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Buyers yearning for historic home gravitate to Plant City
Prices in South Tampa motivate people to consider a commute to a historic neighborhood in another city.
By JANET ZINK
© St. Petersburg Times
published August 30, 2002
PLANT CITY -- You love historic houses but can't pay $500,000 for a Hyde Park beauty?
Consider this: Plant City has historic homes that are older and cheaper than those in South Tampa.
Downtown Plant City and its environs have experienced a renaissance since creation of historic districts in 1994 and 1998.
"Adoption and recognition of the historic districts has greatly enhanced real estate values," said Sherry Bender, who chairs the Historic Resources Board for Plant City.
"It's amazing what's happened in the last couple of years," said Louis "Mac" McGrath, a real estate agent with Walden Lake Realty. "The big thing now is to go in there and buy the houses and fix them up."
McGrath lives in a home built in 1910. He grew up in the house across the street, which has been completely renovated.
"I like it better than working in Tampa," said Peter Abraham, owner of Jeremac Development. "It's more of a hometown feel."
With the help of Erickson Development, Abraham is rehabbing four houses in Plant City, including one in the historic district.
Appreciation is peaking, but houses are still affordable, he said.
McGrath's company recently brokered a sale for a client who less than a year ago bought a house with an extra lot for $175,000, restored the home, and is now selling the house minus the lot for $225,000. The 2,550-square-foot home, built in 1910, has three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
McGrath lists a five-bedroom home on a brick street for $260,000.
The same house would easily be twice as much in Hyde Park, McGrath said.
Plant City's two historic residential neighborhoods include about 350 homes that are considered contributing structures, Bender said.
Many of the homes were built in the late 1800s, and the area around the high school, which was built in 1914, is listed on the National Register of Historic Districts.
The brick streets, granite curbs and frame houses with wide front porches give the neighborhood its charm, Bender said.
New construction on vacant lots and in place of old deteriorated homes is also increasing.
"There are a couple that unless you knew they were new construction, you'd think they'd been there a long time," Bender said.
Plant City real estate agents said many of their clients have looked for homes in Tampa and like the affordability of Plant City.
"We get a lot of spillover from people who say I can get more house for my money in Plant City and I don't mind the drive," said Judy Vogel, owner of Vogel Realty.
McGrath said it takes him about 30 minutes to get from Plant City to downtown Tampa if there's no traffic. It can take twice that long during rush hour. But plenty of people are willing to make the drive.
"When they look at $185,000, $200,000 here, it's cheaper because it's $400,000 in Tampa," said David Fox, a real estate agent with Re-Max. "The houses never stay on the market more than 30 days. People like the historic district."
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