Tampa Bay Times - Homes - July 15, 2018

Homes Sold in the bay area

$923,625

7497 Water Silk Drive N 4 bedrooms, 41⁄2 baths Pinellas Park in the Bayou Club: This luxury estate, built on a 2/3-acre lot in 1994, has a 21-foot foyer entry; living area overlooking the pool deck, golf course and lake; family room; designer ceilings; gas fireplace; entertainment center; chef’s kitchen with granite counters, center island with gas cooktop, work center and walk-in pantry; game/media room with wet bar; master suite with fireplace and covered balcony; outdoor kitchen; Pebbletec pool; elevated spa and new tile roof. Listed at $999,000, the 4,946-square-foot home sold in June.

Century 21 Jim White & Associates Inc., Dania Perry

$335,000

1796 Hitching Post Lane 3 bedrooms, 2 baths Dunedin in Ranchwood Estates: This large corner-lot home, built in 1990, features double front doors; marble floors; updated kitchen with granite counters, solid maple cabinets, stainless-steel appliances and breakfast bar opening to eat-in area; great room with wood-burning fireplace, vaulted ceiling and skylights; formal living and dining rooms; screened lanai and master suite with walk-in closet and sliders out to the lanai. Listed at $339,000, the 2,854-square-foot house sold in June.

Today’s Real Estate, Liselle Emery

$149,000

8830 Aruba Lane 2 bedrooms, 2 baths Port Richey in Radcliffe Estates: This home, built in 1989 and prewired for a generator, sold at its listing price in June. The 1,456-square-foot house features tile flooring with mosaic inlays; upgraded fixtures;, remodeled baths with tile work, vanities and stone counters; spacious kitchen with closet pantry and extended breakfast bar adjacent to family room; bonus room for office, den or playroom; backyard concrete patio and pergola; security system; and newer roof and hurricane-rated garage door.

Keller Williams Realty Elite Partners, Dougherty/Denis Team TO SUBMIT YOUR SALE for consideration in this column, please send us a photo of the home plus the address, sale price, listed price, month sold, number of bedrooms and baths, and short description. Submissions may be emailed to bmoch@tampabay.com (put HOUSE VALUES in the subject line) or mailed to: Tampa Bay Times/House Values, Attn: Barbara Moch/ Newsroom Services, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731

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| Sunday, July 15, 2018 | Tampa Bay Times

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Neighborhood profile

Subdivisions are old news — Today’s developers are raising self-sufficient mini towns

(Top) These homes in Asturia are conveniently located across the street from the community’s fitness center, community center and pool, amenities buyers value highly and a reason many are opting for master-planned communities.

(Above left) Bexley is a master-planned community with lots of natural green spaces, enjoyed by residents and wildlife alike.

(Above right) The Bexley Club is one of the prime amenities in the award-winning community.

There was a time when builders just developed subdivisions—tracts of houses all lined up neatly upon one another along grids of roads with a connector or two to a major byway. Amenities might not go much beyond a community center or a playground.

BY NICK STUBBS Times Correspondent

Today the bar is a lot higher, and many developers are delivering entire self-contained town/communities with everything people need and want—meticulously planned and executed.

Known as master-planned communities, these developments are the total package. Every detail is carefully planned, including retail and commercial development, schools, parks and recreation, and entertainment venues. Within the bounds of these manufactured towns, residents can find most of what they need.

These communities are far more than the sum of their parts, and the careful planning results in walkable natural environments. Commercial and retail development is integrated with the community. The willy-nilly, ad hoc nature of the development that tends to pop up around some neighborhoods is replaced with ar-

chitectural and land-use standards, resulting in a more practical and aesthetically pleasing outcome.

Buyers essentially are buying far more than a home, said Christian Bennett, broker owner of Re/Max Champions.

“They’re not just looking for a house; they’re looking for a community.”

In the Tampa Bay region, developments like FishHawk, Connerton, Bexley, and Asturia are typical of the new master-planned communities, and all have been wildly attractive to buyers, from young families to retirees.

The appeal of these developments might be compared to the difference between a fully optioned car and a stripped-down basic model. Buyers pay more, but they get more—in some cases a lot more.

Asturia, a new development on the booming State Road 54 corridor, just west of the Suncoast Parkway, is a prime example. Some 500 acres of former cattle pasture, the Hines community touts a “blend of shopping, office space, luxury apartments, single-family homes and townhomes.”

Unlike many master-planned communities, Asturia is “medium-sized,” said Lane Gardner, senior managing director with Hines. The smaller scale has its advantages.

“It’s not a maze; it’s high quality and quaint,” Gardner said, adding that Asturia “has the highest quality of amenities in the corridor.”

When fully developed, Asturia will have about 1,200 homes. Prices start in the high $200,000s up to the high $500,000s. There are multiple parks, trails, playgrounds, picnic and green

spaces, a large community center, pool and fitness center. It’s situated in a school zone with top-rated public schools, and the plan for shopping, professional office space and service providers, once executed, will mean residents will have most of their needs met without ever having to venture on to S.R. 54, said Gardner.

A strong sense of community is fostered, he said, and events like movies on the event lawn, barbecues and oyster roasts, monthly tapas socials, parties, sports events and Front Porch Fridays all provide the opportunity for socializing and bonding between residents.

A winning template for Asturia and others, like FishHawk Ranch in the Brandon area, is to provide a range of villages, often gated micro communities within the community, each with its own price points, architecture and character.

In FishHawk, the Preserve and

This home in Connerton, a master-planned community with the coveted “New Town” designation, is photographed from Magnolia Park, one of several green spaces set aside for residents to enjoy.

Tag with the Times. #TBTimesDeals #TampaBayDrinks #TampaBayLive #CookClub /tampabaycom /TB_Times /tampabaytimes

WestLake offer a “separate oasis” within the development, and feature upscale luxury homes and exclusive access to neighborhood clubs. Single-family home prices range from about $400,000 to $1 million. In the Central Park neighborhood, homes start at about $250,000 and range up to about $540,000.

FishHawk also has 55-plus communities.

Bexley, a Newland Communities project in Land O’ Lakes, was awarded best master-planned community and best recreational facility by the Southeast Building Conference. It also won the American Living Award for best single-family community from the National Association of Home Builders.

In addition to a range of home styles and prices, Bexley is known for its integration with the natural environment. Throughout the 1,800acre tract are multi-surface trails for walking, biking, jogging and strollers. Fitness stations are placed along the way.

There are parks, including a “wonderland” created by Asheville Playgrounds. Mud, Sweat and Gears Park hosts pick-up soccer and football, there’s a bicycle pump tract for daredevils and the BarkYard dog park, which has separate areas for small and large dogs.

On the social side, the Bexley Club is a gathering place with a restaurant, fitness center, game room, a pair of resort-style pools and an event lawn with a fire pit.

“The amenities at Bexley truly set our community apart,” said Pam Parisi, vice president of marketing for Newland Communities. “We de-

This spacious two-story home in Connerton is situated on a half-circle with a generous, tree-lined green space along the length of the street. The openness in the front and preserved woodlands behind are designed for more privacy.

signed Bexley so that residents can be as active and social as they want; or they can just relax at the Bexley Club and enjoy the lakefront view.”

Bexley home prices range from the low $200,000s for a townhome to $600,000-plus for luxury single-family homes.

Connerton, another Land O’ Lakes community, earned a New Town designation, one of three in Florida, from the state and county for its self-sufficient community design that promotes a “pedestrian culture” that reduces reliance on cars to get around the 8,000-acre master-planned development.

Stewart Gibbons, president of Gibbons Group and consultant to Connerton, said about “90 percent of the buyers who visit Connerton really, really like what they see.”

In addition to the numerous amenities, shopping, commercial spaces and an elementary school within the community, many are employed

Homes Sold in the bay area $330,000

within Connerton. Each buyer also was able to find a home of the right type, size and price point.

“The builders have a lot to do with it (the appeal),” said Gibbons. “They have the variety of offerings people are looking for.”

The goal at Connerton over the next decade is to achieve a completely self-sustaining community with up to 5,000 residential units, 730,000 square feet of retail services, and 1.4 million square feet of office, medical and industrial space. It also is slated for 150 hospital beds, 100 nursing home beds, a government center and some 1,800 acres of parks and protected natural spaces. Connerton has received multiple awards for design, community aspects, its streetscapes, and environmental preservation.

Connerton offers a range of villages, home styles and prices. Move-inready homes currently range from around $240,000 to about $600,000.

Buyers can choose from six builders.

16208 Bayberry View Drive 4 bedrooms, 3 1⁄2 baths

Lithia in FishHawk: Built in 2014 on a cul-de-sac neighboring conservation, this home features diagonally set tile, kitchen with granite counters, espresso cabinets with crown, center island and walk-in pantry, dining area, great room, double sliders out to covered lanai and fully fenced yard, downstairs master suite, upstairs bonus area, two upstairs bedrooms with Jack & Jill bath and fourth guest suite with full bath, and community pool, parks, playgrounds and tennis courts. The 2,630-square-foot home was listed at $335,000 and sold in June.

Signature Realty Associates, Brenda Wade Team

$230,000

5202 Baldock Ave. 5 bedrooms, 2 1⁄2 baths

Spring Hill: Built in 2004, this two-story Colonial home features formal living and dining rooms, electric fireplace, family room, tiled eat-in kitchen with center island, granite counters, two pantries and stainless-steel appliances, transom windows, paneled doors, Brazilian wood flooring upstairs, large loft area, master suite with garden tub, separate shower and two walk-in closets, laundry area with storage cabinets, saltwater pool, pavered deck, patio, fire pit and vinyl-fenced yard. The 2,908-square-foot house was listed at $249,900 and sold in June.

Keller Williams Realty Elite Partners, Mamo Team

$146,900

10280 N Quarry Drive 3 bedrooms, 2 baths

Citrus Springs: This concrete-block ranch home, built on a 1⁄4-acre lot in 1989, has a custom-built lanai and back deck overlooking a private, professionally landscaped yard, carpet and tile flooring, eat-in kitchen, master suite with garden tub and separate tub/shower, washer and dryer in two-car garage with screen door, separate detached workshop and greenhouse, sprinkler system, and professionally installed lightning rods in the roof. Listed at $149,900, the 1,646-square-foot house sold in June.

Parsley Real Estate Inc., Louise Lubranecki

$1,650,000

13630 Gulf Blvd., No. 200C 3 bedrooms, 3 1⁄2 baths Madeira Beach in the Bellarte: This luxury beachfront condominium, built in 2007, occupies the entire second floor and features a coded elevator to private foyer, floor-to-ceiling gulf views from the great room, travertine floors, kitchen with custom cabinets, quartz counters, professional appliances and 132-bottle wine fridge, wet bar, master retreat with hardwood floors, sitting area and oversized balcony with direct beach access, den, laundry room, central vacuum, cooled two-car garage, clubhouse, fitness center and gulf-front pool. The 3,186-square-foot condo sold at its listing price in June.

Engel & V?lkers Madeira Beach, Evan Pedone

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Tampa Bay Times | Sunday, July 15, 2018 |

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Affordable homes close to bay area Florida’s most affordable markets

BY GRAHAM BRINK Business columnist

SmartAsset created its affordability index based on five factors: Average annual mortgage payment, annual property taxes, annual property insurance, average closing costs and median household income. The higher the score, the more affordable the housing.

The most affordable housing in Florida Rank

If you choose carefully, the greater Tampa Bay area has some of the state’s most affordable places to own a home.

In fact, six of the top 10 locales are within about 50 miles of downtown Tampa.

Fort Meade, tucked in the southwestern part of Polk County, regained its No. 1 spot, after placing third a year earlier, according to an analysis from SmartAsset, a financial technology company.

Brooksville came in third, Beacon Square (near Elfers in Pasco County) ranked fifth, followed by Bayshore Gardens across the Sunshine Skyway in Manatee County. Combee Settlement and Crystal Lake,

Place

Index score

1

Fort Meade

60.79

2

West Vero Corridor

57.07

3

Brooksville

56.35

4

Lakewood Park

52.24

5

Beacon Square (Pasco)

51.98

both near Lakeland, came in seventh and ninth respectively.

Rounding out the top 10 were West Vero Corridor (2), Lakewood Park (4), West Pensacola (8) and North Fort Myers (10).

SmartAsset’s number crunchers looked at average annual mortgage payments, property taxes and insurance,

and average closing costs over a five-year period in 6,136 American cities with at least 5,000 people. That included 450 locations in Florida. They then compared those costs to the median household income in each location to determine the affordability.

Fort Meade, which ranked 25th in the country, made up for its so-so median income

($43,179) with low insurance costs and property taxes and the state’s 18th-lowest annual mortgage payment.

Brooksville, perennially in SmartAsset’s top 10 in Florida, had the state’s lowest annual mortgage payment combined with the lowest insurance costs.

As for the area’s three biggest cities, St. Petersburg (192) was the most affordable, thanks largely to a slightly higher median income (see chart) and lower closing costs.

Clearwater ranked 297th.

Tampa was 305th.

Naples, despite a robust $84,830 in median income, was last in the state and 6,105th in the country. It was brought down by high mortgage, insurance and closing costs.

Other South Florida cities dominated the bottom end of the rankings, including Miami Beach and Key Biscayne.

Nationally, Texas had the top two most affordable places, Pecos and Kermit, small towns about 50 miles apart in the western part of the state.

Texas had a total of nine cities

Home Sales 22% Where earning $117K is house poor

Profit for Tampa Bay residents who sold their homes last year over what they originally paid. That’s a bigger percentage increase than for sellers in Orlando but less than for those in Miami-Fort Lauderdale, Zillow says.

Times staff writer

GRAHAM BRINK

Other notable numbers

Housing, as we often hear, is all about location.

More proof of that old saw came this week by way of the federal government’s updated affordable housing income thresholds.

In the Tampa Bay area, a family of four can make up to $51,100 and still get help with housing costs, including rental payments, the Department of Housing and Urban

$37,000 Median profit for bayarea sellers, compared to $37,900 in Orlando and $51,500 in South Florida. $39,000 Median profit for home sellers nationwide, about 21 percent more than what homeowners originally paid. The typical seller had lived in the home for 8.4 years.

Business Columnist $296,000 Median profit in San Jose, Calif., where the typical home sold for 54 percent more than the homeowner had paid for it.

This story was originally printed in the Tampa Bay Times on 6/28/2018. For more stories like this, visit tampabay.com.

Development’s new guidelines say.

Atlanta came in at $59,850, Denver $71,900, New York $82,450.

All, however, pale in comparison to San Francisco’s $117,400.

That’s not a typo. A family of four in the other bay area, where median home prices are near $1 million, could make nearly $120,000 and still get help.

“That kind of shocks you. How is that possibly poverty by anybody’s measure?” Ken Cole, director of the San Mateo County Depart-

Here’s how Tampa Bay’s three biggest cities stacked up against each other in the individual categories: Category.

Tampa

St. Petersburg Clearwater

Median income

$45,874 $48,183

$44,569

Annual mortgage $7,844

$7,055

$7,452

Insurance

$2,160

$1,942

$2,051

Taxes

$1,624

$1,433

$1,634

Closing costs

$4,573

$2,517

$4,429

State rank

305

192

297

Source: SmartAsset

ranked in the top 25. Pennsylvania and Indiana had three each. Georgia and Arizona had two.

Kaser, N.Y., part of the town of Ramapo, was the least-affordable place in the country, scoring a zero. It earned the honor based largely on an exceptionally low median household income ($18,538) and relatively high average mortgage payments, insurance costs and property taxes.

ment of Housing, told a San Francisco TV station. “But it actually is for a family of four in our area.”

--Tampa Bay area home prices are on a good roll, but nothing like Seattle’s. The Emerald City led the country in home-price increases for the 20th consecutive month, tying for the second-longest streak.

Single-family home prices in the West Coast tech hub jumped 13.1 percent in April compared to a year earlier, said the Case-Shiller home price index released Tuesday. (Tampa Bay’s prices rose 7.2 percent.)

Seattle’s typical house cost $625,000 at the beginning of the streak, compared to $830,000 now, the Seattle Times reported.

Portland, Ore., set the record when its prices rose for 23 months from 1990-92.

--Tampa Bay ranked 11th among metro areas in a recent national

Stanford, Calif., was only slightly better, scoring a 1.2.

Rounding out the country’s bottom five: New Square, N.Y.; Isla Vista, Calif.; and Boone, N.C., which had the lowest median household income ($14,725) of any of the places in the survey.

This story was originally printed in the Tampa Bay Times on 6/12/2018. For more stories like this, visit tampabay.com.

housing confidence study, up five spots from 2016.

The area scored 69.8, compared to the national average of 66.3, in J.P. Morgan Chase’s Housing Confidence Index. Dallas topped the list with a score of 73.2, followed by Denver (72.8) and Las Vegas (72.5).

The researchers asked homeowners and renters about housing-market conditions, their expectations on prices and affordability, and their aspirations for home ownership.

“Seven in 10 renters now express confidence in their ability to afford a home someday, and nearly three-quarters of those with an opinion say that buying a home is the best long-term investment a person can make,” said Terry Loebs, founder of Pulsenomics, which partnered with Chase on the survey of more than 15,500 households.

This story was originally printed in the Tampa Bay Times on 6/28/2018. For more stories like this, visit tampabay.com.

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| Sunday, July 15, 2018 | Tampa Bay Times

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Tampa Bay Times | Sunday, July 15, 2018 |

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Curb appeal & garden Timely Tendings | Pesky Summer Pests Wander through your landscape weekly and look for signs of damaging insects.

Catching infestations early allows for easier control. Watch for beneficial insects that are controlling the pests. They may be taking care of the problem for you.

Many pest problems can be kept in check with proper plant care — healthy plants are more resistant to damage and disease. Learn more about beneficial insects here: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/topic_beneficial_insects.

Black spot on roses can cause defoliation rapidly during hot humid weather. You may control by spraying with a suitable fungicide and by removing

TODAY Gardens Open House: Browse the organic, edible nursery for natural products like mosquito repellent, herbal salves, plus perennials, seeds, potting soil, herbs and medicinal plants, local honey and bee products, seasonal vegetable starts for sale; stroll the gardens for home edible landscape inspiration, while enjoying fresh herbal tea, with healthy lunch options for sale.

Park on lawn, no parking on Ray Road. Free admission. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. today, Willow Herbal Delight Gardens, corner Ray Road and Miller Road, Valrico. (813) 7593677.

Monday-Saturday Bromeliad Guild of Tampa Bay: Bromeliad Guild of Tampa Bay meets with topics on using the colorful tropical plants in the home landscape, with raffle, sale, and refreshments. Doors open at 7 p.m. 7:30 p.m. Monday, Learn about the latest in research to deal with the destructive Mexican weevil in Florida, in program with Dr. Teresa Cooper.

Christ the King Catholic Church, 821 S Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa. (813) 961-1475. www. bromeliadguildoftampabay.org.

Pasco Extension Seminar: Free, unless otherwise noted; register at Eventbrite.com. 2 p.m. Tuesday, Butterflies and Their Blooms Steps to create a beautiful butterfly garden.

Register at Eventbrite.com. New River Library, 34043 State Road 54, Zephyrhills. (352) 518-0156. pasco.ifas.ufl.edu/events_ calendar.shtml.

Master Gardener Nursery: Spruce up a landscape or garden space - find a large selection of Florida native and Florida-Friendly plants, all from healthy stock, at budget prices, at the nursery open from 9 a.m. to noon, each Wednesday and Saturday, weather permitting. Free. 9 a.m.-noon Wednesday, Master Gardener Nursery, 19490 Oliver St., Brooksville. (352) 754-4433. 9 a.m.-noon Saturday, Blooms and Bouquets Worskhop: Get creative and design a floral arrangement. or other piece, while enjoying beverage and hors d ‘oeuvres or dessert, and take home your finished design. Fee includes use of tools, flowers, container, instruction and food and beverage. Advance registration required. Register at Blooms and Bouquets or Wedding Petals Shop Facebook page, or call.

6 p.m. Thursday, Succulent Garden Arrange mini succulents in a wood or bamboo container, with stones and adornments, for a unique look. $70. Blooms and Bouquets Florist and Events, 2502 N Howard Ave.,

Tampa. (813) 586-3041. www. tampabaybloomsandbouquets. com.

Tampa Bay Orchid Society: with plants for sale, bloom table.

Meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. Free.

6:30 p.m. Thursday, AOS Judging Everything You Always Wanted to Know About AOS Judging, But Were Afraid to Ask, is the program at this month’s meeting; bring your best blooms and learn about the orchid judging process. Christ the King Catholic Church, 821 S Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa. (813) 839-4959. www.tampabayorchidsociety. shutterfly.com.

July Orchid Affair: An array of budding and blooming orchids for sale in many colors, styles and fragrance to add to your collection, or as a living garden gift, with supplies for sale for thriving orchids, from guest vendor Hicks Orchid Supply, and advice from the experts on caring for your new orchid plant. Free admission. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday, Louis Del Favero Orchids, 6601 Gant Road, Tampa. (813) 9618277. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, Tampa African Violet Society: Free. 10 a.m. Friday, Learn how to grow and repot Columneas and Aeschynanthus, African violet cousins. Seffner-Mango Branch Library, 410 N Kingsway Road, Seffner. (813) 924-2686. www. tampaafricanviolets.com.

Tropical Fruit Tasting: Taste a world of exotic tropical fruits, like jackfruit, mamey, longan and lychee, along with dragon fruit, specialty mangos, and even the notoriously strong-smelling durian fruit. Sample local raw unfiltered honey and homemade tropical treats, desserts, snowcones, chutneys and other foods using tropical fruit from different cultures; choose from the wide array of fruit trees and plants for sale to harvest a tropical bounty at home, at popular annual sampling. Raffle for sixfoot mango tree. Free. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Around the World in 80 Fruits Jene’s Tropicals, 6831 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. (727) 344-1668. tropicalfruit.com.

Rain Barrel Workshop: Reduce dependence on irrigation by using collected rainwater in the garden. Advance registration and payment required. Bring a vehicle large enough to accommodate a 55-gallon barrel. Send check to: HCUD, 15635 Cortez Blvd., Brooksville, FL 34613, and write ‘rain barrel workshop July 21’ on the envelope. Attendance at workshop is mandatory to receive rain barrel. $50, includes a completed rain barrel (Hernando County Utilities customers receive a one-time $25 credit on their water bill). 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Spring Hill Branch/Harold G. Zopp Memorial Library, 9220 Spring Hill Drive, Spring Hill. (352) 540-6230.

Clearwater Garden Club: Clearwatergardenclub@gmail. com. 10:30 a.m. Saturday,

and destroying all infected leaves including those on the ground. Better yet, plant disease-resistant rose varieties. For info on roses for Florida, visit: http:// gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/ ornamentals/roses-for-florida.html.

Source: Theresa Badurek, Urban Horticulture Extension Agent, UF/IFAS Pinellas County Extension Service. For additional landscape and garden information, visit our website at http:// sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/pinellas/. Join us on Facebook to get regular tips and information: https://www.facebook.com/ PinellasExtension.

Importance of Bees Bees are the focus, as UF Master Beekeeper student, Jennifer Standley, talks about the pollinators, why they are important, the problems they face, and what can be done to help bees thrive. Clearwater Garden Club, 405 Seminole St., Clearwater. (727) 316-5504. www. clearwatergardenclub.org.

Orchid Lovers Club: With raffle, orchid plants for sale. 1 p.m.

Saturday, Bret Ulrey of Accent Orchids talks about growing denbrobium and schomburgkia orchids, at this month’s meeting. VFW Post 8681, 18940 Drayton St., Shady Hills. www. springhillorchidclub.com.

July 22-Aug. 31 Tropical Fruit Tasting: Taste a world of exotic tropical fruits, like jackfruit, mamey, longan and lychee, along with dragon fruit, specialty mangos, and even the notoriously strong-smelling durian fruit. Sample local raw unfiltered honey and homemade tropical treats, desserts, snowcones, chutneys and other foods using tropical fruit from different cultures; choose from the wide array of fruit trees and plants for sale to harvest a tropical bounty at home, at popular annual sampling. Raffle for sixfoot mango tree. Free. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. July 22, Around the World in 80 Fruits Jene’s Tropicals, 6831

Central Ave., St. Petersburg. (727) 344-1668. tropicalfruit.com.

July Orchid Affair: An array of budding and blooming orchids for sale in many colors, styles and fragrance to add to your collection, or as a living garden gift, with supplies for sale for thriving orchids, from guest vendor Hicks Orchid Supply, and advice from the experts on caring for your new orchid plant. Free admission. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. July 22, Louis Del Favero Orchids, 6601 Gant Road, Tampa. (813) 9618277.

Tampa Orchid Club: Club welcomes orchid fans with bloom table, silent auction, plants for sale. Doors open at 9:30 a.m., meeting starts at 10 a.m. Free.

9:30 a.m. July 24, Bill Thoms Bill Thoms, award winning orchid expert, talks about general orchid culture and care, and demystifies “bulbos” a diverse Floridafriendly orchid genus. Northdale Recreation Center, 15550 Spring Pine Drive, Tampa. (813) 949-7467.

Master Gardener Nursery: Spruce up a landscape or garden space - find a large selection of Florida native and FloridaFriendly plants, all from healthy stock, at budget prices, at the nursery open from 9 a.m. to noon, each Wednesday and Saturday, weather permitting.

Free. 9 a.m.-noon July 25, Master Gardener Nursery, 19490 Oliver St., Brooksville. (352) 754-4433.

9 a.m.-noon July 28, 9 a.m.-noon Aug. 1, 9 a.m.-noon Aug. 4, 9 a.m.noon Aug. 8, 9 a.m.-noon Aug. 11, 9 a.m.-noon Aug. 15, 9 a.m.-noon Aug. 18, 9 a.m.-noon Aug. 22, 9 a.m.-noon Aug. 25, 9 a.m.-noon Aug. 29, Hurricanes and Trees: Prep now to prevent future hurricane damage, as workshop shares which trees are most likely to topple in high winds, how to prune trees to withstand wind damage, how to restore stormravaged trees, and what to document for insurance claims.

Free (registration required). 10 a.m. July 25, Tampa Garden Club, 2629 Bayshore Blvd., Tampa. (813) 744-5519. www. tampagardenclub.com.

Lawn Facts vs. Lawn Fiction: Learn about turf options available for the central Florida area, and the proper ways to care for it. No registration necessary. Free. 10:30 a.m. July 25, Hernando County Utilities Administration Building, 15365 Cortez Blvd., Brooksville.

Pinellas County Extension Class: Free, unless otherwise noted; pre-registration requested.

6:30 p.m. July 26, Designing a Florida Friendly Landscape Basic principles for a Florida Friendly landscape design. ffldunedin.eventbrite.com.

Dunedin Community Center, 1920 Pinehurst Road, Dunedin. (727) 453-6524.

Wildflower Walk: Guided stroll through the preserve explores the seasonal wildflowers in bloom along the trails. $3, $1.50 children.

9 a.m. July 28, Boyd Hill Nature Preserve, 1101 Country Club Way S, St. Petersburg. (727) 893-7326. www.stpete.org/boyd.

Tropical Hibiscus: Sunset Chapter of the American Hibiscus Society meets with tips for growing the colorful tropical plants. Free. 10 a.m.

July 28, Protecting Hibiscus from Heat and Viruses Help your plant survive hot summer temperatures, and resist viruses.

Pinellas Park Library, 7770 52nd St., Pinellas Park. (727) 251-0316. sunsetchapter.org. 10 a.m. Aug. 25, Preparing for Fall Season Plan now for healthy hibiscus

plants in the fall, learn what’s needed at this month’s meeting.

Begonia Society of Tampa Bay: Learn about colorful begonias, with plant raffle; first time guests receive free begonia. 10:30 a.m. July 28, Other Genera is the program this month, as members share other companion plants that can be grown along with begonias. Famous Tate Distribution Center, 6401 N 54th St., Tampa. (813) 838-0374.

Moth Gardening: Hands on learning about native moths and their host and nectar plants. Take home plants to start your own moth garden. $10. 1-2:30 p.m. July 28, Boyd Hill Nature Preserve, 1101 Country Club Way S, St. Petersburg. (727) 893-7326. www. stpete.org/boyd.

Blooms and Bouquets Worskhop: Get creative and design a floral arrangement. or other piece, while enjoying beverage and hors d ‘oeuvres or dessert, and take home your finished design. Fee includes use of tools, flowers, container, instruction and food and beverage. Advance registration required. Register at Blooms and Bouquets or Wedding Petals Shop Facebook page, or call. 1 p.m. July 29, Succulent Garden Arrange mini succulents in a wood or bamboo container, with stones and adornments, for a unique look. $70. Blooms and Bouquets Florist and Events, 2502 N Howard Ave., Tampa. (813) 586-3041. www. tampabaybloomsandbouquets. com.

For more gardening events, visit tampabay.com/homes and use the Things to Do search tool.

Send submissions to Garden Calendar, Newsfeatures, Tampa Bay Times, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731; or email to calendar@tampabay.com.

Deadline is two weeks before publication.

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| Sunday, July 15, 2018 | Tampa Bay Times

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Shrink is in for proposed community St. Petersburg will consider plans for six tiny houses in the Midtown area

BY SUSAN TAYLOR MARTIN Times Senior Correspondent

In the past few years, the Tampa Bay area has seen a blockbust-

er number of big new houses.

Now, it could get its first tiny-house community.

St. Petersburg’s Development Review Commission will consider plans Wednesday for six teensy houses in the city’s Midtown area.

Each would be no more than 700 square feet but would include two bedrooms and a porch.

“A lot of people don’t need much to be comfortable and happy,’’ said Pedro Medina, who

is developing the project in conjunction with property owner Ashok Shah. “There is something efficient, sexy and modern about tiny houses.’’

Popularized by TV shows like Tiny House Nation and Tiny House Hunters, the tiny-house movement gained steam after the 2008 financial crash as people began looking for affordable, environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional homes. Many tiny houses are built on wheels so they can transported, but those in St. Petersburg would be stationary.

Two would face 22nd Avenue S, two would face 13th Street and the remaining two would be accessible via a common parking area. Each would have a kitchen, bathroom, living area and bedroom on the ground level as well as a loft- style second bedroom.

Medina said he expects to build the houses for about $30,000 each, holding down costs by using wood and other materials salvaged from construction sites.

The sale price has not been set, he said.

The staff of the city’s Planning and Economic Development De-

partment recommends approval of the project, which lies within a blighted area targeted for revitalization. The tiny houses would replace a nearly century-old apartment building on the site that has been condemned and will be demolished.

City staffers “were so tired of that eyesore; they’re ecstatic someone is building,’’ Medina said. “I expected to be met with much more opposition, but they are actually looking forward to having standards made (for tiny houses). It’s kind of like a gray area now.’’

A real estate investor, Shah bought the half-acre site in 2006 for $235,400. Medina, who manages Shah’s properties and lives in one of them that he renovated, convinced the investor that tiny houses would be a good fit for the Midtown site.

“I see it as appealing to millennials,’’ said Medina, a millennial himself at 31. “Due to the exorbitant cost, my generation isn’t buying as many homes. With the advent of tiny houses, it places the price at that of a new car. Now even students in college will be able to purchase a home and ac-

GABRIELLA ANGOTTI-JONES | Times

Visitors check out alternative homes at the Great American Tiny House Show at the Florida State Fairgrounds in March.

crue equity much earlier in their lifetime.’’

If the current project succeeds, Medina would like to develop a one-bedroom house that would sell for about $15,000 and also create a template for tiny-home communities.

Exhibits of tiny houses have drawn enthusiastic crowds in the Tampa Bay area. Last year, a Tampa company created a buzz when it proposed reconfiguring a

downtown building into 120 tiny or “micro’’ apartments. Parking issues killed that idea, and the company decided to do 48 larger apartments. Construction is expected to start this summer.

Contact Susan Taylor Martin at smartin@tampabay.com or (727) 893-8642. Follow @susanskate.

This story was originally printed in the Tampa Bay Times on 7/10/2018.

For more stories like this, visit tampabay.com.

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| Sunday, July 15, 2018 | Tampa Bay Times

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