The East Lake area of Palm Harbor and Tarpon Springs remains one of the most popular areas in northern Pinellas County.  In fact, many people from the southern portion of Pinellas County continue to move up this way to take advantage of newer and bigger homes, fantastic schools, and tons of amenities.  Speaking of schools, Brooker Creek and Cypress Woods Elementary schools have both been rated a 10 by the parents of children who attend there, according to GreatSchools.net and East Lake High School has earned a Grade A rating from the State of Florida for 7 straight years in a row!  That's something to brag about!

I have lived in the East Lake area for over 10 years and I wouldn't want to live anywhere else. We have a website dedicated to real estate in…

Probably true in most parts of the country - but especially here in Tampa Bay are desperate home sellers.  Otherwise known as "Motivated Sellers" but these are the sellers that have to sell their homes.  They have been transferred (happens all the time here), laid off, divorced, you name it - whatever lifestyle change that caused this - THEY NEED TO SELL THEIR HOME!  Most times, whatever it takes - they need to find a buyer.

And, quite frankly, they are not afraid to tell you.  Their real estate agents make sure they put those particular comments in the MLS descriptions that homebuyers see when surfing the Internet looking at homes.  Don't just look at the pictures if you are trying to find a good deal!  READ the text - look for clues.

Many potential…

There are many options when selling your home.  One of which is Flat Fee MLS Home selling.  That's what this blog will attempt to explain.  Comparing the options between FSBO, Flat Fee MLS, and Full Service will better equip you to determine which plan is best for you.

So what's this Tampa Bay Flat Fee MLS service all about?

Basically for a small administrative fee paid to a real estate agent, they list your home on the MLS and Realtor.com for a certain amount of time.  Depending on the fee paid, there may be more or less Internet advertising included in the price. You will be required to pay a real estate commission to the agent that brings the buyer, unless of course you sell the home yourself to an individual who is not represented.  You should expect…

It’s always nice to be recognized for a job well done, and while we didn’t really expect to be signaled out, we are honored to be the November 2007 “Broker / Agent of the Month”.  This is really quite an accomplishment for our team as only 12 agents per year are chosen – out of the thousands that make up the Pinellas Suncoast Board of Realtors here in the Tampa Bay area of Florida.

In case you don't currently know us, our team is made up of myself (Bob Lipply), Joe Gibbons, Thomas Towns, and our newest member Arlene Colecchia.  While my wife Donna doesn’t want me to say she’s part of the team, she helps out considerably with website development, marketing, and just keeping everyone organized.

Attached is a copy of the piece that Broker/Agent…

We've been very busy this week showing property, handling closings, and practicing our new Christmas routine.  We think we got it where we want it and we wanted our blog readers to be the very first to see it.  I knew I had a talented team but I never imagined we would be able to put this together in such a short time.  Hope you enjoy it.

So, please click here and enjoy the show.

Merry Christmas!

Bob Lipply, Arlene Colecchia, Joe Gibbons, and Thomas Towns

Well we said we would not do it again but something's definitely missing in our house.  Thurman, our cocker spaniel, died right around the time the kids grew up and moved out and it doesn't look like we are going to be getting any grandkids anytime soon.  We've always had a dog in the house and once a dog lover, always a dog lover, I guess. 

So, here he is the new Lipply member.  His name is Buddy.  He's a Cavalier King Charles Tri-Color.  He won't be home until after Christmas because he's only 5 weeks old so we have plenty of time to get ready for him. 

In case you don't know about Cavaliers they are the perfect lap dog.  They only grow to be about 18 lbs. and love to be around you.  They don't like to be alone for too long and breeders won't sell…

Largo, just south of Clearwater, in the Tampa Bay area of Floirda has strong community pride.  A page on their city website states:  "Help Shape Your Largo".  It's a page where you can go and take a survey answering specific questions about Largo and how you would like to see it shaped in the coming years. 

The City of Largo is working toward developing a community brand.  They are trying to get a stronger identity with the Tampa Bay Community.  When you take the survey you will be asked a series of questions of how you view the city, who you are, what you think attracts the visitors and businesses, and what makes it unique.  You will also have an opportunity to make suggestions and to volunteer to join a focus group to help continue this effort.

In my…

Fabulous Belleair! What can be more exciting than living on the water in Florida? Waterfront condos are the way to go if you want maintenance free living and more time to spend enjoying the white sandy beaches. Some of the best Belleair Real Estate buys this winter are:

Aldea Condo - providing direct Gulf of Mexico frontage in prestigious Belleair Beach. Many of the 2/2 condos have gorgeous views from multiple decks. Enjoy the master suite with its own balcony overlooking a wide beach and the Gulf of Mexico. Short term income rental potential. This location has easy access to Belleair Causeway, mainland shopping and restaurants.

Coquina Shores Condo - this is a small seven unit complex hidden in Belleair Beach and is a wonderful Old Florida Lifestyle…