See where Tampa ranks among the best and worst places in US for first-time home buyers

Miami Beach draws plenty of tourists to South Florida, but it's a place new house hunters should avoid, based on findings by WalletHub. That's because the city ranks No. 296 out of 300 on the Washington, D.C.-based personal finance website's recently released list of best and worst places for first-time home buyers. WalletHub compared 23 metrics to come up with its findings, including each area's violent and property crime rates, price per square foot, average cost of homeowners insurance, weather…Original Article

Finding America’s hottest spots of affluence

Our goal was to go beyond a simple exploration of income.Original Article

Affluence scores for 14,995 cities, villages and towns across America

This database contains American City Business Journals’ exclusive affluence ratings for nearly 15,000 communities across the nation.Original Article

Affluence scores for 22,568 ZIP codes across America

This database contains American City Business Journals’ exclusive affluence ratings for more than 22,000 ZIP code territories across the nation.Original Article

Florida cities among best locations for summer vacation homes, study says (Slideshow)

Florida cities were all over ATTOM Data Solutions' list of best places for summer vacation homes, with Sunshine States cities taking up 10 spots in the Top 20. The housing analysis firm looked at 100 cities where buyers commonly look for second homes and ranked them based on criteria including housing price, appreciation, low crime, summer temperature, and air quality. The rank was based on markets that were both affordable and had a good quality of life. See the slideshow to view the Top 20, which…Original Article

Go inside a Longboat Key estate now on the market for $14.75 million

It’s rare to find a two-acre parcel and estate on the Gulf that overlooks 150-feet of serene beach. Villa Sena on Longboat Key has entered the market for $14.75 million, said The Ackerman Group which is affiliated with the Longboat Key office of Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate. It won the role as exclusive listing associates for the property, a three-story, seven-bedroom, six-bathroom and one-partial bathroom estate. The house was built in 2007 in the Neoclassical style. Behind wrought…Original Article

Boomers are pumping up prices — and rents — for vacation homes. Here’s where the Tampa Bay area stacks up.

There are opportunities to be had for people looking to invest in a vacation home – especially for those looking to rent the place out when they’re not using it. But investors should move sooner rather than later, analysts say. Between the booming stock market and the nation's shortage in housing inventory, demand for vacation homes is expected to increase. A recent report by the National Association of Realtors found that vacation homebuyers as a share of all U.S. homebuyers declined for the…Original Article

Lightning GM Steve Yzerman’s Davis Islands home on the market (Photos)

Tampa Bay Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman appears to be downsizing, listing a large Davis Islands home for sale and buying a condo on Bayshore Boulevard. Yzerman's home at 44 Martinique Ave. was listed for sale on Thursday, priced at $3.45 million. The house originally hit the market in November 2016 but was re-listed by Jennifer Zales, an agent with Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate. It is 6,265 square feet and on the waterfront. It was built in 2007, and Yzerman paid $2.43 million…Original Article

See which ZIP codes are the most expensive in Florida

If you are searching for an affordable home, Anna Maria Island may not be for you. The island's 34216 ZIP code was ranked the fifth-most expensive in the state to purchase a home in a recent report by PropertyShark. The median sale price for homes in the 34216 ZIP code was $900,000 in 2016, making it the most expensive in the Tampa Bay area and the only local one to rank in the top 10 in the state, according to the report. However, that's a bargain compared to Miami Beach's 33109, where the median…Original Article

Publix chairman emeritus buys condo at Four Seasons Residences

The property sold for over $6 million.Original Article