Today, Clearwater and its surrounding beach communities are world renowned. The Pinellas Suncoast and Tampa Bay area boast 30 miles of beachfront, with hundreds of miles of waterfront property on the Intracoastal Waterway and Lakes. Fort de Soto beach is ranked #1 in the continental USA!

The Tampa Bay area has several large indoor malls, a superb outlet mall at Ellenton, and each of the individual downtown areas offers an eclectic mix of shopfronts. Sample the diverse cultural heritage of the area in Tarpon Springs with a decidedly Greek flavour, complete with sponge fishing docks. Celtic pride is what makes Dunedin a little bit of Scotland. Ybor City in Tampa is the home of the Cigar making industry in the USA and you can see how the first migrants from Cuba have made this part of Tampa their own. At night Ybor lights up with a touch of Salsa!

With a Major League Baseball team, World Champion Football team, and a National Hockey League side, along with Racing at Tampa Bay downs, Spring training for baseball there is no shortage of events for sporting enthusiasts to attend. Golfers, there are over fifty glorious courses in the Bay area, for anglers and boaters it's heaven.

Younger families will appreciate the large number of city parks located at beaches and inland. There are several museums that will be favourites with younger visitors, and Busch Gardens and Adventure Island are only a short drive from the beaches if theme parks are what you desire.

With two major airports serving the area, access has never been easier, and the highways linking Pinellas County to all parts of Florida and beyond make it a perfect central location for exploring by road.

Pinellas attracts more new residents each year than any other county in the State of Florida. It's hardly surprising with its mild winter climate, and even the fierce summer days are tempered by cooling gulf breezes.

Property values have increased in the county from between 45% and 143% in the last five years. With a shortage of land available for building, and increasing demand, we predict this trend to continue.

The Bay area offers a wide variety of property, historic homes in old North East St Petersburg, beachfront condominiums, single family homes in quiet neighbourhoods, loft apartments in trendy downtown areas. New, old, large, small, there's nothing typical about homes in the Tampa Bay area, there is something for everyone.

Dolby Properties has a beach property specialist situated right in the heart of the bay area, who will be happy to help you find your perfect vacation home/investment property. You can contact Mary Finnegan on 727-424-1567 or e-mail her at: mary.finnegan@dolbyproperties.com

Because of the complexity of the strict regulations regarding zoning for short term rentals along the coastal areas, you need the guidance of a Realtor like Mary. Unlike the Disney area, where there are entire areas zoned for short term rentals, along the Gulf Coast, it is more individual buildings and individual neighborhoods, rather than an entire town. Part of Mary's job is to make sure you have the right property in the right area for your particular purpose.

Please note also - for those of you used to the prices in the Disney area, don't expect to get the same amount of property for your money on the Gulf Coast, as prices there are substantially higher.

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