David Barr's Sarasota and Venice Real Estate Blog

Barton Farms is an established neighborhood of single family homes in Sarasota, located east of I-75 off Bee Ridge Road and Iona Road. The 324 homes in Barton Farms have 3 to 5 bedrooms, with 2300 to up to just over 4000 square feet of living space.  Most homes were built between 2000 and 2004.  When the real estate market crashed, there were a few vacant lots left over, so you will see a few homes there built more recently in 2015 or 2016. Amenities in Barton Farms include a clubhouse, community pool, and tennis, in addition to the neighborhood being gated.  Barton Farms HOA fees are a low $1300 annually. Home buyers will appreciate open floor plans and serene water views.  The larger homes in the neighborhood provide lots of interior space to spread out, with split bedroom floor plans and open kitchen/living room. Home prices range from the high $300,000's to the mid $500,000's.  If your home buying budget is in this range, you may also wa...

Some nice Florida weather over the holidays encouraged me to update this HD video tour of The Legacy Trail. The Legacy Trail is a 13 mile converted railroad bed that runs from Palmer Ranch in Sarasota south to Venice, connecting with The Venetian Waterway Park that continues to Shamrock Park and Caspersen Beach. Sarasota County has approved funding to extend the trail from Palmer Ranch north to downtown Sarasota. You'll see how popular this hiking, walking, and biking trail is, with lots of people out and about as I filmed this video. If you're interested in Florida real estate, you could live within easy biking or walking distance to The Legacy Trail.  Visit my website for a list of homes and condos selected geographically close to The Legacy Trail.

Aqualane Estates is one of a quartet of Sarasota waterfront neighborhoods on the mainland, across the ICW from Siesta Key. You'll find Aqualane Estates just north of the Stickney Point Bridge.  Turn north on Beechwood Avenue from Stickney Point Road.  The streets in Aqualane Estates are Ridgewood Lane, Shelburne Lane, Stanford Lane, and Meadowood St. Get an Aqualane Estates demographic report Homes in Aqualane Estates run from original ranches and ramblers from the 60's and 70's, to new construction luxury waterfront homes on canals.  Because of the canals and ICW access, Aqualane Estates is attractive to boaters.  There's only one bridge to the Gulf of Mexico at the north end of Siesta Key, which offers clearance for all except the largest yachts. Please visit my website for a list of current homes for sale from the MLS, and recently sold properties.

If you're interested in Venice FL real estate , no doubt you are looking for information on Venice Island , the location of downtown Venice, Centennial Park, Venice Airport , and local beaches. I've put together a page on my website where you can find: An HD video tour of popular restaurant Sharky's and it's fishing pier; All currently available homes for sale from the MLS; An HD video of a ride from downtown to Venice Beach via Heritage Park; An HD video of the north end of the Island; Demographic reports; Walk Score; A photo gallery of the spectacular new library; Sales statistics for the last 5 years. Venice FL new library on Venice Island Take a ride from downtown to Venice Beach An informed customer is my best customer. If you'd like to tour homes and condos on Venice Island, please contact me. 

Tucked away in Venice FL is the very nice single family home neighborhood of Blue Heron Pond. Located off Venice Avenue just east of the Jacaranda traffic circle, Blue Heron Pond's 102 residences are the perfect example of a small neighborhood with a low HOA fee.  All homes are 3 bedrooms and 2 baths with 1800 to 2300 square feet of living space. Blue Heron Pond in Venice FL With no manned guard gate and no community pool, Blue Heron Pond's HOA fee is only $576 annually.  Homes here are not maintenance free, so homeowners are responsible for irrigation and lawn maintenance.  There is no clubhouse or community pool, but a survey of the homes from my exclusive aerial footage shows about 2/3 of the homes have private pools. The 102 single family homes in Blue Heron Pond Blue Heron Pond was built by local builder Caithness Construction, who has a good reputation for quality.  Most homes were built between  2003 and 2005, well before issues wit...

The Bay Point neighborhood in Nokomis, FL may not be specifically on a lot of home buyer's short lists, but it's worth a tour. Homes in Bay Point offer a lot of choice in price.  You can get a canal or waterfront home in the $1 million plus range, or you can buy a more modestly priced home on an interior lot from the high $100's. Bay Point in Nokomis FL offers a range of home prices and styles Bay Point is a peninusla that is south of Albee Road at Tamiami Trail, bordered by Lyons Bay to the west and Dona Bay to the east.  The area is a favorite of boaters, with most homes having no bridges to the Gulf of Mexico. Home owners in Bay Point will also love the close proximity to Nokomis Beach , within easy bike or walking distance. If you're into historical architecture, there are a few Mission style homes built in the 1920's in this area, many of which have been renovated. Contact me for a tour of homes for sale in Bay Point, or visit davidbarrhom...

I got a lot of inquiries about Chateau Venice, an upscale 4-unit condo on Venice Island in Venice FL, when it was first announced back in 2015.  At the time, it was the newest condo being built on the island. The first resale in Chateau Venice is now available for sale.  It's a 3 bedroom furnished top floor unit listed at $689,000.  You can view the MLS information in this link . Chateau Venice on the Island in Venice FL Chateau Venice is just steps to Venice Beach.  There is no community pool or expensive clubhouse or fitness center to maintain, so condo fees are relatively inexpensive at $1000 per quarter, compared to other condos nearby, directly on the beach. Another plus is that Chateau Venice is pet friendly.  Two large pets are allowed.  I have more information on my website . Please contact me for your private showing of this rarely available condo today.

If you missed the news reports, Babcock Ranch in south Charlotte County, FL, is the nation's first 100% solar powered town.  It's so unique and intriguing, I decided to add it to my servicea area. Babcock Ranch is about an hour and fifteen minutes from the Sarasota area.  To get there, take I-75 south, and exit east on Hwy 17 once you cross the Peace River.  On Hwy 17, turn onto Bermont Road and go east until you reach Hwy 31, which is now labelled Babcock Ranch Road.  Turn south, and you'll see the Babcock Ranch main entrance. Babcock Ranch will grow to approximately 20,000 homes with up to 50,000 residents.  It's a master planned community of 18,000 acres, larger than the 10,000 acre West Villages in Venice , and smaller than Lakewood Ranch , with 33,000 acres. Electric trolley in downtown Babcock Ranch Babcock Ranch partnered with FPL to create a 75mw solar farm that powers the town.  Excess power is stored in batteries and supp...

I get a lot of inquiries about Island Court in Venice on the Island. These are two story town homes, with attached garage parking. Most units have elevators. Many buyers will like their ground floor bedroom/office with walk out private patio.  Upstairs, the units feature volume ceilings and open concept floor plans and 2nd story terrace. Units in Island Court are not often on the market.  Let me know if you'd like email updates for this upscale community that's just a short walk to all downtown Venice shops and restaurants.  Expect prices in the high $400's to low $500's.

Venice Island is one of the most desirable real estate destinations in the Venice FL area, and  Bellagio on Venice Island  is unique. It's the only single family neighborhood on  Venice Island  that is gated.  If you're a boater, it's located next to Marine Max, which has a marina with boat slips and indoor storage. Bellagio on Venice Island Homes in Bellagio have a Mediterranean/Tuscan design, are built with concrete block with stucco, and have durable tile roofs.  Most homes were built between 2000 and 2004, with 3 bedrooms and 2 baths, averaging about 1800 square feet of living area.  Inside, buyers will be pleased to find split bedroom floor plans, with kitchens open to the main living spaces in the home. Residents here enjoy a clubhouse, community pool, tennis, and direct access to  The Venetian Waterway Trail , a city park that runs southward to Shamrock Park, and connects with  The Legacy Trail  to the north. Ther...

Marketing in the real estate business is a big topic.  I believe the quality of the marketing for a property directly relates to the quality of the potential buyer of the property. My Broker showed our sales team this photo at our sales meeting this week: I don't need to say much about this, other than I have a lot more sophisticated ways to reach the best potential customers for your Sarasota home for sale, combined with the excellent marketing we have in the Berkshire Hathaway Luxury Collection. Visit my real estate websites for more information:  davidbarrhomes.com for Venice, sarasotadavid.com for Sarasota, and lakewoodranchdavid.com for Lakewood Ranch.