Changes are afoot in Ybor City. Partygoers looking to kick up their heels will be able to experience entertainment in a much bigger way. The Czar and the Ritz Ybor, two popular nightclubs, are merging into one massive venue. The new and improved club will be called Czar at the Ritz. The merger came about due to the ousting of..

It’s been described as sleek, trendy and hip, but buyers of condos at Centro Lofts in downtown Miami will have to forgo one standard amenity:  a parking space. The developers of the 37-story luxury tower announced they were removing the parking garage from the design to allow the project to “hit the low price point” in the pre-sale phase. “This..

No, No and No!  The City Council voted unanimously to reject a proposed 212-unit apartment complex in South Tampa. Local residents showed up at yesterday’s hearing to protest the planned complex concerned that it would create a traffic nightmare on Howard Avenue. Speaking in support of the crowd, Board Member Marylou Bailey summed it up, “This is a size 16..

Taking note of the low inventory levels of homes for sale, builders across the nation are ramping up production. In fact, new housing construction was up 6.8 percent in May nationally and up 17.8 percent in the South.  Read more at: http://www.mortgagenewsdaily.com/06172013_nahb_builder_confidence.asp

Equity in U.S. homes grew by more than $815 billion (yes, billion) over the first quarter of 2013 according to the Obama Administration’s housing scorecard. And, over 10% of homes sold in April 2013 had a sales price over $500,000 based on recent data released from the National Association of Realtors (NAR). There is still, however, a shortage of residential..

As the shortage of inventory of homes for sale throughout the U.S. continues to frustrate buyers, the National Association of Realtors has produced a series of radio and TV ads targeting sellers. The newest ad, “Satellite Earth,” hopes to spurn sellers into action. Watch it here: http://www.realtor.org/pac.nsf/pages/marketmomentum

Zillow’s “Hottest Digs of May 2013”

Foreclosures in Florida will process more quickly now that Gov. Rick Scott signed the fast-track foreclosure bill into law on Friday. The bill is the first substantial change to Florida foreclosure laws since the state’s epic real estate crash pushed hundreds of thousands of homeowners into default and overwhelmed the court system. Scott said he supports the controversial bill, “because..

Looking for something fun to do this weekend? Check out this video for insider tips for playing in Tampa Bay: http://www.tampabay.com/things-to-do/events/play-tampa-bay-clearwater-beach-kings-of-the-mic-tour-beer-olympics/2124981

Processing the application for a short sale can be a frustrating experience for home sellers and real estate agents alike due to the exaggerated wait periods to get the sale approved. Now, Fannie Mae has implemented a program to truncate the wait times by inviting agents to submit the short sale offer to them at the same time it’s submitted..