David Barr's Sarasota and Venice Real Estate Blog

A survey by the National Asociation of Realtors shows that over 70% of home sellers talk to one agent when they list their home for sale. As a Sarasota FL area home owner, it's time to do more research when selecting the right Realtor to list your home for sale. We are seeing a huge number of homes go off the MLS once listed, and it's usually due to being overpriced.  Has your Sarasota home listing expired , after sitting on the market for weeks and months, with showings but no offers? Make one more call to me, and find out how my targeted approach will produce a buyer.  People searching online for a home (94% of home buyers) in your specific neighborhood or condo building is the best type of buyer.  Think about it:  buyers searching for "sarasota fl real estate" are not at the end of their discovery journey.  A buyer looking at targeted properties will prevent a horde of tire kickers in your home, and will reduce the time it takes to sell your home....

UPDATE 3/15/2014:  The links here are no longer valid but the content remains accessible.  Please visit my website's main page, www.davidbarrhomes.com , and use the new and improved navigation to find your ideal Sarasota home or condo. Every Realtor has (or should have) a public MLS search function on their website. In reality, the public MLS sites often don't provide easily searchable neighborhood or property style options. On my Sarasota real estate website davidbarrhomes.com , make sure you click on the drop down menu at the upper right of each page labeled "more choices".  There are links to several pages on my website that provide MLS listings for: Villas Townhomes Gated single family homes Owner financing Pool homes (homes with a private pool only) Investment single family homes 55 and over properties for sale New homes built since 2012 Vacant lots and land

If you're planning a trip to Sarasota to look at homes (and buy!), I realize your time here is valuable.  Here's some tips to make sure we maximize your time viewing homes and condos: Allow at least 24 hours notice for showings.  Please let me know where you are staying, which days you would like to see properties, and what times of the day you plan on being available before you arrive; Narrow down your price range.  There are 272 single family homes for sale as of this writing between $150-$200,000 in Sarasota County; Tell me your preferred area.  If you've never been to Sarasota, Venice, Englewood, or Bradenton, your first visit probably is better spent experiencing the different towns and neighborhoods we have to offer; Have your source of funds ready to go.  If you are a cash buyer, you'll need to have proof of funds to accompany your offer.  If you are getting a mortgage, you'll need a pre-qualification letter from your lender; Forget about Zil...