Archive for May, 2009
Signature Place – H unit
May 31st, 2009 categories: Signature Place
Now that the sales team has moved into the Signature Place condo tower in downtown St Petersburg, you can see the 3 models by appointment, as well as any remaining units. Some of the floor plans have sold out entirely – primarily those with the most direct east views to the bay. This H plan is one of the larger plans, one that’s interesting and unusual.
Typical for the building, there is floor to ceiling glass to take advantage of the water views and the city views. This particular H unit has a huge amount of glass in the dining/living area, here viewed from the kitchen which is open to the fabulous view. Note that there’s also a long wall to display your art. The balcony on the east is large enough to share with your friends for dinner outside.
Signature Place has a great website where you can check out views as well as floor plans. If you’d like to have Buyer Representation, please contact The Simms Team at ALVA International, Inc., 238 Beach Drive NE in downtown St Petersburg.
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Taste of Pinellas 2009
May 30th, 2009 categories: Downtown St Petersburg, Events, Places to Eat
The waterfront Vinoy Park in downtown St Petersburg is the site for the 2009 Taste of Pinellas, a fundraiser for All Children’s Hospital.It runs from noon to 10 pm today and from noon to 7 pm on Sunday. Admission is free, then you buy tickets at 8 for $5 which you can use for food and drinks from over 40 restaurants. Selections range from 2 to 12 tickets. There’s live music, games, and even fireworks after dark.
Lots of local restaurants are supporting this event and providing favorite foods: Pacific Wave, the Hurricane, Parkshore Grill, Red Mesa, The Pub, Pepins, Snappers and more. Even the soon to open 400 Beach Seafood & Tap House is there, offering Seafood Louie salad and King Crab tails. There’s enough to make your mouth water, from fried chicken to grouper, from jambalaya to vanilla bean creme brulee.
All Children’s Hospital will open their new building later this year. All Children’s is a regional facility which includes a 97-bed neonatal intensive care unit, a vardiovascular intensive care unit, and a pediatric cancer and blood disorders center. You can watch the progress on this webcam.
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St Petersburg College downtown arts complex
May 25th, 2009 categories: Downtown St Petersburg, Lifestyle, Things To Do
The lobby of the new downtown arts complex of St Petersburg College was the venue for the pre-opening reception for the new Florida International Museum exhibit. Suspended in the dome of the lobby are a circle of contemporary shapes that remind me of dolphins. On cue, the lights come on and change colors (too fast a rotation for me, I’d like to enjoy each color for a few more seconds) – a contemporary touch for a contemporary exhibit from the Gulf Coast Museum, whose collection is now owned by St Petersburg College. This art and cultural center is also the new home for the American Stage Theater, whose first show there starts June 5th. It’s also home to the Florida Orchestra. Within walking distance is The Palladium which offers music, dance, theater and more.
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400 Beach
May 24th, 2009 categories: 400 Beach
Notes from Rob:
Had a familiar call today. Someone called and wanted to talk about downtown condos. We started by talking about Vinoy Place, which are very nice condos sitting right on Tampa Bay. Unfortunately, the units were too large for this invididual, so the subject went on to 400 Beach. As with most buyers who have been watching our market, he knew that the developer was having financial difficulties. He wanted to know if 400 Beach was a safe investment. As a Realtor, I cannot give investment advice, so I just spoke about my thoughts on the project.
Right now a buyer can put in an unsecured offer to the developer. Then it is submitted to the bank for approval. It is possible that some buyers will get some very good deals out of it. What about the condo association, is it strong? The developer still owns less than 25% of the units. That means over 75% are owned by other homeowners who are just as concerned about keeping the condo association solvent and financially healthy. If you are trying to buy low and flip quickly, I wouldn’t recommend this building (or any other in today’s market). But if you plan to live in it for a few years and enjoy the great downtown St Petersburg, this could be a golden opportunity for you.
If 400 Beach is not your cup of tea, Signature Place opens next month, and Ovation follows soon after. Lots to see and plenty to choose from.
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Florida International Museum reopens
May 24th, 2009 categories: Events, Lifestyle, Things To Do
The Florida International Museum has reopened as part of the St Petersburg College Downtown Arts Cultural Center. Appropriately, the first exhibit comes from the Gulf Coast Museum of Art collection, which is also part of St Petersburg College’s contribution to the arts. The current In a New Light exhibit is a juxtaposition of pottery, paintings, furniture and other comtemporary media. George, Tami and I were all invited guests to a pre-opening reception and preview on Friday night, and we each found things to enjoy. I was a Director of the Florida International Museum from its inception, from Treasures of the Czars in 1995 through the Vatican Splendors in 2008. It’s gratifying to see the museum continue under St Petersburg College which has created a magical synergy of the arts in downtown St Pete.
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Florencia market update
May 23rd, 2009 categories: Florencia
The last sale in the Florencia was in December 2007 for $1,050,000. It was an 03 unit, the smallest of the three tower floor plans. There are currently two condos on the market, an 02 (direct front) unit for $1,650,000 and an 01 (north side) unit for $875,000 – which was just reduced from $990,000.
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Ikea gives new meaning to “Rooms To Go”
May 22nd, 2009 categories: Miscellany
I did a double-take when I passed this room parking near BayWalk. So I drove around the block, parked and then took a few photos. This certainly gives new meaning to “Rooms To Go”.
Ikea recently opened a new store in Tampa. What a great way for Ikea to advertise with this mobile showroom.
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Who wants a fence?
May 21st, 2009 categories: Broadwater
The neighbors want a fence! This former Knight’s Inn is at one of the entrances to Broadwater, a great waterfront neighborhood in St Petersburg. The building had deteriorated and illegal activities were going on. Finally the motel, once a Holiday Inn, was shut down as a health hazard.
There have been signs of improvements – furniture has been taken out of the rooms and sold and now this fence has gone up on two sides of the property. The neighbors were happy when a chain link fence went up to shut off the building, and are even happier with this new solid fence.
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Lifestyle Liquidation
May 19th, 2009 categories: Lifestyle, Miscellany, Terms and Abbreviations
Lifestyle Liquidation is a term I first saw Robert Frank use this morning in his Wall St Journal article. He gives lots of specifics on the auctions and firesales of homes, vehicles, and collections. Yes, some of this is wealth related, or the loss of wealth related as half of all millionaires have lost 30% of more of their fortunes in this economy. It’s also becoming gauche to flaunt your wealth. Some just feel it’s time for a minimalist lifestyle rather than excessive buying and collecting. It takes time and money to care for everything that you buy! It’s time to simplify – whether it’s a cabin in the mountains or a condo in Costa Rica or taking off for a world cruise in your 40 ft sailboat.
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6th
May 16th, 2009 categories: Real Estate News
Notes from Rob:
Had my 6th closing of the year this morning…always a nice way to go into the weekend. A very nice couple from Maryland bought the beach bungalow I mentioned a few days ago. Marisa is very excited. When I left then they were off to Target to buy a blow up mattress so they could sleep in their new vacation home tonight. I like helping nice people find what they were looking for. Just called the agent who referred them to us to thank her again for thinking of us. I even sent her a link to the photos I took of the house, so that when she calls to congratulate them, she can talk about the house in detail.
Now my goal is to find their friends a similar house nearby for their vacations. Have one in mind already.
Have a great weekend. Looking forward to my usual walk along the beach for sunset with my lovely wife. Nice that after 22 years we still enjoy each others company…helps when you marry your best friend.
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