Rebecca LiebsonReal Estate Reporter
As the real estate reporter, I cover one of the hottest industries in the Tampa Bay area and delve into how the market impacts the lives of the people who live here. Like many Florida converts, I grew up in a suburban town outside of New York City. Before arriving in Tampa I spent two years in South Carolina where I reported on affordable housing issues. Most of my free time is spent watching a variety of trashy reality TV shows.
/s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/tbt/3620bcf5-c83e-4d45-8a31-b4fbd438106a.png "Rebecca Liebson - Real Estate Reporter")
![Blue Sky Communities and elected officials celebrate the groundbreaking of SkyWay Lofts, which was slated to have 65 apartments for low-income families, on Sept. 16, 2020.](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 562 316"/%3E "Blue Sky Communities and elected officials celebrate the groundbreaking of SkyWay Lofts, which was slated to have 65 apartments for low-income families, on Sept. 16, 2020.")
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/KTXLM3QIABB7RCY4ZJX5QBT5FA.jpg "Ellison Development filed plans on Wednesday for a new 6.20-acre mixed use development in Tampa Heights.")
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/NCUIDOTKENCRJLGSADPM7IOMD4.JPG "Notable Tampa Bay area mascots, from left, Pete the Pelican with the Tampa Bay Rowdies, ThunderBug with the Tampa Bay Lightning, and Captain Fear with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, attend a news conference May 19 where Ybor City developer Darryl Shaw confirmed plans for a USL Super League (USLS) Division I professional women's soccer team to be based in Tampa.")
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/J7KRNS3HG5BJ3BPNI2BEF2ELFU.jpg "The view from the front porch where Justin Callahan is moving out of his apartment at 159 Fourth Ave. N in St. Petersburg. After living in his apartment for 11 years, Callahan said his landlord has decided to not renew his lease.")
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/SJAMG4HS6RDHHL4NL472DLAZM4.JPG "A cyclists rides along the street as construction continues at The Residences 400 Central Wednesday, April 26, 2023 in St. Petersburg.")
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/PD4V3ELRDJBAHBPIVFEXYGFAXU.JPG "Brian McVay carries a box from his garage to a moving truck Thursday, June 20, 2013 in the Westchase area of Tampa. McVay recently purchased a home in the Town ’N Country area after renting an apartment for a few months. Florida has become a hotbed for moving scams, with thousands of people moving here every day. CHRIS URSO/STAFF")
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/36XMRVR235ACPEHD6IFNN7TVV4.JPG "Molchat Doma performs at Jannus Live on April 15 in downtown St. Petersburg. The windows and balconies of Hotel Detroit Condos, where residents often rock out to live music below, are pictured in the background.")
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/VXXALUPPDFAUJFF6RDMCFNBTQ4.jpg "This condo unit in the Residences at Sand Pearl Resort sold for $9.5 million.")
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/73XZZZG2NFBTNPQB4AZWKJGNOY.jpg "A group of cyclists pedals past the JW Marriott Clearwater Beach Resort & Spa, at 691 S Gulfview Blvd, on Tuesday, April 25, 2023.")
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/IUDONT2PRFCN7DF4REVRHZWKTE.jpg "A for sale sign is seen in front of a home along 6th Avenue North in the Kenwood area Friday, Feb. 21, 2020 of St. Petersburg.")
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/BXP472BFCZE4VCG2OFBWJD55VE.jpg "A rendering shows the observation deck on the top floor of the 400 Central tower in downtown St. Petersburg.")
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/L7FH7YOYVNFTROLKIGGYHDFKII.jpg "Miami-based developer LD&D unveiled plans this week to build a 28-story, 369-unit luxury apartment building and 178-key hotel in Tampa’s Encore redevelopment district.")
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/UCYSZAAB2ZHFLFX6L7DD7YUEXE.jpg "Hurricane Ian caused a tree to fall on the home of Cassidy Hinson and David Webber in Riverview.")
![An aerial shot of Harbour Island. The former Harbour Island Athletic Club will be redeveloped into a Lifetime Fitness. [CHERIE DIEZ | Times]](https://www.tampabay.com/resizer//YhNj6EfjKCBUCMhH3T9SUsgKtIQ=/320x180/filters:format(webP)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/GZMC2DGETQI6TKTRIBWI6S7HAY.jpg "An aerial shot of Harbour Island. The former Harbour Island Athletic Club will be redeveloped into a Lifetime Fitness. [CHERIE DIEZ | Times]")
:format(webP)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/MX6OFAKKNJC67JLBWNCFCVV4LU.jpeg "A two-alarm fire at the Hernando County landfill on Saturday destroyed the recycling center there.")
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/I54CZOFKANA7LE6VPJBUINOJ6E.JPG "Megan Layton purchased her first home in the summer of 2020 and had to file her first-ever insurance claim within a week. A worker that was hired to install insulation in the attic accidentally broke a pipe that caused water to come spilling into her house. By the time they shut the water off there was $60,000 worth of damage.")
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/DISFQPGANFGTDKWSXPIX77RFXI.JPG "Jeff and Penny Vinik are seen in the hallway of their home in the Palma Ceia neighborhood of Tampa, along with one of their favorite pieces of art. In background on left is one of the first pieces they bought, a painting by artist Tom Christopher. In background on right is a painting called High Sign by artist Robert Deyber.")
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/5WZQLU5YNRBC5LN75W3NFUSNSA.jpg "Samira Kraziem is a senior project manager for Suffolk Construction.")
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/2VXWLE73PNBMLAKZYQ2GMNRHOQ.jpg "Rachel Korine, Selena Gomez, Ashley Benson, James Franco and Vanessa Hudgens star in the 2013 film \"Spring Breakers.\"")
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/MWJMVCI4RVE7PBNBDPIBVKZNDA.jpg "Wisconsin-based company, Escape, is building 23 tiny homes in Thonotosassa.")
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/NFAE4PNTNVHFTP5CXJVCNR3OSE.JPG "Despite dealing with rapidly shifting economic conditions, these five real estate firms across the Tampa Bay area say their agents are prepared to weather the storm")
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/SLSMCXDQGJB6RMWQ47XLNKKBDI.jpg "Sherri Tillman, an account manager, works at her desk at ReEmployAbility on Thursday, Feb. 16, 2023, in Brandon.")
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/VTWPNOYS2NGCBLHSR7SUCZI3TM.JPG "Experts predicted home sales to slow in 2023, but so far, many real estate markets are faring better than expected.")
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/JFRWCV3P5VB4FI7E5KMQULYJVU.jpg "Blue Sky Communities and elected officials celebrate the groundbreaking of SkyWay Lofts, which was slated to have 65 apartments for low-income families, on Sept. 16, 2020.")