(Continued with Photos Below)
Summertime is here and so are the visitors to the Florida gulf coast. As of 10:00 a.m. today, there was plenty of room on the beach. As I walked on the mat towards my car, I heard someone say, "How could a person not smile when they come here?" Children attending Sarasota County Park and Recreation's summer camp were sand sculpting castles and other creations.
Last weekend, my granddaughter graduated from Riverview High School, one of three top-rated high schools in the area. There were family activities planned for five days and family came from New York to South Carolina. A friend and I decided to duck out a couple of days and explore downtown Tampa. We actually met another Sarasota family at the hotel who also came to Tampa for a weekend getaway. I was amazed at how much fun I had been missing by not understanding that Tampa is a bedroom community of Sarasota, not vise-versa.
We stayed at the Sheraton Riverwalk hotel--the heartbeat of downtown Tampa, with amazing amenities and large pool that overlooks the Riverwalk and the fresh-water Hillsborough River. From our balcony, we watched pontoons, boats, kayaks, walkers, and joggers out enjoying the Riverwalk. We caught a Uber to the Margarita Festival, enjoying a variety of drinks and the best handmade beef empanadas.
The Pirate Water Taxi is an inexpensive and easy way to see the many amenities around the Tampa Riverwalk. It is $30 per person but there is a senior discount. Coolest thing about this is that your one-day ticket can get you off and on at the various stops. We caught the taxi at about 6:30 p.m., and enjoyed the sunset, cooler temperature, a nice breeze coming off the water, and the Tampa skyline at night. There are 18 stops on the water taxi from the Convention Center, Tampa General Hospital, Sheraton/Hilton, Tampa Museum of Art, Glazer's Children Museum, Straz Performing Arts Center, Ulele's Restaurant, and Rick's on the River Bar and Restaurant--just to name a few! Now we know that we could have taken the water taxi to the Margarita Festival which was at Julian B. Lane Park.
Don't want to spend the night in Tampa? There is public parking 3 blocks from the Sheraton, so certainly this would be a fun day trip.
Sarasota's Bayfront 2020 project will offer similar venues as Tampa's Riverwalk. The Sarasota City Commissioners have embraced the project and the best of Sarasota is yet to come. In in the meantime...check out Tampa's Riverwalk. We all know that other parts of Florida--even Tampa--falls short of our Siesta Key Beach, THE #1 Beach in the USA. I'm at 941-914-4914 if I can help you with your Sarasota, Siesta Key, and Venice, Florida real estate questions and needs.
Most sincerely yours,
Linda Holley, Realtor, GRI WWW.LindaHrealtor.com and LindaHrealtor.com/blog
Siesta Key Young Sun Bunnies
Linda’s List! This week, there are three must-see properties on my list. The first is my Open House today at 5302 Cape Leyte Drive on Siesta Key, Sarasota, Florida 34242 from 1:00 until 4:00 p.m. $639,000. Photos are on my website www.LindaHrealtor.com. Single family home is centrally located between Siesta public beach (rated the number one beach in the USA) and the Village, in the heart of Siesta Isles. This 2-bedroom plus den or home office has an open floor plan and a beautiful view all the way from the front door to the back yard--a tropical dream with 22 mature palm trees on nearly one-third of an acre. Den or home office also serves as a guest room with a sleeper sofa. This home boasts of a garage and large, east-facing front patio to enjoy the morning sun and west-facing eat-in kitchen, den or home office overlooking a covered screened lanai with two concrete decks for beautiful, relaxing sunset views, and perfect place to entertain. Plenty of room for a pool or addition. Other features: large walk-in closet in the master bedroom and many updates to include wood cabinetry in the kitchen, hurricane windows, new hurricane garage door, and a newer AC. Very warm with welcoming plenty of storage space to keep your household items and tools organized. VERY CLEAN and turnkey furnished – a must-see! Deed restrictions make Siesta Isles a very appealing location to call home. CORRECTION MY LAST BLOG: The porch/back lanai is screened, not glass, and this single family home has hurricane windows. MLS A4180498
1753 Dawn Street, 2BR condo, walk to Crescent beach on Siesta, beautifully updated, $210,000. Furniture optional. MLS A4180000 Listed by Michael Saunders & Company
554 Dove Pointe, Oaks Golf and Country Club in Osprey, FL, 3,509 sq ft pool home, listed for $979,000. 4BR plus den, spacious kitchen, quality finishes, expansive outdoor living area. MLS A4179513 Listed by Michael Saunders and Company.
Please go to my website: www.LindaHrealtor.com and search for these properties by entering the MLS number in the home search field.
VA Loans! Did you know…?
I can help military members and veterans find their new home, negotiate a deal, and refer them to lenders who know how to process these loans?
- 75 percent of military families say that owning a home is one of the most important things to them when they return home from service.
- Most military members and veterans do not quality for conventional loans due to the down payment requirement.
- VA loans have lower closing costs, lower interest rates, and flexible underwriting.
- Members serving in the Reserves or National Guard are eligible for VA loans after 6 years of duty.
- They may borrow up to $417,000 without a down payment in most parts of the country.
- They can use their VA loans multiple times and they can have multiple VA loans at the same time depending on the amount of the entitlement used in the first home.
- There are no pre-payment penalties.
- It’s important to connect with a lender who understands the different rules and how they are applied--and to work with a realtor who knows what closing costs the veteran may and may not pay. That’s important when negotiating the best deal with Sellers!
- The VA backed 630,000 loans in 2013, up 370 percent from 2007!! That is simply awesome!
- The VA Centers in Sarasota are looking for volunteers so if you have a few hours a week to spare, this is a very worthwhile way to give back to our veterans.
Have an awesome week and do call me at 941-914-4914 if I can assist you with home buying or selling in Sarasota, Palmer Ranch, Siesta, or Venice, Florida. Need a good realtor outside of this area? I’ll connect you with the best through our Relocation Department.
Linda Holley, Realtor, GRI
Comparing real estate sales for April 2015 to the same month last year....
A total of 56 properties sold on Siesta Beach in April 2014 and in April 2015, a total of 53 sold, so we did not realize an increase in the number of homes sold.
Since most Buyers I meet are looking for two bedroom, two bath units, here are the statistics: The average price increased from $349,000 to $370,000. Looking at price per square foot, the best values were in Vista Hermosa, Anchorage, Peppertree Bay, and Turtle Bay Section 3. Properties are staying on the market fewer days in Siesta Harbor. None of these communities mentioned are pet-friendly, and they are not weekly rentals.
If you are looking for a property under $200,000, then consider one bedroom properties on Siesta or go farther south into Osprey, Nokomis, or Venice.
Let me know if you would like more information about real estate on Siesta Beach, Palmer Ranch, or Sarasota.
Linda Holley
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