St. Pete, Florida Real Estate Market

In beautiful St. Pete, Florida, it 2011 continues to be a buyers market with a large variety of inventory from which to choose.  Plus, historically low mortgage rates are still around for qualified buyers, and more and more banks are starting to lend to foreign nationals once again.  There are fantastic waterfront homes, condos and town homes in prices ranging from $300,000 and up.  For boaters, there are many options with bay and Gulf access.

St. Pete is on Florida’s magnificent Gulf Coast, in the South Pinellas County area and bordered to the South and East by Tampa Bay, bordered on the north by Largo, Seminole, and Clearwater.  The downtown area continues to transform into a worldly and very cosmopolitan city.  Housing in the downtown area includes very high end and high rise condos, as well as lofts and town homes.  Single family housing is the most established type of housing and is mostly found in existing neighborhoods.

There was some sign of real estate market recovery, as the number of homes sold in St. Pete was up significantly from April 2011.  It has also been reported that prices in some areas are on the rise.  Still, there is a great cloud of foreclosures affecting real estate prices and holding them down.  Most current sales are for properties with very low prices, while buyers people needing mortgages face many obstacles.

On the seller side, those who have been waiting to sell their homes and hoping for the higher prices of 2003, 2004, 2005 or 2006 should not have lofty goals or high expectations.  These prices are a thing of the past for the time being, and even though prices are rising, there is no immediate indication that the St. Pete area will see the high prices of the past.  Sellers who must unload property will be wasting time unless the price is well below other similar homes now on the market.

At the same time, buyers must have realistic goals and make sure to consider some important issues.  Short sales, in which the seller is trying to be relieved of some or all of the debt on the house, are not a great idea for all buyers – despite their “candy coating.”  Banks can take months just to answer an offer once it is submitted, and they obviously tend to favor cash buyers.  People who can't pay cash and need financing aren't as welcome as investors who can just write a check, and this is true even when the investor offers a lower price.

Top St. Pete, Florida Restaurants

St. Pete, Florida is home to so many unique and fabulous restaurants that it would be impossible to name them all.  However, a few stand out as being local favorites and are special for different reasons.  Mazzaro’s Italian Market is at 2909 22nd Avenue N in St. Pete.  Both a restaurant and a market for take home gourmet selections, Mazzaro’s features an excellent produce section, a meat counter that makes you feel like you’re in Tuscany, a bakery that offers numerous pastries and artisan breads, and a cheese counter where your questions are answered by knowledgeable staff.  The wine section is well priced without the typical up-sell.  Mazzaro’s also features some of the best beers and coffees, and the olive bar is amazing.

The warmth, the service, the impeccable quality at Mazzaro's makes all guests feel like an important and well respected part of the food family.  The grilled caprese sandwhich is a local favorite, and the espresso is roasted on site.  The spot is mostly a market, with many prepared food items to take home.  However, they also have a deli, a bakery, a wine and cheese room for onsite dining in a casual atmosphere.

For fresh seafood and melt-in-you-mouth steaks, head to MadFish, at 5200 Gulf Boulevard in St. Pete.  The food is fabulous, the experience is unique and the service is excellent.  House specialties include the
Prime Rib and Filet Mignon, and portions are very hearty.  There is a special bread, the Cuban, which is made in an 82 year old bakery in Ybor City.  Still, due to its location just a few feet from the ocean, the menu is focuses on the fresh and amazing seafood, but there is a good selection of steaks as well.  Other local favorites include the Crab Cake Appetizer, the Shrimp Pasta and a wide array of salad options.

Snapper’s Sea Grill, at 5895 Gulf Boulevard in St. Pete is another fantastic choice for amazing seafood.  The Coconut Shrimp is a favorite and features huge jumbo shrimp in a light, flavorful batter.  As a starter, try the Grilled Watermelon with Breaded Fried Goat Cheese, a perfect blend of tart cheese with the sweet watermelon.  The Grilled Wahoo is another great choice, and is served with side of citrus and butternut squash.  Appetizers also include the Baked Flatbread with smooth and creamy humus dip, Fried Clam Strips, and a special recipe cole slaw.  The Wasabi Ahi Tuna Steak and Grouper Stuffed with Scallops, Shrimp and Crab is amazing.

Fun Activities and Historic Landmarks of St. Pete, Florida

Of course, there are many outdoor and water activities that appeal to adults and children of all ages in St. Pete, Florida.  However, there are some cultural and historical attractions that are worth visiting as well.  The Florida Craftsmen Gallery, located at 501 Central Avenue in St. Pete, is Florida's largest and most important destination for the state’s fine arts and crafts.  The gallery is open to the public and features unique works of art by more than 200 of Florida's finest artists.   This is a brilliant showcase of the area’s art and the only gallery to experience and collect the region’s most authentic expressions.

Another hot spot to visit in the St. Pete area is The Pier, at 800 2nd Avenue N.E. in St. Pete.  The Pier is the city’s most famous waterfront landmark, featuring 16 specialty shops, boutiques and art galleries.  There are also four sit-down waterfront restaurants.  The Pier Aquarium hosts dolphin sightseeing tours, fishing expeditions, electric boat excursions and surrey bike rentals.  Due to the beautiful St. Pete weater, The Pier is open year round and is home to over 300 special events and activities each year.

The Studio @ 620, located at 620 First Avenue S. in St. Pete, is a unique arts venue.  The spot actually alternates among several different uses, including a concert hall, art gallery, movie theater, dance studio, live concert and performing arts stage, dialogue and dinner club.  At times, all these venues share the space for a multicultural experience.  The Studio welcomes all artists, art enthusiasts and other member of the public with an interest in the local art and entertainment scene.  The space draws in uniquely diverse audiences with a focus on providing programming that blends various artists and art forms from around the world.  The Studio’s goal is designed to appeal to people from all walks of life, and it was voted Best Arts Venue in Tampa Bay 2007 by the Creative Loafing Readers Poll.

Climate and Storm History of St. Pete, Florida

St. Pete, Florida has a climate that is classified as humid subtropical, or CFA by the Koppen classification scale.  This type of climate is noted for its distinctive rainy season which lasts from June through September every year.  During this period, temperatures range from the mid 80s to low 90s, and are accompanied by high humidity.  The heat and humidity are often relieved by a passing afternoon thunderstorm or sea breeze developing off the Gulf Coast.  This will lower temperatures, but conditions usually remain quite muggy.  Most of the year's average of approximately 55 inches of rainfall occurs during the wet season.

 St. Pete, much like most of the Tampa Bay Area, is affected by tropical storms and hurricanes from time to time.  Still, the last time a hurricane directly struck St. Pete was in 1921. Many areas surrounding St. Pete, especially along the Tampa Bay and in south St. Pete, experience effects from tropical microclimates.

St. Pete’s humid subtropical climate classification includes temperature variations from winter to summer.  January is the coldest month with an average low of 53 degrees and average high 76 degrees.  The warmest months in St. Pete are July and August with average highs of 89 degrees and average lows 74 degrees. The driest month is April with 1.4 inches of rainfall, while the wettest is September with 5.6 inches.

City of St. Pete, Florida: General Information

St. Pete, Florida is a city in Pinellas County, and has long been known as a vacation destination for American and foreign tourists.  As of 2008, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the population to be 245,314, making St. Pete the fourth largest city in the state of Florida and the largest city in Florida that is not a county seat.  St. Pete is the second largest metropolis in the Tampa Bay Area and the second largest Metropolitan Statistical Area in the state.

The city is located on a peninsula between Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, connected to mainland Florida to the north.  The city of Tampa lies to the east and is accessible by causeways and bridges across Tampa Bay.  The Gandy Bridge was the first causeway to be built across Tampa Bay, connecting St. Pete and Tampa directly and avoiding a circuitous 43-mile trip around Tampa Bay.  With an average of 360 days of sunshine each year, it is nicknamed “The Sunshine City,” and has long been a popular retirement destination, especially for those in the United States from colder Northern climates.

As of the U.S. Census in 2000, 23.85% of St. Pete households had children under the age of 18, while 37.295% were married couples, 13.8% had a female householder and 43.8% were non-families.  Individuals comprised 35.6% of all households and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household had 2.10 people and the average family size was 2.9.  The city's population was spread out according to age, with 21.5% of residents being under the age of 18, and 7.7% aged from 18 to 24.  Other age groups included 30.2% of residents aged from 25 to 44, 23.1% ranging from 45 to 64 years old, and 17.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.24 years.

The median income for a household in St. Pete according to the 2000 Census was $34,597, and the median income for a family was $43,198.  Males edged out females with a median income of $30,794 versus $27,860.  The per capita income for individuals the city was $21,107.

History of the City of St. Pete, Florida

The history of St. Pete, Florida began with the establishment of a settlement in 1876.  Co-founders John C. Williams and Peter Demens were instrumental in dedicating the land that would become the city and in bringing the terminus of a railroad there in 1888. St. Pete, or St. Petersburg, was  officially incorporated on February 29, 1892, with a population of 300 people.  St. Pete was named after Saint Petersburg, Russia, where Demens spent half of his youth.

The next few decades brought modernization for St. Pete.  Philadelphia publisher F. A. Davis turned on St. Petersburg's first electrical service in 1897 and its first trolley began service in 1904.  Industry came to St. Pete in 1899 when a North Carolinian established a wholesale fish business at the end of the railroad pier, which extended out to the shipping channel.  Soon, it became necessary to provide access to St. Pete for larger shipping, and dredging of a deeper shipping channel took place from 1906 to 1908.   Further dredging improved the port facilities through the early 1900s, and by then the city’s population had quadrupled to 4,127.  In 1914, the first commercial airline service in the U.S. was initiated with a route across Tampa Bay from St. Petersburg to Tampa and back.

St. Pete’s population continued to multiply during the 20th century.  The 1940s and 50s were a population explosion, especially the advent of air-conditioning in homes.  Through the 1970s, St. Pete became a popular retirement destination for Americans from the cooler cities in the Midwest, and the population reached 238,647 in the 1980 census.