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Health & Fitness

Why do I sell Largo?

Some of you may or may not know there are opportunities abound here in Largo. Just because we are smack dab in the center of 2 larger sister cities, doesn't mean we shouldn't push our name to the foreground as a city to take a look at.

In real estate, people will buy homes where there are certain criteria that meet their needs. Traditionally in order: commute to work, schools, affordability, nice neighborhood (love this ambiguous term), and proximity to shopping, dining, and things to do.

Well lets go over some of these things and how Largo fits this criteria.

COMMUTE
Daily commute is always dependent on where you work. But for most of  us, there is a commute of 40 minutes or less. I can get to the Pasco border in 45-50 minutes, and vice versa to Fort Desoto. Even less to the Skyway Bridge via 275. Downtown Tampa is even 45 minutes. 

There are many artery roads that go in all directions. Most of them are 4 lanes or more across. Things more or less move if there is an accident, or there are plenty of routes to detour around. Granted for newbies in the area, having a road change names 3-4 times within a city is a little crazy, but you learn.

From where I used to live, the Philadelphia region, Largo roads make sense for the population. Have you tried driving anywhere on the major roads in Philadelphia? For a population base, there should be 10 lane highways everywhere! My dad worked for PennDOT so I kinda know.

SCHOOLS
This is a tricky subject. Granted I have no children of my own yet, but I have mentored with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Pinellas County, have many friends who are educators within all Tampa Bay school districts, and do the Great American Teach-In every year for the past 3 years. So here's my opinion. A child's education is their ticket to what and who they will become. Teachers and schools are a part of the puzzle, the parents are the foundation and reinforcement. So I believe school grading is not necessarily a judge for a school.

Largo has several charter and public schools, parochial and  private schools, online or in-class, and even home schooled. To each his own on choice for which model system a family chooses. My husband and I are on opposite ends since we came from 2 opposite sides - Public and Private.

From GreatSchools.org, the list of schools available in Largo are pretty ample. This includes all formats of school with opinions and ranking. There are 21 Elementary Schools, 18 Middle Schools and 18 High Schools options. Many listings overlap on the website.

The one BIG news item here is that Largo High School starting the 2013-2014 school year will have the IB - International Baccalaureate Program.  This is a prestigious opportunity to have this program. Students enrolled in IB courses have a more intensive curriculum and accountability that have specialized end of year exams that if a student passes, can be used to offset college credits. The only other schools in Pinellas County that have High School level IB programs are Clearwater Central Catholic HS, Palm Harbor University HS, and St. Petersburg HS. As a former IB student, I am greatly excited to see this opportunity.

AFFORDABILITY
The opportunity to buy or rent in Largo is well mixed. There are several new apartment complexes being built in the area offering affordable and attractive housing. There are also influxes of investors buying in the area to support tenants in single family or multifamily structures. Home buyers and sellers are well supported as well, but most of the inventory sells quickly if priced appropriately.

The average single family home within the past 6 month in Largo is selling for $272,950. There were 41 out of 181 homes sold above $300,000. That's almost 24%. Which in reverse means 76% of the homes in Largo are priced under $300,000.

The average condo/townhome/villa/co-op within the past 6 months in Largo is selling for $106,501.  There were 114 units sold, but nothing was above $300,000.

Nice Neighborhood
This is really trouble to pin point. Yet again, to each his own. There are really no bad neighborhoods, just bad neighbors. Most people are good people (yes, I can hear people say "Pollyanna"). But there are more than just neighbors to make a neighborhood.

There are features of neighborhoods that makes a neighborhood. Being a part of 2 civic groups focusing on downtown Largo and surrounding area, I have a bias of favoritism. Largo has a fantastic Parks and Recreation department that absolutely puts all other cities to shame. There are endless amounts of parks, playgrounds, dog parks, walking trails, pools, recreation centers and outdoor conservation areas that can keep everyone in the family entertained.

The crown jewel of course is Largo Central Park. Located in the heart of downtown Largo, this huge complex plays hosts to many special events that are usually FREE to the public. All in walking distance is the Largo Public Library, Largo Cultural Center where there is a theater and meeting/conference rooms, the original Largo Feed Store, Largo Central Railroad (which you must ride, its absolutely wonderful for all ages), and the park itself with water features and fantastic recently rebuilt playground that is always full of kids and teens and has so many things to climb, spin and hang. Also, a wonderful Military Court of Honor monument and area to pay homage to local heros. On occasion you'll see photographers doing family portraits or wedding photos around the park. With 70 acres to roam, there are beautiful spots everywhere.

Shopping, Dining, Things to Do
Shopping in Largo is great! There is the mega strip center Largo Mall off of Ulmerton and Seminole Blvd, but there are great "Mom-Pop" shops along all corridors leading in and out of Largo. These small shops bring out our community culture. From unique re-purposed furniture, to specialty artisans, to outdoor activity stores keeping you strolling down the Pinellas Trail, to savory dining spots that should be Michelin rated, its a pleasure to roam around Largo.

Getting involved in Largo makes this city even better. It doesn't take much but just your love for a city. There are several local groups committed to building Largo and making Largo shine as a glowing ripe orange did many years ago. This city has transformed from orange groves to mini-metropolis. These groups bring about change and push the boundaries of what residents want today. That's how the Old Fashioned Christmas Parade came back into existance and downtown Sidewalk Sales are boosting business. We are bringing back open air markets, family favorites, and new things to see and do. This brings more businesses to the area, which brings more residents, which brings more commerce. Building a city builds consumer confidence. So when an economic crisis comes again, living local, buying local and working local will keep your economy strong.

That's why I sell Largo.

Now there are other things why I love Largo. One of them not mentioned is the trash services, but for me its important. If you have questions in regards to something special to you that I didn't cover, feel free to call or email me at 727-216-9253 or RebeccaTheRealtor@live.com.

If you want to move or sell your home in Largo, you can call/email or check out my website at www.RebeccaTheRealtor.com

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