| If you've been considering buying a home in | | | | turnover. |
| Clearwater, the stars are lining up in your favor, say | | | | Now that new construction has caught up with the |
| housing experts. The Clearwater real estate market | | | | demand for new homes in Clearwater, the real |
| has become a buyers' market, shifting almost 180 | | | | estate market has steadied and new home sales |
| degrees in just one short year. After a sharp spike in | | | | have slowed to a more normal rate. If you're in the |
| home prices from 2003-2005, the market seems to | | | | market to buy Clearwater real estate, you've got |
| be adjusting itself and leveling off, with Clearwater | | | | quite a few positives going for you right now: |
| homes settling in at a very affordable price. While I | | | | - Prices have dropped slightly, but home values are |
| personally don't believe there has been any bubbles | | | | expected to remain level or continue to rise at a |
| bursting here, if you've been waiting for the best | | | | more reasonable level |
| time to buy real estate in Clearwater, that time has | | | | - Clearwater real estate prices are still below those |
| arrived. | | | | of metropolitan areas throughout the country, |
| The Tampa Bay / Clearwater area has traditionally | | | | including other Florida regions |
| been one of Florida's largest housing markets, with a | | | | - The economy is strong, with unemployment below |
| solid population, low unemployment and strong family | | | | the national average |
| neighborhoods. Beginning in 2002, the demand for | | | | - Property taxes are among the lowest in the |
| single family housing in the Clearwater area of Pinellas | | | | country |
| County began to rise, and then spiked suddenly. The | | | | - Mortgage rates are low, but the interest rates are |
| fuel for this sudden spike was a combination of | | | | starting to edge up |
| corporate relocations, normal turnover in the housing | | | | Of course, there are advantages other than financial |
| market and speculative real estate investors trying to | | | | to owning a home in Clearwater. Pinellas County |
| cash in on home prices that rose 98% in five years, | | | | consistently ranks in the top metropolitan areas to |
| including a 30% jump from 2004 to 2005. From 2001 | | | | live. The climate is sunny and warm, the school |
| to 2005, the median price for a single family home | | | | systems are excellent, the economy is strong and |
| sale in Clearwater rose from $109,600 to $217,400, | | | | the Gulf of Mexico is at your doorstep. What more |
| and speculators scrambled to grab up properties with | | | | could you want in a home and a place to live? |
| the expectation of cashing in with a short-term | | | | |