultural Coast”; home to the renowned Ringling Art Museum, Florida West Coast Symphony, Sarasota Ballet, and the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall. In Tampa, itself, the David A. Straz, Jr. Center for the Performing Arts is an outstanding venue and, of course, one of Florida’s best attractions is the Florida Aquarium, one of the top 10 aquariums in the country and a delight for visitors of all ages.

Downtown Tampa and St. Petersburg offer dozens of upscale shops and restaurants. Throughout the year, Tampa Bay is host to arts and cultural events, festivals and parades. The grand-daddy of all the Tampa Bay festivals is, of course, Gasparilla, the annual pirate invasion of the city of Tampa.

Powerboat lovers, fishermen, sailing enthusiasts, and scuba divers love the warm, clear waters off the Clearwater – St Petersburg coast. For those with larger crafts, some Tampa Bay communities offer deep water marinas and yacht clubs.

Sports enthusiasts will enjoy the several Tampa Bay sports teams including the Tampa Bay Bucaneers, the NHL Lighting hockey team, The Tampa Bay Devils baseball team and many others professional and college teams plus the added enjoyment of the spring training camp of the New York Yankees and others.

High numbers of Tampa Bay high school graduates go on to college; many at local institutions like Tampa Univiersity, Echerd College, University of South Florida – Sarasota, USF – New College, Eckerd College, St Petersburg College and Stetson Law School while others go to the renowned Ringling School of Art & Design, in nearby Bradenton.

Whether you’re a “snowbird,” a one-time visitor, a professional, or an employee being relocated to the fast-growing Florida West Coast, you should get to know the Tampa Bay Florida area. This may, in fact, be a place you’ll want to call home right now or in the near future.

Mark Yaffe, the owner, dropped the price of his 29,000-square-foot estate from $17.5 million to $14.9 million, down from the original asking price of $25 million in 2008.

The ornate manor home, modeled after a 17th century British royal palace, has 10 bedrooms and 10 bathrooms sitting on six acres. It took just over seven years to build this ornate estate in the upscale Avila community in the northwestern part of Tampa.

Mr. Yaffe agreed to sell the home as part of his bankruptcy agreement in 2009, after he fell behind on $36 million in debt. He was, at that time, the head of the National Gold Exchange, one of the world’s largest precious coin wholesalers.

Even with this latest price reduction, the home is still the most expensive home for sale in Hillsborough County although “there are certainly other expensive homes in places like Sarasota,” says Judie Berger, a well-known realtor with Sothebys International in Sarasota Florida where she specializes in Sarasota luxury homes.

The most expensicve home in the Sarasota area, according to Andree Huffine, another Sarasota luxury homes expert, is this 10,087 sq ft, 7 bed, 6 1/2 bath home on Longboat Key. “Another place where one can find luxurious homes is Casey Key where virtually every home has a gulf-view,” says Brian Ward a Keller Williams Realtor. For cash buyers, there is a luxury estate waiting for you in Tampa Bay.

Mortgage providers that normally write “jumbo” loans (mortgages above the limits set by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Ginnie Mae) are now having to keep those loans on their own books but they are reluctant to add to their current in-house mortgage portfolios. To compensate themselves for accepting this extra risk, banks are charging higher interest rates on the types of “jumbo” loans normally written for luxury home and condominium sales. This reluctance is having a depressing effect on the sale of luxury homes and condos throughout the United States and particularly here in the Tampa Bay area of Florida.

According to Rich Stover of RE/MAX Alliance Group, there is still a substantial number of luxury waterfront and golf course homes and condominiums in the $1 million and up price range for sale all through Tampa Bay including the Sarasota – Bradenton area just south of Tampa Bay.

Sarasota luxury home and condominium owners who need or want to sell their elegant homes and condos, after having held off selling, hoping for a quick housing market recovery, have begun to understand the situation. As a result, they have reduced their asking prices to more realistic levels and become particularly interested in cash buyers.

Luxury home sellers throughout Florida are now starting to be willing to accept lower price offers from all-cash buyers who have no financing contingencies in their offers. They also appreciate that an all-cash deal can close within 2-3 weeks, far more quickly than a deal requiring the normal appraisal and mortgage approval.

“As a result,” says Sarasota Florida real estate guru Connie Belmont, “Tampa Bay luxury home buyers with cash on hand are in the enviable position of being able right now to purchase a luxury home or condominium in the Tampa, St Petersburg and Sarasota real estate markets at really attractive prices.

USA Today reported this week that all-cash buyers are beginning to scoop up those Tampa Bay Florida luxury homes at bargain prices.

The most urgent problem is climate change, caused by our out of control addiction to fossil fuels. When we burn fossil fuels like oil, coal and gas, we emit all this extra carbon dioxide, CO2, into the atmosphere, which messes up the balance of the atmosphere.

We just heard about this Salt Lake City, Utah teenager who is single-handedly trying to do something about this problem. We invite you to visit his website at IMatterMarch.org.

Alec Loorz, the initiator of this site says, “The iMatter March began on May 7. And the movement has only just begun. The generation most affected by climate change is standing up to let the world know that our future matters more than profits and conveniences. Over 150 marches to compel our leaders to LEAD AS IF OUR FUTURE MATTERS are registered on the map in over 35 countries, and the photos and videos streaming in are awesome.”

“iMatter is not an Event. This is a movement.”

By visiting Alec’s website, you will learn a lot about the problem and perhaps even be moved to contribute to his cause either by leading or participating in a march or at least sending a few dollars to support his efforts.