Anna Maria Island - An Unnoticed Island Paradise

If you've ever dreamed about life in a secluded and peaceful island paradise where the average temperature year-round is in the 70’s, you’re surrounded by soft, white beaches and warm waters and where the natives are as friendly as any you’ll ever meet, you should definitely get to know about Anna Maria Island.

Anna Maria Island is one of several barrier islands on the west coast of Florida; this one off the coast of Bradenton, in Manatee County. The island has only less than 9,000 permanent residents although it's population grows considerably during winter months. The strangest thing about this delightful little island may be how few Americans know about it. Europeans and Canadians, however, have certainly noticed it.

Anna Maria Island is a narrow strip of land about 7 miles long, stretching from the waters of Tampa Bay on the north, the Gulf of Mexico on the west, by Longboat Key to the south and Anna Maria Sound and Sarasota Bay on the east. Anna Maria Island is comprised on three cities; Anna Maria to the north, Holmes Beach in the center and Bradenton Beach on the southern end. Each of its three cities boasts spectacular beaches and great areas for fishing and scuba diving but each city also strives to preserve the “Old Florida beachcomber lifestyle.” They do it by limiting the size and height of buildings that can be built. You’ll find no high-rise condo developments on this island. In fact you'll see nothing more than three stories high.

Whether you would like a multi-million dollar waterfront estate, a restored older beach cottage, a maintenance-free condo, or, yes, an upscale home in an golf and country club community, Anna Maria Island can fulfill your fantasy so long as you want to fulfill your dream in a secluded place where the term “laid back” really means something very special; where even the giant sea turtles choose to come ashore to build their nests and give birth to the next generation of baby sea turtles.

That golf course community we mentioned is called Key Royale. Within the city limits of Holmes Beach, Key Royale is one of Florida’s most prestigious waterfront golf country club communities. Actually a small island of its own attached to Anna Maria Island proper by the small bridge, Key Royale is something you'd never expect to find on a placid barrier island. If, in addition to enjoying a round of golf on a 9-hole par 32 course and its lovely clubhouse, you are also an avid power boater or sailor, this may your paradise. Virtually every home in Key Royale is either directly on the waterfront or has canal access to open waters.

The city of Holmes Beach, itself, is the largest of the 3 communities on Anna Maria Island and boasts three miles of gorgeous white, sandy beaches. While there's been serious pressure in recent years to take advantage of tourism, the city works to maintain its rustic flavor through attention to the types of buildings and homes permitted to be built. Home types in Holmes Beach include single-family homes, maintenance-free condos and villas offered in architectural styles from Old Key West to Bimini and Grand Cayman.

At the other end of the island, Bradenton Beach is ideal if you want the casual ambiance of a secluded waterfront village. Gulfside homes enjoy gorgeous Gulf of Mexico sunsets while those facing onto Anna Maria Sound and Sarasota Bay are separated from the waters by natural mangroves. Between is a charming village famous for its ultra-casual "beachcomber" lifestyle.

On the northern end of the island, the city of Anna Maria is a quiet, serene place most of the year with narrow roads and almost no street traffic beyond the local trolley. The entire city of Anna Maria is a protected bird sanctuary. While swimming or scuba diving in the waters off Anna Maria, you are as likely to run into a manatee as another swimmer.

For transportation, most locals get around Anna Maria Island on the trolley that runs the length of the island with connections to the bus service on both Longboat Key and across the causeway to Bradenton. Should you wish to leave the island, there are three bridges to the mainland; one at the southern end of the island connects to Longboat Key, another connects Bradenton Beach to the mainland at Cortez and the third connects Holmes Beach to the mainland in the Palma Sola section of Bradenton.

When you wish to liven up your days or evenings, you are a short bridge and causeway drive from the mainland city of Bradenton Florida, the largest city in Manatee County. In addition to being home to several of the best golf courses in Florida, Bradenton also offers every type of boating, fishing and sailing activity imaginable. There is also a constant flow of activities and events going on that will entertain the youngest to the oldest members of your family. Bradenton is as bustling and vibrant as Anna Maria Island is serene and laid back. Bradenton is also home to two major health care facilities, Blake Medical Center and Manatee Memorial Hospital.

We believe that after a single visit to Anna Maria Island, you, too, will refer to Anna Maria Island as "that Little Island Paradise in the Sun.”

My goal as a Sarasota real estate professional is to help you find that one home or condo here in the Sarasota - Bradenton area that fits your needs and desires perfectly whether its on the mainland, on Longboat, Lido, Bird, Siesta or Casey Key or on Anna Maria Island. Please call me with your questions or inquiries at 941.266.1799.

Misty Creek Golf Course Home For Sale Now

By Rich Stover

This 2,788 sq. ft home in the gated community of Misty Creek is a nature lover's retreat complete with lakes, wildlife, mature trees, and sidewalks throughout the community. Golf and tennis are optional. This community has no CDD fees.

This meticulously well kept and recently updated home is move in ready featuring an amazing master bedroom and bath and walk-in closet plus dual shower and sinks with a lovely garden tub. You'll entertain in the beautiful dining room and living room or, as you cook in the comfy gourmet kitchen. Stainless steel appliances, granite, tile, and tons of cabinets. A large laundry room has plenty of storage space.

The family room has a wood-burning fireplace with built in bookshelf and glass shelves. The two guest bedrooms and bath have a pocket door for privacy and there's even a fourth bedroom which could be used as a study or in-laws quarters with it's own private bath and exit to the lanai and pool. Crown mouldings and tray ceiling add a touch of class to this home.

Enjoy swimming in the heated pool and relaxing in the hot tub with amazing lake views during the sunset hours while deer and sand cranes wander by.

The oversized garage has room for your own private golf cart and the price includes a one-year free golf membership . Available turnkey furnished on a separate bill of sale. Siesta Key beach is just a short drive as are shopping, restaurants, doctors, hospitals and St. Armand's Circle.

The Misty Creek 18-hole golf course and country club offers an endless array of activities for its members. For those few who need a break from golf, the social amenities at this active country club include dances, parties, dining facilities, bar and lounge, snack bar, and 4 tennis courts.

Come see this one an fall in love with it today for $569,000 today. Call me today at 941-266-1799 for an appointment to see this gem!

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

By Rich Stover

    It was back in 2009 that the Baltimore Orioles made the decision to relocate their Spring Training baseball camp from Fort Lauderdale to Sarasota Florida.  A lot has happened since then.  This year will mark the fifth year the Baltimore Orioles have been here and their fourth year in the renovated Ed Smith stadium.

   Today, the Ed Smith Stadium, located at 2700 12th Street at the corner of 12th and Tuttle in the northeastern part of Downtown Sarasota, is a facility the city of Sarasota can be proud of and it has been drawing large crowds to the Orioles home games.  During the 2013 Spring Training season last Spring, the Orioles set an all-time record with 120,455 attendees.  The Orioles also set a franchise record in 2013 with 9 sellouts, including an Ed Smith Stadium single-game record of 8,797 fans.

    Ed Smith Stadium is a great place for baseball enthusiasts to catch a few pre-season games.   Unlike some spring training camps, there's plenty of parking available right at the stadium.  There are lots of concession stands, an on-site team shop, and, for those so inclined, a several suites that can be purchased by celebrities and businesses to watch games with friends or business associates.  While there are some who complain about the small size of the Ed Smith stadium, it is just about the right size if you're one of those who likes to get "up close and personal" with the team's players.   You can almost touch them from the front row seats.

    Today, February 14th, marks the first official day of spring training workouts for Orioles pitchers and catchers.  Baseball fans who've been waiting for this can watch the team work out on the back fields of the complex for free every day until home games begin.  The first full-team workout will be on Wednesday, February 19th.  Thereafter, the team will work out from about 9:15 a.m. to noon each day until the first home game against the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday, March 1st.

    For security reasons, no umbrellas, hard-sided coolers, thermoses, glass bottles, cans or alcoholic beverages are permitted in the stadium.  Non-alcoholic beverages in plastic bottles are permitted in the park although all items will be checked at the gates and any beverage which has been opened or partially consumed prior to entry is subject to confiscation if it is thought to contain alcohol.

    So, what if you're not a big Orioles fan.  Come on out anyway. You can watch the Orioles play against visiting teams including the Tigers, Yankees, Red Sox, Blue Jays, and, of course, the local favorites, the Tampa Bay Rays.  Individual game tickets have been on sale since the end of January, but tickets can often be purchased on the day of the game as well.

    The Orioles have been very charitable toward Sarasota.  Since moving year-round operations to Sarasota from Fort Lauderdale in 2010, the Orioles have donated more than $1.3 million in cash and in-kind contributions to our community. And, the team has on-going out-reach programs in place year round.

    Whether you are a seasonal visitor or a permanent resident of the Sarasota Florida area, you may want to take in a Baltimore Orioles spring training camp game.  Like other sporting venues being developed all around the Sarasota area, like the Competitive Rowing Facility being built at Nathan Benderson Park, spring training baseball games provide yet another truly pleasant way to enjoy the sunny Sarasota Florida lifestyle.

    If you are in the market for a home or condo here in the Sarasota real estate market, call me today at 941.266-1799.  I’d be delighted to answer your questions and offer suggestions on where we can find the property that best matches your needs and desires here in sunny Sarasota Florida.

Trends Suggest a Banner Year for Sarasota Home Sales in 2014

Residential home sales in the Sarasota real estate market continue to exhibit strength as we enter 2014.   During the year 2013, 11,184 homes and condos were sold, the second highest total since home and condo sales have been tracked.  And if current trends continue as they look likely to, 2014 will be an even bigger year.

Sarasota Association of Realtors President Peter Crowley reported that “December was a great month for Sarasota residential sales. Many of our seasonal residents and visitors appear to have  decided to buy this year." This trend has been attributed to higher mortgage interest rates expected in 2014”  Others suggest that the substantial rise in the stock market during the past year has made more people willing and able to consider buying a second home here in Sarasota.

Existing homes are selling well in both Sarasota and Manatee County and out on the popular Barrier Islands.  Home sales in Lakewood Ranch, for example, have been particularly strong in upscale neighborhoods and in Esplanade, the all-new "active adult lifestyle" community.  Of the 573 homes sold in Lakewood Ranch last year, nearly 350 of them were new-consruction homes.  The limited number of existing homes for sale has led builders across the area to become aggressive in buying lots and raw land to meet the expected high level of demand for homes in 2014.

Sarasota area luxury homes and condos on the Sarasota waterfront and on the Barrier Islands were also being bought at a rapid pace as 2013 closed out.  The luxury homes recovery is occurring predominantly in the $500,000 to $2 million categories where sales increased in 2013 over 2012 by 39%. Luxury porperties priced above $2 million have continued to be stalled although with a few outstanding exceptions.

In addition to the high level of existing home sales, there has been a very noticeable uptick in new construction just about everywhere lots and open land are available.   Builders and developers spent more than $60 million purchasing nearly 1,250 acres of raw land and 294 building lots from Bradenton and Lakewood Ranch to Punta Gorda in December alone. Builders buying up land locally include all  the major players including Neal Homes, Taylor Morrison, DR Horton,  Ashton Woods and many others.

The demand for new homes isn't limited to modestly-priced homes.  And, the demand for luxury homes is not limited to just  Sarasota condos along the waterfront and out on popular Barrier Islands like Longboat and Siesta Key.  New luxury homes are in demand and being built in many other Sarasota communities like The Lake Club in Lakewood Ranch.  Back in 2006, when that gated, Tuscan-inspired community opened, its 10 opulent, estate-sized model homes carried price tags of $3.5 to $8 million. Then, during the housing slump of 2008, ’09 and ’10, activity slowed to a crawl.  That has now changed.   Of the 34 new-construction homes sold in The Lake Club in 2013,  the average price was over $1.2 million.   Today,  there are 28 more ultra-luxury  homes in the 7,000+ square foot range being built in The Lake Club, but not as spec homes.  All of them are already sold.

With all this new demand, Neal Homes President, Past Neal, was quoted as saying  “Land prices are going up and so are the prices of drywall, framing labor and concrete. Pretty soon home prices will have to start going up too.” 

So trends suggest that 2014 will be a record-breaking year for Sarasota real estate sales, and with the cost of everything from the land to labor and materials rising, if you’ve been thinking about buying a home, a villa or condominium here on the Sarasota Sun Coast, you should contact a Sarasota Realtor very soon and get started.  The bargain prices on short sale and foreclosure properties of yesterday are largely gone, but there is still time to buy that dream home or condo before prices rise further.

If you are in the market for a Sarasota luxury home or condo, call Rich Stover today at 941.266-1799.  I’d be delighted to answer your questions and offer suggestions on where we can find the property that best matches your needs and desires here in sunny Sarasota Florida.

There's Alway Something Happening in Sarasota

    One of the things that attracts so many people to certain areas of the country is the number of things to do.  Annette Fuller, editor of Where to Retire magazine says, “There are many reasons Baby Boomers are being drawn more to metropolitan areas like Sarasota.  A major reason for this is that these areas have lots of things to do including sports team to support, museums to visit and university classes to attend."

   Sarasota Florida area is one of the most popular retirement areas in the United States for many reasons. In addition to its many Sarasota waterfront homes and condos Sarasota golf course homes that draw people to our area, its popular also because of the almost constant flow of events and activities keeping residents entertained and informed.  This is particularly true during the months when the colder climates up North bring more people to our area.  Let's explore just a few of the events and activities afoot during the month of December, 2013.

    For those who enjoy viewing public art, a drive down Sarasota’s Gulfstream Avenue will bring you to the free biennial exhibition of sculptures along Sarasota’s bay front.  At Island Park and Bayfront Park, from now through May, 2014, Sarasota's "Season of Sculpture" association is presenting Season VII’s "Shared Ground: Eight Artists - Eighteen Installations," a sizable collection of large-scale sculptures in Sarasota’s various waterfront parks.

  A satellite exhibit of smaller works will also being presented beginning in January, 2014 at the Sarasota Herald-Tribune building on Main Street. This indoor exhibit includes wall-hanging, free-standing and pedestal works by the same artists whose work is presented in the waterfront parks.  The Season of Sculpture not-for-profit group not only brings this nationally acclaimed International Invitational Exhibition to Sarasota each year, but it also provides opportunities for visitors to learn more about the works themselves and the artists who created them.

    Visitors are always impressed by a visit to the Ringling Museum and its 21 galleries of European paintings, Cypriot antiquities and Asian, American, and contemporary art objects that were collected by John Ringling, , one of the 5 original circus kings of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, and his wife Mable during their lifetime.

   From now through February 4th, 2014, there is also a unique exhibition of original posters printed between 1890 and 1950 announcing the Wild West shows great Wild West shows from Buffalo Bill to the 101 Ranch.  Much like circuses of the day, Wild West shows traveled from town to town on rails, bringing cowboys, sharp shooters, Native Americans and a variety of animals to audiences around the country.  The exhibit is in the Poster Gallery of the Circus Museum Tibbals Learning Center.

    Ca' d'Zan, John and Mable Ringlings' splendid Venetian Gothic mansion built between 1924 and 1926 and since restored to its original state, is also open for tours.

    For fun for the the whole family, everyone enjoys visiting the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens at 811 S Palm Ave in Sarasota. Right now through February 27th, Marie Selby Botanical Gardens is presenting a new art exhibit called Tropical Splendor in the Museum of Botany and the Arts. The exhibit showcases two artists’ fascination with Selby Gardens.  The exhibit features beautiful garden paintings by Anna Mason and Tom Stephens. Their styles represent a broad range of interpretation from grand vistas to detailed close-ups all depicting popular Selby scenes and plant specimens.  The exhibit runs daily through February 27th from 10am to 4:30pm.

Selby Gardens is also currently presenting their holiday "Lights in Bloom" light show. This is a chance to see the new Children’s Rainforest Garden decked out with holiday lights for the first time.  There will be festive live music to enjoy while dining on grilled entrees, kids’ “Merry Meals,” and holiday snacks while Santa and his elves make an appearance each night. A great thing to do with visiting children and grandchildren.

    The city of Sarasota Florida has a deep commitment to lifelong learning.  The Lifelong Learning Academy (LLA) is celebrating its 15th year of operations.  Registration began on December 11th for the Winter 2014 Semester of the Lifelong Learning Academy.  Classes will be held at the USF Sarasota-Manatee (USFSM) campus, at the Anna Maria Island Community Center and at the State College of Florida at Lakewood Ranch.  Each non-credit, university level course lasts six to eight weeks, with most classes meeting for one hour and twenty minutes each week.  There are no grades or tests.

    Students of all ages may attend classes, participate in discussion groups, and attend special lectures and events.   Tuition is only $75 per class.  Payment for one course during an academic year entitles students in the program to privileges such as access to the USFSM campus, use of the high-speed wireless Internet connection, use of the university library and discounted prices at the campus bookstore.

    On December 14th, Suncoast Motorsports hosted the 9th Annual "Porsches in the Park" event at the beautiful St. Armands Circle. Some of the most spectacular Porsche cars from all over Florida were on display in the center of the circle for public viewing while that same evening, the 28th Annual Sarasota Christmas Boat Parade of Lights was held. On the very next day, on December 15th, Bernadette Peters, one of Broadway’s brightest stars presented a gala evening of songs from her Broadway shows and Grammy Award-winning albums at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall.

    On December 17th, Wynton Marsalis, the acclaimed jazz and classical trumpeter, entertained his audience with holiday music including a never-before heard holiday tune that Marsalis said he has been carrying around with him for about two decades. And, on December 20th through the 22nd, the Sarasota Ballet presented "Ringling’s Circus Nutcracker," always a holiday favorite.

    This constant flow of interesting and exciting events and activities, along with baseball Spring training camps and so much more make the Sarasota Florida area, including Bradenton and Lakewood Ranch as well as Siesta, Lido, Bird and Longboat Key one of the favorite places in the United States for Americans as well those from Canada, Europe and more recently Asia and Latin America to buy homes and condos. I'd be delighted to help you find that one home or condo on the Sarasota real estate market that perfectly matches your needs and wishes.

Don't Miss the St Armands Circle Art Festival on Janaury 25th and 26th

    If you're a Sarasota resident, a visitor or just someone passing through Sarasota, you should mark your calendar for the 11th Annual St. Armands Circle Annual Arts Festival coming Saturday, January 25th and Sunday, 26th, 2014 from 10AM to 5PM.

    For those two days, festival goers will get to see and enjoy, in addition to the eclectic boutiques and eateries for which St Armands Circle is so famous, the works of some of the most talented artists/crafters from around the United States.  Some longtime favorite crafters will display their most recent works alongside the works of some of the up-and-coming new talents on the contemporary craft scene.  One-of-a-kind jewelry, fabric arts, photography, pottery, planters, serendipidist items. sculptures and more will be on display and for sale.

    This festival is a competitive event limited to 180 exhibitors who have been chosen by a jury of experienced, 2D and 3D artists and crafts people.  Works of the selected artists will be displayed in an array of media including just about every arts media; digital, fiber, glass, oil, acrylic and watercolor paintings, photography, print making, metal and wood sculpture.

    Visitors to the Art Festival and serious art collectors will get to meet and speak with the participating artists and have the opportunity to purchase their original art objects.  There is no charge for admission to this outstanding arts festival.

    This annual St. Armands Circle Art Festival will likely once again be included on the Sunshine Artist magazine's top art shows in the United State.  Again this year, the St Armands Circle Festival is being presented by Howard Alan Events & American Craft Endeavors, a well-known and respected producer of juried arts and crafts festivals.

    If you are new to Sarasota, to get to picturesque St Armands Circle, from I-75, exit 210, which is Fruitville Road go west and turn left onto the Tamiami Trail (U.S. Route 41). Then then turn right onto Gulfstream Blvd. and across the John Ringling Causeway and Bridge to St Armands Circle.

    If you are a seasonal visitor, I would advise you to take a day while you're here to tour the rest of St Armands and Lido Key.  Lido Key is one of Sarasota's larger barrier islands where you'll find elegant homes and luxurious Sarasota condos separated from the Sarasota mainland by St. Armands Circle and the Ringling Causeway.  A short bridge will take you to Longboat Key.  All of the homes and condos on St Armands Circle and Lido Key are either directly on or a short walk or bike ride to the white sands and warm waters of gorgeous Gulf of Mexico beaches.

  If you'd be interested in touring any of the homes or condos on St Armands or Lido Key, I would be delighted to show them to you.  For more information on other home and condominium options throughout the Sarasota - Bradenton area, including Sarasota golf course homes, please visit my Sarasota real estate website and then call me with your questions at 941.266.1799

Have You Visited PepperTree Bay on Siesta Key

    Located directly on Siesta Key's beaches, Peppertree Bay sits on 16 acres extending across the width of Siesta Key from the Gulf of Mexico to Sarasota Bay.  Peppertree Bay consists of garden homes, 2-story townhomes, and five high-rise buildings.  PepperTree Bay consists of two sections, Gulfside and Bayside.  The Gulfside section is located directly on Siesta Key's world-famous Crescent Beach and the Gulf of Mexico while the Bayside section on the other side of Midnight Pass Road, faces Sarasota Bay and the Downtown Sarasota mainland.

    Peppertree Bay includes 362 units, in five floor plans, with most units ranging between about 975 and 1,550 square feet.  Some Gulfside units are directly on the gulf beach.  Others face either Sarasota Bay or well-maintained garden areas. Some units have private garages and there is also plenty of room for guest parking.  This Siesta Key condo property, though built in the early to mid 1970's, is exceptionally well-maintained.

    Most Peppertree Bay units are sold on a turn-key, furnished basis.  Units sell in a range from the high $200's to over $500,000 with units on higher floors and closer to the waterfront selling at higher prices, but, owners of all units enjoy a complement of features including two swimming pools, tennis courts, a fitness center, barbeque facilities and a gorgeous private beach.  There's even a fishing pier on Roberts Bay for those so inclined.  There is also an on-site rental office to assist those wishing to rent their units. Units may be rented for a minimum term of 30 days up to four times a year. Pets are not allowed.

    Peppertree Bay residents enjoy a carefree and casual lifestyle within a comfortable walking distance all of the eclectic shops, boutiques and casual dining experiences for which Siesta Key is so well-known.

    If you would like to know more about Peppertree Bay, other Siesta Key or Sarasota waterfront real estate opportunities, it would be my pleasure to assist you. Please visit my Sarasota real estate website or, for an immediate response to your questions, call me today at 941-266-1799.

Sarasota Real Estate Outlook for 2014

By Rich Stover

The month of December proved to be another good month for home and condo sales in Sarasota including the barrier islands, Lido, Bird, Siesta and Longboat Key as well as in the neighboring communities of Bradenton and Lakewood Ranch.  The number of properties on the market at this point remains tight and as a result of continued demand, prices are rising.

The peak tourist season is just kicking off as our snowbird friends from the northern U.S. and Canada come into the market. This increase in demand, along with the current tight supply of homes on the market has driven the median price of condominiums up by over 20% from the level last year at this time.   Similarly, the median price of single-family homes is 11% above the level at this same point a year ago. A continuation of such dramatic increases in home prices coupled with expected higher interest rates could derail the housing recovery in 2014, but there are factors at work here in Sarasota that will counter that risk.

First, the slight drop-off in sales volumes in the months of November and December was due, in large part, to the tight supply of homes available for sale.  But, as prices have risen, more homes and condos are beginning to come on the market.   At the end of November, there were 4,288 properties on the market compared with 4,032 the prior month.  This uptick in the supply of homes available will help keep the market from becoming overheated. 

Second, the affluent nature of the Sarasota area is such that modest increases in the mortgage interest rates, if they occur, will not have as big an impact on Sarasota as it would on other real estate markets. As in the past, Sarasota waterfront condos and upscale Sarasota golf course homes, in areas like the Lakewood Ranch Country Club and Country Club East developments are frequently sold on an all-cash basis,

Sarasota Association of Realtors President Roger Piro suggested recently that the strong attendance Realtors are seeing at open houses, coupled with the traditional increase in seasonal residents we see at this time  suggests, based on past trends, that Sarasota will continue to experience a busy real estate market in the coming winter and spring months and probably see continued strength through the rest of 2014.

Lawrence Yun, the chief economist for the National Association of Realtors has a similarly positive, yet balanced, outlook for 2014. He suggests that two forces will balance each other out.  Rising interest rates may tend to dampen home sale volumes slightly but, at the same time, he sees buyers becoming more emboldened to make the buy decision buoyed by both improving job numbers and more lenient mortgage qualification standards.  Existing home sales, he forecasts, will remain at a healthy rate of about 5.1 million units.  And, while new housing starts have languished in 2013, Mr. Yun predicts new housing starts will increase by 18.5% from 430,000 in 2013 to 510,000 in 2014.  This increase in supply will help moderate price increases and offset the effects of slightly higher interest rates.

 In summary, the most likely scenario we see at this point is for the Sarasota real estate market to stabilize in 2014 at a healthy level, not expanding so fast as to create another bubble,  but also not depressed by higher mortgage interest rates.   

We see Sarasota benefitting in 2014 from healthy trends that are occurring both nationally and locally.  And unless something foolish is done in Washington to inflict new damage on the economy, 2014 looks to be a good year for the sales of homes for sale in Sarasota Florida and the people lucky enough to live in this wonderful area. 

If you would like a more complete understanding of why now is the right time to invest in a Sarasota waterfront home or perhaps a downtown Sarasota condo or a golf course home, please contact me at your convenience.  For a more immediate response to your questions, call me on my cellphone at 941-266-1799 today. I'd appreciate the opportunity to be of service to you.

Introducing Citrus Square - A Unique Downtown Sarasota Housing Option

For those looking for affordable Sarasota condos right in downtown Sarasota, you may be surprised to learn that quite affordable the condominium units are  available at Citrus Square, a relatively new residential and retail community.  Citrus Square runs from 4th Street to 6th Street along pedestrian-friendly North Orange Avenue adjacent to the trendy Rosemary District, just a few blocks north of Main Street.

Citrus Square is an unusual concept available to those who like the idea of  living in downtown Sarasota but want to avoid the massive high-rise nature of many of the other options available.  Built in 2009, these three-story buildings with uniquely classic facades include several upscale boutiques on the first floor with luxurious one and two bedroom condominiums on the two upper floors.  Residents of Citrus Square can comfortably walk downtown to shop, dine, or take in a movie or meet friends for coffee or dinner in the café/bakery or the restaurant right downstairs. 

 

The 16 units in this complex ranging in size from 644 to 1,240 square feet are among the most value-priced condominiums in downtown Sarasota.  The economical $289 per month maintenance fee, one of the lowest for comparable condos in Downtown Sarasota, covers all exterior maintenance, grounds care, building insurance and reserves. These units are pet-friendly and can be rented out for a minimum term of 1 month, up to 12 times a year..

 

In my opinion, the location, creative floor plan layouts and quality construction of these units makes them ideal for those seeking a uniquely different, yet distinctly high-end, lifestyle within walking distance of just about everything.

 

Units available at the time of this writing range in price from the mid $200's to about $425,000. I invite you to ask me to show you these unique Citrus Square condominium homes. If the in-town lifestyle is not your "cup of tea," then visit my Sarasota real estate website for more options or call me directly at 941-266-1799 for an immediate response to your questions.

Spacious Siesta Key Ranch Home Now Available at Reduced Price

If you've been wishing you had a spacious Siesta Key 4 bedroom, 3 bath home with a solar heated pool on scenic Siesta Key, it's time to get moving. This may be the one you've been searching for.

This is a well maintained home on quiet cul-de-sac conveniently close to Siesta Key Village, world famous Siesta Beach and all of the night life in Sarasota and on the Key.

With a large open plan and a 38 X 41 screened pool lanai, you'll enjoy balmy breezes and tropical sun in a peaceful neighborhood. Just some of the features of this home include a nicely functional kitchen with breakfast bar, 4 split-layout bedrooms and 3 full baths including a pool bath, laundry room, sprinkler & alarm systems; all this in a home with new paint in and out, new pool deck, low-maintenance barrel tile roof, pebble coated drive, a large lot with a private back yard, new landscaping and no deed restrictions.

Come and enjoy the Florida lifestyle.

Motivated sellers are asking only $599,900 for this 2,370 sq ft home on beautiful Siesta Key. Call me, Rich Stover, at 941-266-1799 to tour this attractive home now more than attractively priced.