Sarasota Real Estate Blog 
Affordable Home Financing with USDA
Monday, November 7th, 2011 at 9:19am. 1050 Views, 0 Comments.
Affordable Home Financing with USDA
Even with tightened budgets, thousands of Americans are still hoping to obtain their dream of homeownership. However, instead of purchasing large homes with conventional mortgages, many are choosing to downsize and finance their homes with a government backed loan. Of the three most popular government backed lending programs, the USDA Home Loan program is rising in popularity because it not only makes homeownership more affordable, but also more accessible to those who otherwise wouldn't have any other financing options.
What Exactly is a USDA Loan?
Traditionally seen as the farmer's loan, the USDA loan actually provides a variety of lending options to families seeking rural living. However, just…
Sarasota Real Estate Still Breaking Records
Wednesday, October 26th, 2011 at 1:53pm. 86 Views, 0 Comments.
While early fall is characteristically a slower season, Sarasota real estate sales are still breaking records and have increased substantially from the same time last year.
The market is holding its own nicely, in preparation for the next busy season, which usually occurs when our sunny climate beckons those in the cold Northern regions.
Property Sales On the Rise:
- Total Single Family Homes Sold: 430 (same time last year: 404)
- Condos Sold: 140 (same time last year: 143)
Available Inventory:
Months of Inventory increased slightly. This wasn't surprising after a huge drop in August.
Sarasota Available Inventory for September 2011:
- Single Family Homes: 6.7 months (same time last year: 9.9)
- Condos: 11.1 (same…
Sarsaota Real Estate Leaning Towards a Seller's Market
Monday, September 26th, 2011 at 10:59am. 227 Views, 0 Comments.
It just keeps getting better and better for the Sarasota real estate market. In August, the decline in available inventory, increase in median price, and increase in sales pointed to a recovering seller's market.
Property Sales Increase:
Still on the rise, property sales: 601 - up from 567 just one year earlier in 2010.
- Total Single Family Homes Sold: 445 (same time last year: 408)
- Condos Sold: 156 (same time last year: 159)
Decline in Available Inventory:
Due to increased consumer demand, the available inventory in Sarasota continues to decrease - now sitting at 4,408. However, this is one number, we like to see go down. This, in turn, has boosted the median price of single family homes and condos to $165,000. Just last…
Sarsaota Housing Market Still Strong
Wednesday, August 17th, 2011 at 9:17am. 1972 Views, 0 Comments.
Although the number of sales were down slightly in July, the smallest quarterly decline in more than four years, the overall big picture indicates that we may continue to have a strong market in terms of pricing heading into the fall. It is expected that availability of homes will drop somewhat as the trend of higher demand vs amount of available properties is expected to continue. We know from past history that this will likely increase prices of available properties.
Home Sales in July 2011
In the month of July, 2011, there were 445 single-family homes and 154 condos sold. This is down from June, 2011, when sales reached 728 (June was one of four months during this year that saw more than 700 units sold). Interestingly, the Sarasota…
Record Breaking Trends for Sarasota Real Estate Market
Thursday, June 23rd, 2011 at 9:54am. 269 Views, 0 Comments.
I'm happy to report that the Sarasota real estate market continues to report an upward trend for May 2011. The huge influx of single family home and condo buyers has brought the market to new levels. Here are some of the highlights:
Total May Sales: 796 - This is the 2nd highest total reported in the last six years.
Median Condo Price: $218,750 - We haven't seen those prices since October 2009.
Median Single Family Home Price : $159,000
Available Inventory: dropped to 5,010 (lowest in 6 years) - To put this in perspective, in April 2007, there were 17,089 properties for sale.
The increased sales rate combined with the lower inventory levels has resulted in an estimated 5.8 months of inventory for single family homes, and 7.4 months for…
Siesta Beach - #1 Beach in America!
Thursday, June 2nd, 2011 at 11:41am. 209 Views, 0 Comments.
The results of Dr. Beach's 21st annual Top 10 Beach List have been released, and we're proud to announce that Siesta Beach in Siesta Key, Florida was voted number 1!
How can a beach even be considered for this type of award? The famous Dr. Beach (America's Foremost Beach Expert) takes a scientific approach toward judging the nominations. He applies a score of 1-5 to a list of 50 strict standards used to establish a final rating. Obvious criteria include things such as:
Beach material (sand, stone, etc.), sand softness, water temperature, number of waves, beach slope, rip currents, amount of algae, wildlife, presence of sewage or runoff, amount of trash, and whether the grounds are well-kept. Nominees are also rated on such factors as, "free…
The Sun Shines on Sarasota Housing Market
Friday, May 27th, 2011 at 3:30pm. 297 Views, 0 Comments.
When it come to matters of the global economy and the state of the nation's housing market, it seems that the popular media's obsession with feeding us nothing but bad news is still high on the agenda. With each passing day the stories appear to get less encouraging as we continue to be bombarded with stories of doom and gloom concerning the worst hit regions of the country. Positive forecasts, which once implied notable recovery during 2011, have fallen worryingly silent and real estate throughout many areas of the US continues to show slow signs of rebounding. Florida real estate in particular has almost become a byword for the housing crisis.
But behind the sensational headlines, it's not all bad news. Here in Sarasota, for example, we are…
The Oaks Club - Osprey Hidden Gem
Thursday, May 12th, 2011 at 12:22pm. 336 Views, 0 Comments.
In a state that has no shortage of country club communities, The Oaks Club in Osprey, Florida is truly a hidden gem among them all.
Boasting an idyllic setting on 1,000 acres overlooking Little Sarasota Bay, this huge tract of land was sold in a single package by the family of Bertha Honoré Palmer, who had built her dream home on the property almost a century ago. Developers went on to create a community that offered luxury residences and world-class recreation facilities on a rare expanse of prime waterfront property.
World Class Amenities...
The luxurious surroundings at The Oaks Club feature two championship 18-hole golf courses, along with 14 Har-Tru tennis courts, swimming pool and cabana. The 34,0000 square foot clubhouse provides a…
Siesta Key Waterfront Homes
Tuesday, September 7th, 2010 at 11:57pm. 796 Views, 0 Comments.
Siesta Key Florida remains a world destination for many people looking for a tropical getaway and fun in the sun. With powder white sand and the emerald green waterways of the Gulf of Mexico it is pure paradise most just can't seem to resist. As a resident of the Sarasota area for the past 25 years I can certainly relate to each and every visitor and their desire to seek out the relaxing beaches, shopping, and fantastic restaurants. I am often indecisive on where I want to dine. We have so many fabulous restaurants to choose from it can be a difficult decision! I guess this explains why luxury waterfront homes are still selling in these economic times on Siesta Key. Currently there are 40 waterfront homes for sale on the Sarasota MLS priced from…
New Community in Lakewood Ranch!
Sunday, August 29th, 2010 at 10:56pm. 32791 Views, 0 Comments.
Central Park is a wonderful 300 acre family friendly community that is located in the heart of Lakewood Ranch. There will be six different neighborhoods all named after well renowned parks throughout America. These neighborhoods include, Brickell Park, Claremont Park, Forest Park, Gramercy Park, Longview Lake and Piedmont Park. Each neighborhood will have it's own theme. There are 800 homes to be built in Central Park designed by Neal Communities and Bruce Williams Homes. There are diverse styles to choose from including Bungalow, Neo-classical, and Classic Florida. A wonderful feature is that they are all built green certified. The square footage for these homes range from 1,028 to over 2,400 square feet and the starting cost for the single…
