So What's All The Fuss About Living On The Beach???

Here on the west coast of Florida in Tampa Bay, there is a nightly spectacle called sunset that sparks wonder and romance in most of us mortals! And when the clouds are just right you get a sky like this one that simply takes your breath away...

Throughout the year, weddings are abundant along the beaches from Clearwater Beach in the north end of Tampa Bay to St Pete Beach in the south end. There is not a night that goes by that we see people drawn to the beach for sunsets and we often stop to take pictures of them with the beautiful sky to commemorate their time here.

But to actually live here... to see it every night... does it EVER cease to amaze? Absolutely not!!! Actually, it is pretty hard to ignore when your home or condominium lights up with warm shades of red and yellow.

So, all in all, the sunsets rate right up there at the top of the list of why living on the beach is so special. The beautiful white sand, gorgeous azure blue Gulf waters that can transform from docile stillness to crashing surfing waves, the constant surprise of kite boarding or parasailing or light aircraft hovering the shoreline, or the regular sightings of dolphins and manatees... there is ALWAYS something to see and appreciate!

And now it is even more affordable!!! Our latest HOT DEAL is a 2 bedroom/2 bath condo in Indian Rocks Beach that was just listed as a short sale at $375,000!!! Ready to live the Florida lifestyle? Contact The PURTEE Team today and make the dream a reality!

Florida Sounding Good About Now???

When I spoke with a client earlier today, he told me they had over 30 inches of snow this past weekend - a record amount in 1 DAY! Shoveling snow is part of the daily routine in most parts of the country. Did you know that yesterday, FLORIDA was the only state that was snow-free??? Even Hawaii had snow on top of two of its volcanoes!

So is a Florida vacation sounding good? New rental inventory is opening up here in Tampa Bay every day... even for the prime season months of February and March. Even with it unseasonably cold, the Florida uniform is shorts with a sweatshirt or windbreaker. It will be back in the 70's by the weekend. Check out our Seasonal Rentals, but definitely contact us (even if you don't find anything) as we know of other properties as well! Plus we learn of new properties all the time. For example, we have a client closing on a beautiful waterfront condo tomorrow. He plans to have it furnished and ready for occupancy by early February. It is not on the website because there aren't any photos yet.

And while you are here, give The Purtee Team a call to check out some of the amazing buying opportunities! Visit our website at: www.floridagulfproperty.com

Another Cultural Milestone For St Petersburg, Florida!

Is it any surprise that the Grand Opening of the new Salvador Dali museum would have its ribbon cutting ceremony at 11:11 on 1-11-11???

According to Hank Hine, the Museum Director, "The $36 million landmark building will be realized as a collaboration between architect Yann Weymouth of HOK, the Museum staff, and the builder the Beck Group. Built more efficiently than many contemporary museum structures, the new Dali combines elements of the classical and the fantastical – much like the work of Dali." The museum houses the largest collection of Dali's work outside Spain and has achieved the coveted 3-Star Michelin status.

A procession moved from the old museum location to the new home of The New Dalí which opened with an awe-inspiring installation of the Museum's permanent collection within the combined 20,000 square feet state-of-the-art gallery spaces allowing for the first time the complete viewing of all 96 oil paintings, plus a selection of drawings, fine prints, photographs, videos and Surreal Objects by Salvador Dalí. www.salvadordalimuseum.org

The Dali Museum joins the new Dale Chihuly Collection of Glass at the Morean Arts Center (which opened in 2010) in giving residents and visitors alike new cultural destinations to explore in downtown St Petersburg here in Tampa Bay. It's not ALL about the sunny weather and beautiful white beaches!!!

Grand Opening Events include several performances of the Florida Orchestra this weekend dedicated to the eccentricity of Dali and Family Day at the Museum this Saturday from 10:30-4.

Also look for:
Dalí & Beyond Film Series: The Dalí Dimension
Thursday, Jan. 20, 6:00 p.m

Dalí Museum Benefit Party - Los Sueños de Dali
Saturday, January 22, 8:00 - 11 p.m.

Yoga + Dalí
Sundays, starting January 23, 12:30 - 1:45 p.m.

Mortgage Rates On The Rise

It would appear we can kiss 4% mortgage rates goodbye! The average rate on 30-year fixed mortgages rose last week to 4.86% (the highest level in seven months) reflecting higher yields on long-term Treasurys. Freddie Mac said last Thursday the rate increased to 4.86 percent from 4.81 percent in the previous week... It hit a 40-year low of 4.17 percent in November. The average rate on the 15-year loan rose to 4.20% from 4.15% – the highest reading in six months. It had fallen to 3.57% in November, the lowest level on records starting in 1991!

Rates overall have been rising since November as investors shift money out of Treasurys and into stocks. Many expect the tax-cut plan will fuel economic growth and increase inflation. Yields tend to rise on fears of inflation. Mortgage rates track the yields on the 10-year Treasury note.

You can get the current mortgage information right on our website and even compare rates: http://www.floridagulfproperty.com/mortgageinfo.html

December 31st On Beaches of Treasure Island, Florida!

Granted it has been one of the coldest Decembers on record here in Tampa Bay, but today had temperatures back to normal for this time of the year in the mid to high 70's.

BUT... the water temperature is still 54 degrees!!! A long way from the balmy 80 degrees we get during the late summer. One thing is for certain, these brave souls are NOT from around here! Or perhaps it was the liquid encouragement they were all drinking that made them immune to these cold water. They are at the beach after all and it is New Year's Eve!

At the grocery store today, there were license plates from Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, New Jersey and Virginia... just during my short visit. They have got to be excited to be here. I hope they don't have to drive anywhere!

Have a very Happy, Healthy and SAFE New Year's!
The PURTEE Team
Realty Executives
Mark, Garges, Lambdin and Kathy

Sometimes you have to sit back and smile... maybe even dance a step or two. As Mark put his finishing touches wrapping gifts on Christmas Eve afternoon, I think he has procrastinated and will never be finished in time. He, on the other hand, is having a jolly old time!

From the back bedroom where he is creating wrapping works of art, I find him with the balcony door open listening to Christmas carols being played directly across the street via a steel drum player and his guitarist partner! Simply there to celebrate the season, Mark naturally had to take them some eggnog in appreciation of their making his work efforts actually quite pleasurable.

This is the scene I walk into... Mark singing along to the steel drum carols totally in the mood of the season! I can't help but smile and appreciate all we have around us!

Merry Christmas

2010 A Challenging Year? YOU BET!

To say that the economy was the top story for 2010 is quite the understatement! What it meant for real estate here in the Tampa Bay of Florida was quite the roller coaster ride!

So many highs and lows... it seemed like every time we could grab on to some positive news, something would happen to pull us back down. Tax credits ended, banks pulled back on lending and foreclosures stopped closing.

In March and early April, real estate in our area was beginning to flourish. Inventory levels were decreasing and prices were stabilizing. Finally the light at the end of the tunnel. UNTIL an oil rig owned by BP exploded on April 10, 2010, and it took three months to cap the flow. Millions of gallons of oil tainted the Gulf with some of it landing as tar balls along the beautiful sugar white beaches of Florida. Around the world, the news shook the very belief on the beauty that Florida has to offer. It didn't matter that in our area there was no oil even close to our shores. It was the perception...

Interest rates hit the lowest level in decades, but the confidence level of buyers wavered. The majority of sales continued to be all cash with a serious reluctance to get saddled with a mortgage. Record numbers of potential buyers began looking for long term rentals to wait out the instability of the market. Now we are seeing mortgage rates begin to climb and economists do not see them coming back down.

But even with those stumbling blocks, signs continue to point to a stabilizing and slowly improving economy. By the end of 2010, falling home prices and record-low interest rates made homebuying a bargain even without the tax credit, and the Florida housing sector seemed to be tentatively and warily stabilizing. The market remains solid if not stellar, and most economists predict a positive trend in 2011.

Our clients are getting amazing deals in waterfront property! Canadians are flocking to our shores to take advantage of the Canadian currency on par with the US Dollar. With our deflated prices paired with their boost in currency exchange, we are a very tempting bargain! In the last week... yes the week before Christmas, we have written up 3 waterfront deals right off our HOT DEALS page. We identify properties that fall into an amazing price point and quickly get it out to our clients. One of the properties had a buyer beat our client to it by 4 HOURS. This is the kind of situation we are used to... when buyers and realtors alike know and identify a deal quickly, then fight like crazy to get in line first. If you are considering a purchase in the Tampa Bay area, talk to us. We have a wealth of information to share.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!