Tampa Bay Times from St. Petersburg, Florida • H2

2H Sunday, April 14, 2019 Tampa Bay Times HOM Auction from 1H Harris sets all auctions as with no reserve. The format may seem riskier for the seller, but most times sellers get more than they ex- pect, he said. The reason is Har- ris markets heavily before an auction, ensuring a large crowd of bidders. The auction market- ing budget for an average home is $5,000, he said, with adver- tising running for a month be- fore the auction. The fact that there is no reserve also excites buyers and tends to draw more bidders, Harris said.

absolute (auctions) get the said Har- ris. you get the crowd, get the Harris said bidders at his auctions must place a deposit before bidding. Since it is an absolute auction, a winning bidder is expected to have the funds available to close the deal. If they they forfeit their deposit. had people walk on us and they lose their which is $25,000 on homes up to $1 million, Harris said.

Auctions are for serious play- ers, Harris said, and he advises bidders to have the money to close either in their own bank account or have the backing them standing next to at the auction. The upside for auction buyers is that they may be able to buy a lot more house than would be possible on the conventional real estate market, said McLen- nan, who does not require his bidders to make a deposit. He does agree that bidders must have the means to complete the purchase, and that mean just a letter from a lender, which is no guarantee that the loan will be issued. For sellers, auctions can be a way to move a house they must get out from under in a hurry, or one that has languished on the market for a year or more. McLennan notes that a home auction means the seller is no longer competing with every house on the market, and in- stead of chasing buyers, buyers come to them in hopes of scor- ing a deal.

In all cases, auction real es- tate transactions are governed by conventional real estate law in Florida; buyers are protected from surprises like undisclosed termite infestations, sinkholes and the like, said Harris. Typ- ically, auction homes can be viewed and inspected prior to the auction, then once again the day of the auction, said McLen- nan. It also is typical for a home inspection report and other disclosures about the property to be available for bidders to review. This two-story, lakefront home in Seminole Lake Country Club is an elegant stunner from a past American Heritage Auctioneers auction. This luxury home went on the auction block earlier this year.

It seven bedrooms, six-and-a- half bathrooms and a three-car garage. The Zephyrhills home sits on acres in a gated community. This four-bedroom, four-and-a-half bath home in Historic Northeast St. Petersburg was auctioned earlier this month by American Heritage Auctioneers. It featured many new upgrades and a backyard with a covered Jacuzzi.

Large, well-maintained homes like this meticulously land- scaped stunner come up for auction when buyers want to move them fast or when they have languished on the market for extended periods of time with no takers. The auction of this home was handled by American Heritage Auctioneers. Photos by LUIS SANTANA Times Think Tiny TinyHome Festival dis- playedmany options for getting small. ST. PETERSBURG At the St.

Petersburg Tiny Home Fes- tival, even the dogs are smaller than average. You try rooming with a greyhound in a 168- square-foot home made of old wooden pallets. On March 23, hundreds of people to the St. Peters- burg College Allstate Center for the two-day festival to check out one of the hottest trends in real estate: living tiny. Some were there to buy.

Oth- ers looked to rent or show off renovated school buses or re- purposed shipping containers. One family of displayed an old bloodmobile that they use as a full-time home. They call it All came out on a rare Flor- ida day that felt like spring to enjoy the novelty of the 30- some tiny homes. (Warning: only a few people can in a tiny home at once, so lines can get pretty long.) Small dwellings offer the of affordability and a decreased environmental im- pact, proponents argue. Still, unclear how precisely tiny living became a full-on phe- nomenon.

By 2:45, the grounds were at capacity, forcing about 30 enthusiasts to wait for their chance to enter. This story was originally pub- lished in the Tampa Bay Times on For more stories like this, visit tampabay.com. Five of the tiny homes on display 1. Cruising Caravan Asking price: $25,000 or best offer, Size: 27 feet (16 feet of living space) Company: DIY Tiny House Guy Colby Biondo spent more than a quarter century in the marine industry before he got into the tiny home game. He brought his fourth tiny home, the nautical-themed Cruising Caravan, to the Tiny Home Festival with the hopes of selling it.

The unit features a series of shelves lined with trinkets sal- vaged from discarded ships surrounded by a screen a full bathroom and a small kitchen. The bed lives in the ceiling, but can be lowered with an ingenious homemade pulley system. Biondo hopes to use the from the Caravan, where he currently lives, to a a converted school bus. He wants to travel the country and help aspiring tiny dwellers realize their own dreams. 2.

Tiny Studios Bungalow Asking price: $42,350, Size: 20 feet Company: Tiny Studios This bungalow is perhaps the most upscale tiny home on display at the festival. Inside, a tasteful corner sofa basks in the ample natural light offered by the wide open windows. The kitchen is just a few lengths away from the living area, but the layout feels orderly and comforting. Tiny Studios homes, made of once-used shipping containers, are customizable and luxurious. The most expensive unit, the 480 square foot goes for $90,000.

They could make the per- fect beach shack if willing to spend a little coin. 3. Little Blue Traveler Size: 18 feet, we think it has never been measured The Little Blue Traveler is not for sale. At least not yet. Michelle Mattson and her husband, Travis, wanted an affordable way to travel the country with their two teenage sons.

They bought an old school bus for $860, then it with a DIY couch that turns into a bunk bed, a junk yard fridge and a storage rack up top. They needed the storage rack much, Michelle said, so on cool nights in the American West, used it as an At the Grand Canyon, the family camped atop their vacation home on wheels. 5. NextGen Asking price: $40,000, Size: 24 feet Company: Tampa Bay Tiny Homes The NextGen is the most spacious-feeling tiny home at the festival. Walk in and you almost notice the gas stove or fridge because of the spacious loft that covers most of the top of the house.

The unit for sale at the festival normally goes for about $60,000, but Tampa Bay Tiny Homes is asking $40,000 because it has already hosted family camping trips for the com- Brian Zmich and Herb Dorsey. Dorsey, a St. Petersburg native, thinks tiny living has the potential to transform the Tampa Bay housing market. goal since from here is to really solve that affordability problem here Dorsey said. 4.

Backyard Cottage Asking price: $25,000, Size: 15 feet Company: Bonaparte People buy tiny homes for all sorts of reasons. Some want to a personal space think of the dread- fully named or Others want to give their relatives a place to live close, but not too close. Bonaparte, in Sarasota, is a tiny home retail- er that tries to offer whatever the small dweller might want. got several homes on display at the festi- val, but be sure to check out the backyard cottage. a neat structure with crisp pine, an electric stove and an impressive bathroom.

And as far as retail options go, one of the more affordable tiny homes if looking to buy. By Kirby Wilson Times Staff Writer.