Tampa Real Estate

Tampa, City Guide

Tampa Community

Tampa is the largest city in Hillsborough County and is the most affluent in the state of Florida. Tampa's population is approximately 2,200,300 people with a continued growth annually.

Tampa has a little of everything, including one of the busiest ports in the country, a surprisingly rich history and a huge array of local festivals and annual events during the fall and winter. The largest of Tampa's festivals, held in February, is Gasparilla, Tampa's rendition of New Orleans' Mardi Gras.

New Tampa & Tampa Palms Real Estate:

New Tampa is an upscale community that offers residents a country club lifestyle and traditional hometown amenities. Located approximately 25 miles northeast of downtown Tampa in the fast-growing I-75 corridor, New Tampa is home to some 20,000 residents, several master-planned golf course communities and new neighborhood schools. New Tampa is just minutes away from the University of South Florida, one of the largest universities in the country. The community has become a popular destination for families, professionals and retirees thanks to good schools, low crime rates, and an abundance of recreational activities including a variety of challenging golf courses and ski-size lakes. New Tampa residents benefit from first-class planning, a tasteful blend of commercial and residential areas and strong environmental programs. Convenient access to I-75 provides an easy commute to downtown Tampa and Tampa International Airport, as well as, shopping, restaurants and entertainment. The real estate market offers a variety of housing choices. Condominiums and townhouses can be found for under $80,000. Single-family homes start at around $105,000 and run up to $1,000,000 and more for large estate properties. Land is also available for custom building.

Tampa Culture

Tampa homeowners also get their fair share of science, culture, and entertainment at local venues such as the Busch Gardens & Adventure Island, Tampa Museum of Art, Henry B. Plant Museum, Florida Aquarium, Museum of Science & Industry, the Performing Arts Center, Lowry Park Zoo, Tampa Bay History Center, and the Tampa Theatre.

Tampa Education

Tampa's school children are served by one of Florida state's 10 largest school districts, the Hillsborough County School District. The Hillsborough County School District is one of the highest-scoring districts in Florida on the standardized "Florida Writes!" test given to 10th graders and especially ranks high in mathematics. The district has also consistently been one of the two school districts with the most Florida Academic Scholars for the past 13 years.

For more information on schools, please visit http://www.sdhc.k12.fl.us.

Tampa Employment

Tampa Bay area is a center for business, industry, tourism, retirement, and baseball. Tampa homeowners enjoy a vast array of employment opportunities. The main Tampa Downtown Business District and Westshore area have grown phenomenally since the 1960s. Many of Tampa's homeowners find excellent positions in national and multinational corporations headquartered in the city, as well as at the United States Operations Command, headquartered nearby at MacDill Air Force Base.

Tampa History

The Tampa Bay area dates back to the late 1400's when the Calusa Indians fondly referred to Tampa as "sticks of fire" due to the abundance of driftwood.  The coast of Pinellas was first explored by Ponce de Leon in the early 1500's and was referred to as "point of pines" or Pinellas as it is called today.  settlement of the Tampa Bay area began in the early 1800's by colonel George Mercer Brooke who established a military outpost at a location which is now the center of downtown Tampa.  Relocations to the area were further enhanced by the construction of the railroads which connected the Tampa Bay area to the rest of the state.  In 1912 Pinellas County split from Hillsborough County creating two diverse counties with equal opportunities.  The city of St. Petersburg received its name from a Russian railroad magnate who relocated from the St. Petersburg, Russia.  Today the region boasts steady, controlled growth and proudly ranks as one of the top 10 places to live in the US as reported by the Places Rated Almanac.

Tampa Housing

The Tampa Bay area offers homes available in every price range. Besides being extremely affordable, there is a variety to choose from. Affordable housing in numerous safe well kept, family oriented, neighborhood communities, like New Tampa and Tampa Palms as well as prosperous, affluent communities nestled in and around Tampa and even the more exclusive, high-end luxury areas like the outstanding waterfront community of Bayshore.

South Tampa was the first and is on of the finest section of Tampa where luxurious neighborhoods consists of many graceful and elegant homes.

Housing Types available in the Tampa Bay Real Estate Market.

You won’t have any problems finding a home in your price range in the Tampa Bay area.  A variety of homes can be found including:

..:::Single family homes:::..

The largest percentage of homes found in the Tampa bay area is Single family homes.  A variety of architectural styles vary from ancient Spanish influence to modern homes.

..:::Zero lot lines:::..

Zero lot line properties are those built on much smaller lots.  They typically share exterior walls with the houses adjacent.  These houses also might be known as attached homes.  In some areas, they have small private yards to be kept up by the homeowner and a homeowners association to maintain the common grounds.

..:::Town houses:::..

Similar to Zero lot lines, Town houses are typically characterized by two or more floors.  The exterior walls are shared with the other homes adjacent and most contain small, private front and back yards.

..:::Condominiums:::..

Condominiums are single floor units found in complexes as high as two stories to high rises.  All exterior maintenance and common areas are the responsibility of the homeowners association.

..:::Duplexes:::..

Duplexes are commonly two duplicate units with one shared wall.  Most duplex purchases are for investment opportunities such as occupying one unit and renting the other, or even renting both units.

Tampa Lifestyle

The relatively urban flavor of the Tampa Bay Area with it's local Hispanic culture, cobblestone streets and renovated historic factory buildings, and  a wide variety of shops, restaurants, clubs and galleries. Tampa homeowners enjoy a hugely diverse range of lifestyle options, not found in small real estate markets.

Tampa offers a bustling nightlife with  the highly potent Ybor City, and the more refined restaurants and bars of Soho, in Tampa's Hyde Park, just south of downtown in one of the city's most picturesque historic districts.

Tampa homeowner also enjoy access to excellent shopping malls, like Westshore Plaza, Westfield Shopping Town at Citrus Park and the new International Mall with national department stores like Burdines, Nordstrom's, Sak's Fifth Avenue, Lord & Taylor, Nieman Marcus, Dilliards, and hundreds of specialty shops and restaurants.

Tampa Nature

Tampa's birding community may be the fortunate in the country, Hillsborough County is home to a larger variety of birds than any in America. Hillsborough River State Park lies on the edge of city of Tampa making this city a great place from which to admire some of Florida's most pristine wildlife at it's best, including otters, armadillos deer and even some of the exotic panthers and manatee. Dolphin, stingrays and sea turtles are also easy to spot from a number of undisturbed location and even within the more developed area of the shoreline.

Tampa News

1. Weird News: Building healthier bacon - Free Press

   Prairie Orchard Farms in Manitoba told Toronto's Globe and Mail in March that it has been successfully infusing hogs with omega-3s, the oils that get the best press among fatty acids, since it is found ...

   
   
2. American League Game Capsules - Sports Network

   Paul Byrd baffled the Oakland offense for 7 1/3 innings of scoreless ball, as the Cleveland Indians blanked the Athletics, 4-0 in a pitching duel at Progressive Field.

   
   
3. Tampa Bay, FL - WHNZ-AM Tampa

   Hillary Clinton scored a big victory over front-runner Barack Obama in West Virginia on Tuesday, slowing Obama's march to the Democratic presidential nomination but making barely a dent in his sizable lead.

   
   
4. Weird News: Ultimate fighting as child's play - Free Press

   Almost-anything-goes "ultimate fighting," also known as "human cockfighting," is a major "sport," mostly in Southern and Western states, but only in Missouri are kids as young as 6 permitted on the mats, ...

   
   
5. Weird News: Building healthier bacon - The Mankato Free Press

   Prairie Orchard Farms in Manitoba told Toronto's Globe and Mail in March that it has been successfully infusing hogs with omega-3s, the oils that get the best press among fatty acids, since it is found ...

   
   
6. Citrus County - Baker County Standard

   Mercedes Homes builds homes and communities in West Central Florida. Let us design your new home or save thousands on our inventory homes ready now.

   
   

Tampa Recreation

Hillsborough Bay is bordered by the longest continuous sidewalk anywhere in the World which provides homeowners with miles of pathway for jogging, Running or a leisurely stroll. For those who prefer a barefoot walk on the sand, Tampa also offers a variety of  world-class beaches, the local favorite,  Honeymoon Island, which is not as crowded with tourists a are Clearwater Beach and other party beaches.

Baseball's Spring Training provides seasonal entertainment to Tampa homeowners. Devil Rays, The Yankees, Phillies, and Blue Jays all make use of Tampa's training amenities and Tampa is also home to college football's Outback Bowl at Raymond James Stadium held on New Year's Day.

Tampa Transportation

Tampa homeowners commuting throughout the Tampa Bay area enjoy easy access to and from their homes via the Veteran's Expressway,  Interstate 4, and Interstate 275.

Tampa’s sea port is the seventh largest in the nation, providing a flow of goods to and from all parts of the world.

Tampa residents also enjoy access to national and international air travel through the Tampa International Airport.

Tampa Weather

Tampa's climate is comfortable, temperate and semi-tropical with an average temperature of 81.4°F during the warm summer months. Tampa's cooler months of October through March bring the temperature average down to 62.5°F with an average annual rainfall is 46.7'". With an average year-round temperature of 72°F, most of Tampa's homeowners would say that the the area has perfect weather.