Broadway Promenade - Enjoy "The Good Life" in Sarasota Florida

  A grand condominium built to offer the "good life" to it's residents, Broadway Promenade offers a luxurious lifestyle including concierge and valet service, a Publix grocery store, plus retail & office space right within the complex. Other amenities include a gathering room, a library, a billiards room, a fully-equipped athletic center, a resort-style heated pool and sundeck, saunas, and an outdoor grilling area.

  Broadway Promenade is one of the most affordable, newer downtown Sarasota condos and yet it is located right in the Arts and Cultural District of Sarasota across the street from Sarasota Bay. The Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall and Players Theatre are within a comfortable walking distance as are numerous other theaters, concert venues, fine restaurants, art galleries, and boutique shopping venues.

  The eclectic shopping and dining at St. Armands Circle is a short trip across the Ringling Bridge while the Lido Key's beaches and warm waters are just a hop and a skip beyond St Armands. For those who own a boat, marinas and mooring areas are also nearby. And, for your convenience and security, underground parking is available.

  If your plans don't support the notion of buying one of the much more expensive Downtown Sarasota condos, a Broadway Promenade condo might be perfect for you. The 187 residences at Broadway Promenade range from cozy 860 sq.ft. units to some with over 2,050 sq.ft. Units have from 1 to 3 bedrooms and all have private balconies facing Sarasota Bay, Downtown, the park or the central courtyard of the complex. Broadway Promenade condos are priced from the $200's to the mid $300's although there are a few 1 bedroom units that sell for less than $200,000.

  I would be delighted to show you Sarasota condos for sale at Broadway Promenade or any of the several other Downtown Sarasota living opportunities.

  If you'd like more information on Broadway Promenade or other reasonably priced Sarasota condos, call me today at 941.266.1799. If Broadway Promenade doesn't seem to be exactly what you want, I invite you to visit my Sarasota real estate website where you'll be able to review to the full range of residential options available to you in Sunny Sarasota Florida.

Do You Know About the Sarasota Luxury Condos at the Alinari Complex

  The Alinari luxury condominium complex located at 800 Tamiami Trail, Sarasota consists of two buildings, the Renaissance Alinari andthe Alinari at Rosemary Place, next door. Both are located across the street from the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall and Centennial Park. Among all Sarasota condos, the Alinari rates as one of the most attractive and most attractively priced Downtown Sarasota condos for the amenities offered.

  Alinari at the Renaissance is a 16-story tower with 244 one, two and three-bedroom floor plans as well as unique terrace and garden lofts, plus penthouse choices including a 2-story floor plan, all with spectacular views of Sarasota Bay and the Arts and Cultural District. Alinari at Rosemary Place, completed in 2007, includes 205 one, two and three bedroom residences with equally appealing views.

  Both Alinari towers are within walking distance of the acclaimed Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall and the Players Theatre, and only minutes from the Sarasota Opera House, Sarasota Orchestra, Asolo Theatre, Ringling Museum of Art, Selby Botanical Gardens and Sarasota's beautiful beaches on Lido Key.

  Amenities at the Alinari luxury condominiums include:

• Concierge service, Billiard room, Fitness center, and Poolside cabanas
• Lap pool, Spa and Saunas
• Movie theater
• Guest Suites
• Temperature-controlled Wine cellar
• High Speed Internet and Business Center
• Controlled Access Parking
• Climate-controlled storage

  Alimari luxury condominium residences are typically available from the lowto mid $300s to $1.3 million for the penthouse units. These spacious Sarasota condo living spaces range from 1,070 to 2,595 square feet

  Here's an example of what's available at Alinari. This is the view from the terrace of your turnkey-furnished 2 bedroom, 2 bath unit with 1,323 sq feet of air conditioned space. It is tastefully decorated and just waiting for your arrival.

  You will enjoy the Downtown Sarasota condo lifestyle at its best here at Alinari, or if you choose, use it as a rental income investment for the attractive price of $380,000.

  If you'd like to tour this attractive Alinari condo for sale this week, call me at 941.266.1799 and please mention MLS Listing # A3997867. Id at his point you'[d just like to know more about your Sarasota real estate options available to you, visit my Sarasota real estate website.

Truly Unique Longboat Key Penthouse Residence Now Available at Tangerine Bay Club

  If you have been seeking a truly unique Longboat Key luxury condominium residence, here it is - a stunning penthouse residence sitting atop the Tangerine Bay Club with magnificent views of Sarasota Bay and the Sarasota skyline.

  Tangerine Bay Club is a complex of 90 luxury condos in 10 Mediterranean architectural style buildings behind the security and privacy of a 24/7 manned gate. Two-story penthouses like this one sit atop each building. Laid out in a horseshoe formation around an attractive lagoon, these Longboat key luxury condos overlook an island with a resort-size, heated swimming pool with waterfalls and spa. Other amenities include a state-of-the-art fitness center and a well-equipped club house.

  You'll enjoy 3,010 square feet of spacious living featuring three bedrooms, four and one-half baths as well as an office or den area on the second level. Soaring ceilings, skylights, a gas fireplace in the great room and stunning marble floors are just a few of the wonderful details that make this condominium residence so special. All three bedrooms are en-suite, perfect for accommodating family and friends. A huge, private two-car garage offers lots of additional storage.

You will also enjoy morning or evening strolls through the lushly landscaped property, over the bridge to the fabulous waterfall pool or to the fishing pier and day dock.

  This is a perfect location across the street from the Longboat Key Club Islandside golf courses, just minutes from the St. Armand's Circle shopping and dining mecca and just another 5 minutes across the Ringling Bridge to all the arts, cultural, shopping, dining and entertainment venues of Downtown Sarasota.

  This unit is available to you for $1,164,900. Furniture in the unit is available for purchase under a separate bill of sale for $15,000, but the oil painting over the sofa in living room is excluded.

  Longboat Key luxury condos like this one are seldom available at this price point, so call me now at 941-266-1799 to tour this uniquely stunning penthouse. Please mention MLS # A3982935 when you call. I'd be delighted to show you this property this weekend.

August Real Estate Report for Sarasota Florida

  The National Association of Realtors (NAR) announced this month that existing home sales climbed nationwide by 2.4% to a seasonally adjusted rate of 5.15 million. On the bright side, the pressures that caused home sales to stall last year seem to have eased. The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate has dropped back to just over 4.1% and home prices are no longer rising at double-digit annual rates.

  Unfortunately, all that positive news aside, the outlook for real estate sales nationwide is also showing some weaknesses. Viewed regionally, July home sales in the Northeast were flat while Midwestern home sales increased by only 1.7% and remain 4.7% below the July, 2013 level. Home sale in the South did rise by 3.4% although the increases were not evenly spread across the whole region and in the West, sales climbed by only 2.6%, still 8.6% below the rate of sales in 2013.

  The S&P/Case Shiller index of 20 metropolitan areas reported in August that single-family home prices in those markets actually declined slightly in the first half of 2014. Lawrence Yun, NAR Chief Economist, warned that in upcoming months, the affordability of homes will most likely decline as median household incomes continue to lag inflation and the job market, while improving, is doing so only slowly and not evenly across the nation.

  A reputable economic agency reported that across all income levels, incomes have actually lost ground to inflation in the first half of 2014. According to a Rutgers University report, 41% of those surveyed reported that they have less pay and savings now than before the recession began in 2007. Only 7% of respondents say they're better off now. Adding to the downbeat outlook, as the Fed starts allowing interest rates rise in 2015, mortgage rates will inevitably rise making home affordability an even bigger issue. None of these factors bodes well for the housing industry across the United States.

  But then there's the Sarasota Florida “Sun Coast” area including Bradenton, Lakewood Ranch, and the barrier islands, Longboat, Lido, Bird and Siesta Key and Anna Maria Island. Here, you'd never know there that the housing market is facing headwinds. To date this year, Sarasota real estate sales volumes have been running at a near record breaking rate. The Sarasota Association of Realtors (SAR), reported that property sales in Sarasota County reached almost the 1,000 level for the fifth straight month in July. The year-to-date pace remains at or close to the near-historic level of sales rate in 2013. August sales, while a bit slower because this is the slowest time of the year for home sales, still look healthier than they have in years.

  In Sarasota County, the median sale price for the 12-month period ending in July, a statistic that moderates the effect of monthly swings, was up 11.2% for single-family homes and up 10.6% for condos over last year; a far different scenario than one sees on a nationwide basis. The inventory of homes and condos available for purchase dropped in July by a fairly significant one month decline of 6.7% as buying keep snapping up homes. The month’s supply of inventory for single family homes stood at a 4.4 month supply and for condos only a 3.8 month supply. “The Sarasota real estate market remains a seller’s market, with low inventory and rising prices,” said SAR® President, Peter Crowley. “All the numbers point to a very healthy 2014 for Sarasota County real estate.”

  Part of the reason the Sarasota real estate market is doing so well is clearly the affluence of the area and the real estate market. A higher than normal rate of home sales here are done as all-cash transactions especially for reasonably affluent folks at or approaching retirement.

  But the affluence of the area, alone, doesn't explain why, quite the opposite of the nationwide situation, the Sarasota real estate market continues to grow at a robust rate. Clearly something else is at work here. In fact, the reason so many people of all ages and incomes choose to live, work and retire in Sarasota Florida is not difficult to understand.

  Those who love sunshine and a year-round warm climate who enjoy lounging on the beach, there are 35 miles of beaches in Sarasota County, Florida including world-famous Siesta Key with the softest, whitest sand in the world. And nowhere will you find more gorgeous sunsets to view as you sip a cocktail next to your country club or high rise condo pool than here on Florida's West Coast jewel.

  It's been said that “Sarasota offers all the amenities of a big city with the charm and casual lifestyle of a much smaller community.” With literally scores of galleries, theaters, boutique shops, casual and fine dining restaurants and entertainment venues in downtown Sarasota, at world-famous St Armands Circle and many other spots, there’s always something to do and see. There's a constant flow of public events including live music, art festivals, shows and parades.

  Sarasota, Lakewood Ranch, Bradenton, Osprey and Venice offer over 80 public, semi-public and private golf courses which will challenge every level of player and those courses are surrounded by communities of golf course homes, villas, and condos in all price ranges.

  Boaters, day-sailors, scuba divers and fishermen love the wide variety Sarasota of private docking facilities, marinas, yacht clubs and the warm, crystal clear waters of Sarasota Bay, the Gulf of Mexico the Manatee River and many smaller lakes and ponds.

  Arts and culture buffs know Sarasota as "Florida's Cultural Coast," home to the Sarasota Orchestra, Sarasota Ballet, Sarasota Opera, the Van Wezel and Asolo theaters, the Ringling Museum and mansion and many other local venues.

  As for housing options, Sarasota has the widest range of housing styles, prices and locations you can imagine from wonderful golf course and waterfront homes and condos, to historic neighborhoods and more than its share of Sarasota luxury homes and condos.

  And, Sarasota County offers some of the best health care, long term care, and active living facilities for seniors in the nation.

  Perhaps the question you should be asking isn’t "why is the Sarasota Florida area doing so well when other regions of the country are not", but rather "why aren't you living here? "

  My goal as your Sarasota Realtor is to help you find and buy the perfect home or condo in the Sarasota Florida real estate market in the right neighborhood at a right price with a minium of hassle and frustration. I'd be delighted to answer your questions Sarasota itself or about the homes and condos options that might best suit you in Sarasota, itself, or in next door communities of Lakewood Ranch and Bradenton, Osprey and Venice. You may wish to peruse my website dedicated to homes for sale in Sarasota Florida. For an immediate response, though, call me today at 941.266-1799

Sarasota Florida Home and Condo Sales Continue at a Strong Pace in April

With a a total of 1,195 transactions closed in Sarasota County in April, 2014, the Sarasota Florida real estate market saw the second highest level of sales in its long history.

The median sale price for a single-family home continued to reflect a stable Sarasota real estate market with a moderate increase of only 3.8% in April. The median price of a condo, however, was up 8% from last month indicating growing interest in the maintenance-free lifestyle afforded by condominium living.

The median sale price for the 12-months ending in April, which tends to moderate monthly swings, for single-family homes was $189,900, about 15% higher than the previous 12-month period. For condos, it was $169,000, up 8.8% over the previous 12-month period.

Pending sales ( transactions were have been signed and agreed to but not yet closed) maintained a high level in April, at or close to the previous several months. Economists consider pending sales a good indicator of potential future closed sales. If this holds true, as it almost always does, May and June closed sales volumes should also be very strong. Pending sales in April were at 1,040 after peaking at 1,248 in March 2014 - a highly unusual level not seen for three years.

Sarasota Association of Realtors® President Peter Crowley said this week, “Activity has been robust, and clearly there continues to be tremendous interest in buying properties in Sarasota County. Last year, June and July also showed a high level of sales and activity in the Sarasota real estate market, and we are hoping for a repeat in 2014.”

As the final piece of good news, the inventory of homes for sale in Sarasota Florida dropped only slightly in April to 4,728 from the March figure of 4,810. A good supply of homes for sale on the market helps to keep prices from rising too rapidly.

If you can foresee a Sarasota home or condo in your future, please contact me at 941.266.1799 or E-Mail Me. It would be a pleasure to help you find the Sarasota home or condo that perfectly matches for your every need and wish.

Siesta Key Condo Right on Crescent Beach For Sale

At Jamaica Royale Towers at 5830 Midnight Pass Road on beautiful Siesta Key, this 8th floor condominium unit, which is being sold "as is", has fantastic views of the Gulf of Mexico as well as a panoramic view of the City of Sarasota. It has great potential as a rental unit, as your permanent home or just a place to enjoy your time away from the harsh weather up North.

Yes, there are newer condominium developments than Jamaica Royale that contains 175 condominium units, but how many of them are right on Siesta Key's famous Crescent Beach, rated the "#1 Beach in Florida." -- and how many of them have the panoramic views that this Siesta Key condo offers along with three heated pools and lighted shuffleboard courts.

The entire building was totally renovated about 9 years ago reinforcing its structure, adding new balconies, and balconies. At the same time, all walkways were renovated. This 2 bedroom, 2 bath unit with 1,285 sq ft of living space also has new hurricane code impact windows and doors.

An important consideration in buying a condo, this condo development has a strong Association that is well run.

Siesta Key is a barrier island just off the coast of Sarasota Florida and is for its famous soft, white, powdery beach which unsurpassed in beauty anywhere in Florida. Accessed by two drawbridges across the Intra-coastal Waterway, this 8-mile long island is distinctly set apart from downtown Sarasota Florida. But at the same time, Siesta Key condos like this one put you just minutes away from everything on both Siesta Key and in downtown Sarasota.

Siesta Key and Sarasota also offers another attractive attribute for those considering buying either a home, a condo or an investment property. Sarasota real estate prices are still lower than they have been in over a decade.

If you would like to know more about Siesta Key or the Sarasota and Bradenton real estate market in general, or the cultural, shopping or recreational amenities of the Sarasota Florida area, Contact Me today. For an even faster response, call me on my cellphone at 941-266-1799. I'd be happy to be of assistance.

Sarasota Florida Real Estate Report for March, 2014

Unlike other parts of the country that have now experienced three months in a row of declining home sales, the Sarasota real estate market in March remained stable, even continuing its steady improvement as time goes by. In January and February, there was some concern that perhaps the Sarasota market was stalling out, but that fear has gone away with the March rebound in both closings and pending sales.

Sarasota County home and condo sales in March, 2014 topped 1,000 for the first time since May 2013. March closings came in at 1,050 (698 single-family and 352 condos) almost the same as the volume a year ago but a substantial uptick from the February 2014 sales volume of 787.

Pending sales at the end of March remained at a healthy level, topping 1,200, a level not seen in the past 3 years. These sales will close in coming months indicating that the months of April and May will show equally healthy closed sales volumes.

Peter Crowley, President of the Sarasota Association of Realtors® said in his monthly report, “This spring has seen very robust sales, just like last year. Agents have been busy and buyers are actively investing in the Sarasota real estate market."

The median sale price for single-family homes stood at just under $189,500. The median condo sale price in March was $170,900, just above the year-ago number of $165,000. The median sale price for the rolling 12-months ending in March, which tends to moderate month-to-month swings, was $188,000 for single-family homes, about 20% higher than the previous 12-month period. For condos, it was just over $166,500, up 9.2% over the previous 12-month period.

The inventory of homes for sale in Sarasota County dropped slightly in March to 4,810 after topping 5,000 in February, a very manageable 3.8% month-over-month drop. Maintaining a healthy inventory of properties available for sale helps to keep prices from rising too fast.

If you would like to know more about the Sarasota real estate market in general, or the cultural, shopping or recreational amenities of Sarasota, call me today at 941-266-1799 or visit my website dedicated to homes for sale in Sarasota Florida. I'd be happy to be of assistance.

Aqua, A Unique Boutique Condo on the Sarasota Waterfront

In the past several months demand for ultra high-end condominiums has come roaring back in Sarasota. In fact it is beginning to look as though the "construction crane" is coming out of hiding after several years and is poised to once again become the unofficial bird of southwestern Florida.

Among the new luxury condo developments breaking ground this year here in Sarasota will be Aqua to be constructed on the waterfront at 280 Golden Gate Point. Aqua will join One88, also being built on Golden Gate Point, the Jewel Residences at Gulfstream Avenue and Main Street, the Vue Sarasota Bay at 100 South Washington Blvd, and the Sansara at 300 South Pineapple Ave. in a recent burst of new luxury condominium developments breaking ground this spring in Sarasota.

Aqua will have only 8 units within a modern 9-story building in the iconic Sarasota School of Architecture style. With a full-time concierge, state-of-the-art security and luxurious amenities, Aqua, in the words of its developers, "will reflect a refined and elegant lifestyle of gracious Downtown Sarasota waterfront living."

The eight residences will each have their own private elevator foyer, two-car garage and a dedicated boat slip. Each opulent residence will feature 10 to 12 foot ceilings, spacious open floor plans for entertaining, gourmet kitchens with granite and stone counter tops and top-of-the-line appliances, master bedroom suites with unique features, and large exterior terraces for breathtaking views of sunsets over the Gulf of Mexico.

The eight residences will share a state-of-the-art fitness studio, private massage/facial salon, spa with steam shower and sauna, yoga studio, heated waterfront infinity pool and putting green, a temperature-controlled wine room with secure individual cabinets, and a delightful rooftop entertaining and observation area. There will only residence per floor. The 3,800 square foot units, called “Residences,” have pre-construction prices starting at $3,495,000 while the 6,700 square foot units, called “Grand Residences,” will start at $5,695,000.

Located on the prestigious Golden Gate Point, the residences at Aqua will be just steps from Downtown Sarasota with all its restaurants, shops, theaters and galleries and just a short drive across the John Ringling Bridge to the renowned shopping and dining mecca at St. Armand’s Circle and the white sand beaches on Lido Key.

Sarasota Magazine reported, "these new condos on Golden Gate Point have a real Sarasota look, a little bit of Sarasota School of Architecture modernist, a little bit of Miami Tropical, and a whole lot of over-the-top luxury pared down to the most elegant simplicity."

To learn more about Sarasota Florida and this and other luxury waterfront and downtown Sarasota condominium options now available, please call me at 941-266-1799 or visit the Downtown Sarasota condos section of my website. I would be delighted to answer whatever questions you may have.

Attractive Home For Sale in Heritage Oaks Golf Community

The Heritage Oaks Golf and Country Club community, located East of I-75, is a gated collection of maintenance free condos and villas to single-family homes.

The 18-hole Heritage Oaks golf course, designed by Jed Azinger and Gordon Lewis and open since 1997, has all the hallmarks of great Florida golf. The country club also offers its members 4 lighted tennis courts and a fully-equipped fitness center with regularly scheduled classes, a pitching and putting green, full-service pro shop with teaching pros, both a formal dining room and a casual "19th Hole" Grille Room, large club pool plus four more heated pools around the community. The community also has trails for leisurely walks. Heritage Oaks is a private golfing community entirely owned by the 850 homeowners, all of whom are full golf and country club members.

Within this pleasant moderately priced golf community, there is this wonderful St Charles model pool home with 4 bedrooms, 2 baths and a 2 car garage available today. The home, with an extended pool lanai, backs up to an Audobon-rated preserve with abundant wildlife. This home uses the great room concept with the kitchen open to the gathering area of the home. Basically, a 3 bedroom home, the den has a closet and french doors allowing it's use as a 4th bedroom when multiple guests come to visit.

This attractive home, priced at $420,000 has too many amenities to list but its worth noticing the hurricane shutters all around, the security system, the newer HVAC system with surge protector, a water softener serving the entire home, a cartridge water filter in the kitchen, wood flooring, Bose speakers, and mostly new appliances.

If you would like more information on this home as well as others available for sale in Heritage Oaks, I would be happy to introduce you to this moderately-priced community and the delightful lifestyle it offers if you'll call me at 941.266.1799.

Yet Another Luxury Condo to be Built in Downtown Sarasota - One88

    In the past few months demand for high-end Sarasota condominiums has come roaring back in Southwest Florida and particularly, here in Sarasota. Yet another developer has now decided that Sarasota is the place to build new luxury real estate properties. The Vandyk development company of Toronto, Canada was in Sarasota two weeks ago to unveil plans for One88, another limited-size condo development on prestigious Golden Gate Point. The site of this latest new luxury condo development is at 188 Golden Gate Point overlooking Sarasota Bay and the John Ringling Bridge.

    One88 will join AQUA being built nearby at 280 Golden Gate Point and others in this recent burst of new luxury condominium developments getting started in downtown Sarasota. The Jewel Residences, being built at the corner of Main Street and Palm Avenue, with 18 luxury residences ranging from 2,100 to over 4,300 square feet,is still another major development currently underway in the Downtown Sarasota waterfront condos market.

    John Vandyk, president of the company developing One88 said at the unveiling that, having visited Sarasota many times for pleasure, “there is a lot of art and culture here in Sarasota, and the people are very kind. It’s a different lifestyle, a beautiful lifestyle.”

    Like AQUA, One88 will have just eight residences. One88 will have two residences on each floor, each with about 3,000 square feet of air-conditioned space with over sized terraces. The limited size of the development was in part dictated by the small size of the lot on which it will be built. Unlike other developers, Vandkk is not taking reservations for these Sarasota luxury condos. "We're going direct to contract," the developer's spokesperson said.

    Prices range from $2.6 million to $3 million on the first three fours. The two penthouses on the fourth floor, which have rooftop terraces are currently priced at $3.9 million. A unique feature of these luxury boutique condos is that buyers of each residence will receive a social membership at the Sarasota Yacht Club. The Sarasota Yacht Club, one of the most prestigious yacht clubs in Sarasota offers the benefits of a member-owned private social club with extraordinary services and facilities regardless of whether the member owns a boat or not. The docks at the yacht club can accommodate boats up to 100 feet and drafts of up to 10 feet.

    Explaining why the Vandyk group chose Sarasota for their first investment in the United States, Karin Silver, Vandyk USA VP of Marketing & Sales said, culturally, we like Sarasota better than Naples or Miami. There is the right balance of culture and amenities here. To us, Sarasota is a diamond in the rough, a hidden jewel. There is pent-up demand here."

    Your home at One88 on prestigious Golden Gate Point wil be just a few steps away from downtown Sarasota with all its restaurants, shops and galleries and only a short drive across the John Ringling Bridge to St. Armand’s Circle and the beaches of Lido Key.

    Vandyk plans to develop another downtown Sarasota property at 635 S. Orange Avenue in Burns Court, though it’s not yet decided exactly what form that project will be.

    Call me at 941.266.1799 to learn more about One88, AQUA or other attractive Downtown Sarasota luxury residences.