Sarasota Real Estate News

My sincere thoughts and prayers for the victims of the earthquakes and Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria.  It’s been a nail-biting season, but remember that hurricanes are cyclical.  We always go through a few years where we see many, and then it stops for several years.  This part of west coast Florida has not had a direct hit since hurricane records were kept beginning in the mid-1800’s.  Is it because of the 30’ sandbar off the coast, or the old Indian legend that this area is “protected” and that is why early settlers came here?   Google “Herald Tribune the Legend of Sarasota Storm Protection.”

 

Michael Saunders & Company Realtors worked very hard to get furniture moved in at properties we have on the market, and then went back in to check for damages, take photos, and clean up “freezer melt” on the floors.  Our Rental Division moved furniture in for 400 homes.   On the gulf side of Siesta Key Beach, there was minimal damage—mostly limbs and branches, a true miracle.  One former Buyer asked me to check his condo in Peppertree, and there was a little water intrusion above the lanai windows.   I have a unit under contract in Excelsior with a direct gulf view, and there was no water intrusion.  Hurricane Irma’s winds came in Sarasota from the east, so the properties facing the beach (west) did not have direct hits, so our beautiful white sand beach is still intact. 

 

I evacuated with Burt Reynolds (my cocker spaniel dog--photo below) to north Georgia, but my family stayed here until the last minute.  Even though we suffered no damage to our homes, I still know the panic, fearing for the lives of family, teammates, and friends who chose to ride out the storm; grabbing important papers, a few photos, and driving 35 miles an hour for a 16-hour trip that should have taken 8 hours.   My family has a cabin on Lake Hartwell in North Georgia, which they offered to me.   My first thought was, “Of course, I won’t stay here, I’ll be happy to stay in your beautiful lake cabin.”  But the guilt of enjoying their place while they faced the danger of Hurricane Irma  got to me, and I cried most of the way to Georgia and the next few days until I knew they were out of Florida and safe.   What I fear now is that Sarasotans have a false sense of security and won’t evacuate when the next storm is expected.  And I learned a lot about my customers, friends and family who offered their homes and others across the country who were concerned and checked in.  Thank you all!

 

Many people are still without power here; in Cherokee Park, huge trees fell on power lines and need to be removed by cranes before electricity can be restored.  New properties on the east coast are built to hurricane standards to withstand winds of 180 mph but the west coast standard for new construction is 160 mph.  Our new Edgewater condos are built to east-coast standards.  Two days before the storm, we had two new reservations at the new Grand condominiums.   A Buyer walked away from a transaction for a gulf-front property, and then came back after the storm and offered $250,000 less, and the Seller accepted it.  We are expecting a surge in new construction sales because people who went to shelters for days vow that they will never do that again.   Homeowners will be installing hurricane windows and buying hurricane shutters.  Will the cost of new homes increase because of building materials needed to repair the homes in Florida?

 

Here are 11 apps to keep people in the know and help them cope with Hurricane Irma:

Redcross.org/mobile-apps/hurricane-app (alerts, ways to connect with family/friends).

NOAA Radar US (weather radar images).

Weather Underground (weather app).

Waze (traffic and road conditions).

Tracker.gasbuddy.com (finding available gas).

Zello (free walkie-talkie).

Snap Map (Snapchat – sharing your location).

Nextdoor (Neighbors helping neighbors).

WhatsApp (Fast, simple, secure messaging).

Firechat (communicate with people around you).

Headspace (Yoga). 

 

The west coast of Florida is open for business!  We are recommending that Sellers get a 4-point inspection of their homes which includes plumbing, electrical, and the roof. 

Sarasota’s Palmer Ranch new construction!  There are TEN new home communities within a five-mile radius of zip code 34238, and this is inland about 15 miles from Siesta Key Beach and Nokomis Beach. 

 

Linda’s List – Properties listed by Michael Saunders & Company; go to www.LindaHrealtor.com and enter the MLS number below that begins with “A” in the home search field:

A4190275 - 144 N. Casey Key Road.  4BR 5BA $4.5 million “House of Dreams.”

A4195593 – 5772 Ivrea Drive in Village Walk, 2BR 2BA, $325k, kitchen and master updated.

A4194773, 3940 Wilshire Cir E., Lakeshore Village, 2BR 2BA, $262K, immaculate and updated.

 

Thank you for reading my blog, please don’t text and drive, and remember those whose lives have been torn apart in Texas, Mexico, south Florida, and the Caribbean with the recent storms and earthquakes.  I’m at 941-914-4914, www.LindaHrealtor.com, so please call me if I can assist you with your real estate needs in Sarasota, Venice, or Siesta Key on Florida’s west coast.

Most sincerely yours,

Linda


Linda Holley and Burt Reynolds

Sarasota's Palmer Ranch community has it all from new homes to great schools and just a few minutes to Siesta Beach!  Here are the hottest selling communities over the past six months in Palmer Ranch.  #1 is VillageWalk, built in 2004, $200-$500's.  #2 Stoneybrook, built in the 1990's, $200-300's. #3 Isles of Sarasota, built 2006+, $200's-400's, and #4 Deer Creek, built in early 1990's, $300-$600's.  What's so appealing about many of these communities?  Many have single family homes and villas, and most have a 24/7 gate guard for security.  NEW CONSTRUCTION!  Arbor Lakes is outselling Sandhill Preserve three to one because of pricing and builder incentives.  Give me a call...I'll take you there, I'm happy to say that one couple who just relocated here with their family found everything they wanted and needed at Arbor Lakes and I was their referring realtor! Thank you Gary and Patty!!!  

Recipes!  I'm updating my recipes regularly thanks to my awesome food-loving southwestern family and southern Facebook Friends.  See my Recipe tab at www.PalmerRanchLindaHolley.com and visit me on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/lindaholleyllc

Have a great weekend!  
Linda

Today's blog provides real estate facts about Palmer Ranch, Siesta Key, and Country Club of Sarasota and information about upcoming meetings concerning rezoning an area of Palmer Ranch for multi-family housing.

Siesta.  During the last month, 41 properties sold on Siesta, and my favorites are Midnight Cove II (pet friendly, weekly rentals) for $290,000 and Peppertree (not pet friendly, quarterly rentals) for $300,000.  Both of these properties have easy access to the beach and bay.  The best deal on Siesta last month was a single family home that sold for $425,000 at 818 Plymouth.  In the past, cash buyers ruled, but the trend is now financed purchases, so most of the homes on Siesta that sold the past 30 days were financed.   

Gulf and Bay Bayside.  I'm currently holding Open Houses at 1269 Siesta Bayside Drive, a community on the bay that has beach access through Gulf and Bay.  This condo is a 2BR 2BA, 1,280 square feet, recently renovated, with a large lanai.  It's ground floor with no neighbors above, and fee simple with a 2 car garage.  The community is replacing the roofs, and there was an owner assessment; so my recommendation anytime you are considering purchasing a condo, pay careful attention to the financial stability of the homeowners association.  Best case is that there is money in the reserves to take care of maintenance and repair.  ALWAYS get a copy of the homeowners association minutes and do your homework!

Palmer Ranch:  48 homes sold, most of which were financed.  39 single family homes sold and 17 had private pools.  More homes sold in VillageWalk, followed by Arbor Lakes (new construction), and Huntington Pointe.  The best deals were in Marbella, Wellington Chase, and VillageWalk.

Botanica at Palmer Ranch: There are five great condos on the market in gated/maintenance-free Botanica, and the three homeowners associations are very financially stable.  Roof repairs/replacements do not result in thousands of dollars of owner special assessments.  You can get a 2BR 2BA condo with a garage for $289,000 and a 3BR 2BA with garage from $300,000.  Resort-style amenities with two heated pools are selling points.

Country Club of Sarasota.  3828 Spyglass Hill Road sold for $510,000, with 2,763 square feet, sold price/sq ft was $185.  I'm holding Open Houses tomorrow and next Sunday at 3870 Spyglass Hill, a home with 3,300 square feet, a golf course view, private/resurfaced pool priced at $519,000, and listed at $149 per square feet.  This home has been recently reduced, and the Sellers are ready to move on.  The nice thing about Country Club of Sarasota is the Serendipity Club with varying memberships at very affordable prices.  See SarasotaSports.com.  Membership in the Club is optional, and membership is also open to the public.  I was a member of a private club in Atlanta, and it's very nice to go to a place "where everyone knows your name."   

Public Meetings!  Save The Cowfield SRQ is a group that opposes building four-story apartments at the corner of Sawyer Loop and Northridge in Palmer Ranch, just south of Clark Road.  Owned by California builder/investor A.G. Spanos, the company proposes to change the current zoning for this multi-family complex, which will adversely impact traffic, blocking Wellington Crest subdivision's natural view, and affect the Palmer Ranch property values and wildlife.  See SaveTheCowfieldSRQ.com    I imagine that the buyers of the new homes at Cobblestone would not be happy to know that this initiative is underway, very close to their new development.  I'm getting involved, won't you help?

Those interested in opposing the zoning change are asked to:
1.  Sign a petition (see website)  SaveTheCowfieldSRQ.com
2.  Attend a community meeting at the Gulf Gate Library the evening August 19 (more details to follow on the website)
3.  Attend a public meeting at the Sarasota Board of County Commissioners meeting August 24th at 1:30 in opposition.

This is a great volunteer opportunity to get involved with the community and stop A.G. Spanos, a California investor, from changing our zoning laws and building four-story apartments.  See AGSpanos.com  

I am personally aware of another apartment complex in Palmer Ranch, Saratoga Place, owned by California investor JRK Holdings, Inc., of Los Angeles.  Go to RipOffReports.com and search for JRK Holdings and you will see what a mess this out-of-state investment company has made of a once great complex in Palmer Ranch on Central Sarasota Parkway, across from Turtle Rock.  Those folks can't even figure out how to get the dumpsters emptied...and most residents scram when their leases are up because of a lack of maintenance.  NOT good!  Sarasota County is overseeing the trash problem at Saratoga Place on an ongoing basis.  JRK Holding's business model is to reduce staffing/costs, increase their profit, and move on to the next property.   We just can't let this happen again in Palmer Ranch, let's all get involved to stop A.G. Spanos from changing zoning laws .  

Have a great weekend!

Linda