Sarasota Real Estate News

Good morning,

Thank you!  According to Google Analytics this morning, a total of 9,738 people read my blog the past 30 days, and 622 entered my website, LindaHrealtor.com, through my blog posts (under Home tab).  There are many pages with helpful real estate information, but my blogs are, by far, the most popular.  It shows what I’ve been up to in real estate the past 3 years, good or bad.

Good news!  I have joined Team Dunn with Siesta Key’s Michael Saunders and Co.  My teammates, Lin and Maurice, are among our company’s top agents and are THE BEST in marketing and negotiating; they have received the 5-Star Client Satisfaction Award for 8 years.   Together, Team Dunn offers of 50 years’ real estate expertise to the Sarasota community.   I’m very excited!

Team Dunn and I worked together to market and sell 5302 Cape Leyte Drive in Siesta Isles, just a short walk to Siesta Key’s public beach.  That home is under contract today, and we close next month.  Friday, I pulled the neighborhood statistics for Siesta Isles, and here’s what I found:   This home was under contract in 76 days, and the average days on the market is 74 days.  It has some very nice updates, a newer roof and HVAC, plus it was very clean and clutter-free.  The Seller listened:  they got an appraisal, and we had a range for negotiating purposes.  Buyers saw this home at one of my open houses.   BUT current listings in Siesta Isles have been on the market 167 days, and if I were one of those Realtors, I would be very worried and talking to Sellers about price reductions, because most of these homes are much farther from the beach than our Cape Leyte listing.  My marketing material going out to that neighborhood this week will recommend getting an appraisal if a resident is thinking about selling.  It’s about location, location, location, and on Siesta, “How far do I have to walk before my tired toes are in that beautiful, warm white sand?”

Thinking about relocating to Sarasota?  I recommend it!  My family relocated here from Atlanta, and it’s simply an awesome place to raise a family.  The schools are excellent, and there are wonderful recreational facilities, parks, and performing arts.   Most of the jobs here are in education, the service industry or medical field.  When I first came to Sarasota, I could not sell real estate (because I was involved in a 3-year lawsuits, with contractors and realtors in the southwest over some ski condos that I invested in), so I did a variety of things until we settled the cases.   I was a Kelly Girl and had some cool assignments all over town, and in between, I “drove Miss Daisy” to medical appointments and did home health care at some very nice rehabilitation centers.  People should not tell me that they can’t find a job, because I worked during the recession in a new town.  Some of this will be in my book about my lawsuits, Motion to Intervene, that will be available in Barnes and Noble and Amazon this fall.  Thinking about buying a new home?  Wait for my book and you’ll know how to check out the contractors and Realtors and why I recommend using an attorney to review contracts and for closing.

Millennials are 34% of home buyers and over 66% plan to purchase a new home within the next 5 years.  They are better informed about their options than any other generation before them.  They will buy a $200 pair of jeans after they try on 67 different pairs. The way that they shop for homes is no different--and they prefer to work with real estate agents.   

Getting your home ready to sell?  Here’s how to make your home more attractive to Millennials:

Make all necessary repairs and upgrades before listing. 

Consider updating kitchens and baths - these have always sold homes, but now they are more important than ever. 

Do an energy efficiency audit and make upgrades anywhere you can, including solar panels. 

Consider upgrading any old appliances. 

Install smart home features like programmable thermostats. 

They prefer open floor plans, home offices, and good internet/cell services. 

Since more than three-quarters of Millennial home buyers find the listings online, good photography is everything.  They drive by first, and then contact a realtor to make an appointment.  

Most get their down payments from their parents, so negotiating a Seller credit to Buyers at closing will appeal to Mom and Dad—who will probably come along on the showings. 

(How Millennials Are Changing the Housing Market by John White, Founder and CMO, Social Marketing Solutions@juanblanco76)

Linda’s List!

Below are my picks for this week – to see photos, go to LindaHrealtor.com and enter the MLS number beginning with “A” in the Home Search field.  Call me if you are in town and want to see!

A4189950, Siesta condo – 6266 Midnight Pass Road, #404, Excelsior Condominiums, gulf view, 2 BR 2BA, $749,000, 1,253 sq ft, pet-friendly, furnished with washer/dryer.  Great rental!   Listed by Team Dunn.

A4169402, Whitfield Estates community near Sarasota Bradenton Airport – European charm: 1198 Longfellow Way, Shadybrook Village, 3 BR 2.5 BA, 1408 sq ft, price reduced to $139,000, updates, landscaped front entry, gated outdoor living area, furnished, new HVAC, pet-friendly (up to 100 pounds).  Listed by Team Dunn. 

Thinking about listing your home?  Now is an excellent time!  I hold Open Houses all year, but I meet local Sarasota residents this time of the year.   A local friend and customer pointed out that locals don’t get out as much during the winter when our seasonal residents are here.  We wait until there is less traffic and there’s a shorter wait time at restaurants.  So don’t be afraid to put your home on the market this summer or fall, because there’s a good chance your Buyer is already here. 

That’s all for today, please don’t text and drive, and do call me at 941-914-4914 if I can answer your questions about Sarasota real estate, Siesta condos, or homes in Venice, Florida.   “Check me out on Facebook”

https://www.facebook.com/LindaHolleyLLC/

Most sincerely yours,

Linda Holley, Realtor, GRI, Team Dunn, 5100 Ocean Blvd, Siesta Key, Florida  34242, Michael Saunders & Company

PRICE REDUCTION!  5302 Cape Leyte Drive, walk to Siesta Beach.  2 BR 2BA with den on large lot, now $619K, Open House Sunday, April 2, 1-4 p.m.

JUST SOLD!  New 4BR pool home in Venice to an Indiana family, very savvy Buyers, a real estate family.  We met at my Open House in 2015 at the Country Club of Sarasota, when they were in town visiting friends.  Their plan was to relocate to Sarasota the summer of 2016.    They did everything right – here’s how:  

1. Found their Realtor (me!) at an Open House in Sarasota and told me their plan.
2. Obtained loan pre-approval from MSC Mortgage so they knew how much they wanted to spend.
3. Thoroughly researched the Sarasota real estate market through MLS listings I sent--plus their own exploring on Zillow, and Trulia.
4. Got their home ready to sell, priced it right, and it sold very quickly.
5. We visited Sarasota and Venice new homes and resales last summer, comparing locations, schools, and amenities.
6. Educated themselves about the area schools.
7. Chose Venice, Florida, a smaller but fast-growing town with a great restaurants, beach, good schools, offering larger homes at affordable prices.
8. Realized that they did not need to live on a golf course.
9. Chose a subdivision with very easy access to I-75, so they could be in Sarasota to work and visit friends in just 20 minutes.
10. Decided to buy a new home during the construction phase; found the floor plan and lot for a pool home.
11. Negotiated and re-negotiated with builder on incentives.
12. Once under contract, immediately obtained a pool sketch from a pool contractor. Oops! Due to a setback, there was not room for a regular size pool, contrary to what we were told by the on-site agent. Cancelled the contract and found a larger lot that would accommodate their desired floor plan with a lap pool.
13. Rented two different furnished homes in Venice until they closed on March 30th.  This was not easy but they followed their intuition and it all worked out for them.  So happy!
14. Kept an eye on the construction progress and discovered that the wrong kitchen back splash was installed. Mistake corrected by the builder.
15. They are in their new home, and husband is on his way from Indiana to Sarasota driving a truck with their furniture that has been in storage since August.

Linda’s List:

A4180498 - 5302 Cape Leyte Drive, in Siesta Isles, Siesta Key, 2BR 2BA den, garage, many updates, newer kitchen cabinets, HVAC, turnkey furnished, approx. 1/3 of an acre, walk to Siesta Beach, impeccably maintained, 1,649 sq ft, reduced to $619,000. 

A4179716 – 4871 Tivoli Ave, off University Parkway, Longwood Villas, near University Town Center Mall and Sarasota Bradenton Airport, 3BR 2BA villa with garden view, updates, 1,990 sq ft, $310,000. 

A4165887 – 800 N. Tamiami Trail #815, Alinari, 2BR 2BA condo overlooking Sarasota Bay downtown, 1,323 sq ft, $525,000.   

Go to my home page www.LindaHrealtor.com and enter the MLS number beginning with “A” in the home search field to see photos and more information. I’m here to help you negotiate the best deal possible, so don’t hesitate to contact me at 941-914-4914 if I can answer any Sarasota real estate questions.  Email me at LindaHRealtor@gmail.com if you would like to be added to my weekly blog posts about Sarasota real estate.

Thanks for reading my blog!

Most sincerely yours,

Linda Holley

Realtor, GRI

Michael Saunders & Company