St Pete/ St Pete Beach - vacation rental water access

[Elisabetta Gar]

Hello everyone! I am new to BP and currently looking for expert advice from local investors as a first time investor unfamiliar with the St Pete/ St Pete Beach real estate. My husband and I are looking for a vacation home we can partially use for personal enjoyment and partially as a vacation rental. We would like a property with water access. We are currently looking at real estate in three areas with our understanding of pros and cons: St Pete Beach Pass-A-Grille (pros: popular and high-end; cons: expensive and no short-term rental allowed); Tierra Verde (pros: unincorporated Pinellas, short term should be allowed; cons: isolated); St Pete Shore Acres/Venetian Isles (pros: proximity to downtown St Pete; cons: short-term rental not allowed). Shore Acres/Venetian Isles look very attractive on paper, but i’d appreciate some insights from locals as why it doesn’t seem like a sought after location to home buyers and mid-term renters (30+ days).