David Barr's Sarasota and Venice Real Estate Blog

Lakewood Ranch real estate represents an illustrative microcosm of what is happening in our local real estate market. I took a look at all sales (single family and condo) for Lakewood Ranch year to date, and compared with the same period last year.  Here are the results: Year      #Units Sold      Median Sales Price    LP/SP Ratio     Days to Close     Sold $/Sq Ft 2012            213                 $265,000                     96%                  189                 $130.06 2011   ...

If real estate on Anna Maria Island hasn't been on your short list of places to search, you're missing out! Compared with Siesta Key and Longboat Key, Anna Maria is relatively unknown but no less of a desirable destination for vacationers, seasonal, or full time residents. Real estate on Anna Maria is diverse, ranging from affordable condos under $200,000 (and selling fast), to multi-million dollar beachfront homes.  Rather than bore you with statistics, it may help your decision-making process to learn that property on Anna Maria is generally priced lower than Longboat Key or Siesta Key.  One major difference is that Anna Maria does not have a wall of high-rise beachfront condos, and has more of a laid-back atmosphere.  There's plenty of quirky bars, restaurants, shops and attractions to satisfy most. Anna Maria real estate seems dominated by three or four local brokerages.  I recently received a report from Google, which showed that my website ranked highes...

More and more Canadian real estate investors are finding my website, www.davidbarrhomes.com , and the advice I provide there , a valuable source of information before their visit to view properties in my service area of Sarasota, Manatee, and Charlotte Counties. A recent buyer presented an illustrative example of what is currently happening in the real estate market, particularly for condos at the entry level price points under $100,000. Six months to a year ago, the choice for condos under $100,000 was quite easy.  Pick the newest ones that needed no work, and a long-distance buyer had an investment property ready to go for a tenant.  Today, the landscape has changed.  Those newer condo communities now have a dwindling inventory of units for sale, and those prices are increasing.  Combine this with a growing inventory of units for rent, and the previously obvious condo choices no longer make sense for many investors. What remains for condo buyers looking at e...