David Barr's Sarasota and Venice Real Estate Blog

If you've been searching for Venice FL or Sarasota real estate you've no doubt seen those websites from Zillow, Trulia, Realtor.com, Movoto, Redfin, and even some from Boca Raton. Why are these sites showing up when you perform a Google search? A local real estate website is better for your Venice FL real estate search It's simple: they are selling your contact information to agents who pay for it, experienced or inexperienced. The advent of these websites has changed the real estate business, and in my opinion, not for the better.  For example, Zillow/Trulia (now the same company) gets a lot of web traffic, but the fact is that they have a huge amount of inaccurate listing data.  It's confusing for consumers and frustrating for agents who have to explain why Zillow/Trulia are so inaccurate. It's also frustrating for you to have to sign up/register and log in to view listings online. The other pitfall to using these sites is that you as a con...

As regular readers of this blog may know, I am not a fan of Zillow/Trulia. I ran across an interesting article that sheds more light on Zillow and why they are not a reliable source of real estate information.  You can read the article here:  http://www.housingwire.com/articles/35257 Zillow is not a reliable source of real estate information Zillow is not a licensed Realtor or real estate broker in any state, and belongs to no MLS.  Because they are unlicensed they are not regulated or bound by the same laws, rules, and code of ethics.  This means they can leave expired or sold listings on their website, so they can say they have as many as Realtor.com. Bottom line:  A local real estate website like www.davidbarrhomes.com will give you more information and more accurate real estate listings.

Venice Beach condos are one of our area's best kept secrets.  Siesta Key gets a lot of press which creates a lot of demand.  That demand has created a big disparity in gulf front condo prices. Siesta Key beach is beautiful and it's part of my geographic service area, but Venice Beach condos represent an amazing value on a price comparison alone.  Venice Beach condos on Venice Island, like some Siesta Key condos, are within walking distance of shops and restaurants. Let's take a look at Venice Island condos for sale on the beach during your next visit to the Sarasota or Venice area.