1br at The Madison, downtown St Pete - gone!

As the saying goes, you snooze, you lose.

2009 is an excellent year for fabulous deals - rental, travels, houses, you name it. But it has been a difficult year for most businesses. Only the fittest have been able to survive. WIth unemployment at over 9%, who has the money to spend?

Housing may have bottom, finally. But with banks still unwilling to lend, buyers and homeowners looking to refinance are still having a hard time getting mortgages. I am sure banks, homeowners and investors have learned their lesson of easy credit. In time, things will be normal again.

Meantime, if you are looking for good deals in real estate, the Tampa Bay/Sarasota area - Tampa, St Pete, Clearwater, Sarasota - is a great place to buy. Miles and miles of beautiful beaches, Museums (Dali, Ringling Brothers, to name a few), Busch Garden, historic Ybor City, excellent seafood. And we are only 2 hours to Orlando!

Picture of Siesta Key, south of Sarasota, the number 2 beach in America