It was a great time being among the judges this year of the Tampa Bay Builders Association 2016 “Parade of Homes,” a showcase of 139 homes by 37 builders across the Tampa Bay area. Judging day began bright and early on Friday at 7:30 am at the Embassy Suites in Brandon with breakfast provided by event sponsor ProSource, and an introduction to the event by the Association. The room buzzed as we all met up with our assigned judging teams and received our routes.

Our route took my own judging trio around the Bay area from Tarpon Springs to Riverview and in between. Tasked with judging the homes on a list of criteria provided on score cards, we analyzed and rated qualities from a home’s curb appeal to the layout of work surfaces in the kitchen.

At the end of our long, sunny day of home tours, our last stop was this year’s showcase home, the “Shenandoah” by ICI homes at FishHawk Ranch. Located on a gorgeous lakefront lot, the home’s best feature in my view is the indoor/outdoor living it offers, where judges and sponsors gathered and toasted to a successful day.

If you’re in the Tampa Bay area, go check it out! The 2016 Parade of Homes runs through Sunday, March 13.