Sarasota' Syesha Mercado Hometown Idol

Sarasota's American Idol Returns Home

Friday the top three contestants on American Idol returned to their hometowns. Sarasota Florida's Syesha Mercado returned home to dazzle crowds in Sarasota and Bradenton. Syesha belted out "Proud Mary" at an afternoon concert outside the waterfront Ca d'Zhan Mansion of the Ringling Museum. After multiple concerts, interviews, autograph signings and visits to Bradenton where she grew up and Booker High School where she graduated, Syesha will prepare for the American Idol finals on Tuesday night. Congratulations Syesha, you've made Sarasota proud!

Postcards from Siesta Key

Bring a Camera When Searching for Siesta Key Homes

Take a walk or ride along Beach Road and Midnight Pass for a tour of the tropical paradise, Siesta Key. Residents of Siesta Key enjoy walking, biking, beach activities, fishing, painting, and just relaxing. Snuffy Smith and I take our camera on all our walks and this Key provides ample opportunity for photo clicks. Postcard scenes of children playing on the beach, the Siesta Key drum circle on Sundays and dolphin dipping in the Gulf are typical sights for shutter bugs.

Snuffy isn't happy that doggies aren't allowed on the beach but there are plenty of sidewalks on the key for nice walks. Take your pooper scoop. And beware of crosswalks if you are driving. Let the residents and visitors cross or be prepared to pay the fine.

Customers often ask for additional pictures at a showing so my digital camera always accompanies me on showings too. Our customers often come from England, Canada or Italy and sometimes send photos home to spouses for review before writing a purchase contract. Sarasota MLS idx listings report almost 300 homes for sale on Siesta Key FL priced from the low millions to $17,500,000. Five hundred condos are for sale on Siesta Key currently and range from the high $100,000s to almost $3 million. Search Siesta Key homes.

Call the Herron Group for more information on Sarasota homes, Casey Key listings and condos for sale or check our websites for daily updates on property listings. For photos, virtual tours and area information on Sarasota's barrier islands, visit our blogs and find more about Siesta Key real estate. Beach, bay or Back Nine . . . Live the Dream!

Condos on Siesta Key at Hamilton Club

Condos on Siesta Key at Hamilton Club

Siesta Key Island Lifestyle

Enjoy your townhouse island condo, play tennis or take a boat ride. These Siesta Key condos at Hamilton are two story and seem like single family homes. Waterfront views are found in some of the complex's premier units. Hamilton Club is a short drive to the beach and Siesta Key Village.

Siesta Key FL is approximately 90 minutes from Tampa International Airport

The Sarasota MLS currently lists only one Siesta Key condos at Hamilton Club for sale with a $895,000 list price. In a community with only 18 luxury homes behind majestic wrought iron gates, this 3 bedroom, 3 1/2 bath townhouse within a space of 2691 sq. ft. provides "large rooms, a bonus loft area" and much more. Bring your boat as there is a deeded boat dock too.
Private with lush tropical landscaping, Hamilton Club's luxury amenities include a heated pool and hard surface tennis courts.

Downtown Sarasota is an easy drive from your Hamilton Club condo. Shop, dine or just relax on Siesta Key. Try some restaurants on the mainland, go to a play or browse an art gallery just a short drive from your island home to the Sarasota mainland. Siesta Key's restaurants are great too. Try Broken Egg for a delightful breakfast. Sit by the water at Ophelia's or pull up with your boat, dock and find a table. Checking out pet policies at each building is very important because many condos do not allow pets. Your Sarasota realtor can give you this information. Hamilton Club allows 2 pets.

Call for more information on Sarasota homes and condos for sale or check our websites for daily updates on property listings. For photos, virtual tours and area information on Sarasota's barrier islands, visit our blogs and find more about Siesta Key Hamilton Club condos. Beach, bay or Back Nine . . . Live the Dream!

Longboat Key Condos at Beaches

Longboat Key Condos for Sale at Beaches

Longboat Key Florida Beachfront Living

Settle back in your oceanfront condo and listen to the waves of the Gulf of Mexico in your own residence. Most of these Longboat Key condos at Beaches have Gulf views and some are offered with Gulf and Bay views providing views of sunrise and sunset.

Longboat Key FL is approximately 90 minutes from Tampa International Airport
The Sarasota MLS currently lists only 5 Longboat Key condos at Beaches for sale. Prices range from $639,000 for a 3 bedroom, 3 bath turnkey furnished condominium with 2183 sq.ft. to $1,199,000 for a totally remodeled 1524 sq.ft unit with full Gulf views.

Enjoy the convenience of a doorman and onsite manager at Beaches. Luxury amenities include Club house, elevator, fitness, kitchen, heated pool/spa and tennis courts. Beaches is a midrise building behind the gates of the Longboat Key Club.

St. Armands Circle or downtown Sarasota are easy drives from your Beaches condo. Shop, dine or participate in cultural events on the island or the mainland. Longboat Key's restaurants temp you too. Try Dry Dock and sit by the water for a relaxed meal, Euphemia Haye or Pattigeorge's for special occasions. Checking out pet policies at each building is very important because many buildings do not allow this family member. Your Sarasota realtor can give you this information. Beaches does not allow pets.

Call for more information on Sarasota Florida homes or check our websites for daily updates on condo listings. For photos, virtual tours and area information or information Sarasota's barrier islands, visit our blogs to find more about Longboat Key Fl Beaches condos. Beach, bay or Back Nine . . . Live the Dream!

Casey Key Real Estate Update

2008 Casey Key FL Real Estate Sales

Casey Key Home Sales Last Six Months

Checking the Sarasota MLS stats and going back six months, MLS data shows Casey Key real estate sales: 5 single family homes, from a 1970s single family beachfront residence with over 4,000 sq., sold at $4,500,000 to another 1970s bayfront property which sold at $1,340,000 for 1690 sq.ft. Selling prices of the five homes were $4,500,000 (Gulf), $3,797,500 (Gulf to Bay), $3,097,500 (Gulf to Bay), $3,750,000 (Gulf), and $1,340,000(Bay). Our last report was in October 2007 showing a high sale of over $6 million. Check Casey Key home sales stats for previous six months in our archives. The highest sale is $4.5 million in this report. There are 2 pending sales at this time.

Active listings number 49 properties, up from 43 in our October report from the MLS real estate stats for Casey Key, FL. Prices range from the high $1 millions to $20 million. If you are looking for land to build a beach house or a mansion on the Gulf of Mexico, Annette Smith and Nick Herron are experienced in waterfront real estate sales and are ready to assist you in the Casey Key real estate market. Email us for a list of luxury Sarasota properties available if Florida luxury real estate is your choice.

For photos, virtual tours and area information on Casey Key or other Sarasota barrier islands of Siesta Key, Longboat Key, and Sarasota Florida real estate, visit The Herron Group listings. Our customers love our Sarasota MLS idx search capabilities. Beach, bay or Back Nine . . . Live the Dream!

Sarasota Real Estate Market

In a press release dated April 22, the Sarasota Board of Realtors stated

March sales in Sarasota top 500 for first time since July 2007

Pending sales highest in a year, indicating improving market for summer
 

Overall property sales in the local market for March 2008 topped 500 for the first time in eight months, according to statistics pulled from the Sarasota MLS system. There were 514 property sales reported in the Sarasota MLS, easily topping the February 2008 sales of 423.

There were 344 single family homes sold by SAR members in March 2008, along with 170 condominium units. This compares to 294 single family sales in February and 129 condominium sales, which means March saw an overall increase of 21.7 percent over February.

Single family homes saw a small decline in the median sale price, from $285,000 in February 2008 down to $266,750 in March 2008 - a 6.3 percent decline. But condominiums saw a small increase in the median sale price from $230,500 in February 2008 to $235,000 in March 2008.

"Once again, the local Sarasota market is proving its resilience, even as the state and national housing market statistics continue to show weakness," said Helen Sosso, 2008 SAR President. "It is remarkable how our local real estate practitioners are weathering this downturn, and proving once again the value of a professional Realtor® during difficult times. As we've been saying for more than a year, this is a prime buyer's market, with historically low interest rates, moderating prices, and an incredible, high quality inventory of homes on the market."

One of the continuing bright spots in the March 2008 report was the strength in pending sales, which stood at 674 - the highest level in the past year. In March 2007 pending sales were at 706. Pending sales have been edging upward since December 2007, when there were 374 pending sales.

Pending sales counts the number of signed contracts in a month, and is a leading indicator of sales activity. There is a direct correlation between pending sales and closed sales that are reported in the following month or two.

Inventory levels were lower in March 2008 at 10,025 single family homes, compared to 10,596 in March 2007, and down slightly from February 2008, when there were 10,035. Condominium levels also decreased from the March 2007 level of 6,180 to 5,702 in March 2008, but up slightly from the February 2008 level of 5,588.

The days on market, which translates to the average time it took to sell a property, was at 152 days for single family homes, slightly higher than the 144 days in March 2007, but lower than the 160 days in February 2008. Average days on the market for condos was 181, a healthy drop from the 199 days reported in March 2007, and much lower than the 219 days in February 2008. The days on market reflects a quicker pace of sales, meaning the size of the current inventory should begin to decline going forward.

The local Sarasota-Bradenton MSA continued to fare better than the overall state. The MSA was down by 15 percent for single family home sales and 17 percent for condominiums, comparing March 2008 to March 2007. For the overall state, single family homes declined 26 percent comparing March 2008 to March 2007, and condominium sales were down 24 percent month to month.

In fact, the smaller Sarasota-Bradenton market again sold more overall properties than the Miami market. There were 1,022 overall sales reported for the local MSA, compared to only 609 in Miami.

2008 Juke Joint Festival

Clarksdale MS Welcomed the Blues World!

Inspired by the book by Sharony Green, my Mississipppi childhood friends and I dubbed ourselves, MS Maes, as we attended the 2008 Juke Joint Festival as Francine & Bill Luckett's guests in Clarksdale, MS. Francine and Bill gave us the royal treatment due dignitaries. We were wined and dined and saw a record night for blues customers at Bill and Morgan Freeman's Ground Zero Blues Club.


The Maes listened to world-class blues at Ground Zero on Friday and Saturday nights enjoying the company of blues fans from all over the world. I even did some Sarasota real estate networking. A Hendersonville North Carolina realtor with his wife and an Atlanta Georgia couple sat with us and Greg Lemke of Beverly-Hanks & Associates agreed to keep in touch. Sarasota and Hendersonville are both real estate hot spots. Read more on MS Maes.

Sarasota Waterfront Homes

Sarasota Waterfront Real Estate

SW Florida Luxury Homes and Estates

Tropical Sarasota is a hot destination for waterfront real estate along South West Florida's Gulf Coast. Whether it's a luxury ocean front property or a bay front property, Sarasota's coastline is tops!

Sarasota FL - approximately 70 minutes from Tampa International Airport
Enjoy a waterfront lifestyle in one of multiple Sarasota coastal neighborhoods! If you are a boater, Bird Key could be your choice for waterfront real estate in Sarasota Florida.

The Sarasota MLS currently lists Sarasota waterfront real estate for sale in neighborhoods such as Harbor Acres, the Sanderling Club and Country Club Shores on Longboat Key. Prices for waterfront homes in Sarasota vary depending on many factors including location, views and depth of water and of course, in the buyer's market, the seller's motivation.

Beautiful downtown Sarasota showcases tree-lined streets where residents are part of an enthusiasm for shopping, dining, cultural attractions. Sarasota’s small town feel is charming and our city is home to culture of opera, ballet and museums. The barrier island beaches are a short drive away from most neighborhoods.

Where can find waterfront real estate in Sarasota FL?

Sanderling Club, Siesta Key Country Club Shores, Longboat Key
Bay Isles, Longboat Key Harbor Acres, Mainland Sarasota

There are hundreds of listings in the Sarasota MLS for waterfront properties on the barrier islands of Siesta Key, Bird Key, Longboat Key, Casey Key and Manasota Key. Let us be your guide.

Happenings in Sarasota

An active waterfront marina awaits you on the Sarasota Bayfront. Dock a boat or take a walk, visit the sculpture or other exhibits along the Trail. Watch the children splash in the fountain by the sea or take in the Dolphin Fountain. Stop at Starbuck's for morning coffee and enjoy Sarasota's vibrant downtown area. Take in a play at one of Sarasota's theaters or visit the Burn's Court Cinema. This year Sarasota celebrated 10 years of its film festival. Celebrities wined and dined in our city and many shopped for waterfront real estate in Sarasota.

The Towels Court area offers an array of art as many artist paint in their galleries in this charming neighborhood. Neighborhood restaurants dot the tree-lined streets.
For photos, virtual tours and area information on downtown Sarasota real estate or its barrier island real estate of Longboat Key, Lido Key, and Siesta Key, visit The Herron Group listings. Beach, bay or Back Nine . . . Live the Dream!

The Herron Group offers the highest of Internet exposure for selling your Sarasota waterfront real estate providing our customers with multiple websites and blogs on Sarasota and Longboat Key real estate as well as all of Sarasota's barrier islands. Email Annette with your questions or call at 941-504-3922 for a buying or listing appointment.

Buy a Sarasota Home?

Is Now the Time to Buy a Sarasota Home?

The national news focuses on real estate daily and you see suggestions, marketing tips, buying a home in a down market, information is on overload -- so do you buy a Sarasota home now? Only you can decide what is best for you. History proves real estate is a long term investment, live in your Sarasota investment!

If you are leaning toward a purchase of Sarasota property or if you know you want to buy a Sarasota home, read details about these 5 helpful tips for buying in a down real estate market:

1. Accounting for Extraneous Expenses
2. Acknowledging Special Assessments
3. Finding a Manageable Mortgage
4. Determining How Much Home to Buy
5. Budge for Your New Home

Posted Tips Article: http://www.bankaholic.com/2008/buying-home-down-market or for more buying information see the Time2Buy Sarasota website.

Sarasota Golf Course Home - Venetian Golf & River Club

Sarasota Golf Course Home - 113 Rimini Way, Venice FL

113 Rimini Way at Venetian Golf & River Club is such a wow Sarasota golf course home! From the dramatic entrance pictured above to the paver lanai and pool area,
this house personifies your relaxing Florida lifestyle. Priced at $527,000, this Venice Florida home is a great price with $100,000 of upgrades including a den with wood floors, living area of diagonally tiled floors, kitchen in stainless appliances and granite counter tops. Bring your golf clubs and relax in this active resort community.

If you are looking for a Sarasota golf course home, The Venetian Golf & River Club offers its residents a championship golf course, one main and two additional dining rooms, lounge, cabana bar without outdoor grill, day spa, aerobics, fitness center, tennis courts, pro shop, two resort swimming pools, nature park and canoe launch. The new Golf Club is now open.

Annette Smith and Nick Herron, the Herron Group, RE/MAX Alliance Group , are experienced in Sarasota country club real estate sales and are ready to assist you in finding the perfect golf course home. Email us for a list of luxury Sarasota real estate available if Florida is your choice.