33 minute read
A KRATE editorial
By GARY NAGER Editorial
Even before social media became a big thing, I had received criticism about my dining reviews not being “real” or that they are “pay for play” only. The fact is that when restaurants — or any businesses — advertise with us regularly, I do make sure we do a fulllength dining or business feature story about those advertisers once each year.
The vast majority of the restaurant stories we publish, however, are much smaller pieces — many (but not all of which are) in our “Nibbles & Bites” column near the back of every issue — that focus mainly on new openings, eateries that close and other dining news, whether they advertise with us or not.
That has never been more true than over the course of the past year, as the places to eat and drink have opened at the KRATE Container Park at The Grove. Although it’s been hard for even yours truly to keep up with all of those openings since Provisions Coffee & Kitchen opened last year, pretty much every restaurant that has opened at the KRATEs already has been featured in these pages. And, I have been proud to be the first to provide information about so many of these new places — all of which are mom & pop-owned, not chains. I also can’t explain just how excited I was about the Grand Opening event at the KRATEs on June 4 (see stories on pgs. 18-22) and not just because The Grove itself spends some money with us.
The bottom line is that even if you have read every one of our stories, you can’t really get a feel for how unique KRATE is or how hard the people who have opened in the container park have worked to get open and serve you without actually visiting them. Yes, I know some locals have posted unkind comments about some of the prices, slow service, the lack of shaded seating, the widely varying open hours and the parking at the KRATEs, but developer Mark Gold’s crown jewel of his complete revamping and expansion of The Grove is still really in its experimental phase, as many of the KRATE business owners are running their own businesses for the first time.
And, while each KRATE does have its own operating hours, pretty much all of them are open every weekend by no later than noon, so if you still haven’t checked them out and don’t want to be disappointed that the KRATE you were most excited to visit isn’t open on a Wednesday afternoon, I suggest planning to spend a weekend afternoon exploring all of the unique non-chain options you won’t find on S.R. 56, Dale Mabry or any major thoroughfare in the Tampa Bay area. For those complaining about service issues, please recognize these facts: 1) many of the KRATEs are still brand new and learning how best to serve their greater-than-expected numbers of customers and 2) there is a serious labor shortage across this great country of ours. So, most KRATE owners and their families are providing the cooking and customer service themselves. Even the KRATEs that have been open for months are dealing with labor issues.
And, thankfully, since the whole shebang is opening during Florida’s hottest months, both the developer and the KRATE owners have started adding more outdoor seating with umbrellas (the tiki huts near the KRATE stage area are pretty cool-looking) for shade, since the air conditioned space inside even the larger repurposed shipping containers is still pretty limited.
As for parking, as someone who recently had both knees replaced, not being able to park in the spaces directly in front of the KRATEs has definitely been an inconvenience, but a large parking lot between the south end of the container park and Outback Steak House was nearing completion as 8,000+ people descended upon the KRATE Grand Opening event on June 4. And, until that lot is open to the public, there are still plenty of pretty close spaces between the KRATEs and The Grove’s big box stores like Cost Plus World Market and Dick’s Sporting Goods.
As for the pricing of your favorite KRATE food and beverage items, I’m sure you’re aware that everything you’re buying at your local grocery store costs more now than it did even a year ago. I also hope you’ll take into consideration how much time, blood, sweat, tears and money has gone into getting the KRATEs open and that these owners are trying to recoup what they’ve shelled out — some for as much as three years, thanks to the pandemic.
The fact is that not every KRATE business open today or opening soon will still be in business six months, a year or more from now. One oft-quoted stat is that 95% of all new businesses don’t survive their first 1-5 years in business. But, I hope that this non-chain-starved community will support those who have worked so hard to bring you so many new and unique dining and shopping options.
So, please get out and visit the KRATEs and sample the Blush Wine Room (photo by Lauren Cione), Tacos El Patron, Palani’s Hawai’i Noodles, Katie Beth’s Boutique and all the rest for yourself.
Oh, and feel free to tell them I sent you, because, as of today, not one of them is advertising with us.
Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News
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Publisher & Editor /Ad Sales Gary Nager Managing Editor / Photographer John C. Cotey Correspondents Celeste McLaughlin Isabella Douglas Lead Video Producer/Multimedia Specialist Charmaine George Graphic Designers Morgan Conlin Valerie Wegener Billing Assistant Jannah Nager
Nothing that appears in Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News may be reproduced, whether wholly or in part, without permission. Opinions expressed by Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News writers are their own and do not necessarily reflect the publisher’s opinion. The deadline for outside editorial submissions and advertisement reservations for Volume 30, Issue 14, of Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News is Monday, June 27, 2022. Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News will consider previously non-published outside editorial submissions if they are double spaced, typed and less than 500 words. Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News reserves the right to edit and/or reject all outside editorial submissions and makes no guarantees regarding publication dates. Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News will not return unsolicited editorial materials. Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News reserves the right to edit &/or reject any advertising. Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News is not responsible for errors in advertising beyond the actual cost of the advertising space itself, nor for the validity of any claims made by its advertisers.
By JOHN C. COTEY John@NTNeighborhoodNews.com
As major road projects designed to ease congestion come to fruition this year — the Diverging Diamond Interchange at S.R. 56/I-75 and the widening of S.R. 54 — another smaller project expected to have a big impact should be completed by the end of the year.
Wiregrass Ranch Blvd. (drone photo, right, by Charmaine George), which will run from just north of S.R. 56 all the way north to S.R. 54, will be fully open by December, if not earlier — if weather and the ability to secure construction supplies is not disruptive — according to Wiregrass Ranch developer JD Porter.
While not as massive as the aforementioned projects, Porter says Wiregrass Ranch Blvd. will play a big role in easing traffic in the area and providing the kind of connectivity the county is lacking. It also will serve as a major thoroughfare for future residents of the Wiregrass area.
Mansfield Blvd., which runs from County Line Rd. to S.R. 56, transitions into Wiregrass Ranch Blvd. at the first of three roundabouts.
Wiregrass Ranch Blvd. is located just east of Lajuana Blvd., which provides access to Audi Wesley Chapel, the Fairfield Inn & Suites and the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus of Pasco County. It runs north past Chancey Blvd, and currently ends at the entrance to Esplanade at Wiregrass Ranch, a community for ages 55+.
There is roughly a mile of construction remaining. The road will run past the Walmart Super Center and end at S.R. 54.
Wiregrass Ranch Blvd. will be a major artery for the Wiregrass Ranch community. Porter says it’s not just another local road or one merely built for the development of homes, but the kind of game- changing road project that will bring more value to area schools, including Pasco Hernando State College on Mansfield, and provide a significant upgrade for local residents trying to get to the area’s many shopping and dining options.
Once the road is completed at the end of the year, long-awaited development of the Wiregrass Ranch area around the road will begin, including a proposed town center area that will act as the area’s downtown.
By JOHN C. COTEY John@NTNeighborhoodNews.com
Beating expectations of a July completion, the connection between Meadow Pointe Blvd. in Meadow Pointe III and KBar Ranch Pkwy. in New Tampa officially opened just before Memorial Day.
Residents in New Tampa’s growing K-Bar Ranch community (as well as surrounding communities in the area) can now bypass Bruce B. Downs Blvd. when heading north to Wesley Chapel by taking Meadow Pointe Blvd. all the way to S.R. 56, only about three miles west of the Shops at Wiregrass.
It’s less than a four-minute drive to S.R. 56 from the MP Blvd. and K-Bar Ranch Pkwy. intersection.
While not everyone in Meadow Pointe III is thrilled with what they see, as more traffic is being routed through their neighborhoods, including right past their community’s clubhouse, there was little furor raised over the connection — especially when compared with the long battle over whether or not to connect Kinnan St. in New Tampa to Mansfield Blvd. in Meadow Pointe II.
Meadow Pointe II residents foiled that effort — the roads were connected, but only emergency and fire rescue vehi-
The road from K-Bar Ranch through Meadow Pointe III all the way to S.R. 56 is now open, although some of the old signs like the one above hadn’t been removed at our press time. (Photo: John C. Cotey) cles are permitted to access the gate at the county line -— but that battle resulted in a roadways study that suggested Meadow Pointe Blvd. was a better option to connect to New Tampa, due to the fact it could be widened from its current twolane configuration to four lanes if needed, whereas Mansfield Blvd. couldn’t.
“These connection points were made long before any homes were even built in this area, so this isn’t new,” says Michael Hall, the chairman of the Meadow Pointe III Community Development District (CDD). Hall also is a Hillsborough County civil engineer. “For me, being an engineer, we’re not going to fight something that’s already been planned,” Hall says. “But, Pasco County could have done a better job logistically opening it with all the development that’s going on.”
Hall admits, however, that he believes the connections benefit Hillsborough County more than Pasco County, with traffic to the shopping and eating destinations outweighing any heading-to-work traffic from Pasco to Hillsborough.
Hall said that it’s too early to tell how the additional traffic will affect Meadow Pointe III. But, with more homes being built in the area, as well as nearly 1,000 more still set to be constructed in K-Bar Ranch, he says the CDD will be keeping a close eye on the future.
“It’s a constant stream of construction,” he says.
While Meadow Pointe II residents may have avoided what they feared would be a wave of non-resident traffic through their community, it’s also less than a four minute drive from K-Bar Ranch Pkwy. to Beardsley Dr. and then over to Mansfield Blvd. New Tampa residents looking to go shopping at, for example, Super Target or any businesses in that area, are likely to use the new connection to access Mansfield Blvd. for a quicker trip.
With no end to all the construction in sight, traffic is not going to decrease. “I think it’s just a matter of time before Mansfield Blvd. (connection to Kinnan) is opened up,” Hall says.
On Saturday, June 25, at 9 a.m., the MOMs Club of Wesley Chapel (photo) will host the first-ever Team Tampa Bay “Climb out of the Darkness” event at Wesley Chapel District Park (7721 Boyette Rd.).
Climb out of the Darkness is the largest annual fund raiser supporting Postpartum Support International (PSI), a 501(c) (3) nonprofit dedicated to helping women and families have access to information, social support and professional care to deal with mental health issues related to childbearing. PSI provides help for families that suffer from PMAD (perinatal mood and anxiety disorders), including anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder and other postpartum issues.
The local Climb will include a community walk (bring your strollers, talk with other families) followed by family fun, including a bounce house, large yard games for the kids, raffle prizes (gift cards, zoo passes, swim lessons and more) and snack items. And, a hockey puck signed by Brayden Point of the Tampa Bay Lightning will be auctioned off.
MOMs Club president Joy Clark explains why the club chose to host a Climb as its annual philanthropy this year.
“We took on this project when I was only two weeks out after having my second son. I myself suffered severe anxiety and depression during both of my pregnancies. I know this is real and I found my support in MOMS Club. We are honored to support PSI . (Postpartum) mental health problems are real, and I want people to know they are not alone.”
To register, email climbtampabay@ gmail.com or see the ad on pg. 30.
STORY by ISABELLA DOUGLAS | PHOTOS by CHARMAINE GEORGE
Haley Scott breathes in the cool, crisp air of the rink as she glides on the ice at AdventHealth Center Ice in her white skates. Gearing up, she makes three rotations in the air — a perfect triple loop. Her excitement to be back at the rink outweighs the muscle and lung aches, reminders of her two years off the ice due to complications of long Covid-19.
The 16-year-old Wesley Chapel resident has been skating since she was five years old; however in November 2020, she was forced to stop when Covid prevented her from walking, talking and skating. The virus, which usually leaves the body in two weeks, persisted for Haley for over two years.
Doctors told Haley she may never be able to skate again. However, six specialists later, she is back on the ice and ready to perfect her form.
“It was definitely a hard journey coming back,” Haley says. “Trying to get used to jumping again, spinning again… just even being on the ice.” Scott is a 2015-19 Sunshine State Games gold medal-winning ice skater. She was awarded the 2016 Betty Stark Award for the highest combined score in the Juvenile Girls Free Skate and Short Program and the 2017 Dorothy Dodson Award winner as the top skater in the two programs for the Intermediate Ladies divisions.
Midway through the pandemic, Haley began suffering from the usual dizzy spells and headaches associated with Covid-19.
Haley Scott still has Olympic aspirations, but the Wesley Chapel figure skater is taking it one leap... er, step...at a time as she recovers from a two-year-long battle with Covid-19.
She felt fine two weeks later.
But, the third week, her speech slurred and she could barely stand.
“I was definitely a whole different person than I used to be,” she says.
Her mother, Julie Scott, took her to the emergency room but got turned away due to her daughter’s Covid-19 test coming back negative. Julie took Haley to cardiology, neurology, immunology and hematology appointments before scouring the internet for some cures. After ten months in pain, Haley was recommended to IncellDx, a research group in California.
In December 2021, Haley started to see results. She could walk again, talk again, and in January, she actually began to skate again.
The 16-year-old also is completing her high school credits through Florida Virtual School, while also taking college-level classes at Pasco-Hernando State College.
Before her battle with long Covid, Haley was practicing at the rink 4-5 hours a day. In January, her mission to get back on the ice started slowly, with just 30 minutes of free skating. But now, she has worked her way back to practicing with her coach, Silvia Fontana, five days a week.
Haley has trained under her coach for four years. When Silvia learned of the news of Haley having long Covid, she was devastated. Everything needed to become a professional ice skater was taken away by the illness, she says.
Silvia says Haley is one in a million. Even through the hardships, her coach has seen Haley fight back and excel. And, she still believes that Haley can represent the U.S. in the Winter Olympics in four or eight years.
Haley is training for the qualifying season in July. For athletes struggling with long Covid, Haley says, “it’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon.”
RADDSports Charity Hosts First 5K Run & Family Festival June 18!
Culver’s will again be on hand for the RADDSports Charity 5K Run & Family Festival, which will be held on Saturday, June 18, at the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus of Pasco County.
Runners, take your marks!
Fresh off a successful first-ever Charity Golf Tournament at Lexington Oaks Golf Club last December, RADDSports Charity — the 501(c)(3) nonprofit arm of the company running the programs at the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus of Pasco County — will host its first-ever 5K Run and Family Festival at the Sports Campus on Saturday, June 18.
The event — which will benefit local youth athletes who couldn’t otherwise afford to participate in RADDSports’ programs at the Sports Campus — will kick off with a chip-timed (by FITniche Events) 5K road race at 7:30 a.m., with age group awards given to the race’s top finishers.
The cost to participate in the 5K is $30 (or $25 until June 17, for those using the code “RADD5” when they register) or $35 the day of the event, and all registered runners will receive a race T-shirt (although proper sizes can not be guaranteed for all participants).
The 5K will be followed at 8:30 a.m. by a one-mile race, where the pre-raceday cost to participate is $15 (again, using the code “RADD5”) or $20 the day of the event. Event T-shirts (while supplies last) also will be given out to one-mile race participants.
After the two races, at 9:30 a.m., there also will be a free 1/4-mile Kids Fun Run for children ages 10 & under. Family Festival All Morning!
Also kicking off at 7:30 a.m. and lasting until noon will be a Family Festival, which will be free to all runners, and $2 for all non-runners.
The Family Festival will feature a variety of vendors (including Culver’s, shown at the top of this page), some of which will be serving food and beverages for free (including Smoothie King and others that had not been finalized at our press time), as well as a variety of free family-friendly activities (including games, music and more).
Although the runs and Festival events will be held outside the Sports Campus, the on-site registration and restrooms for the event will be held inside the 98,000-sq.-ft. AdventHealth Sports Arena, which also will be open for anyone interested in touring the facility. The arena can be configured to include 8 fullcourt basketball courts or 16 full-sized volleyball courts, has a world-class cheerleading area and performance training for its athletes. Indoor soccer (aka “futsal”) also is offered inside the arena.
Blalock and the entire Board of RADDSports Charity also thank the event’s Champion Sponsor — Abdoney Orthodontics, as well as all of the event’s Corporate Sponsors — Parks Motor Group, Smoothie King of Wesley Chapel, Sana Dental Studio & Spa, Topgolf Tampa, Transform Solar and the New Tampa & Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News. Thanks also go out to the 5K Route Sponsors — Ark Softwash, Lucas, Macyszyn & Dyer Community Foundation and McNamara Health & Wellness and In-Kind Sponsors CocaCola Beverages Florida and Pepin Distributing Co.
For more info or to pre-register for the event, visit RADDSportsCharity. org, email Charity@RADDSports.com or see the ad (right). For last-minute sponsorship/vendor opportunities, email Jannah@RADDSports.com.—GN
By CELESTE MCLAUGHLIN
Correspondent
As life gets back to a more normal routine as the Covid-19 pandemic finally fades, independent Doctor of Optometry David Scamard, O.D., is pleased that his Excellence In Eye Care is growing. More and more patients are discovering and appreciating both his office’s convenience and, well, excellence.
Five years ago, Dr. Scamard moved his Excellence In Eye Care, LLC, to inside the Costco next to the Tampa Premium Outlets on S.R. 56. Prior to that, his office was located a couple of miles west off of S.R. 54 in Lutz.
Now, J. Carson Woolwine, O.D. — a 2016 graduate of Nova Southeastern University College of Optometry — has joined Dr. Scamard at the practice.
The addition of Dr. Woolwine has led to expanded availability for appointments. Excellence in Eye Care is now open six days a week, where it previously was open only five.
A second exam room also was outfitted, so that two patients can be seen simultaneously. Both exam rooms offer top-of-the-line equipment with state-ofthe-art technology.
Offering the latest technology has always been important to Dr. Scamard. He and Dr. Woolwine use a high-tech retinal imager to view the internal structures of the eyes. They also use a digital refractor, which is faster, more accurate and more efficient than the old-style refracting devices. Many patients also like the digital refractor because they don’t usually have to have their eyes dilated.
All of the equipment is electronic and controlled by a computer. It ties in with the practice’s electronic medical records, too, for a streamlined and convenient patient experience.
Costco shoppers have gotten used to seeing Dr. Scamard over the last five years, but many of his patients have known him much longer. He opened his first private practice on Bruce B. Downs Blvd. in New Tampa in 2002 and has taken care of patients in New Tampa, Wesley Chapel, Lutz and Land O’Lakes ever since.
Dr. Scamard earned his undergradu-
The addition of Dr. J. Carson Woolwine (left) to the practice of Dr. David Scamard (right) at Excellence in Eye Care at Costco means more hours and appointments for customers looking for great optometry service. (Photo: Charmaine George) ate degree at the University of South Florida in Tampa and received his O.D. degree from Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale. The combination of his decades of experience and commitment to keeping his practice on the cutting edge of eye care technology has allowed Dr. Scamard to help some patients when others couldn’t. Mike Roth says he was born with an incurable virus in his right eye, but for most of the 29 years of his life, it didn’t really bother him. That all changed last year when he started having trouble with his left eye.
He went to his ophthalmologist, who couldn’t figure out the problem and sent him to a specialist. The specialist then sent him to another specialist, who sent him to an eye institute in Miami.
Fortunately for Mike, he happened to be playing ultimate Frisbee with a teammate whose wife worked for Dr. Scamard. She told the doctor about Mike’s frustrating issue, and Dr. Scamard offered to take a look.
Although Mike did also see the specialist in Miami, he visited Dr. Scamard, too, and both doctors came to the same conclusion.
“It turns out the virus had switched eyes and began to attack the optic nerve in the other eye,” Mike explains. Eventually, his retina detached, causing blindness, and he had to have surgery to repair it. The surgeon suggested he be fitted for contacts, which was basically a lifelong dream come true for Mike.
“I’ve worn glasses every day since I was five years old and no one would fit me for contacts because they weren’t sure how the virus would react,” says
Mike. But, Dr. Scamard said he was a good candidate for contacts and was willing to help him. “That was something I was crazy excited for.”
Mike had his surgery a little over a year ago and has now been wearing contact lenses without any problems for eight months.
“My experience (with Excellence in Eye Care) has been nothing short of incredible,” Mike says, explaining that Dr. Scamard found answers for him when many other doctors gave up. He also truly cared about Mike’s situation and his well-being. “Dr. Scamard has personally reached out to me a couple of times just to see how things are going.”
Scamard explains that he is able to help people like Mike — and many others — because he and Dr. Woolwine offer the latest innovations in contact lenses.
The entire process from eye exam to putting the glasses on your face or contacts in your eyes can be completed right there in Costco. You don’t need to be a Costco member to visit Excellence in Eyecare and have an exam, but you do need a membership to purchase your glasses and contact lenses from the wholesale giant’s Get Those Eyes Examined!
Excellence In Eye Care currently is seeing many patients who have missed their annual eye exams due to the pandemic. Dr. Scamard encourages everyone who hasn’t had their eyes checked lately to make an appointment.
So, whether you’re in need of an annual eye exam or your first exam in a long time, Dr. Scamard and Dr. Woolwine invite you to visit their convenient location for top-notch care.
Excellence In Eye Care is located inside the Costco at 2225 Grand Cypress Dr., on the south side of S.R. 56. The office is open Mondays, Wednesday, and Fridays from 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1 p.m.–7 p.m., and Saturdays from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. For more information, call (813) 279-7038, visit ExcellenceInEyeCare.net, or see the ad on page 3 of this issue.
By Gary Nager
Real estate agent Judi Beck has been in business, specializing in homes in the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel areas, just long enough to remember the last major “down” time for resale homes in our area.
Judi began listing and selling homes with Florida Executive Realty in Tampa Palms as the explosive growth of New Tampa in the 1990s and early 2000s collapsed in the real estate bubble of 2008.
But now, since February of this year, Judi has been with Compass Realty, in a new office in the burgeoning new area known as Midtown Tampa, with prices of resale homes in both of our local markets skyrocketing, as they have since the Covid-19 pandemic started subsiding in 2021.
“I loved Florida Executive Realty,” Beck says, “and I still consider a lot of the people there as family, but I needed a new challenge. Someone in the business once told me that if you’re not listing, you’re losing, and when I did my research, it seemed that many of the agents at Compass were getting a lot of new listings.”
And, while Judi says that so far, that hasn’t led to a big increase in listings for her, “I have definitely had an increase in the number of buyers calling me since I joined Compass,” adding that many of her clients looking to buy homes are finding her from out of state because of Compass.
And, although Judi and her husband Dave still live closer to Wesley Chapel than they do Midtown Tampa, Judi’s son Josh Talmadge, his wife Carolina and their daughter Olivia live in Midtown. Josh and Dave also have joined Judi at Compass to form “Team Beck.” And, Carolina also plans to join the team after she has the couple’s second child, a boy to be named Jackson.
“We still spend a lot of our time in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel at all the old stomping grounds,” Judi says. “But this area is a great place for Josh, because he’s such a foodie. All the up-and-coming chefs seem to be here!”
The Power Of The Compass
In addition to all the listings their agents have been able to accumulate, Judi says that because Compass is the largest independent resident real estate company in the U.S. (as well as international reach), with more than 300 offices in 67 markets across 30 states and 25,000+ agents, the company founded in 2012 by Robert Refkin and Orio Allon provides unparalleled technical support for its agents.
“Compass is indeed a technologyfocused real estate company, but unlike its competitors, it does not seek to replace the human element, but rather enhance it,” says the company’s philosophy. “We believe (this approach) is in the best interests of the consumer. High tech AND high touch.”
“I am finishing up the eight-week ‘Compass Core’ course,” Judi says. “It gives you so many online ways to help agents like me sell homes.”
For example, Judi says that before she joined Compass, she was designing her own ads, which took up a lot of her time, even when she started utilizing the services of graphic designer Karen Teichgraeber of Kre8ive Designs to create those ads.
But now, Compass, which is a Fortune 500 company, provides her with an online design program that has greatly reduced the amount of time both she and Karen have to work on those ads.
“I use their program to design the ads and Karen only usually has to re-size them for me,” Judi says. “It’s really freed up my time to work harder finding homes for my clients.”
Judi, who says she was an Army brat who lived all over the country growing up, previously worked in publishing and advertising in New York and went into real estate after retiring as an oncology nurse at the Haley Veterans Administration (VA) hospital in Tampa.
“I love real estate; I love doing what I’m doing,” Judi says. “I wish the market wouldn’t fluctuate so much, but it’s nothing I or the buyer or the seller can control.”
And, despite all of those market fluctuations and so many homes selling for more than their asking price and some buyers even agreeing to close without first getting an inspection, Judi says, “I would never recommend to a client to not get an inspection. I have inspectors who will get in there quickly, so I will tell the seller, ‘We’ll do a three-day inspection. You don’t have to take it off the market. We’ll get the inspector in and if it’s an as-is contract and the inspector finds a roof leak or a major plumbing problem, we can’t move forward as-is.’”
Realtor Judi Beck of Compass in Midtown Tampa still specializes in helping her clients buy and sell homes in New Tampa & Wesley Chapel.
(Photo by Karen Teichgraeber)
This home in Cory Lake Isles in New Tampa sold for $745,000, after only 17 days
on the market. (Photo by Tony Sica Photography)
But, Judi adds that although the recent rise in interest rates has affected the market, “A lot of my sellers are still getting $20,000-$40,000 over asking price and that’s normally in cash, although we have had some VA (Veterans Administration) and FHA (Federal Housing Administration) loans go $40,000 over asking price. It depends on how much the buyer wants the house and how soon they need to move.” In other words, if you want to sell your home and/or buy a new one, give Judi a call. She has all 5-star ratings on Google and the experience and professionalism you need. For more information, call Judi Beck at (813) 380-3866, visit Compass. com or see the ad on pg. 23. The Compass office is located at 3615 Bromley Grand Ave., Ste. 230, in Tampa. The office phone number is (813) 355-0744.
