Eaton Realty
Find Your Dream Home On Harbour Island
Harbour Island Homes For Sale
Located directly across the Garrison Channel from downtown Tampa, Harbour Island is an upscale neighborhood that is perfect for anyone who wants to live in the heart of the city. This community offers luxury living just across the water from the Channelside District and many Tampa attractions. It is also incredibly convenient, with many essentials just a short walk, bike, or drive away.
Harbour Island is an absolutely gorgeous place to live for those seeking high-end properties. Many homes on the market are listed for well over $500,000, although the median sale price for homes on Harbour Island is $530,000. If your priority when purchasing a home in Tampa is a combination of convenience and luxury, then Harbour Island can be a great choice.
Eaton Realty works with buyers to discover the perfect house in the right neighborhood for them. Whether you’d rather buy a larger home in a Tampa suburb or find a smaller dream home in the middle of it all on Harbour Island, we can help you make your dream come true. Reach out to talk to a premier Harbour Island real estate agent about buying a home in Tampa.
Living in Harbour Island
Harbour Island is consistently ranked as one of the top neighborhoods in Tampa - and one of the best places to live in America. With plenty of parks, bars, restaurants, and shops, there is always something to do in this waterfront neighborhood.
Population & Size
Harbour Island is a small island that is located across the Garrison Channel from downtown Tampa. Directly next to Davis Islands, it connects to Tampa through Beneficial Drive and South Franklin Street/South Harbour Island Boulevard.
Being an island, Harbour Island is relatively limited in terms of population. Currently, about 4,400 people live here. Many live in high-rise condominiums, although there is a mix of single-family homes and townhouses as well.
History
Harbour Island was originally known as Seddon Island, after the chief engineer for the Seaboard Air Line Railway. In 1906, the city held a public hearing to plan a new port. Seddon’s plans were adopted by the city, with his company ultimately developing a port facility on what was then known as Grassy Island.
By 1979, the Seaboard Coast Line sold the property to the Beneficial Land Corporation, which planned to develop the island into a mix of residential, office, and retail properties. Construction on the island began in the mid-1980s, with a goal of transforming the island into a bustling waterfront community. This happened as part of Tampa’s initiative to clean up its industrial waterfront, turning this valuable property into mixed-use properties to breathe new life into the city.
Today, the planned community of Harbour Island consists of three main areas: the mixed-use North Neighborhood, the strictly residential gated community of the South Neighborhood, and the commercial Piazza area.
Schools
There are no public schools directly on Harbour Island. Students living on Harbour Island attend school through the Hillsborough County School District within the city of Tampa. Alternatively, they may choose to go to a private school in or near the city. Public school options include Lutz Preparatory School, Horizon Charter School of Tampa, Valrico Lake Advantage Academy, Terrace Community Middle School, Walker Middle Magnet School, Tampa Bay Technical High School, and Dr. Kiran C. Patel High School. There are also many private school options in and around Tampa, including Berkeley Preparatory School, Tampa Prep, Carrollwood Day School, and Shorecrest Preparatory School.
Things To Do
Harbour Island is an absolutely fantastic place to live if you want to be close to everything. The neighborhood is very walkable, with easy access to downtown via the “in-town” trolley, which connects the island to downtown and Channelside through the TECO Line Streetcar. Residents can hop over to Tampa to explore the Tampa Riverwalk or the Channelside District for a bite to eat. The Florida Aquarium is right across the water from Harbour Island, as is the Amalie Arena (home to the Tampa Bay Lightning). Other Tampa attractions, such as the Tampa Museum of Art, Busch Gardens, and the Glazer Children’s Museum, are all within easy distance.
Directly on Harbour Island, there are plenty of great restaurants. You can check out the Naked Farmer, the Watervue Grille, Jackson’s Bistro, American Social, or Lower Deck. Shopping is somewhat limited on the island, but residents rely on the Market at Harbour Place, the Plaza Harbour Island, and the Island Shoppe for necessities. They can also head into downtown to shop at areas like the Channelside Bay Plaza.
Why Buy a Home in Harbour Island?
Harbour Island isn’t necessarily the right choice for every person looking to live in Tampa. But if you want to live right in the city, surrounded by water, then it is a great place to live. Harbour Island has a lot to offer, including being close to all of Tampa’s attractions, bars, restaurants, and shopping.
Harbour Island is considered a more upscale neighborhood. The median sale price for a home in Harbour Island is $530,000. While prices start in the $300,000s at the lower end of the price range, you will likely be buying a smaller condo or townhouse for anything in the $500,000 range. Single-family homes, larger townhouses, and condos are typically listed for well north of $1,000,000.
If you have the budget, then Harbour Island is a great place to live. It is incredibly walkable in terms of the community itself. It is also close to downtown Tampa, where you can hop on a streetcar to other parts of the city. You might not even need to have a car if you choose to buy a house on Harbour Island.
This neighborhood is dominated by high-rise condominiums and townhouses. While there are single-family homes, it is a pretty heavily populated area. If you want to live in a luxury home directly in the city, surrounded by a bustling neighborhood, then Harbour Island may be an ideal fit.
Finally, Harbour Island is located within the city of Tampa. This means that it offers a great jumping-off point for fine dining, clubbing, sporting events, the theater, and more. It is also directly on the water, with its own marina and options to get out into the Hillsborough Bay directly from your home. It is a beautiful, vibrant place to live right in the heart of the city.
Let Our Harbour Island Realtors Help You Find a House
If you are contemplating buying a house in Harbour Island, then you have a lot to think about - including the type of house you want, where you want to live on the island, and what your budget will be. Our Tampa Realtors can help you with the process.
We have decades of experience in real estate, including more than 20 years in Hillsborough County. We can work with you to make the process as seamless as possible, offering expert advice and guidance. Whether you have your heart set on Harbour Island or are open to exploring other areas of the city, we can help you make your dreams of Tampa homeownership come true.
Our Harbour Island real estate agents use a three-step process to help our clients buy a home. Here is how it works:
- Pre-approval: Whether your budget is quite large or more modest, you will likely have a set amount of money to work with when buying a home. We often recommend getting pre-approved for a mortgage before you start the home-buying process. This can help you dig into your finances so that you have a much clearer picture of exactly what you can afford. You can also use our mortgage calculator to estimate your monthly mortgage payment.
- Search: With your budget and pre-approval in place, we can start your house search. As buyer’s agents, we take pride in truly listening to our clients when it comes to their wants and needs. We use our own experience in the region to find the neighborhoods and houses that are best suited for them. Depending on what you want in a house, we might even suggest homes outside of Harbour Island in one of Tampa’s many fantastic neighborhoods.
- Close: Once you find your dream home, we will work with you to decide on a fair offer based on neighborhood comps and other data before you bid on the property. We will also serve as your advocate and ally during the negotiation process, helping you get the best possible deal. After your offer is accepted, we will get to work on the next steps: a home inspection, financing, and more. Finally, we will schedule a closing to officially transfer the title of your new home to you. At closing, you will get the keys to your gorgeous new Harbour Island home.
Ready to buy a new home in Harbour Island? Click the button below to contact the Eaton team.
Other Neighborhoods to Consider
If you want to look at neighborhoods other than Harbour Island, we can help you find a great home in Tampa or one of its many great suburbs. Eaton Realty works throughout Hillsborough County, helping buyers search for homes in the Tampa region. Other neighborhoods to consider include: