Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

What does average buy?

By SHARON TUBBS
Published April 24, 2006

	1921 Seventh Ave. S, St. Petersburg $159,900
	6201 65th St. N, Pinellas Park $162,500
	1482 Pierce St., Clearwater $159,999
	3595 Whispering Oaks Lane, Palm Harbor $164,900
	It's Your Times: Share your house-hunting experiences

Ballooning home prices in the Tampa Bay area have outpaced incomes, and some wonder if the American dream is now more akin to a fantasy.

The median income for a family of four in the Tampa Bay area is $54,400 a year, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. With that, area lenders say, a family can reasonably afford a mortgage between $150,000 and $165,000. That's taking into account several factors, including a satisfactory credit rating and that the family has other common debt, such as a monthly car payment and credit card bills.

In Pinellas County, here are four examples of houses recently available for $160,000, give or take a little:

NEIGHBORHOOD: Melrose-Mercy/Pine Acres

SQUARE FEET: 1,056

YEAR BUILT: 1925

REAL ESTATE LISTING: 3 bedrooms, 1 bath, remodeled, new roof, appliances, carpet and wood floor, near John Hopkins Middle School .

CURB VIEW: Beige paneling, debris in yard, landscaping needed, fence needs repair, boarded up shack-like structure next door, quiet street, funeral home across street, church nearby.

NEIGHBORHOOD: Carpenter Park

SQUARE FEET: 1,018

YEAR BUILT: 1957

REAL ESTATE LISTING: 3 bedrooms, 1 bath, appliances, vinyl siding over concrete block, newly tiled kitchen, laundry room, new water heater.

Curb view: Beige paneling, decent front yard, sits at corner of busy street and a cul de sac, small boats and cars parked on neighborhood yards, mobile home park and church nearby.

NEIGHBORHOOD: Boulevard Heights

SQUARE FEET: 1,197

YEAR BUILT: 1950

REAL ESTATE LISTING: 3 bedrooms, 1 bath, unusual architectural style, high ceilings, one-car garage, new fixtures, price reduced from $169,990 "for quick sale."

CURB VIEW: Freshly painted, palm tree in yard, tree-lined street, near low-budget apartments, motels and small shops along Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard.

NEIGHBORHOOD: Townhomes Countryside

SQUARE FEET: 1,020

YEAR BUILT: 1986

REAL ESTATE LISTING: 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, screened lanai, laminate wood flooring, fireplace, close to shopping.

CURB VIEW: Gray stucco, well-kept community, near deed-restricted single-family subdivision, stairwells need refurbishing, constantly barking dog in nearby unit.

[Last modified April 25, 2006, 01:07:12]