NEW  Florida Voters Pass Debated Tax Reform (Sun-Sentinel) (Sarasota Herald Tribune)  - Map Graphic on Result  This is one that has no easy answer, it helps the voters out as only residents can vote, not commercial properties businesses.  The Florida House and Senate need to work on this further and come up with a better solution, but for now it may have the desired effect for home owners who want to move and take their homestead with them. 

Investor buys Siesta Key Beach Club for $4M - The 60-year-old Beach Club was one of two properties Chris Brown picked up on Aug. 4 from former owner Richard Dear. He also bought a 6,000-square-foot commercial plaza across the street that houses the China Dragon restaurant, the Tropical Breeze resort offices and a day spa, for roughly $3 million.

Best Jobs dot com reports on Sarasota    - Imagine taking a stroll on a white sandy beach or spending a day boating on a breezy Sunday afternoon. In Sarasota, you can do an unlimited number of outdoor activities all year round. Weather here is moderated by the Gulf of Mexico and temperatures are tropical for the most part, with an average year-round temperature of 72 degrees. However, the weather isn't the only thing this Florida treasure has going for it. Numerous employment opportunities, an expanding business sector, quality healthcare and education and a great lifestyle make this the number one city to live and work.
 

Changes emerging in housing market  - Michael Pollick of the Sarasota Herald Tribune - Some experts see a slow loss of air from the real estate bubble  The Sarasota area's high-flying real estate market began showing signs of braking or at least coasting in the first half of this year and in July, according to figures just published by the Florida Association of Realtors. Where does the market go from here? Picture a nonbreakable bubble whose steep climb becomes a gentle ascent at best. Unless too many people are taking out interest-only loans. Then it could get ugly.  July's median price for an existing home in Sarasota-Bradenton market was $339,900. While that stratospheric figure was 32 percent ahead of prices just one year earlier, it also represented a $2,900 dip from the June level.

Is it best to stay away from MLS?  Michael Pollick of the Sarasota Herald Tribune - Sure, the 2005 real estate market is so hot that you can sell your home without real estate agents parading their customers through your digs. The question is, when a seller skips the Multiple Listing Service, whose interest is served? The seller's, the agent's, or both? A "pocket listing," or "exclusive," is a property that is being marketed through a real estate professional but is not available to the broader world of real estate agents and customers who scour the MLS looking for buys. "The reason the board doesn't like it (Pocket Listings) is they are basically FSBOs that an agent happens to know about," says John Allaman, a high-end downtown property specialist with Michael Saunders & Co. © Sarasota Herald Tribune

2005 Hurricane Guide © Sarasota Herald Tribune

Bradenton and Sarasota ranked # 1 and 2 in US for price appreciation according to the National Association of Realtors(r) May 13th, 2005   Bradenton grabbed the No. 1 spot out of 139 markets nationwide. The median price for an existing single-family house grew 45.6 percent to $275,100 for Bradenton and Manatee County. Sarasota ranked second with a 36 percent increase to $326,300. West Palm Beach/Boca Raton/Delray Beach came in third at 35.9 percent. Of the 10 markets nationwide that mustered the highest adjustments in price, seven were Florida communities. “It seems like you guys are morphing into one big metropolitan area out there on the West Coast,” NAR spokesman Walter Molony said. The rapid escalation apparently did little to curb home buyers’ appetites. Michael Saunders & Co. agent John Allaman said buyers are streaming in from Naples and pricey East Coast destinations because they perceive Sarasota-Bradenton as relatively affordable yet with comparable amenities. © Sarasota Herald Tribune

SARASOTA - Can buying a property $15 or $18 million be a profitable investment?  "Sarasota waterfront hasn't reached its potential. Baby boomers are seeing Florida as a great investment and homestead refuge," said Kim Ogilvie of Michael Saunders & Company. "It makes sense to plant serious dollars here." "We have a broader appeal than Naples. We're a 12-month community; Naples has nowhere near our cultural assets," Linda Dickinson adds. On sought-after Casey Key the Ogilvies offer a private compound for $12.95 million at 411 Casey Key Road. The walled property has two houses, a total of 10 bedrooms, 300 feet of beachfront, deeded dock on the bay and a resort-style pool with rock waterfall.

January 23, 2004 Sarasota new home growth - Sarasota and Manatee counties issued more than 9,400 building permits for single- and multi-family homes in 2004 -- roughly 75 more than the year before while the median price for single-family homes jump- ed by its highest margin ever, 32 percent to $273,800. For new houses, last year's median was 24 percent higher at $349,000. © Sarasota Herald Tribune

Michael Saunders & Company has been selected as the exclusive affiliate of Christie’s Great Estates, Inc. - the world’s oldest fine arts auctioneer – for Sarasota and the surrounding communities in Florida. Buyers and sellers of high-value real estate in the Sarasota area now have at their command the combined efforts of Christie’s and Christie’s Great Estates through Michael Saunders & Company.

Michael Saunders, owner and principal broker of Michael Saunders & Company, said, “We are honored to be associated with Christie’s Great Estates. Christie’s has an international client base interested in buying and selling distinctive properties as well as fine art. This association gives us the worldwide connections to present the finest properties in our community to those individuals who have the means to acquire them.”
 

Ringling Bridge is OPENED - August 30, 2003 Grand opening celebration is a huge success with 5 & 10K run, Auto Show at top of bridge and Fireworks to cap off day.  Bridge is opened to traffic in both directions and old bridge is being dismantled.

Sarasota Board of County Commissioners resolved to submit for funding for the South Siesta Key Beach Re-nourishment program (Turtle Beach - Blind Pass) - May 14, 2003 the SBCC in a 5-0 vote will seek funding to bring in the sand...

For Full Updates on the Area-wide Beach Renovation go to http://www.beachstudy.com  Plans include re-nourishing the beach from south of Point-o-Rocks to 1000' south of the southern most home on Siesta - basically to the site of Midnight Pass. Work should be complete by summer of 2005 according to County Officials...

   Ringling Bridge continues along – Scheduled opening April 2003 - Delayed Construction
The Ringling Bridge spanning over 3,000 feet from downtown Sarasota to Bird Key. The bridge will have a 65’ vertical clearance with 100’ channel and a 300’ opening for smaller boats.

    Florida Existing Home Sales up 13%   Florida’s housing market continued its upward trek in both number of sales and median sales price in September, according to the Florida Association of Realtors (FAR).

LONGBOAT KEY, Fla. -- Nov. 15, 2002 -- The Longboat Key Planning and Zoning Commission is proposing a new town ordinance to help financially struggling small business owners by allowing them to build a limited number of residential units on their property. © 2002 Bradenton Herald, Rochelle Jones, Nov. 14, 2002. All Rights Reserved.

RESTORING A GEM  - By DOROTHY STOCKBRIDGE-PRATT,  A Siesta Key couple restores a Sarasota School of Architecture home to it's original luster.

Longboat Key gets more village life. By Richard Storm in Sarasota Magazine
Talk of the town: Conrad Beach is getting attention for its friendly, small-town flavor, which encourages conversation and easy interaction among residents

SARASOTA VOTED #1 Small City to Live in By Money Magazine
Sarasota may be the ultimate beach town, with its sun-kissed location on the Gulf of Mexico, more than 200 sunny days a year and an average year-round temperature of 71°F. Yet there are plenty of other reasons why we named it the best small city.

Contact Information

 

Postal Address
8660 South Tamiami Trial
Sarasota, FL  34238   USA

 

 

Electronic mail

General Information & Sales: JohnAllaman@MichaelSaunders.com
For quick reply, email my Blackberry
 

Copyright 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003
John & Dianna Allaman,
All Rights Reserved.