David Barr's Sarasota and Venice Real Estate Blog

Popular with Europeans and well known by the locals, it's surprising that many home buyers who ask me about beach homes in the Sarasota area are not very familiar with Anna Maria Island. Anna Maria Island (locally referred to as AMI) is a barrier island north of Longboat Key in Manatee County.  There are three towns on the island:  the town of Anna Maria, Holmes Beach, and Bradenton Beach. Anna Maria Island beaches rival those of Siesta Key in color and texture.  Unlike Siesta Key, however, Anna Maria is not lined with mid and high rise condo buildings.  Anna Maria and Holmes Beach have quaint shopping districts that give these communities a laid back vibe.  You can even ride the free trolley to get around without a car.  Even better, the island is fairly narrow. The beaches are just a short walk from the bay side of the island. Renovated home in Holmes Beach for sale $669,000 Anna Maria cottage for sale $364,500 New home in Holmes Beach f...

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...