About Rick Fifer

If you are a prospective buyer of a vintage home, don’t you want a REALTOR® who actually knows something about those homes they are showing you? And maybe a bit about the community as well? Afterall it is a major investment in uncertain times, that is why you need a knowledgeable real estate consultant who listens to your desires, wants, and needs with enough knowledge of the area to find the home that most closely matches your real estate goals. Maybe that is why over the past 4 years I have sold more homes in the Heights than any other agent with a value of nearly 4 million dollars.

My speciality is bungalows and vintage homes in Tampa's older traditional neighborhoods like Seminole Heights,  Tampa Heights, Riverside Heights, Palma Ceia and Hyde Park.  These neighborhoods are noted for their historic homes, brick streets, tree canopied streets, historic districts and sense of community.  Bungalows from the Craftsman era are the most common of the historic homes and can be found in both Heights and south Tampa neighborhoods.  Riverside Heights has retained more of the old brick streets than any central Tampa neighborhood. Victorians can be found in Tampa Heights. Scattered throughout Seminole Heights, Riverside Heights, Hyde Park and Palma Ciea you will find modest and some grander Mediterranean Revival homes from the 1920's. Also Seminole Heights is the only Tampa neighborhood with two national historic districts, the Hampton Terrace  district is unique in that it has more than a dozen architectural styles represented in the district.  Riverside Heights and Seminole Heights also have a number of postwar cottages and early ranch style homes with the charm of a bygone era.  The heights neighborhoods with their vintage homes are under going a renaissance owing to their charm, character and convenience to urban amenities and cultural venues while at more modest prices than the vintage neighborhoods of Hyde Park and Palma Ceia.

As an active REALTOR® I have specialized in the homes, neighborhoods and communities I know best.  Seminole Heights and the other "Heights" neighborhoods will always be central to my business.  I am knowledgeable about all of Tampa's historic districts (click on links to see area map): Hyde Park, Ybor City (Barrio Latino), West Tampa, Tampa Heights, Hampton Terrace and Seminole Heights. You can learn more specific information about the Seminole Heights area at HistoricSeminoleHeights.info.

I entered real estate early in the summer of 2005. I have been at this career change for nearly 5 years. It has been a really tough market almost that entire time. Through hard work and a strong commitment to customer service have established myself among the top REALTORS® selling homes not just Seminole Heights but the overall Central Tampa area.  With Seminole Heights as my primary market, I am the top selling agent in Seminole Heights over these past 4 years. I believe that has been possible by consistently working to provide excellent service with integrity and honesty. It is also, in part, because I am having the time of my life doing something I enjoy tremendously.

However, as a REALTOR® with Florida Executive Realty, I am not limited to these neighborhoods. In fact some of my buyers chose me because of my own renovation experience.  I have listed and sold houses from the heart of South Tampa to Carrollwood and from Plant City to Town and Country.

In tough times more than ever, you want results when listing your home. I can’t promise every home I list will sell in today’s market but isn’t it more likely if you go with the strongest agent in the market?

Originally from the suburban Philadelphia area, I came to Tampa in 1983. My undergraduate degree is from West Chester University in Pennsylvania. I have two graduate degrees from the University of South Florida. I am a member of the National Association of Realtors, the Florida Association of Realtors, and the Greater Tampa Association of Realtors.  As a REALTOR®, I am with Florida Executive Realty in the south Tampa office.

My first home was in the Hampton Terrace section of Old Seminole Heights and Seminole Heights has remained my home 15 out of the past 17 years. I currently live in the Old Seminole Heights Neighborhood Association boundaries an have completed renovations of my third bungalow home in Seminole Heights.  But there is a character and charm in vintage homes that I can't resist.  Some might say that makes me a glutton for punishment but I have come to love the challenge. Each time I say I'm staying put life has a way of introducing change.   So will this be the last personal home renovation? Who can say.  But the experiences have given me knowledge about construction and architecture above that of your average realtor. 

I am currently a resident of Old Seminole Heights (OSHNA member) and a member of the Business Guild of Seminole Heights (BGOSH).  During my years in the Seminole Heights area I have actively worked with many equally dedicated neighbors to bring positive changes to our central Tampa community through volunteering in a number of ways. As a former President of both the the Old Seminole Heights Neighborhood Association (OSHNA) and the South Seminole Heights Civic Association (SSHCA), I have seen tremendous changes made within all of the Heights neighborhoods over the years. 

I have been a consistent advocate and booster of Seminole Heights and the other heights neighborhoods since moving into my first bungalow in the early 1990's. In choosing me as your REALTOR® you can be confident that you have a neighborhood expert at your service. I have to be because it is my neighborhood too, not just an area where I sell homes.
 
When it comes to the changes that have occurred, I have played a strong or supporting role in helping to shape what Seminole Heights has become during the past 17 years. If you know my passion and commitment to our community, then you can be assured that I will give that same attention to you when purchasing or selling your home.

 Throughout this site I have included comments from  those I helped sell or buy a home.

 
That is my promise and commitment to you!

Gay realtor, Gay agent