Real Estate Views from St Pete

We stopped for lunch yesterday at Playa Ocotal in the Guanacast region of Costa Rica, and the iguanas wanted to join us.

The hugest bluebird I've ever seen landed on George's plate and started eating French fries.

Then our host said that the iguanas liked them, too. So I threw one over, and yes, it's true - the iguana liked it. Several French fries later, the iguana was still eating. I stopped, and then the iguana ran off, chasing a smaller iguana up the tree.

What a wonderful beachfront lunch on Playa Ocotal - the wonderful day was shared by the wildlife and the humanife.

One of many interesting road signs here in Costa Rica - monkey crossing, or Caution: Monkeys!

This was one taken yesterday at Reserva Conchal near Tamarindo,  in the Guanacaste region of Costa Rica, when a colleague was showing me real estate opportunities for our clients.

The weather each day has been a low of 70 and a high of 84, with a delightful breeze off the Pacific.

Just shows what we'll endure to do due diligence for our clients!

There are many kinds of Welcome Mats - here's one for dogs.

Our new office, ALVA International, is on a section of Beach Drive in downtown St Petersburg that is frequented by people walking their dogs. Whether it's a hot day and they want a cool drink, or whether they just want to sniff something new, the bowl outside our door is a popular stop.

Dogs live in downtown St Petersburg, too, so we want to make them as welcome at our office as their owners.

Inside we keep treats for our clients' dogs when they come to visit.

There are nearby restaurants that allow dogs at the outside tables, and our soon-to-be-open next door neighbor, Wags, is a doggie daycare and dog spa - so perhaps we'll have even more visitors taking advantage of fresh water.

Our new awning is up at ALVA International, Inc., 238 Beach Drive NE in downtown St Petersburg, Florida 33701. Since there's no name recognition yet for our new company, we chose to describe our services. This is what anyone coming out of the Museum of Fine Arts will see across the street.

We haven't contracted out the lettering for the window yet - too much to do, too little time, busy with business, which is good!

When the awning first went up a few days earlier we gasped in horror - the colors were right, the word was right, but the letters were huge block letters - ugly, not classy. What a difference a font style makes!

We suffered embarrasment for a couple of days until it was corrected. The awning company was great - it was the subcontracted letterer that was to blame. Once we sent the awning company the graphic we'd sent with the order and a photo of what was put up, they quickly agreed there was no match.

So, step by step, we proceed. The weather has been so beautiful in St Petersburg the last few weeks that we have left the door open to feel the nice breeze coming from the waterfront.

Allen Hainge's CyberStar Summit is currently being held in Phoenix.

Allen just announced the 2008 CyberStar of the Year: James Nellis.

James has always contributed so much to the group, he certainly deserves the award. He is also a certified CRS instructor.

He joins an elite group - previous CyberStars of the Year include Ira Serkes, Alan Mah and Wynne Achatz.

This connected group (wires stretch everywhere, despite the wireless connections - for power, of course) fills two days with lots of tech ideas - the problem is which to implement first.

We find sale prices in our MLS statistics, on Zillow and on our property assessor's website. Can we believe what we see?

Historically, the recorded price might be overstated - perhaps the seller paid some of the buyer's closing costs, or included some furniture or a boat. Perhaps there were developer incentives, whether cash back, a car, lots of upgrades.

Lately, the recorded price might be skewed in the other direction and be less than the buyer actually paid. Some bank sales show the recorded price, but don't indicate that the buyer also had to pay the seller's closing costs, and perhaps had to pay several thousand additional dollars in back homeowner or condo fees.

You can be easily misled if you don't look beyond the recorded numbers. Here in St Petersburg we're finding that many of the recorded sales prices actually understate the reality.

When you have "tear-downs" or "knock-downs" and build a much larger home than the older homes in the neighborhood, it's important to try to fit in.

Since flood elevation requirements often require that the living levels be elevated, homes often appear much larger than their actual living area.

Landscaping is SO important. It's important to plant trees and shrubs that are proportioned to the size of the home. You don't want to plant 5 gallon trees and wait years for them to mature. You want to make the home look as though it's been there for a while. The large trees also mask the wall area of a new home.

Be kind to your neighbors, and help your home value as well as theirs - put in landscaping that's appropriately sized.

Note the size here - even on the sides, the trees are above the second story level.

A friend of mine sent me information on bar codes - if you look at the first 3 digits, you'll know where the product was made, i.e.:

690-695 made in China

740-745 made in Central America

471 - made in Taiwan

00 - 13  made in USA or Canada

40-44 made in Germany

Pretty handy information to know when you're shopping.

Often on the weekend it's difficult to reach agents to set up showings - you leave messages, but you don't get calls back.There are lots of postings on Active Rain about that.

Well, today was not that kind of day here in St. Petersburg.

This morning I was setting up showings, and called four agents. All of them called me back within 30 minutes.

This afternoon I called an agent to ask about a short sale property - I had a call back within 5 minutes.

When I called another agent with a response to an offer - there she was answering the phone.

Today I was batting 1,000. It's another great day in St. Petersburg and a wonderful start to 2009!

Today I was showing co-op units at the Flori de Leon, a 1920s historic building in downtown St. Petersburg. Living in downtown St Pete is all about the lifestyle, so we walked the two blocks to the building.

From the penthouse unit and common areas on the 7th (top) floor, we were able to see the nearby amenities: the movie theater, the shops, the outdoor restaurants - the waterfront! From the living room of the penthouse unit (priced at an amazing $99,900) you can see the sunrise over Tampa Bay and to the west you can watch the sunset. You can watch the sailboats as well as the planes coming and going from Albert Whitted Airport.

Returning to the office, we stopped at Marketplace Express for coffee, and sat outside at one of their tables across from Straub Park and the Museum of Fine Arts, watching the people, the dogs, the activities - even the horse drawn carriage as it meandered past. This is what buying and living in downtown St Petersburg is all about - walking to everything you want, and having so much to choose from.

Today was a beautiful Saturday morning in St Petersburg, Florida. The weather was warm, the skies were blue, and there was a little bit of wind for sailing.

Today was a typical class for young sailors at the St Petersburg Sailing Center. It was pleasant to watch because there was music from the Saturday Morning Market wafting across the water (if you were there, you'd see all the white tents in the park by the waterfront).

You can also see part of the downtown St Petersburg skyline - the highrise on the left is Signature Place, which should be finished by this spring. Then you see an office building, which many of us still refer to as the Barnett Tower (from the Barnett Bank days) though it's been the Bank of America Tower for some years. Then you see Bayfront Tower, the earliest downtown St Pete highrise from the 1970s, which still commands wonderful waterfront views.

As Mayor Rick Baker says at every speaking opportunity: "It's another great day in St. Petersburg!"

p.s. It's my grandson in the sailboat on the right.

Today I was showing property in a particular building here in St Petersburg - actually a co-op, rather than a condo. That's a bit unusual here in St Pete (we only have a few of them) though it's pretty common in places like New York.

All but one of the eight units were vacant so I could have showed them without making calls to the agents - but 1) I like to give courtesy calls; 2) I want to be sure the status in the MLS is up-to-date and that the unit hasn't just gone to contract; 3) I want to ask the agents questions about the building.

Ah, there are some upcoming assessments. Apparently the information from the association isn't too complete, as one said it was for painting the building, another that it was for upgrading to fire department requirements, another that it was for window replacement.  Further conversations revealed that though the monthly fee includes "everything" including electric and water (excluding only phone and tv) it DOESN'T include window replacements and door replacements which are up to the individual owners to replace, so that's on top of the assessments.  Huh?

Lots to cover before actually making an offer!!!

It's one thing to plan your business by putting the big rocks in first - but things happen. and you need to re-evaluate. You plan to blog first thing in the morning - but a good client wants to look at property, or has a relative in town to talk to, or wants you to come over to the house. Well, that's a bigger big rock.

Then there are your personal rocks. It may be an accident that happens or a health problem - that takes precedence. It may be the time to watch a child or grandchild perform in sports or theater or chess: that takes precedence. You have to ask - when I'm old or dead, which will matter?

And it may just be spending an hour of quiet time with your loved one(s) vs spending it at a computer. Again - which will matter later?

And the reality that when you look back, you'll regret more the things that you didn't do, than the ones you did.

So, yes, by all means, do your planning, and put the big rocks in first. Just be sure you have the flexibility to put the most important things in life ahead of your "planned" big rocks.

Happy New Year!

ALVA International, Inc. is the newest real estate company on Beach Drive and the new home of The Simms Team - serving your residential real estate needs in St Petersburg, Tampa Bay and international destinations as well.

ALVA is located at 238 Beach Drive NE, in the heart of activity in downtown St Petersburg. It's just half a block down Beach from Parkshore Plaza (in the photo) and across from the Museum of Fine Arts. ALVA is just a couple trolley lengths from the Looper Trolley stop in front of Bruce Watters jewelers, the oldest existing retail establishment in St Petersburg, founded in 1905.

ALVA International, Inc.
238 Beach Drive NE
St. Petersburg, Florida 33701

(727) 898-2582           (727) 898-ALVA

http://www.SimmsTeam.com

http://florida.ssimms.com

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