Archive for June, 2009
7th Annual Downtown Dunedin Fl Craft Festival
June 25th, 2009 categories: Pinellas Things to Do & Events
There’s probably not a day that Dunedin Fl goes unappreciated by residents or home buyers in search of Dunedin homes. It has charming streets and an eclectic mix of shops and architecture. And another thing about this town, it knows how to throw a party!
Main Street in Dunedin Florida is the hub of this town and is the location of this popular annual craft festival and the destination of lovers of pottery, photography, glass-work and woodworking.
The merchants of the famous Dunedin Green Market will also be making a most welcome appearance with platters bearing a wide array of cheeses and fruits and crepes and salsas and teas.
This celebration still boasts free admission and is slated this year for Saturday and Sunday June 27th and 28th from 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM.
So set your GPS for:
271 Main St
Dunedin, FL 34698
After sampling the local fare, a great side trip is a hop over to award-winning Caladesi Island State Park or sparkling Clearwater Beach. With a refreshing 88 degrees predicted for the weekend, take a break from the Florida air conditioning and take it to the Dunedin streets!
| Discussion: No Comments »
Dunedin Fine Art Center
June 21st, 2009 categories: Dunedin Homes, Pinellas Things to Do & Events
Never let it be said that Pinellas real estate is just about Pinellas waterfront homes and a smattering of Pinellas foreclosures. This county has got more than just a touch 
of culture. Palm Harbor Realtors shouldn’t play favorites but there are just some towns that offer the whole enchilada. And fortunately, no matter where you live in the county, you are a short drive to all that each has to offer. As one of the area Dunedin Realtors, I am always blown away by the Dunedin Fine Art Center. Now through August 9th they are hosting an extraordinary exhibit showcasing contemporary quilts. The admission is $5 and is free for members.
For the summer vacation months there are classes for kids of all ages in a setting that will release their artistic talents and provide affordable entertainment and skill building; especially for all those kids that are “already bored” with summer vacation.
Instilling an appreciation of fine art is the center’s focus by providing exhibitions, lectures, studio classes and workshops that can strengthen abstract understanding and inspire creativity. And year round the Dunedin Fine Art Center can host your parties in a venue that is out of the ordinary!
If Dunedin real estate is on your short list of places to live in Florida, then count this community hub on the “pro” side of your list. Call us with questions at (727)366-0324 with questions. We’re here to help.
Dunedin Fine Art Center
1143 Michigan Blvd.
Dunedin, FL 34698
PHONE: 727.298.3322
| Discussion: No Comments »
Pinellas Waterfront Homes on the Beach, The Gulf or with Gulf Access
June 8th, 2009 categories: Pinellas Waterfront Homes
The market for single family Pinellas waterfront homes is heating up. And the water we’re referring to has SALT in it! No lakes or mud ponds discussed here.
If it’s waterfront and affordability you’re after, then the world is your oyster right now.
Currently in North Pinellas including Tarpon Springs, Palm Harbor (including Ozona and Crystal Beach), Dunedin and Clearwater, there are only 109 homes for sale on the Pinellas MLS. They vary in price from $189,000 to $6,500,000. Of the 109 available, 39 of them are above $1M and 21 are gloriously under $400K!
By the way, 7 of these North Pinellas waterfront homes closed in the last 30 days, and another 6 sales are pending. That’s 13 out of 110 homes - stellar absorption rate numbers for waterfront! The spectacular rear deck view pictured here is of an Ozona home we helped some more happy buyers close on today.
In the South Pinellas Beach areas, there are 376 Pinellas waterfront homes for sale from the area from Sand Key and Belleair all the way to Maderia Beach and St. Pete Beach. Of these, 16 have sold in the past 30 days and a whopping 46 sales are pending. They are priced between $199K and $11M.
Whether you’re dream home is a simple rancher with canal access to the gulf, or something more palatial with a sprawling balcony directly on the Gulf of Mexico, you’ll be reving up the boat for your trip to Caladessi Island and laughing all the way to the bank.
| Discussion: 2 Comments »
Bike Rentals on The Pinellas Trail
June 6th, 2009 categories: Pinellas Things to Do & Events
Can’t cruise The Pinellas Trail because you no longer own a bicycle? Why not rent a bike and remember what you’ve been missing? 
Pinellas Trail Bike Rental is located in Dunedin, Florida right on the trail itself! They’re open:
Tuesday through Sunday
10 AM – 6:30 PM
and are located at 357 Scotland St in Dunedin, FL and can be reached at (727) 734-5976.
If you’re on the Palm Harbor end of The Pinellas Trail then your must stop is SunWest Cyclery. The back of the shop faces mile marker 27 on the Pinellas Trail and they are open six days a week:
10am-6pm Mon-Fri
10am-4pm Sat
Closed Sundays
Their storefront is at 625 Palm Harbor Blvd. (Alternate 19 N) which is south of Alderman Ave & north of Tampa Road and their number is 727-785-0110.
There’s tons of info on The Pinellas Trail but I found a great map created by the brilliant bloggers at Spoke’n'word. So leave the car at home and take a stroll to Pinellas Trail Bike Rental or SunWest Cyclery and rent some wheels! Better yet, find yourself a new slice of Pinellas Real Estate right by the Trail so you can enjoy this shade and sun dappled jewel of Pinellas County!
| Discussion: No Comments »
First Time Homebuyer Tax Credit for Pinellas Real Estate: The Truth, The Whole Truth, and Nothing but the Truth
June 5th, 2009 categories: Mortgage Updates
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 was the heavily debated economic stimulus package that was signed into law in February of 2009. The home buyer tax credit is a component of this package and was created to promote home ownership.
The bill originally provided for an $8,000 tax credit available to first-time home buyers for the purchase of a principal residence on or after January 1, 2009 and before December 1, 2009.
There’s great news, however, if you’re in the market to purchase Pinellas Real Estate! Buyers may now use the credit upfront as extra down payment money, to lower payments, pay discount points (reducing their interest rates), or to supplement closing costs.
The big “BUT” here is that buyers CANNOT use the first time home-buyer tax credit toward the 3.5% minimum that is required of FHA insured loans. The buyer still has to present those down payment funds, yet they can be a gift from a relative.
The Truth About the Misinformation Currently Being Circulated Amongst the Mis-Informed:
There’s a lot of misinformation out there saying that the $8,000 can be used for your down payment, but that’s just not the case! It’s a convoluted mess because HUD originally released this Mortgagee Letter 2009-15, later rescineded it (the details as to why are unclear other than they realized they made a mistake), and now it’s up for public speculation as to what’s going to happen with that aspect of it. For crying out loud, we reported last October that the FHA had just done away with all seller-funded closing costs - now they want to essentially reverse that?! For the real facts, keep checking back, or better yet subscribe to The Pinellas Peach and you’ll be notified automatically.
Eligibility for the $8000 tax credit can be found Read the rest of this entry »
| Discussion: No Comments »
How the Pinellas Property Appraiser Determines the Value of Your Pinellas Real Estate, Part 2 of 3
June 3rd, 2009 categories: Property Taxes & Insurance
If you’re considering investing in Pinellas Real Estate, you’re probably like most people in wondering 
A) What are the 3 types of Property Values are as Determined by The Pinellas Property Appraiser’s office (reported in Part 1 of this 3 part series)
B) How the Pinellas County Property Appraiser determines the Just or Market value of your home (reported here); and
C) How to estimate how much you’ll actually pay to the Pinellas County Property Tax Collector (coming soon!).
In this Part 2 of this series, we’ll review ….
HOW THE PINELLAS PROPERTY TAX APPRAISER DETERMINES VALUE
The Market (or Just) Value is the ‘meat and bones’ value that is set by Pinellas County appraisers. County appraisers use the same three methods (or a combination of the three) to determine value that ‘regular’ appraisers do:
1) The sales comparison approach (what similar homes have sold for);
2) the cost replacement approach (cost to rebuild on top of your land value); and
3) the income approach (won’t be used unless you’re investing in Pinellas commercial properties or multi-family homes).
So, it’s not so much that your new home will be taxed based on the new sales price, it’s that your new market/just assessed value will be based upon the price that other similar homes have recently sold for. This is the basis of the sales comparison and is the is almost always the primary indicator of a residential home’s value.
When in a shifting market as we are now, most of us are probably safe in assuming that market values will decrease a bit from their prior year’s levels. However, we NEVER Read the rest of this entry »
| Discussion: 1 Comment »
The Black Pearl in Dunedin Florida
June 2nd, 2009 categories: Eat A Peach Restaurant Reviews
A great deal of justifiable fuss is made over Main Street in Dunedin; it is presented as a feature to potential purchasers of Dunedin Real Estate and it is just a beloved part of town to the long time residents. Chock full of charm and tremendous places for cocktails, shopping, dining, and just general loitering — it is the place to be.
One of our favorite spots is The Black Pearl Restaura
nt at 315 Main Street. We’ve dined in some excellent restaurants in big cities in the states and across Europe, and the Black Pearl stands up very well against that kind of competition.
It is not the least expensive place to dine in Dunedin, Florida; but as a treat, or to celebrate a significant event, or to toast your favorite Palm Harbor business partner, you cannot beat the cuisine and the service.
We love being one of the hard working Palm Harbor Realtors, but after a long day of showing Pinellas short sales and Pinellas foreclosures, we love to treat ourselves to the exceptional service and soothing ambiance of this very fine establishment. Enjoy!
The Black Pearl
315 Main Street
Dunedin, Fl 34698
727-734-3463
| Discussion: No Comments »
