PINELLAS COUNTY
Real Estate
|
2007 |
2008 |
4/2009 |
| Median Price* Single Family Home |
$208,900 |
$169,500 |
$135,200 |
| Median Price* Condominium |
$169,400 |
$142,500 |
$99,200 |
* Median Price of 101 homes sold would be that price which is lower than 50 of the prices and also higher
than 50 of the prices. In other words, there are homes and condominiums available in every price range in
Pinellas County. Median prices shown above are for the Tampa/Saint Petersburg/Clearwater MSA. The statistics
are meant to give you a feel for the area as compared to others you may be considering and to show the
direction of the market.
Taxes
Visit Buy a Home in Florida for comprehensive property tax information.
Weather
Average High/Low in January 70/50, in July 90/70
Pinellas County is home to Clearwater, the county seat, St. Petersburg, Tarpon Springs. The county is located on a narrow 280 square mile peninsula with the Gulf on one side and Tampa Bay on the other. It is one of three counties that make up “Greater Tampa Bay”.
Pinellas offers a diverse array of cities, towns, and neighborhoods, replete with small and large downtowns, historic main streets, traditional neighborhoods and beach towns galore. Although the communities range in population from more than 250,000 in St. Petersburg to less than 60 in Belleair Shore, nearly all communities capitalize on living in a waterfront paradise. Pinellas’ growth is expected to continue due to its extraordinary quality of life, progressive employment opportunities, relatively low cost of living, diverse housing options and high-quality colleges and universities. With its outstanding cultural, recreational and sports facilities, incomparable parks and beaches, and year round events, Pinellas provides a true resort lifestyle.
Events
Arts and Culture
The county offers a wide variety of arts and culture opportunities. There are 15 performing arts facilities, 20 theater companies and 17 museums. The Salvador Dali Museum is the only Michelin-rated art museum in the southeastern United States and brings visitors from around the world. The Museum of Fine Arts, the Florida Holocaust Museum, the Clearwater Marine Aquarium are just a few of the many art, history and science museums located here. American Stage Theater provides live professional theater using local and regional actors, while the Mahaffey Theater and Ruth Eckerd Hall feature the Florida Orchestra, Broadway shows, and top-rated concerts and comedy tours.
Parks & Recreation
Whether looking for relaxation or recreation,you can find a wide variety of activities throughout the county. Each county park displays nature’s original artistry and park goers can find something special about each one, from sun-drenched beaches, tranquil lakes and lush emerald green expanses of native habitat to playgrounds, learning centers and convenience facilities.
The Pinellas County Parks & Recreation Department maintains 4,159 acres of the county's most beautiful examples of pristine Florida landscapes.
Pinellas County residents have developed a passion for their parks. Fort De Soto and Sand Key parks have been voted two of the Top Ten Beaches in the United States.
The Pinellas Trail is a linear park and recreation trail currently extending from St. Petersburg to Tarpon Springs. This greenway corridor links some of Pinellas County's most picturesque parks, scenic coastal areas and residential neighborhoods. While traveling along the Trail, outdoor enthusiasts can enjoy deep glades of ancient live oaks trailing Spanish moss, quiet waterways and tidal streams with all varieties of land and water birds.
So where do you fish in Pinellas County? Anywhere you want! Just off the beaches, in the Intracoastal Waterway, in the bays and bayous you can hook trout, snook, redfish, spanish mackeral and kingfish and tarpon.
Success off a bridge or from a boat from which you still can see buildings doesn’t mean there is not a great adventure and great fishing to be had far, far from shore.
Bigger grouper, snapper and amberjack are found far from shore. Blackfin tuna kick in at 25-30 miles offshore.
Fishing without a boat generally means staying dry by fishing from a pier. There are plenty of options in the St. Petersburg/Clearwater area; some of the better-known ones are the Sunshine Skyway Fishing Pier, Redington Beach Long Pier, the St. Petersburg Pier (downtown), Pier 60 on Clearwater Beach and the Gulf Pier and Bay Piers at Fort De Soto Park.
The Friendship Trail – a linear “park” that spans Tampa Bay at the Gandy Bridge –also is a great place from which to fish.
From these piers or bridges, the fish that makes most people’s day is the Spanish mackerel, which can be caught year-round but has seasonal peaks. Red drum, speckled trout and snook also can be found.
If you’re ready to immerse yourself in fishing, try wade-in flats fishing, where you get out into the water (feet covered). It’s a good choice if you’re interested in fishing but not committed to a half-day minimum. It also does not require a guide or charter boat. If you have bass and walleye tackle from home, bring it, and your lures, too. Fort De Soto offers 7 miles of shoreline); Weedon Island Preserve is solid for this type of fishing as well.
For those who prefer freshwater fishing, Lake Tarpon (which has produced a 19-pound bass) and Lake Seminole are the places to start.
Visit Your Florida Lifestyle for more information on fishing and our Guide to Establishing Florida Residency for Florida fishing license information.
Beaches
Pinellas County offers 35 miles of white-sand beaches on 20 barrier islands. 1 or 2 of them frequently wind up on noteworthy Best Beach Lists!
Want to check out the area but tired of walking? Just hop on the beach trolley and it will take you there! From north to south and all the stops in between. From Clearwater Beach to Pass-A-Grille in St. Pete Beach the beach trolley stops at every beach and town in between.
For comprehensive information on all Florida beaches and gift certificates to the best Florida restaurants on or near them, check out The Florida Beach Book!
Golf
There is something for everyone when talking about golf in Pinellas County. A mix of new and old, expensive and inexpensive, resort or municipal; all are represented among the 52 courses here.
Visit Your Florida Lifestyle for additional golf information.
Sports
Enjoy the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tampa Bay Lightening, Tampa Bay Downs, Tampa Bay Storm, Tampa Bay Greyhound Track, University of South Florida and Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
Playing in the Florida Grapefruit League:
The Tampa Bay Devil Rays play spring training games at Al Lang Field in St. Petersburg.
The New York Yankees play spring training games at Legends Field in Tampa.
The Philadelphia Phillies play spring training games at Bright House Networks Field in Clearwater.
The Toronto Blue Jays play spring training games at Knology Park in Dunedin.
Visit The Tampa Bay Sports Commission to learn more about events in the Tampa Bay area: http://www.tampabaysports.org/
Visit Your Florida Lifestyle for additional sports information.
Hospitals
Visit Florida Medical Resources for comprehensive information including Florida hospital ratings.
Colleges
For comprehensive information on Lifelong Learning, visit Your Florida Lifestyle.
Airports
Shopping
Love to shop? Wait until you discover the variety of malls, shopping villages, outlet centers and specialty stores in the St. Petersburg/Clearwater area - from one-of-a-kind boutiques and antique stores clustered together for easy browsing, to beachside shops filled with souvenirs and flea markets overflowing with bargains. Whatever your budget, whatever your taste, you'll find great treasures to bring home for friends, family . . . and yourself.
Tyrone Square is a traditional mall anchored by Macy's, Dillard's, JC Penney and Sears and features a large food court, a six-cinema movieplex and more than 170 specialty shops.
To the north, there’s a thriving center in Tarpon Springs, including Antiques Forever, the Lyon’s Head Center, Menzer’s and other stores near the Sponge Docks. Dunedin is home to Heart’s Desire, Cindy Lou’s, Amanda Austin,Times Past & Present and the Old Feed Store, with many offerings reflecting the Scottish heritage of the town.
Gulfport houses a waterfront district that’s as eclectic as it is historic. And St. Petersburg’s Central Avenue and Fourth Street North are dotted with stores and centers, including Doc’s Place, Brass Key and Dessa Gallery.
If the antique you seek is a page turner, two stores within blocks of each other near downtown St. Petersburg have plenty of shelves to examine. Lighthouse Books, an Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of America member, and Haslam’s, which bills itself as Florida’s Largest New & Used Book Store. Fourth Street Antique Alley-Mall has 100 different dealers.
Pinellas County, Florida, Cities and Towns
Incorporated
Unincorporated
Additional Resources
Pinellas County Government http://www.pinellascounty.org
Saint Petersburg/Clearwater Convention & Visitors Bureau http://www.floridasbeach.com/
Pinellas County Economic Development – Interesting reading about the future of the County http://www.pced.org/
Featured Towns/Cities
St. Petersburg
The Guinness Book of World Records recognizes St. Petersburg as having the longest string of consecutive sunny days. The sun warmed the city for 768 consecutive days, from February 9, 1967, to March 17, 1969. With an average temperature of 73.7 degrees and an average of 361 days of sunshine, no wonder it's known as the Sunshine City.
With easy access from the south over the Sunshine Skyway bridge, or from Tampa International Airport from the north, the once sleepy city has seen a re-awakening. The picturesque city center includes seven miles of preserved downtown waterfront parks, perfect for a leisurely stroll along the shoreline and home to the city's many outdoor art and music events. St. Petersburg features more than 700 events each year including an international sail expo, Festival of States parades and competitions, the Honda Grand Prix, triathlons, the Mainsail Art show, cycling events, offshore powerboat races, running events and more.
St. Petersburg is home to Major League Baseball with the Tampa Bay Rays, who play in Tropicana Field downtown. The downtown area features six world-class museums, and more than 20 galleries. St. Petersburg's shoreline - a 234-mile stretch - is longer than New Hampshire's and Delaware's combined. Known as the sailing capital of the South, the city's Municipal Marina is the largest in the state.
Occupying much of the southeastern half of the Pinellas Peninsula, St. Petersburg is the largest city in the area with a population close to 250,000. The city has 10 marine institutes making it the largest oceanographic research center in the southeast. The city is also home to several large corporations including Danka Business Systems, Raymond James, Franklin Templeton, Home Shopping Network and Lucent Technologies.
St. Petersburg has been a favorite retirement area for years and continues to be. Housing runs the gamut from modest older homes downtown, to favorably priced condos on the beach, to million dollar+ waterfront properties.
If you would like to get a feel for home prices in St. Petersburg, visit www.zillow.com and search for recent homes sold.
If you would prefer to save precious time and would like personalized assistance, call or email us today to take advantage of our free Florida Relocation Services. We’ll answer all of your questions and if the timing is right for you, we’ll introduce you to one of the best real estate agents in St. Petersburg who can provide detailed information and professional assistance.
