Posted by  Richard Smith, Highlands on 08/31  at  05:36 PM

Developers = maximize profit - whatever the market will bare is the operation status quo.

There is no affordable housing in the Tampa Bay area.

Take your median annual income times three and that is basically what you can afford as a market price, given conventional conservative financing methods. When people are forced into negative amortization loans and interest only loans they may as well be renting an apartment.

If a house costs 200,000 you need a salary or income of 70,000 a year. Are store clerks, nurses, teachers, and first level managers making that money? No!

Posted by  Mary Turner, Atlanta, GA on 08/27  at  08:19 PM

My husband and I relocated to the Atlanta area three years ago from Tampa.  Judging from the amount of new vehicles in my neighborhood with Florida license plates, this is becoming more of a trend as FL housing prices go through the roof and wages remain stagnant.  We’d really like to return, but we’re not willing to pay the exorbitant real estate prices, coupled with outrageous homeowner and auto insurance rates.  I doubled my coverage and my rates dropped by one-half when I moved to Atlanta.

Posted by  Paul Sanchez, Riverview on 08/27  at  06:36 PM

Mark S.,

Wow, you really showed us redneck Floridians what a classy, well mannered New Yorker you are.

I’m sure your fellow New Yorkers wouldn’t want to claim you as one of them.

I’ll stick to being a Floridian, thank you. 

And the next time your mommy and daddy are trying to teach you some manners, pay attention next time.

Posted by  Steve Hodachok, Russellville Arkansas on 08/27  at  04:56 PM

It is attitudes like that of Mr Handsaker that is making this a two-class society; I got mine the heck with you. Perhaps when there are no police or fireman to respond to his emergency or no teachers to instruct his children or grandchildren he might change his feeling, but insensitive people rarely change. I solved my problem by moving to Arkansas and it appears many are leaving. A 3bdrm, 2 bath, 1700 sqft,
5 year old brick home can be found for $130K

Posted by  Mark Schmidt, New York, NY on 08/27  at  04:32 PM

You call this NEWS? Har. And you wonder why we laugh at redneck Floridians? Uh, “news guys”, lack of affordable housing was “news” maybe a YEAR ago. Catch up. What’s next? An article that a levee broke in New Orleans?

Don’t be too worried, Tampians. Your housing values will never be higher than say...Arkansas. Ha ha ha ha ha.

Posted by  Jim Funaro, Kuwait on 08/27  at  02:21 PM

I am a military member serving in Kuwait and am about to retire.  I am a Florida native and would love to live near family, but I am looking at purchasing a home in Texas due to the extremely high cost of home ownership in FL.  Everything I have seen on the internet listings for my target price of under 220K is either very old (pre 1980s) or small (under 1700sf) compared to Houston 200K for a 3200sf home built in 2000.  The cost of home ownership is out of reach in FL and I think you will see people doing as I most likely will and move else ware.

Posted by  Michele Lopez, Riverview on 08/27  at  11:33 AM

We have more than enough people in Brandon, thank you very much!

Yet another example of uncontrolled growth and greedy developers.  Pretty soon there won’t be a square inch in Brandon that doesn’t have an apartment complex on it.

I’ve lived in the Brandon area since 1970, and the changes are enormous and SAD.  I long for the days when it was an uncongested sleepy little town.  They call what they’ve done to it through the years progress??

Home prices here USED to be reasonable, not anymore.  In a way it’s bad, but in a way it’s good.  Maybe it will stem this horrible growth that our roads and infrastructure can no longer support.

Posted by  Cheryl Minskey, Brandon on 08/27  at  10:38 AM

It seems the price of housing has spiraled out of control. Housing costs have tripled in this area in the last 10 years.  The problem is, salaries haven’t.  That really is the problem.  Say for instance, you make about $20,000 a year. Even with interest rates low, what you can afford is a house for about $60 to $80,000. Try to find a condo, duplex or house at this price that is structurally sound. And because of this, the cost of rent keeps rising as well.  My rent is double what it was 5 years ago; a 100% increase.  My salary increase has been about 13% for this same time period.  You do the math...,

Posted by  Pamela French, Brandon on 08/27  at  10:03 AM

Our family moved from Manatee County last year.  We simply could not tolerate our children in the car almost two hours a day to get to and from their schools.  We moved to Brandon which is one of the best communities for families and also a great value.  Our home would be double in Tampa, St. Petersburg and Bradenton. Please check out Brandon before you buy.

Posted by  susan oppenheim, Largo on 08/27  at  09:40 AM

More people need to look at buying duplexes--moving into one side and renting out the other--it makes home ownership affordable!!!  There are hundreds in Pinellas and I would guess many of them in Manatee county also.

Posted by  Michele Lopez, Riverview on 08/27  at  09:37 AM

The article is a good one, However, I don’t understand the focus on making bay area homes more affordable specifically for teachers, fireman and cops.

How about making the homes more affordable for EVERYONE?

The price of a home has become obscene.  Especially considering what you get for the price they want.  It’s criminal as far as I’m concerned.

Curtis,

Teachers, firemen and cops don’t get as much of a break as you suggest.  They get a VERY small break.  It might be in closing costs or a little better interest rate, that’s it.  Also, I think cops and firemen deserve the break, AND our respect, as well as teachers.

Posted by  Curtis Handsaker, Holiday on 08/27  at  12:28 AM

Awwww, poor babies, combined income of $68k a year and they can’t afford… Blah blah blah.

Just what we need, MORE laws making cops, firemen and teachers (GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES) special.

I notice you don’t mention that police, teacher and firemen are already eligible for preferred loans and other helping programs that essentially mean they can get houses for 1/2 price.  Oh, but the poor public servants.

Why don’t they get their unions to buy them houses?