Here Comes the Luxury Home Tour

If you want to see the most lavish new homes in the Bay area, you'll want to visit the first annual Tampa Bay Luxury Home Tour, co-sponsored by Tampa Bay Homebuyer and Greenspring Media. This exclusive event, which runs three weekends from Sept. 29 to Oct. 15, invites you to explore at least 16 fabulous homes, beautifully furnished and decked out with all the bells and whistles you'd expect to find in pads priced from $1 million.

Our company and Greenspring Media have produced similar events just down the road in Naples as well as in out-of-state markets such as Chicago and Minneapolis. The response is the same everywhere: plenty of "wows."

The Tampa Bay Luxury Home Tour will feature super-upscale homes in MiraBay, FishHawk Ranch, Grand Cypress on Lake Tarpon and Blackstone Estates-with more to come. Participating builders include some of the region's finest: Alvarez Homes, Hannah Bartoletta Homes, Arthur Rutenberg, Castanza Homes, Catenac/Gulfwynde, Homes by John C. Fowke, John Cannon Homes, Mark Marconi Homes, Nohl Crest Homes and Sabal Homes. And we're particularly proud that Robb & Stucky has agreed to join us as a sponsor.

Check out this issue of Tampa Bay Homebuyer for a tour preview. As the date draws closer, look for the Tampa Bay Luxury Home Tour to be discussed on radio and television and written about in newspapers and magazines.

Also in this issue, we look at the trend toward remodeling. As home values have soared, more people are choosing to stay put and renovate in neighborhoods they love. As you might expect, kitchens and bathrooms remain the most popular remodeling projects-and in this issue we talk to experts who tell you what to expect, what to spend and how quickly you can expect to recoup your investment.

Whether you're buying a new home or remodeling an older one, chances are you'll be taking out a mortgage of some kind. In that case, you'll want to carefully review our story on mortgage options. The old reliable 30-year fixed-rate loan is still alive and kicking, of course, but there are so many other options that even the savviest buyers sometimes have trouble deciding what's best.

And that's not all. If you've been in the market, you've no doubt noticed that condominium development is hotter than ever. Part of the reason is that land scarcity and costs have made high-density development necessary. But there's more going on than just economics. Buyers are looking for pampered, hassle-free living, and that's just what condominiums provide. So if you're considering the condo route, check out our new Carefree Living section, where we spotlight some of the region's newest multifamily projects.

Plus, we've got our usual comprehensive community directories-the most detailed anywhere-as well as up-to-date school test scores and grades. And our big neighborhood roundup gives you a grand tour of Tampa Bay without ever getting in the car.

So that's what's happening with us. I hope your summer is as exciting-or as relaxing-as you'd like it to be.