Interbay and Port Tampa: older homes south of Gandy

The southern end of the peninsula

The Interbay Peninsula is the long point of land between Old Tampa Bay and Hillsborough Bay, and the area south of Gandy Boulevard runs down toward MacDill Air Force Base. Port Tampa sits on the western edge. It began in 1885 at the end of Henry B. Plant's railroad line, grew as a port town, and was annexed by the City of Tampa in 1961.

The housing here tends to be more modest than in the older parts of South Tampa. You will find small frame cottages, many concrete block homes from the 1950s and later, and duplexes. On a growing number of streets, those homes now sit beside new two-story houses.

Is your dirt worth more than your house?

In this part of Tampa the answer depends heavily on the specific house and lot. A small, well-kept home might sell for more to a family buying it as a home than to a builder, and if that is the case, we will tell you. A house that needs everything, sits on a wide or corner lot, or is in a flood zone that makes renovation hard, is more likely to be worth more as land.

Our guide Is my land worth more than my house? walks through the signs. The short version: lot size and location usually matter more than the condition of the kitchen.

Things that change the picture here

• Flood zones. Areas near both bays, including parts of Port Tampa, fall in FEMA flood zones. Major repairs on an older house there can trigger the 50% rule.
• Zoning. The City of Tampa zoning district sets minimum lot width and what can go on a lot. Some properties allow a duplex. Some older lots are narrow. A zoning check is always needed.
• Two lots, one house. If your house sits on more than one platted lot, that may open options for a builder, depending on the city's rules.
• Rental houses. If you own an older rental that has become more trouble than it is worth, we buy those too.

We are not attorneys. We check zoning and flood maps before we make an offer.

Simple terms

Tampa Teardown is run by 131 Cash Home Buyers, a St. Petersburg company that has bought more than 140 houses across Tampa Bay since 2018. We pay cash, buy as-is, charge no commissions and cover the normal closing costs. You do not have to clean out the house. One walkthrough, then a written offer. You choose the closing date, from about 7 to 14 days to several months out. Closing is at a licensed Florida title company, and any mortgage, liens or back taxes are paid from the sale.

If the house was left to you by a parent and still needs to go through probate, we pay for the probate. More on that in our guide to inherited older houses.

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General information, not legal, tax or zoning advice. Every lot is different; local rules decide what can be built. Updated November 2026.