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.

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...

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...