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....

This time of year I'm usually busier with home buyers than I am during our typical seasonal winter months. In the spring and summer, for the past few years, serious buyers are taking a short vacation time to come back to the Sarasota area to buy.  It's a good time to give you an update on what's happening in our real estate market. This morning I got an e-newsletter that showed the Tampa/St. Petersburg market to be in the top 10 nationally for what is considered a "buyer's market".  An increase in the number of homes for sale there, combined with low or flat price increases, is tipping the negotiation scale in favor of home buyers. Sarasota County Single Family Homes April 2019 Stats Sarasota County real estate trends are somewhat similar.  Single family home sales year to year for April show a slight decrease in closed sales in 2019, a flat median sales price, and an increase in the time to contract.  The overall inventory of homes is up as is th...

One of my clients is renovating a home in Sarasota that is walking distance to Phillippi Shores Elementary School, just north of Proctor Rd. and east of Tamiami Trail.  It should be ready for sale by the end of January. The open floor plan of this coming-soon home in Sarasota has lots of light and beautiful solid hardwood floors. This 3/3 home with bonus room/office/4th bedroom features all (real) wood floors, upgraded cabinetry (some hand-crafted), all new appliances, new roof, A/C, and lots of closet space. The master bedroom will have a dual vanity, a spa tub and separate shower stall, and his and her's closets.  The lot has plenty of room to add a pool. If you'd like more information about this home please contact me .

I just updated my website with Sarasota are best real estate deals:   http://www.davidbarrhomes.com/#!best-deals-sarasota/c142p Sarasota best deal on Hillview St. for sale The updated best deals list includes waterfront homes in Bradenton and Englewood, a large newer 2 story home in Venice under $200K, and a couple of affordable homes in Sarasota just east of the Trail, a hot area for both investors and full time residents. Please contact me if you're interested in touring any of these homes.

I've been working the past couple of weeks on an improved Sarasota real estate website to bring you the latest technology and tools for your Sarasota real estate needs.  The new look is easy on the eyes, and new navigation makes it easier to find everything you are looking for. All of my popular content, advice, and Sarasota neighborhood profiles have found new addresses on the web. To update your bookmarks or poke around if you are a first time visitor, please visit my new sitemap,  http://www.davidbarrhomes.com/#!sitemap/cx5k  or visit www.davidbarrhomes.com .

My Sarasota real estate website www.davidbarrhomes.com  has undergone a complete upgrade. Now using HTML5, I've added interactive map search and live MLS listings for over 50 popular Sarasota area neighborhoods. Website navigation is much more streamlined, with access to all major pages available in the main menu. Check it out and let me know what you think.

Touring several properties today in Sarasota with out of town buyers presented a perfect case study in how an experienced buyer's agent is indispensable. Despite the variety of real estate sites and online tools to assist buyers, nothing replaces the local knowledge of a Realtor.  The buyers I was with today had a good general knowledge of the area and selected a few properties to tour.  I threw in a few suggestions, based on experience, to the tour list for properties in communities the buyers were not aware of. It's one thing to look at photos, square footage, and price, from a website, but this alone does not convey the "feel" of the community.  The customers I was with today were very satisfied that the property suggestions I had made resulted in an afternoon well spent.

The topic of the neighborhood specialist is always a cause for debate on real estate websites and blogs. Old school thinking holds that a Realtor who is a neighborhood specialist is the best choice for home buyers and sellers when selecting an agent. I couldn't disagree more. I act primarily as a buyer's agent and I cover a 3-county area on the Gulf Coast of Florida, including Manatee, Sarasota, and Charlotte Counties. Right now I am working with buyers from out of state who have vacationed on a certain barrier island and are ready to purchase a vacation condo.  The market is very active and the shrinking inventory of condos is rapidly pricing these buyers out of the market based on their budget.  After showing these buyers the available options, they are uncomfortable with the compromises they would have to make. Would a typical "neighborhood specialist" have the experience or knowledge to compare different areas and suggest alternatives?  Not likely.  I ha...

I'm working with customers looking for a larger home with an open floor plan. Newer homes have been meeting today's home buyer needs with open floor plans and interesting tile and finishes for years now, but don't rule out older homes.  Renovated older homes in established neighborhoods can offer similar amenities, with the added benefit of a mature landscape setting. I ran across the pictured home below while searching listings and thought this was one of the best examples of a tasteful renovation of an older home I had seen.  The natural fibers of the wall coverings, sisal rug, and window treatments all contribute to a pleasing earth tone palette. Renovated 1981 home with high ceilings, crown molding and today's colors and finishes. The Sarasota area offers a wide variety of real estate for any taste or lifestyle.  Please contact me to help you find your retirement or vacation home.

There's lots of anecdotal evidence that our area is experiencing an early and what looks to be robust "season". For example, just today, a trip to Bradenton for a home inspection that should have taken me 20 minutes took 35.  Every other license plate is from out of state. Afterwards, I went into Home Goods to get some kitchenware to prepare for Thanksgiving.  No parking spaces and the store was jammed.  It's not even Black Friday! While this bodes well for us in the real estate industry, as a home buyer, you will face some challenges with low inventory and the beginnings of a seller's market.  Please contact me with any questions about the local real estate market.  I look forward to being your buyer's agent in what looks to be a very hectic 2014.

Have you been searching for Sarasota, Bradenton, Venice, or Englewood real estate and found the process frustrating? Many of my competitors advertise that you can see listings for these areas on their websites.  This is true, but it takes a bit more work for the consumer.  Most make you go to a blank search form for the MLS, and if you aren't that familiar with our area, the results you get back may not be exactly what you're looking for. When I created davidbarrhomes.com, I put myself in the shoes of the customer.  I have specific pages with real estate listings for over 45 popular local towns, areas, and neighborhoods in the greater Sarasota area.  Want to search for homes west of the Trail in Sarasota?  I have a page for that:   www.davidbarrhomes.com/west_of_trail .  The public MLS does not have a field for this geographic area, and unless you are from the here, you may not be exactly sure of the boundaries for what the locals call west of Tra...