TAMPA -- When Tiffany Duffie makes out her $995 rent check each month, she tucks a little money away in the family's house fund. For the past year and a half, the family of four has rented a two-bedroom unit at The Pavillions at Ballast Point in south Tampa. They love the location, near MacDill Air Force Base, where her husband is stationed. They look out on mature trees from a small patio where they keep the children's bicycles and outside toys. Money is tight, and Duffie said she fears that if her rent goes up, they won't be able to save for a down payment on a home. And because of the credit crunch, she worries the family might not qualify for a mortgage. "I really want a house," she said. "I want a yard for my kids. It would be so nice to have something to call your own." As the economy weakens, more people who would have qualified for home loans a few years ago no longer do. And scores of homeowners losing their homes in foreclosure are turning to apartments. Others who could qualify for a mortgage are opting for luxury apartments instead, seeking to wait out the housing bust. The mixture is starting to heat up Tampa Bay's apartment market, which has struggled to fill thousands of units the past couple of years as renters rushed to buy homes. Anticipating increased demand, developers are shifting focus, too, from home building to apartment construction. There are 3,646 units either under construction or recently completed in Hillsborough and Polk counties, according to Triad Research & Consulting. Another 12,300 units are proposed for construction this year or next in Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas and Polk counties, the firm said. ...more

May 2, 2008

It Would Never Happen The recent passing of a new sign ordinance and the latest rash of "public control" citations issued by our code enforcement storm troopers have me thinking of times gone by. ...more

February 23, 2008

The way that city residents pay for fire services could change now that the City Council has given staff the go-ahead to investigate the feasibility of a special taxing district. ...more

February 6, 2008

Officials say it would benefit taxpayers. ...more

February 5, 2008

K-BAR RANCH - Mobley Homes has altered its plans for K-Bar Ranch. The developer has dropped its bid to build a 500-unit residential and retail town center complex on the west end of the ranch. Instead, Mobley plans 200,000 square feet of commercial and light office space at the intersection of Kinnan Street and Oak Preserve Boulevard, the back entrance of Live Oak Preserve. ...more

January 26, 2008

Wildlife has a good chance at keeping some room to roam after county commissioners approved spending $480,000 to buy 28 acres on a peninsula between the Little Manatee River and Hayes Bayou. ...more

January 23, 2008

Debate about proposed apartments in Valrico delayed until later this month consideration of land-use changes that would boost development potential in Keystone and Lutz. ...more

January 22, 2008

It's understandable that environmental activists would worry that an agricultural exemption to Hillsborough County's wetlands rule will create a loophole that allows widespread abuse. ...more

January 19, 2008

Debate about proposed apartments in Valrico pushed off consideration of land-use changes that would boost development potential in Keystone and Lutz until later this month. ...more

January 19, 2008

SEBRING — Having two incompatible computer systems was ultimately why the Sun 'n Lake of Sebring Board of Supervisors voted 3-0 Tuesday night to drop the services of Charles L. Bryan, tax collector for Highlands County, in 2008-2009. Up until the end of fiscal 2006 the district had been collecting its own assessments. Letting the tax collector collect the district's assessments turned out to not be such a good idea, to hear General Manager Al Grieshaber tell it. "The intent was good when they entered into the agreement," Grieshaber said, explaining he came aboard on Jan 11 and the board passed its first resolution to do so on Jan. 12. ...more

January 14, 2008