David Barr's Sarasota and Venice Real Estate Blog

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.

A recent conversation with a home buyer reminded me that buyer and seller perception of the real estate market is rarely on the same page. In the past few weeks I've worked with buyers who submitted low offers and did not receive counter-offers back from the sellers, either from a bank or from a home owner in a traditional sale.  Obviously, the market of two and three years ago when it was a buyer's market no longer exists. I've been telling buyers we are in a strong seller's market.  If a property is priced correctly, you can possibly expect to negotiate in a range between 3 to 5% off listing price.  Sellers are no longer accepting or negotiating with low offers. Sales data for the last 5 years show sales prices gradually climbing to 96% of the list price in Sarasota County as a whole, a statistic mirrored when looking at properties with a Venice, FL address. Of course, you need the skills and experience of a Realtor to help you determine if the list price of ...