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 AARP Article

434 N Casey Key Road ~ $4,850,000

3005 Casey Key Road ~ $4,500,000

526 N Casey Key Road ~ $4,375,000

937 Casey Key Road ~ $3,750,000

609 Casey Key Road ~ $3,450,000

1002 N Casey Key Road ~ $3,400,000

2007 Casey Key Road ~ $3,200,000

2509 Casey Key Road ~ $3,097,500

3610 Casey Key Road ~ $2,549,000

2208 Casey Key Road ~ $2,425,000

417 Casey Key Road ~ $2,295,000

3210 Casey Key Road ~ $2,000,000

4005 Casey Key Road ~ $1,945,000

4024 Casey Key Road ~ $1,600,000

3858 Casey Key Road ~ $1,340,000

1020 Gulf Winds Way ~ $1,055,000

1210 Casey Key Road ~ $890,000

1208 Casey Key Road ~ $730,000

This is great news for the real estate market here in Sarastoa and Brandenton but also great news for the local economy as a whole.  As a result the median sales price up $20,000 from the February low.   Some want to be cautious saying that more foreclosures as adjustable-rate mortgages rest in higher payments at the same time more people are losing their jobs may could turn our recover around.  But they aren’t taking into account that fact that this is Sarasota.  Most likely the most desired place to live in the country.  People will buy up those foreclosures as they have already this year and the market will continue on this current course of recovery.  You can take that to the bank.

Sarasota Herald Tribune

Sarasota-Bradenton builders started only 236 single-family housing units during the first quarter of 2009.

Florida Association of Realtors data from March showed the median sales price in Sarasota-Bradenton up $6,000 from the previous month to $150,000.

“Sarasota is a little more ahead of the curve in getting rid of the existing inventory,” said Polito, director for the greater Tampa Bay area that includes Sarasota and Manatee counties. “We’ve seen prices correct a little more quickly than in other Florida markets and prices have stabilized in the last three months.”

The affordability of homes and condos is the best it has been in years, while availability — of credit, of being able to sell a home up north to buy a retirement abode here — is at a decades-long low, Polito said.

“So affordability is the best it has been in a long time and inventory is down, too, so those are good trends,” Polito said. “Venice, Sarasota and even up into Bradenton are all doing better.

Herald Tribune Article

Hanalei Bay ~ Kauai

 Here in Sarasota, Florida, we are very proud to have been selected as number 2 by Dr. Beach.

Siesta Key Beach

The sunset last night Saturday, May 23, 2009, at Siesta Key Beach was nothing short of spectacular.

Siesta Key Sunset

Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody’s Economy.com, facetiously picked a date when home prices would stop falling: Dec. 15, 2009. Other observers weren’t so precise, but they did generally agree that the federal government’s efforts to shore up the market would take effect by the end of 2009 or early in 2010.

Analysts also predicted that consumers will spend less on remodeling. Eric Belsky, executive director at Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies, predicted that spending on remodeling would fall 12.3 percent by the end of this year compared to last.

Analysts project that the credit crisis will loosen, although people with blemished credit records may continue to have trouble getting mortgage loans.

Source: The Wall Street Journal, June Fletcher (04/24/2009)

One Sarasota realtor reported that pending sales had tripled this past month and closed sales were up 50%

Statewide, sales rose 30 percent in March. National the median price rose 4.2 percent from a month ago.

And, the number of unsold homes on the market fell 1.6 percent in March from a month

Other positive signs are continued low mortgage rates and the $8,000 tax credit for first-time home buyers.  Buyer traffic has been rising.

Here at Signature Sotheby’s International Realty we are seeing a significant increase in contracts being written and transactions being closed.  It has been a rough almost 4 years, but it is pretty clear that the bottom is behind us.  With that in mind we caution buyers to not wait too long. Many of the best homes here is Sarasota are selling and others will not be available for long.

Sarasota Florida Real Estate is at an all time great value.  Sarasota is rated as one of the top places in the country to live, work and play. See for your self. There are right now some incredible values on Casey Key, Siesta Key, The Oaks and Longboat Key.  Fabuolous water front homes are selling for a fraction of what they were a few years ago. Now is the time to buy. We look forward to helping you.

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