January 31st, 2020 1:31 PM by Linda Holley
Today there are 931 pending sales (homes under contract) this week, up from 901 last week. There were more pending sales in the $200 thousands than any other price point this week. This is awesome news for investors, snow birds, and first-time home buyers.
See chart below for the top selling subdivisions; note the last column $LP/Sq Ft.--list price per square foot. Bay Landing and Promenade on Palmer Ranch are new DR Horton townhomes with the lowest price per square foot. That's because the properties are attached and there is less land for the developer to convey. I'm actually surprised at the high sales for townhomes because generally, Sarasota is a senior market and stairs are not popular. I hope this means that our younger generation is gainfully employed and can now buy their own homes.
I have sold many new DR Horton homes in Sarasota and Venice. Always bring your own real estate salesperson to a new home community. Always! You'd be surprised how the dynamics change when you have help with negotiating and inspections. I like my inspector to see a new home during construction, before the sheetrock goes up and before the county inspects. He'll come back again before closing to help with the punch list items to be corrected by the builder. I share the costs with buyers for these two important inspections for new homes.
Kensington Park, Sarasota Springs, and South Gate are all single family homes built in 1961, 1962, and 1973. From the photos online, most of the older homes on the market have new flooring and newer kitchen cabinets. Because photography is so important, I would advise updating kitchens with white cabinets, painting with light, neutral colors, and installing lighter flooring. Carpet? Not popular with buyers. I urge buyers to have the roofs and plumbing (inside and outside) inspected because these are big-ticket items that would be expensive to replace or repair. If you find an older home with updates, newer roofs, HVACs, and repiped/replumbed, you may be very pleased with the community and convenience. The single family, older homes in the chart below are all in central locations convenient to the beach and downtown Sarasota.
See LindaHrealtor.com to search for homes and blog history. I work with both buyers and sellers, so call me if you would like a market analysis on your home or if you are ready to buy in Sarasota County.
Linda Holley, Realtor, GRI, 941-914-4914.
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