David Barr's Sarasota and Venice Real Estate Blog

I recently put out some statistics for the Sarasota real estate market.  From real world experiences, I can tell you that the stats are somewhat misleading. I believe that prices, and the dollar volume of sold properties, is flat versus last year is because listing agents are overpricing homes for sale. Working with two sets of out of town home buyers over the past two weeks illustrates what's happening in the real world. In both cases, the buyers made offers on homes that had a recent, significant price reduction, one in Lakewood Ranch and another in Sarasota.  In both cases, the buyers were in multiple offer situations, after the homes had sat on the market for weeks. We are past income tax season, and with many of our area's home buyers coming from out of state and selling their homes up north, our local real estate market is experiencing a high level of home buyer activity. One piece of good news, particularly for home owners in Lakewood Ranch, is that the n

This time of year I'm usually busier with home buyers than I am during our typical seasonal winter months. In the spring and summer, for the past few years, serious buyers are taking a short vacation time to come back to the Sarasota area to buy.  It's a good time to give you an update on what's happening in our real estate market. This morning I got an e-newsletter that showed the Tampa/St. Petersburg market to be in the top 10 nationally for what is considered a "buyer's market".  An increase in the number of homes for sale there, combined with low or flat price increases, is tipping the negotiation scale in favor of home buyers. Sarasota County Single Family Homes April 2019 Stats Sarasota County real estate trends are somewhat similar.  Single family home sales year to year for April show a slight decrease in closed sales in 2019, a flat median sales price, and an increase in the time to contract.  The overall inventory of homes is up as is th

Don't forget Nokomis FL if you're in the market for a home in the Sarasota or Venice area. Nokomis has a convenient location just south of Sarasota. You can take advantage of the amenities in both cities. If you're a boater, you'll love the selection of homes for sale on canals that lead to the intracoastal waterway.  From Nokomis, there's no bridges to the Gulf of Mexico heading south to the Venice Jetty. If you're a beach person, Nokomis Beach is relatively uncrowded compared to Siesta Key.  There's lots of parking, with easy beach access.  For quick casual places to eat or a cold adult beverage, you can visit Shark Tooth Beach Concessions just south of the main public parking area.  Pops Sunset Grill is my personal favorite, and they recently added a huge tiki bar overlooking the ICW.  Pops is on the mainland, right next to Gulf Harbor Marina before you cross Albee Bridge. Nokomis real estate ranges between starter home cottages in the h