Articles Archives

Tampa Bay Flood Insurance 2026: Why More Homeowners Are Turning to Private Flood Insurance

Tampa Bay Flood Insurance 2026: Why More Homeowners Are Turning to Private Flood Insurance Flood insurance has become one of the most important conversations in Tampa Bay real estate. As waterfront values continue to rise and homeowners reassess storm risk after recent hurricane seasons, many buyers and sellers are exploring alternatives beyond traditional FEMA-backed policies. […]

What a New Fed Chair Means for Mortgage Rates and Real Estate?

What Happens to Real Estate When the Fed Chair Changes? When the Federal Reserve gets a new Chair, headlines immediately begin predicting what will happen next for mortgage rates, home prices, and the housing market. Some experts claim rates will fall. Others warn inflation could rise again. Buyers wonder if they should wait to purchase […]

Tampa Bay Townhomes vs Houses: Cost, HOA, Benefits

Why Tampa Bay Townhomes Are an Overlooked Opportunity for Home Buyers If you are searching for a home in Tampa Bay, you have likely focused on single-family homes. However, many buyers are starting to ask a different question: Is there a smarter way to buy in today’s market? The answer for many is Tampa Bay […]

Four Generation Legacy of Women in Real Estate | The Tenpenny Collection

A Legacy of Leadership: A Four Generation Legacy of Women in Real Estate Estate In March of 1990, my grandmother, Betty Brink, and my aunt Marsia Miller stood in front of a ribbon-cutting in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, to celebrate the opening of their real estate brokerage, Properties Unlimited. The Women Who Started the Legacy My grandmother […]

Downtown St. Petersburg Condo for Empty Nesters

Moving from a Single Family Home to a Downtown St. Petersburg Condo A Strategic Guide for Empty Nesters Ready for Their Next Chapter If you are considering a downtown St. Petersburg condo for empty nesters, you are not downsizing. You are redefining how you want to live. You have spent decades building a life. A […]

Top AI Luxury Real Estate Agent in Tampa Bay

Why Luxury Homeowners in Tampa Bay Should Hire an AI-Savvy Realtor to Sell Their Home “AI luxury real estate agent Tampa Bay” is one of the most powerful search phrases affluent homeowners are using when they want a Realtor who understands how technology drives results in today’s market. If you are considering selling your luxury […]

Best Boating Neighborhoods in Tampa Bay

Guide: Selling Your Home in a Slow Market

72 Hours in Downtown St. Petersburg

72 Hours in Downtown St. Petersburg: A Snowbird’s Discovery and Evolution Second Blog Post in a Series – Jonathan Kelly, The Tenpenny Collection In 2021, we embarked on the snowbirds’ journey to find a perfect winter home in Florida. The plan was simple: winters in St. Pete, summers in Boston. But by 2023, it was […]

“ Rachel is amazing. She went out of her way to help me prepare for and stage my house to get top dollar for it. She knows the business and was able to keep me calm during a stressful closing period. She's one of a kind and the real estate agent and broker you want!”

“Going into the home buying process for the first time, it was important to us to have a real estate agent who was patient, responsive, and determined. Abby met and exceeded those expectations as our agent. She was quick to follow through, answer our questions, and update us on market changes. You could tell Abby was passionate about her job and cared about her clients. It was also helpful to have the support of Rachel, owner of the Tenpenney Collection, as a second opinion. I would recommend working with Abby and Rachel for those buying or selling in the Tampa Bay area”

“Rachel Sartain Tenpenny has been my realtor since I moved to Florida in 2004. She has always guided me in the right direction due to her extensive knowledge of the market. Rachel has the professionalism to help you in your endeavors and the drive that stands above many others. She is great athlete, wonderful friend, and a devoted mother. Rachel has the character traits that make her not just a great realtor but a wonderful person. She went above and beyond during my house hunting journey. She always responds to my calls, texts, and emails even when she is busy. I have learned so much from her and have benefited greatly from her services. Rachel is my realtor for life!”

Susie is an exceptional realtor who stands out from the rest. From the start, her personalized, relationship-driven approach was apparent. Susie listened closely to understand my wife and I to better understand our needs. She provided thoughtful guidance at my pace, and was always accessible and responsive. Susie is impressive because of her genuine care for her clients. She built a wonderful rapport with me and had my best interests at heart throughout the process. Thanks to Susie's expertise, hard work, and unwavering commitment to help. I recommend Susie without hesitation.”

“10/10! We recently purchased a home in St. Pete and Susie made our home buying experience a breeze! Susie is extremely knowledgeable of the area and understood exactly what we were looking for. She was there throughout every step of the process to guide us and answer our thousands of questions along the way.”

“What a pleasure it was working with Susie in searching for my perfect house! She was so professional yet friendly in our day to day quest for my replacement home. Susie was patient and thorough in finding the right area and city for my needs. She made many suggestions and provided helpful options that worked for me along the way. It was obvious to me that Susie knew the area that I was looking for and brought background information on each property I was interested in. She was also helpful in answering my questions on shopping areas and finding utility resources. She also made sure to keep me within my budget, which was very important to me. She encouraged me to call or text her with any questions. The closing on my home went very smoothly and I asked Susie to accompany me.

“Rachel was our realtor and did an amazing job finding our home. We truly believe we never would have gotten the home if she wasn’t our realtor. We had been searching for three years, and every time we found a home, it became a bidding war on day one. I refused to pay way over the asking price and in all cash, so we lost many opportunities. Then we met Rachel. She found us a home, and once again, we faced a bidding war. This time, Rachel recommended we put in a backup offer after losing the initial bidding war. We were the only ones who did this, and when the initial buyer didn't come through, we got the home—even though we weren’t even the top two offers. We owe this all to Rachel, who also provided us with all the contacts needed to help remodel the home, as we knew no one. We couldn’t be happier and highly recommend Rachel.”

“Abby is motivated, hard-working, and a pleasure to work with. She is very communicative and stays on top of action items. She prioritizes well and has great internal and external contacts for inspections, utilities, insurance, etc. Rachel and the rest of the team are great as well. They’re ready to assist whenever necessary and I strongly recommend their team to any friends or family who are in the market.

“Rachel is the best realtor in St Pete. She is extremely professional and has ran multiple brokerages. She helped me get seller concessions and a great deal on my property. Could not be more happy with her service.”

“Susie came recommended by a friend. I was an undecided client...selling?...buying a condo here and there to be a snowbird?...moving out of state? Susie helped me through it all. Twice. I was going to sell, then I wasn't. Susie was amazingly patient and provided professional guidance at all of my indecision points. When it finally came to selling, Susie helped me navigate all steps along the way. Susie would be an excellent buying and/or selling representative on your behalf. She was for me!”

“When you need to buy or sell Susie knows her stuff. great communication and demeanor keeps you feeling great no matter which direction you need her to go. susie has done a great job on 3 different properties. I will definitely go with her again!”

“Susie was the ultimate professional realtor in a real estate transaction that was extremely challenging. Personally, as a Seller, I have participated in over 200 real estate transactions in my career and this transaction was the absolute worst due solely to an extremely difficult buyer. Susie was there the entire way!! She is a gem!”

“Susie is terrific. Knows the landscape and did a great job of getting our home ready for sale, and the entire sales process.”

“Susie is a great agent that will do every thing she can to help you in the process of selling your home. Calm, friendly, and non-pressuring, I couldn’t ask for another realtor than Susie.”

“Whether you are buying or selling Susie Collins is the one to call. She explained everything to us during the process of us selling our home which put us at ease. She was super patient in answering all of our questions we had as well. I can not express how great she is. We highly recommend Susie to anyone looking for a realtor in the area.”

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