subject: Second homes: All the joys of Florida in one spot [print this page] Second homes: All the joys of Florida in one spot
Florida is a huge second-home destination. It seems to have something for everyone: secluded beaches and urban buzz, golf communities and marinas, high-rises and bungalows at prices from ultra-luxury to shockingly affordable. It's also diverse. The mansions of Palm Beach are far removed from the beach towns of the Panhandle and theme parks of Orlando.
But if everything that Florida offers came together in one place, it would be on the coast of Pinellas County. This includes Clearwater and St. Petersburg, just outside Tampa. It's known by other names, including the Tampa Bay Area.
"We call it the 'Nature Coast,' " says Debra Nobile of Innisbrook Real Estate Services. "The east coast (of Florida) is all big buildings and parking lots. Here, everything is nestled among the trees. There's more beach. It's more laid-back."
Anthony Jaquinto, a longtime Realtor with Re/Max Realtec Group, says the area has great appeal to part-timers.
"The second-home market is big, about half my business," he says. "It's because of the beaches and the country clubs and all the other amenities.
"The Tampa Bay Area has an enormous amount to offer. There's a really terrific airport, and within 35 minutes, you can be at towns up and down the coast or in premier golf communities. We have professional football, baseball, hockey, a big downtown and lots of cultural happenings.
"It's much more cosmopolitan than Jacksonville or the Panhandle but much more affordable than Naples or Palm Beach, and a lot more natural than the entire East Coast. There are so many choices and amenities, and it's all very user-friendly."
It even has major theme parks: Busch Gardens and Adventure Island.
In much of Florida, only the deepest pockets can afford waterfront. But Pinellas County the strip of coast from St. Petersburg north to Clearwater and beyond invites a wide range of buyers.
"There are more or less luxurious communities, gated or non-gated, condos, single-family homes and townhomes," Jaquinto says. "The price range allows almost anyone access to the Gulf. I can show you a smaller two-bedroom condo right across the street from the water for $150,000 or penthouse apartments on Sand Key for $2 million. Whatever your purchase price, we can probably accommodate you."
That's more apparent since the BP oil spill in April caused jitters on Florida's west coast, and prices for some listings dropped 5%.
Condos along the water begin around $150,000, and single-family houses, even those with boat docks, can be found in the low to mid-$300,000s. Inland property is even less. Condos in the area's premier golf communities begin at just $100,000, Nobile says.
The combination of low prices, beaches and urban amenities attracts buyers largely from the Northeast and Midwest. Jaquinto says many properties are used just for spring break and winter holidays. Thanks in part to affordability, they are often rented out at other times.
