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How One Local Builder is Improving South Tampa October 20, 2011
By Kortney Gentry

In an effort to improve South Tampa homes, Tampa Realtor, BG Holmberg has teamed up with Martin Ryan, a 3rd generation spec builder of almost 30 years and founder of M. Ryan Homes. These two have known each other for nearly 7 years now, however, 2 years ago, they came up with a concept and started a plan that would keep growing families in the area they love.

The concept:

* All homes will be in the Plant High School district but will vary in elementary schools, giving families more options for younger children
* Homes will be located in various areas of central South Tampa
* The average price point varies from the high $400s to $600K
* 4 Bedroom minimum in each home
* Lot size will vary but will range from 50′ x 80′ to 80′ x 130′
* All are built following several consumer expectations: hardwood, granite, beautiful cabinetry, stainless steel appliances & double paned windows for energy efficiency. Many of the homes also feature tankless gas water heaters & gas stoves to reduce the use of electricity.
* While the homes all lean towards more of a traditional/mission style combination with a square shape & clean lines, there will be 5-6 different floor plans

The past two years….

BG Holmberg led Ryan to his first lot purchase in September of 2009 and the duo have since collaborated on 17 more lot purchases, 13 home completions (12 of which have already sold) and 3 homes are currently under construction. Since these are all built to specifications to remain in the realm of the original concept, very few changes are made by the buyers and the homes are not typically listed until near completion. That doesn’t mean you should wait until the last minute if you are looking to purchase one of these beauties; 10 out of the 12 that have sold were under contract before the home was even move-in ready.

What should you be looking for in the future?

Since Ryan oversees all of his projects on his own, he works on a maximum of 5 homes at a time, all of which are exclusively marketed by BG Holmberg via Smith & Associates Real Estate. The two plan on knocking out (or rather, building up) 8-10 homes per year with an undecided end point or until South Tampa meets all of their specifications.

If you are interested in one of these South Tampa homes, contact BG Holmberg to arrange a meeting.

What do you look for when it comes to purchasing a new home? Do their specs meet your requirements?

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The Newman & Allen Team Have Done It Again October 19, 2011
By Kortney Gentry

If you have been following us for a while, then you know that there’s no party like a Signature Place party and this past Friday, St. Pete Realtors, Scott Allen (pictured below right) and Debbie Newman did it again! After this pair sold out one of downtown St. Pete‘s luxury high rises, Signature Place, they decided that the residents deserve to have regularly scheduled events that will not only allow them to get to know their neighbors but to gain an appreciation for the amazing community as well.

On Friday, October 14th, the Chihuly Exhibit closed it’s doors to the public from 6-8pm, allowing for a private more intimate atmosphere open to only the Signature residents and their guests. While the museum was closed, that doesn’t mean it was empty; The event summoned up an amazing turnout with upwards of 140 in attendance. Guests enjoyed great company, food & wine as well as a documentary on Dale Chihuly and a private tour of his installations & works residing in the St. Petersburg exhibit. Many attendees have already visited the museum but loved the opportunity to visit again with friends & neighbors. According to feedback from Scott Allen, “Those that visited the museum for the first time were thrilled and impressed.”

While the Newman & Allen Team continues grow their market share in the Bay area, they will never cease to take care of their community and the Signature residents. Scott claimed that “The Morean Arts Center’s relationship with [Smith & Associates Real Estate President/CEO] Bob Glaser (pictured above middle) was key to this event’s success”. However, we know that not only the event’s success but St. Petersburg as a whole would not be the same without he & Debbie either. The Newman & Allen Team is one of the top producing collaborations in the area, yet their humbleness is always present and genuine.

To see more photos from the event, click here. Have you attended one of the Newman/Allen events? What did you think?

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Smith Agents & Bay Area Residents are Making Strides Against Breast Cancer October 17, 2011
By Kortney Gentry

Are you or someone you know making strides against breast cancer? If so, then you may be aware that October has officially been deemed “Breast Cancer Awareness Month“, meaning that communities come together, hosting events nationwide to celebrate lives that have been saved and to raise money in hopes of finding a cure.

This month, the American Cancer Society (ACS) encourages women to “Put on your pink bra and join us in Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. The pink bra is an empowering symbol of how personal the fight against breast cancer is. During our Making Strides events, a sea of participants in pink bras will join together to take up arms against the disease. This noncompetitive, 3.2-mile walk that celebrates breast cancer survivors and raises funds to save lives by helping people stay well, helping people get well, by finding cures and fighting back.”

Smith & Associates Real Estate has formed a team to participate in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk on October 22nd and are accepting donations online at www.putonyourpinkbra.com. Look for Team Smith & Associates or drop off a check at our Tampa office (3801 Bay to Bay Blvd), made payable to “American Cancer Society, Making Strides.” Donations of all amounts are welcomed and any amount over $100 or more will get you an event t-shirt!

Tampa Realtor, Janet Mendez welcomes & encourages friends, family, survivors & and clients to decorate a pink bra, wear it over your t-shirt and join our team for the walk. It’s a great way to show your children & grandchildren how a lot of people doing a small part for a big cause makes for huge results!

Event Details
Making Strides Against Breast Cancer
Saturday, October 22, 2011
7:30am Registration
9:00am Walk Begins

Location:
St. Pete Times Forum
401 Channelside Dr.
Tampa, FL 33602

A few fun facts on the American Cancer Society & why we are so eager to support them:

Helping people get well and stay well:
* The American Cancer Society’s screening guidelines are the gold standard for doctors and patients.
* Every 30 seconds someone calls the American Cancer Society and breast cancer is the top reason for calling. ACS provides support and information 24 hours a day via 800-227-2345 and online at cancer.org.
* The ACS is there with a sympathetic ear, cancer information, a ride to treatment, help accessing other resources in their community and many other services.

Finding Cures:
* The American Cancer Society has been involved in nearly every major breakthrough in the fight against breast cancer, helping make less radical surgery possible and finding lifesaving treatments such as Herceptin and Tamoxifen.
* ACS funds more research than any other nonprofit, next to the federal government.
* Fourty-four ACS funded researchers went on to win the Nobel Prize.
* The American Cancer Society invests more in breast cancer research than any other cancer type. Today, ACS invests $115 million in 220 breast cancer research projects nationwide and more than $6 million for 11 research initiatives in Florida.

Figthting Back:
* The American Cancer Society is the leading voice for cancer patients in the Florida capital as well as Capital Hill. Because of their advocacy, Florida developed two cancer research programs over the past decade and since just 200, has funded $7 million in breast cancer research.
* ACS is currently fighting for state funding to ensure ALL women in Florida have access to mammograms and breast cancer treatment.
* Making Strides Against Breast Cancer events bring communities together and give people a voice to fight back against the disease. The events raise both awareness and vital funding to make more progress and save lives.

If dropping off donations at the office, look for our “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer” flags and for a $25 donation, a pink flamingo will be placed in our yard honoring or remembering a loved one of the donor’s choosing. Have you or someone you know fought the battle with breast cancer? What are your favorite supporting charities?

(Photos courtesy of American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer)

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Davis Islands, It’s Elementary, My Dear. October 10, 2011
By Kortney Gentry

At the mouth of the Hillsborough River, you will find one of the most sought after places to build a Tampa home, Davis Island. While many now know the area for the quaint, pet-friendly business district and the reported future 7 bedroom, 9 bath waterfront home of baseball phenomenon, Derek Jeter, among other celebrities, Davis Island possesses quite the historical back drop.

In the 1920′s, at the peak of Florida’s land boom, mud was dredged from the bottom of Tampa Bay in order to build two man-made islands atop two small natural islands. What was once known as “Little Grass Key” and “Big Grass Key” (they were grassy, I would presume) would now be called Davis Islands. This project was started by Tampa native D.P. Davis (pictured below) who purchased the newly dredged land for a whopping $350K with the intentions to build an elaborate resort community consisting of several hotels, a golf course, airport and swimming pool. Right as the land boom wound down, Davis sold 306 of the original lots for $1,683,582. Quite the profit.

The story gets interesting surrounding Davis’ alleged death on October 12, 1926. The last place D.P. Davis was seen was aboard The Majestic, a sister ship to the Titanic and the largest ship in the world at her time (pictured below), en route to Europe. Some claim he was at a party when he was blown overboard through one of the ships large portholes. Others claim he was alone with his girlfriend and it couldn’t have happened without force. Few think he was looking to jump. And, as a body was never recovered, many of us believe he was a modern day Machiavelli studying the Art of War and looking to free himself of his debts.

Many of the original Mediterranean-syle homes & structures still grace Davis Island and have been nationally deemed as Historical. As for D.P. Davis, if he isn’t still walking the Islands, unbeknownst to the world, may his soul rest in peace.

(Historical Photos courtesy of www.DavisIslandCivic.com)

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Take a Load Off at the Tampa Bay Food & Wine Experience September 28, 2011
By Kortney Gentry

The Tampa Bay Food & Wine Experience grew from the four year Tampa Bay Food & Wine Festival that once graced St. Pete Beach. The Experience will take place September 29th- October 2nd and will feature an array of amazing local cuisine and of course…wine! Talk about a great early start to the weekend.

The event will kick off tomorrow night with a delicious culinary dinner by one of Smith & Associates‘ favorite caterers, Mise en Place. For $65, attendees will joy a scrumptious four-course meal paired with southern Italian wine.

Don’t let the morning hangover set in because there will be even more fun happening on Friday! The invitation only Trade & Media Grande Experience Tasting will take place at Curtis Hixon Park in Downtown Tampa where local delicatessens will make it onto the grid from 1-4pm followed by the Mini Treats evening soiree at the Creative Loafing space in Ybor from 8-11pm. The Mini Treats event is (surprise?) hosted by Mini Cooper and will share various delicious bite-size morsels (that according to their site will “will send you diving into the deep end of the delicious pool”) with the public for $45 per person. It may be fall, but this is Florida and I am ready to go swimming in that pool!

Everyone will reconvene at Curtis Hixon Park for The Grande Experience Tasting Saturday at 1pm, where you will wander around, wine glass in hand to experience the fruits of some of the world’s greatest wine makers. You will also have the change to explore each restaurant exhibit to sample some of the finest local food and attend one of the Grande Tasting Seminars to learn how to properly please your palate at home as well! (The Grande Experience will be $75 ahead of time & $85 at the door or get VIP entry an hour early for $100.) After a long day, head back to Mise En Place from 6pm-9pm for the After Glow & Trade Chill where, for just $15, you will enjoy appetizers and signature drinks while relaxing with new friends and old alike.

The Experience will go out with a bang at the (much needed) Jazz & Wine Maker Brunch at the Wine Exchange in Old Hyde Park Village (pictured right courtesy of unleashyourpalate.com). Allowing you to sleep in a bit after the weekend’s excitement, the event takes place from noon-3pm. For $65, enjoy what is said to be the best brunch in town- European style creations paired with the wines of Frog’s Leap Winery. Or step up to the Bloody Mary bar for the perfect cure to the morning after a wine filled weekend while listening to the soothing sounds of CBS Radio.

I don’t know about you but I am pretty sure I have made up my mind about this weekend’s plans and I am ready to start tomorrow! Get out of your Tampa Bay home for the weekend and join us at the Tampa Bay Food & Wine Experience! For more information or to purchase event tickets in advance, visit their website at http://www.unleashyourpalate.com/2011/ Are you coming or what?

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Introducing Grand Central at Kennedy September 27, 2011
By Kortney Gentry

Grand Central at Kennedy is one of Smith & Associates‘ premier high rises in downtown Tampa located on Kennedy Boulevard between Meridian Avenue and Channelside Drive. Homeowners can enjoy prime urban living (without the out of this world price tag that normally accompanies) while still feeling right at home.

Some of the luxury amenities Grand Central has to offer are people-friendly pools and expansive sundecks, private cabanas, social greens and outdoor grills, clubhouses, fitness centers, jogging paths, pet walks, 24/7 security, concierge service, and covered parking. But the great thing about this downtown Tampa location is that internal amenities are not all they have to offer. Hop on the elevator and within moments, you can enjoy fabulous dining, the Powerhouse Gym, a locally owned dry cleaner, and various professional offices. According to their blog, Grand Central is always “actively pursuing additional retailers and specialty stores slated for future occupancy, including a large-scale grocer.” So there is more excitement to come!

Amenities and material greatness is not all you will find ant Grand Central at Kennedy. They are fully equipped with an amazingly knowledgeable team ready to assist you in finding your next Tampa home. Let’s meet the Grand Central Sales Team:

Dominique Despointes – After spending five years as the National Sales Manager for Opus Imports, Dominique needed a change. In 2003 he began his career working for The Condo Store selling luxury condos from downtown to the beaches. While working for them, he was the Sales Manager for Several Tarragon Corporation properties all around the Tampa area. His most recent project Majestic Point Condominiums on Island Estates sold out in four months.

David B. Moyer – David graduated from Saint John Fisher College with Honors. He joined Smith & Associates Real Estate over 7 years ago, and has closed over 500 homes, including but not limited to, Towers of Channelside, Box Factory, Victory Lofts, Meridian, One Bayshore, Art Center and Christainsted. He explores and constantly broadens his services and experiences through education. He is extremely active in the Downtown Tampa community.

The Grand Central Sales Team is available 7 days a week at 813.226.8735. These units are selling quickly and have some AMAZING last minute deals going on! Give them a call or visit http://grandcentralatkennedy.com to see one of these fabulous condos today!