David Barr's Sarasota and Venice Real Estate Blog

It seems you can't watch HGTV or cable news without being bombarded with commericials for different ways to buy and sell your home.  Real estate is a huge part of our economy, and "disruptors" are desperately trying to enter the market.  Zillow has been trying it for years, and is now offering these "instant offers" to buy your home in some markets. The prospect of having a sign in the yard, dealing with showings, negotiating a price, and making repairs, can be stressful for some home owners.  The reality is that you'll be giving up a good chunk of any equity you've earned in your home if you decide to go the "instant offer" route.   If you see a commercial offering to buy your house with an instant offer, and even help you move, it's too good to be true, based on a recent study from MarketWatch. For those of you who are retiring, downsizing, or moving into assisted living, you'll need as much equity from your current home...

2013 was a year of continued sustainable growth in the Manatee County FL real estate market. Manatee County includes the well known cities of Bradenton, Lakewood Ranch, Palmetto, Parrish, and Ellenton.  The 2013 median sales price of single family homes increased to $215,000, an 18% increase over 2012's $182,000 median sales price. Condos in Manatee County fared slightly better, with a 21% increase in 2013 and a median sales price of $127,500. Interestingly, Manatee County's median single family price was higher than Sarasota County for 2013.  While Sarasota is generally considered slightly more expensive than Manatee, the Manatee number likely was bolstered by a flurry of new home construction at higher price points. The numbers are reversed for condos.  Sarasota had a higher median sales price than Manatee County at $165,500, while the median sales price for Sarasota condos only increased 10% over 2012. Please visit my real estate website for 10 year sales tr...

As if the widely used (sarcasm) Benderson Park rowing basin and the huge new mall at the intersection of I-75 and University Parkway weren't enough, developers and politicians are already rubbing their greedy hands together at the prospect of more commercial development and the tax money that comes with it. Read this article about Lakewood Center in Lakewood Ranch:   http://www.bradenton.com/2013/10/27/4794668/lakewood-centre.html Is it just me or did many of us escape to Florida to avoid this kind of sprawl and the traffic congestion it brings?  

Lakewood Ranch real estate represents an illustrative microcosm of what is happening in our local real estate market. I took a look at all sales (single family and condo) for Lakewood Ranch year to date, and compared with the same period last year.  Here are the results: Year      #Units Sold      Median Sales Price    LP/SP Ratio     Days to Close     Sold $/Sq Ft 2012            213                 $265,000                     96%                  189                 $130.06 2011   ...