David Barr's Sarasota and Venice Real Estate Blog

There's a lot of home and condo buyers in the Venice FL area, and over half of them are paying cash.  This suggests two things about our market: 1) Cash buyers are renovating and flipping; 2) Cash buyers are holding and renting for cash flow. In either scenario, how you stage the property for sale and the colors you pick create an emotional (positive or negative) reaction in a potential new buyer. One of the things that can create the biggest emotional reaction is paint color.  And there's one paint color you should avoid in FL at all costs:  RED. This bathroom color may be great in cold Norway, the NE US or Canada, but the color red does not work in Florida. Red is hot.  Red is danger.  Red means stop.  Florida is hot.  So don't use this color in your home.  Florida home buyers want soothing, cooling spaces after being out in the Florida sun and heat. The pale green glass tile makes this bath feel more sedate and cool. If yo...

Today I took a tour of a home builder's design center and found some interesting contrasts in design elements they are presenting for kitchens in their Venice FL new homes for sale. One of the trends is for a contrasting cabinet color for the kitchen island space.  The white color of this island makes it seem like it is floating in space against the light floor, retaining the feeling of openness in it's use in an open floor plan. The builder also provided more traditional cabinet colors and stone counter top colors.  The counter top material on the island in this picture is actually a laminate, with an embossed natural stone pattern. There are 4 different counter top choices in this kitchen below.  Notice how the dark cabinets draw the eye in, as opposed to a light or a white cabinet that would blend and make the space appear bigger. Remember, design is a personal choice.  But, if you're preparing a home for resale, or buying a starter home and nee...