From the Publisher

In this issue of Tampa Bay Homebuyer, we showcase the winners in every price range. These homes are truly the best of the best. I encourage you to check them out in person—and if you find one you like, buy it. There’ll never be a better time.

Sure, you’ve heard that before. But Tampa Bay remains, for the time being, a buyer’s market. Supply is outpacing demand, which means builders are working harder than ever to decrease inventory. That means buyers will enjoy favorable pricing and incentives.

But the situation won’t last. In a rapidly growing market, it never does. By this time next year, most experts believe, the local housing market will be back to normal. And by normal, I mean brisk sales, tighter supplies and more upward pressure on prices.

Certainly, there’ll still be plenty of beautiful homes in all price ranges. But you probably won’t get the kind of deal that you can negotiate if you buy now.

Also in this issue, we look at affordability. It’s a fact that a median-priced home in the Tampa Bay area is no longer affordable for a family earning the area’s median household income. That means plenty of the people we depend upon daily—teachers, firefighters, police officers, etc.—can often no longer afford to live in the communities where they work.

But that doesn’t mean the American Dream is out of reach. In a special feature, we explore what’s being done about workforce housing and talk to some builders and developers who’ve found ways to provide homes that are affordable for working families.

We’ll also look behind the scenes at a very special Dream House and the worthy causes it supports. And we’ll examine trends in flooring, where renewable materials such as bamboo are becoming increasingly popular along with exotic woods, stone and yes, even linoleum (but not the linoleum you remember from your grandma’s kitchen).

And as usual, we’ve got the grand tour of the Bay area as well as a public school directory and the most comprehensive list of new-home communities you’ll find anywhere in print.

I’d also like you to check out our redesigned, relaunched Web site, www.florida-homebuyer.com. This user-friendly site, like the magazine, offers the region’s only truly complete new-home directory, plus much more.

I hope you enjoy this issue as much as we’ve enjoyed putting it together for you.

—Trisha Randall, Publisher
trishr@florida-homebuyer.com