Real Estate Directory

Siesta Key real estate

I had an opportunity to vacation on Siesta Key this past summer. Let me tell you, if you are a beach lover, you will love the powdery soft, sugar white sand and the tropical feel of this tiny Barrier Island.Siesta Key has a very carefree and relaxed atmosphere. much more than the other of Sarasota’s little islands. But if you get antsy and want the bigger city feel, just cross one of the two bridges that connect Siesta Keys with the Mainland.

I have decided to purchase a Summer Home on Siesta Key. Besides being the perfect place for my family and friends to gather for summer fun, it also will be a wise investment in this "Buyer's Market.

Siesta Key real estate        

Mansions Are Hot!

Palm Beach mansion gets $81.5 million

Can you afford a half a million property tax bill? To some that is the price of luxury. The oceanfront estate built by billionaire businessman and philanthropist Sidney Kimmel has sold for $81.5 million, a record in Palm Beach Florida.

The $81.5 million sale of the mansion at 1236 S. Ocean Blvd. in Palm Beach is proof positive that the high end luxury market moves without regard for the rest of the real estate market.

"The house was in impeccable condition, with the finest details," said real estate agent Koch, adding that three other buyers were interested in the property.

The mansion/ estate boasts 5 lushly landscaped acres and 300 feet of ocean frontage. The 32,000-square-foot home was designed by Thierry Despont, who also created Bill Gates' mansion. The living room includes 26-foot ceilings and 20-foot-high glass panels that disappear into the floor at the push of a button.

  Sarasota Homes

Sarasota showing positive growth

The Sarasota Association of Realtors  reported a 14% spike in October 2007 sales over Septembers numbers.  264 homes and 120 condos sold in October.   

ee Gads! rapid appreciation in this market?

Evans Report: Palm Beach home prices rise, defying national trends 

Defying national trends, sales of single-family homes in Palm Beach increased in the first three-quarters of the year, as did the median and average sales price.

Those are among the findings of The Evans Report for the first nine months of the year, compared with the same period of 2006. Real estate attorney Les Evans said he arrived at the results by analyzing closing documents filed in Palm Beach County. His report includes private sales not recorded by the Multiple Listing Service.

Bradenton Condos

A well-known socialite in the Manatee County area of Florida is planning to build 34 luxury condominiums called Residences at Point Pleasant in Bradenton. The cost of the proposed project was not announced, but Mike Carter Construction of Bradenton was named the project's general contractor while Wagner Realty will handle sales.

Florida realty coming back

Florida real estate started to slow in 2005, ahead of many other parts of the country. However,  now some real estate pros say the FLA is on a comeback.

Sarasota Condos agent John Allen, says the sales volumes are robust and very encouraging.

Retirement Planning

Arizona, Nevada, and Florida in areas such as Sarasota are famous for their retirement communities.   Do these areas appeal to you? Do you like the coast or prefer the desert areas. As retirement approches theses are just a few of the many questions you need to ask yourself a few years ahead  of your retiement date. Where should you retire? Here are some questions to ask yourself. And as you will see you must really get your priorities in order before you make such a decision.

1. Does retirement mean moving? Does it mean selling your home of forty years? Is it really necessary? Many times it is to get the appreciation of your home in dollars to become part of your monthly income. But wait; would a reverse mortgage be a better plan?  You could stay in your home you know till close to all.
3. Do I want to move a far distance from children and grandchildren?  Be realistic here, you will only see your children, grandchildren and other relatives a couple times a year, if that. Which means relationships will not remain as close as they are now. How important is this to you? Or maybe this is what you want.
4. Am I prepared for the possibility that I might end up along if my spouse dies? Will my spouse be ok if I were to die?

There is so much to take into consideration when retirement age is approaching. The best thing you can do for yourself is think ahead, explore every possibility, talk to you children and friends and then make a informed decision.

Fastest Growing Cities

What does the recent Census info tell us?

  Elk Grove, Calif.near Sacramento, had the nation’s fastest growth rate among large cities (100,000 or more population) between July 1, 2004, and July 1, 2005, according to new U.S. Census Bureau population estimates.

    A fairly new city, Elk Grove’s population increased 12 percent during the period, to 112,338. It was joined on the list of the 10 fastest-growing cities by three others in California: Moreno Valley (ranking sixth), Rancho Cucamonga (seventh) and Irvine (10th). These last three cities are each located in southern California.

     Florida had three cities among the fastest growing: Port St. Lucie (third), Cape Coral (fifth) and Miramar (eighth). Two cities in Arizona were in the top 10 — Gilbert (fourth) and Chandler, AZ (eighth) — and, relatively nearby, North Las Vegas, Nev., was second. 

     Phoenix had the largest population increase of any city between 2004 and 2005. San Antonio; Fort Worth, Texas; North Las Vegas, Nev.; and Gilbert, Ariz.,were on the list of the five biggest numerical gainers.   

   Who go the biggest city? The Big Apple of course. New York Cityis the  most populous city, with 8.1 million residents in 2005, two times that of LA, which ranked second at 3.8 million. The estimates show that among the 10 largest cities, one change has occurred in the rankings: San Antonio has replaced San Diego as the nation’s seventh most populous city.   

Existing Home Sales Are Up?

What happened to the Bubble?

The National Association of Realtors reported Thursday that that sales of existing single-family homes and condominiums rose by 5.2 percent in February to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 6.91 million units. This despite the predicte 5 % drop compared to last year.

The prices of homes sold in February rose to $209,000 for the nationwide median.That was 10.6 percent above the median price in February 2006.   

Economists believe that both new and existing home sales will dip by around 5 percent this year as rising mortgage rates cuts into demand.

But mortgage rates seem to have perhaps stagnated because of a drop in inflation. But Lereah said all indications so far were pointing to a gradual slowdown in sales to a more sustainable pace.

By region of the country, sales rose by 19.2 percent in the Northeast and were up 11.1 percent in the Midwest and 5.1 percent in the West in February. Only the South showed weakness last month with sales there dropping by 2.5 percent from the January pace.

Lereah said sales activity at present was really a "tale of two cities" with some of the hottest markets showing declines while some medium priced markets still posting strong sales gains.

He said that sales were down by double-digit levels in such hot sales markets as Phoenix, Fort Lauderdale and San Diego. He said, by contrast, sales were up by double-digit amounts in aeas such as Indianapolis, Albuquerque and Houston.

South Florida Real Estate Blog

South Florida Real Estate Blog
If you want homes and lots of pictures to peruse, then check out this web blog in South Florida. Tons of pix of homes from every angle.