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St Petersburg and Beyond

Vinoy Place

Vinoy Place remains a popular and desirable condominium in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida. It overlooks the Vinoy Basin and Tampa Bay, and many of the condo units also have a wonderful view of the downtown St. Pete skyline.

Today there are eight units that are active in the Multiple Listing System - six are in the towers and range from $835,000 to $2,495,000 and two are townhomes at $2,770,000 and $2,990,000. Two tower units are under contract, with listing prices of $1,550,000 and $1,925,000. According to the MLS 6 units have sold so far in 2006, ranging from $810,000 to $1,875,000. The difference is in the size, location and amenities of the unit and, of course, the view. For representation, please contact The Simms Team and visit their website.

Grand Bohemian redesigning

The Grand Bohemian condominiums in downtown St Petersburg Florida are being redesigned to add the number of hotel rooms and decrease the number of condominium units. The City reports that Richard Kessler asked to modify plans for the 28 story tower, reducing the number of condos from 82 to 52 and increasing the hotel rooms to 260. Construction was scheduled to start in June 2007 but will probably be moved back to early 2007. The Grand Bohemian is expected to open in 2009.
A Grand Bohemian sales center is open, with a scale model of the project, a sample kitchen, and various finishes that can be selected. Condo prices were to start at $500,000 and penthouses to start at $5,000,000. Most likely, with the redesign and time delay, these will increase. You can see more at the project's website but for additional information please directly contact The Simms Team at RE/MAX Metro sharon@SimmsTeam.com or (727) 866-0048. By contacting the agent, you preserve your right to representation and an advocate. Visit our website at www.SimmsTeam.com

Signature Place - downtown St. Petersburg Florida

Three weeks ago the wrecking ball hit the old Kramer Federal Building for the first time. Today this is what the building looks like. Once the building is down, site preparation and construction will start on Signature Place, the magnificent skyscraper shaped like a sail, with lots of glass and view of Tampa Bay from every tower unit. The condominium development will take up the entire block from 1st St S to 2nd St S and 1st Ave S to 2nd Ave S in downtown St. Petersburg Florida.

Condominium homes are still available for sale: units in the Lofts (single story units in low rise buildings on 1st St S and 2nd St S) range from $409,000 to $690,000; tower units range from $469,000 to $959,000 and estate homes (penthouses) range from $1,316,000 to $2,750,000.

You can view more information at www.signaturestpete.com but please call The Simms Team for additional information, so that you can have buyer representation and an advocate. Visit www.SimmsTeam.com call 727-866-0048 or e-mail Sharon@SimmsTeam.com

Ovation ready to begin sales

This morning Ovation held a Realtor Preview, in anticipation of sales beginning the first week of July. JMC Development, a local company with a sterling reputation, now in its 65th year of construction, continues its premier buildings with Ovation, a 40 unit high rise on Beach Drive, in a prime location at 2nd Ave N. looking out at Tampa Bay, with The Pier in the center. Only 2 units per floor, each with 3,657 sq ft of living area, with multiple balconies, ten foot ceilings, and walls of glass bringing in the magnificent water view, prices range from $1,900,000 to $2,750,000. There are four penthouses, each taking up an entire floor, ranging from $4,400,000 to $4,750,000 - only one is still available for sale. We've attached a link to Ovation's web site, but request that you contact us directly for any information, so that you do not lose the right to be represented by your own agent. Even with a very reputable developer, it pays to have your own advocate! Contact The Simms Team at Sharon@SimmsTeam.com, call at (727) 866-0048 or visit our website at http://www.ssimms.com We look forward to exposing you to the wonderful lifestyle of downtown St Petersburg Florida and the limited opportunities to live on Beach Drive.

What if there's a better deal next week?

With builders continuing to offer incentives, it puts buyers in the position of wondering if they should wait to buy, hoping for better incentives. Bruce Williams Homes, of Bradenton, Florida, is now offering a price guarantee at their Preserve at Lexington in Parrish, Florida. If prices decrease or incentives increase between contract and closing, the buyer will be able to get those - if prices increase, the buyer is still locked in at contract price. A few weeks ago Lennar and US Home made similar offers. For buyer representation on these homes, contact The Simms Team at RE/MAX Metro (727) 866-0048 www.SimmsTeam.com

Destination Clubs

Destination clubs are a luxury vacation option - you pay an initial membership fee, of which perhaps 80% is refundable when you leave, and then an annual fee, which entitles you to a determined number of nights at luxury homes in various destinations around the world. Exclusive Resorts, chaired by former AOL chairman, Steve Case, has reached 2,000 mambers, making it the largest destination club in the industry. A good source for information on the various clubs is www.heliumreport.com

Homes to Withstand Storms & Decrease Insurance Costs

Think designations are only for people? The Institute for Business & Home Safety IBHS, located in Tampa, Florida, and set up by the insurance industry, has come up with its FSL designation - Fortified for safer living for homes build above and beyond the strictest building codes. Further, insurance companies are offering discounts of as much as 25% on premiums for these homes. They increase the home's resistance against high winds, floods and wildfires.



Jason Comer is building FSL homes in Alys Beach on the Florida Panhandle. This is a community of white stucco homes with white ridged concrete roofs, similar to styles in Bermuda and Antigua. Because these are all FSL homes, the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies and S.S. Nesbitt & co have partnered to offer a special Masterpiece Personal Insurance Program for these homes. Homes in this area range from $500,000 to $5,000,000.

The St Petersburg Times describes the ridged roofs of Comer's homes as follows: "They start with a base of three-quarter-inch plywood nailed to frames strapped to the walls. Then comes a think sheet of rubberized, waterproof material. Next comes a coating of adhesive foam. Inch-thick concrete tiles are pressed into the adhesive, then screwed into the plywood. The tiles are then covered with a slurry of concrete that fills in all the joints and cracks. Finally, the roof, with foreshortened eaves, gets four coats of waterp[roof paint to further smooth and seal the surface."



Starting in the low $200s, Kristin Beall builds FSL homes that take inspiration from bungalow style homes. She's building in Eustis, outside of Orlando.

Features of FSL homes often include concrete "safe rooms", thicker concrete, hip roofs, exterior doors that swing out, and of course hurricane straps, reinforced windows and storm shutters.

An increasing number of people are willing to pay for additional storm protection on their homes. Discuss these options with your builder - or for homes in the Tampa Bay area, contact The Simms Team, RE/MAX Metro in St. Petersburg, sharonsimms@ssimms.com

Tami in Las Vegas

Tami Simms-Powel has finished another course offered toward the Certified Residential Specialist CRS designation. This one focused on specific skills for listing agents. As soon as she returns, she'll be briefing the entire Simms Team on new ideas she's learned for listing, marketing and selling homes in a high inventory environment. We're always continuing our education to improve our services to our clients.