Broker Associate · Owner · Pinellas Native
Broker Associate at Mangrove Bay Realty
✓Florida Licensed Broker · #BK3436609· Active through 09/30/2028VerifyTroy Nowak is a Broker Associate at Mangrove Bay Realty and a licensed Florida real estate broker who helps people buy and sell short-term rentals, furnished rentals, and investment properties in St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Dunedin, Pinellas Park, Largo, Indian Rocks Beach, and Bradenton. Before real estate, Troy spent over a decade as a Pinellas County math teacher and the head boys’ varsity basketball coach at Dunedin High School, so when he talks about neighborhoods, schools, and what makes Pinellas tick, he’s lived it. Since launching his real estate career in 2019, he has closed 325+ sales with an average price of $523K, ranging from first-time buyers at $117K to luxury waterfront at $1.9M. He also owns and manages six STR and furnished rental properties in Pinellas County, has Airbnb Superhost/operator experience, and brings former institutional acquisition experience to investor guidance.
Public review profiles
Origin
Troy taught Algebra II and Geometry at Pinellas County schools for nearly a decade before he ever sat for the real estate exam. The last four years of that run, he was the head varsity boys' basketball coach at Dunedin High — the same high school that zones half the neighborhoods buyers ask him about today.
Two things carried over from coaching: people remember how you treated them long after the score gets forgotten, and the best players are the ones who see the play developing two steps ahead. Same applies to a transaction.
He opened Mangrove Bay Realty in 2020 because the big-box brokerage model wasn't built for the kind of client work he actually wanted to do: short-term-rental underwrites, institutional-style acquisition screens, downtown condo plays, and waterfront comps that require eyes on the ground. Today he runs the firm, manages the Dunedin Duo STR, and answers his own phone.
What I've done
325+
Career sales
Since 2019 · $117K-$1.9M
6
Rental properties owned & managed
STR · midterm · furnished rentals
BK3436609
Broker Associate
Mangrove Bay Realty
Where I add value
Find Troy elsewhere
Most of the market commentary lives on the journal here, but you'll also find Troy on these platforms.
From the journal
Market reads, neighborhood guides, STR underwrites — published when there's something real to say.
Amendment 3 raises the homestead exemption to $150K in 2027 and $250K in 2028. St. Pete could lose $54M+ in property tax revenue. What it means for buyers, sellers, and Airbnb investors.
Read articleSt. Pete and Pinellas STR buyers: flood, HOA, and zoning risks that break Airbnb cash flow, plus a 5-point checklist before you offer.
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Pinellas buyer checklist: short-term rental zoning map reality plus flood zone and insurance steps, before you underwrite Airbnb income or close.
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A practical Tampa short-term rental guide covering Airbnb rules, Hillsborough County regulations, best neighborhoods, investor risks, and Tampa vs Pinellas Airbnb returns.
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St. Pete ADU rules, zoning, parking, flood risk, rental limits, and investor checklist for buyers considering accessory dwelling units in 2026.
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Anna Maria and Holmes Beach vacation rental rules from each city: registration, inspection, Holmes Beach 30-day, 7-day, and daily zones, Manatee tourist tax. Buy or sell AMI STRs with Troy Nowak.
Read articleDrop your info — Troy texts back personally, usually within the hour.