St. Petersburg Times
 tampabaycom
tampabay.com
Saturday, May 1, 2004

photo
[Times photo: James Borchuck]
Soft yellow walls, white beadboard, crown molding and casing around doors and windows, new hickory flooring and improved lighting brighten this 1972 beach house. The sleeper sofa sets the color scheme for the entire house: denim blue, red, gold and green.
photoSpecial Report: The cost of living here
As an investment over the past five years, you couldn't have done much better than bay area real estate, where values have skyrocketed.
Go to special report
Humdrum no more
A '70s ranch house gets new life when owners collaborate with a trusted interior designer to create a comfortable weekend getaway.

A tour of duty . . . and delights
Walk in the shoes of a Parade of Homes judge and pick up a trick or two to apply to your own home search.

Tour dream homes, historic homes
Here are details of neighborhood tours.

Home Front
Briefs and news of note

Timely tending: May
May is a great gardening month.

Home Buyer U
A look at some home buyer seminars.

House Values
A look at what homes are going for in your neighborhood


Community Living
Look at assessment as an investment
Eighteen months ago, my wife and I moved into a 31-home neighborhood that offered, among other amenities, lake access.

Manufactured Housing
Don't leave a welcome mat for burglars
At this time of year, many of our neighbors depart for the summer, leaving their manufactured homes vacant for as long as six months.
 


St. Petersburg Times real estate classified ads:

Regional real estate links:
Tampa Bay Homes
- Search local MLS listings, a service of Tampabay.com.
Florida Home Builders - features Florida developers with Web sites.

Other real estate links:
Cost of Living calculator: compares the cost of living in any two cities. Also includes links to Salary Calculator and Moving Calculator among other tools.
Home Buyer and Renter Consumer Information: From the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Home Buying Tips
: from the U.S. Government General Services Administration.
Realtor.com: includes info on buying and selling real estate, allows you to browse property ads in the U.S. and locate realtors.