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Love of water draws them to MiraBay

By ELIZABETH BETTENDORF
Published June 16, 2006

APOLLO BEACH

Last year, Kevin and Bethany Terry made a really big move.

They'd made a couple of moves before he works as a marketing executive for professional sports teams, but this one was particularly colossal: Seattle to Tampa.

No problem, they say.

"We love it here," explains Kevin, who took a job as vice president of sales and marketing for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

The couple looked for homes in South Tampa and St. Petersburg before deciding to buy a house in MiraBay, a 750-acre waterfront development in southern Hillsborough County, near the old Florida town of Ruskin.

In light traffic, it's also a surprisingly quick commute from Tropicana Field by way of the Sunshine Skyway bridge. (Kevin, who takes U.S. 41 to Interstate 75, clocked the commute on several occasions before signing on the dotted line.)

When it's completed in five years, the community - perhaps best known for hosting the Coastal Living magazine Idea House in 2004 - will feature 1,900 homes priced from the high $300,000s to more than $5-million. It's particularly appealing to boaters because of its 3.5-mile canal system and direct, deep-water access to Tampa Bay. That grabbed the Terrys' attention as they are regular kayakers who enjoy getting out after work and paddling for relaxation.

"We also liked the Key West-style houses," says Bethany, 36, a Realtor and former model. "The clubhouse, the cafe and the spa make us feel like we're coming home to a resort. And from an investment standpoint, we feel like the area is really growing, with new businesses coming to the area and so many people moving here."

Says Kevin: "There are just so many things here. All we have to do is walk across the street, put our kayaks in and we're out in Tampa Bay in 10 minutes."

Their house, sunny yellow with sea-green shutters, was aptly dubbed the "Hemingway'' by the builder, Nohl Crest Homes of Oldsmar.

The 3,200-square-foot house features three bedrooms, two baths and a screened pool. There's plenty of room for their 13-year-old daughter, Brianna, and their two dogs, Nestle, a chocolate Labrador retriever, and Barkley, a cocker spaniel named after Charles Barkley, Kevin's favorite basketball player.

There's also ample space for Kevin's study, a bright, light-filled room decorated with prized sports memorabilia, including an autographed bat from National Baseball Hall of Famer George Brett.

There are also some reminders from his own professional sports career; he played minor league ball with the New York Mets. He has also worked in marketing for several NBA teams, including the Phoenix Suns.

A native of Lawrence, Kan., Kevin collects Kansas Jayhawks memorabilia, including an autographed basketball from 2002-03 when the team made the Final 4. (A large garden stone by the front door proclaims: "KU: Welcome Jayhawk Fans.")

The most surprising collectible is a black Takamine acoustic/electric guitar from Kevin's days in Nashville, where he worked as a demo and jingle singer and once appeared at the Grand Ole Opry performing gospel tunes.

"Growing up, my two loves were baseball and music," he says.

Adds Bethany: "When he sings, he sounds a lot like Vince Gill."

The couple have lived in several cities, including Phoenix and San Francisco, where Kevin, 41, worked in marketing for professional basketball teams.

But Florida called to them because of the water, beaches and warm weather. All around the house, evidence abounds of weekend trips to the beach. Shells trail across the guest bath windowsills, and Bethany and Brianna painted an ocean scene on a bedroom wall.

They brought their eclectic assortment of furniture, including French country living room pieces, which they collected while living in California. They also brought a rustic Western-style log bed for the master bedroom. They've managed to mix up the items well, accenting with a cool, tropical palette of blues and greens.

The spec home came "as is" but was perfect for the couple who were closing on their home in Seattle and didn't want to wait for another to be built.

Besides MiraBay, which is off U.S. 41 - the old Tamiami Trail - Newland Homes created the master-planned community of FishHawk Ranch in Lithia.

The Terrys' house came with a one-year membership to the nearby Freedom Boat Club, which allows members to lease its boats for the day. There's also golfing nearby - another of Kevin's hobbies - as well as some serious manatee watching in the winter. The location is close to Ellenton, Sarasota and Brandon.

"We felt it was a good place to live," Bethany says. "It's a growth area with real estate getting more and more valuable because it's so close to the water."

Elizabeth Bettendorf can be reached at ebettendorf@hotmail.com.

[Last modified June 15, 2006, 21:29:57]