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  • Pardon Me While I Go Tweet

    Michael Saunders & Company 11:45 am on March 11, 2010 | Comments:0 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , , , , social networks, thesaundersblog.com, , WELCOM,

    Despite its relatively brief existence, you’d almost need to be holed-up in the farthest reaches of an unwired galaxy to be unaware of the phenomenon known to billions on this planet as “social networking.”  Love it or hate it, there’s no denying its explosive growth and mushrooming influence.   Facebook, with its more than 400 million active users—half of whom log on to the site daily and remain there for an average of more than 55 minutes—will celebrate only its sixth birthday next month.  On its third birthday in 2007, Facebook boasted a mere 21 million active users spending an average of 20 minutes there each day.  Talk about a colossal growth spurt.

    Today, if Facebook were its own nation, it would be the world’s third most populous after China and India.  Far from being for English-speaking users only, 70% of Facebook’s members live outside the U.S and rely on more than 70 available translations.

    Social networking.  People either swear by it, or swear at it.  Either way, you can’t ignore the ability of online social networks to instantly touch the lives of massive amounts of people—around the globe—with more useful information and visual content delivered instantly than could ever be efficiently distributed via traditional paid media.

    Users of Facebook post more than 60 million status updates each day; along with 3 billion photos and more than 5 billion items of content (web links, news stories, blog posts, notes, photo albums, etc.) each month.   It’s both a visual feast and an entertaining way to keep abreast of friends, colleagues and acquaintances you might not otherwise communicate with nearly as often—if at all.  New contacts are made and old friendships dusted-off as Facebook users connect with others outside their own social milieu and location, freeing them to form online communities around common interests, instead of just common geography.

    Facebook is by no means the only social networking site to boast a massive worldwide audience.  It is joined in that arena by scores of other specialized sites, including Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn. Following January’s annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, global leaders launched their own secure online social network through which they can continue to convene, post new information; and collaborate among sub-groups formed at the meeting.  Dubbed the World Electronic Community—or WELCOM—the forum’s exclusive online network has about 5,000 members.

    (More …)

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  • Ask Michael - Signs and Trends Pointing to a Market Recovery

    Holli Schleicher 5:42 pm on March 11, 2010 | Comments:0 Permalink | Reply
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    In this ask Michael video, Michael Saunders explains the signs and trends observed that point to a market recovery.

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  • Neighborhood Video Profile - Longboat Key

    Michael Saunders & Company 12:02 pm on March 11, 2010 | Comments:0 Permalink | Reply
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    Between the destinations of Lido Key and Anna Maria Island, LONGBOAT KEY is a fine mix of tasteful luxury and manicured surroundings.  Just minutes from the heart of Sarasota, the long and narrow island feels like a secluded community with an elegant flavor of its own.

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  • The Neighborhood Report - Venice Island

    John Butzko 2:14 am on March 11, 2010 | Comments:0 Permalink | Reply
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    A stroll along the storefronts along Venice Avenue on Venice Island.

    People love to live on and visit downtown Venice—located on Venice Island—where they find a small town atmosphere with plenty to see and do. Here, there is an active center of town where you can stroll down Venice Avenue and enjoy the shops and outside cafes, just a breath away from beautiful area beaches. Convenience is key, as one can ride a bike or walk to most places of interest on Venice Island.

    Market Activity – Venice Island

    In the past 30 days, 17 properties sold and 58 have gone under contract on Venice Island, according to Venice office branch manager Kathy Wood. Recently, Venice office agents Jo-Anne Sckowska and Nell Taylor worked with a vacationing couple who wanted a condominium to use as a vacation place for now and eventually move into. All the properties that met their criteria were in different areas off the island, and Jo-Anne and Nell could tell the homebuyers weren’t very enthusiastic about them. So, the team suggested they view a listing across from the beach with a nice side Gulf view. This listing was a bit dated and needed updating, but was near where they were staying and convenient to all of downtown’s charms. As they walked in and looked out the window at the wonderful view, they were able to overlook the updating needs. They wrote a contract for cash on this island condominium and will go to closing very soon. (More …)

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  • Smart Moving – Top 10 Tips to Help Cut Moving Costs

    John Butzko 3:32 pm on March 9, 2010 | Comments:0 Permalink | Reply
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    Moving your things from one home to another doesn't have to be costly.

    After searching properties, making offers, securing financing and signing piles of closing papers, you’re finally ready to move your possessions into your new home. Understandably, by this point you and your finances are equally exhausted, so the thoughts of shelling out more money for moving can become quite daunting.

    Fortunately, moving your things from one abode to another doesn’t have to be as costly as you think. By following the 10 tips below, you can help make your move a little easier and a lot more wallet-friendly:

    1.  Garage Sale – If you plan to hire a moving company, many base their prices on what they need to move. So, get rid of the things you really don’t need or no longer use. The best way? Sell it in a garage sale. If you don’t have a lot of items to sell, consider a joint sale with some neighbors. With luck, you can rid yourself of extra baggage and put some money back into your pockets. Can’t sell it? Donate it.

    2. Timing is Everything – Most people move on the weekend, so truck rental companies and moving companies will increase their rates for weekends. Move during the week, and you’ll save on a truck rental and movers if you need help loading up or unloading the truck. Also, most choose to move in the summer months, when work may be slower and the kids are out of school. The least expensive time of the year to move is between October and April, so try to schedule your move date then. (More …)

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  • Approaching Equilibrium

    Michael Saunders & Company 5:04 pm on March 4, 2010 | Comments:0 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: Florida Association of Realtors, , , , , NAR, ,

    A moment that seemed choreographed to cause maximum confusion about whether the housing market is in recovery—or not—took place in real estate markets across Florida last week.  No sooner had the National Association of REALTORS® issued its nationwide snapshot of existing home and condominium sales for the month of January than the Florida Association of REALTORS® released its own statewide recap.  To say the least, the two sets of monthly statistics clashed dramatically, painting very different pictures of the market.

    Poised for national sales to finish up slightly in January, economists were caught off balance by NAR’s announcement that unit sales had actually declined nationwide for the second straight month, falling to the lowest level since last June.  Rightly or wrongly, the result was widely interpreted as a sign that the national housing recovery might be faltering.

    Then—literally moments later—January sales for Florida were released by the Florida Association of REALTORS®.  The contrast between the two sets of results could not have been sharper; proving once again the old business adage that “all real estate is local.”

    Far from mimicking the sluggish national trend, Florida’s existing home sales continue to blaze a trail of sustained recovery in the price ranges below $350,000.  Sales here rose impressively again in January, marking 17 straight months in which statewide sales have increased in year-over-year comparisons.

    (More …)

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  • The Neighborhood Report – Lido Shores

    John Butzko 3:30 pm on March 4, 2010 | Comments:0 Permalink | Reply
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    Lido Shores is home to an array of luxurious homes.

    Established in 1950 and nestled between St. Armands and Longboat Key, Lido Shores is an intimate oasis of approximately one hundred homes. The waterfront properties have frontage on Pansy Bayou, Sarasota Bay, the Gulf of Mexico and New Pass, which provide direct deepwater boating access to the Gulf of Mexico or Sarasota Bay.

    Lido Shore’s location is ideal, within walking distance of St. Armands Circle and Mote Marine, and just a few miles from downtown Sarasota with its restaurants and myriad of cultural activities. Residents have a private beach with pavilion directly on the Gulf of Mexico. The voluntary and friendly Lido Shores Property Owners Association organizes social activities including sunset parties, a Fall House Tour with Dinner, and Spring Beach Barbecue. Some of the most elegant homes in Sarasota are located on Westway Drive, often called “The Rodeo Drive of Sarasota.” (More …)

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  • Top 10 Tips for New Homebuyers

    John Butzko 3:44 pm on March 2, 2010 | Comments:0 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , , ,

    Work with professionals to avoid purchasing a home too small for your family.

    Buying your first home is the realization of the American Dream. This exciting, overwhelming and even frightening experience brings an array of emotions brought upon by feelings of achievement, apprehension and joy–all wrapped into the walled and roofed structure you now call home.

    To make the most of this life-enhancing event, you need to be sure that every step you take is in the right direction and with your best interests in mind. Before you sign those closing papers, there are many things to consider. To help you along, here are the top 10 tips for new homebuyers who plan to get the most from their first home: (More …)

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  • Vote "Yes" on March 16th

    Michael Saunders & Company 3:35 pm on February 25, 2010 | Comments:0 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: Florida Department of Education, one mill tax, Pine View School, , Sarasota County public schools, school system,

    Mother Nature has been exceedingly generous in the amenities she’s bestowed on Southwest Florida.  Our top-rated beaches and magnificent web of pristine waterways—enjoyed amid abundant year-round warmth and sunshine—are why so many newcomers choose Sarasota County over all other possibilities in the Sunshine State.

    The amenities we should be proudest of, however, are the ones we’ve bestowed on ourselves.  These, of course, include an impressive list of educational and cultural amenities; which continuously attract newcomers wanting more on their family’s horizon than a picturesque sunset.   As a community striving for a better brand of economic stability than we’ve gotten of late from tourism and development, it will ultimately be the quality of our public schools that will attract the businesses that help us diversify.  Virtually any town on Florida’s two coasts offers plentiful recreational amenities; but the decision where to re-locate a business—or start a new one—is more apt to turn on the quality of an area’s school system rather than the sum of its beach and boating opportunities.

    We should congratulate ourselves therefore for the steps we’ve taken over the years to improve the quality and output of our schools. In a state not renowned for the scintillating quality of its public schools, the voters of Sarasota County have gone to the polls time and again to reject mediocrity in their home district.   Most recently, in 2006, we voted “Yes” to renew our 2002 pledge of setting aside one mill in annual property taxes to preserve our top-ranked schools.

    On Tuesday, March 16 we are being asked to renew this pledge again at a time when its critical funding has never been more urgently needed.   Please join us; first by showing up at the polls to have your voice heard on this important issue.  Then if you believe as we do in the power of good schools to bring prosperity to a region, please vote “Yes” for another four-year continuation of the one mill.  Early voting for the referendum commences Monday, March 1st.  To learn more about the absentee and early voting schedule; or to preview a sample of the referendum ballot visit srqelections.com.

    (More …)

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  • The Neighborhood Report – Siesta Estates

    John Butzko 1:01 pm on February 25, 2010 | Comments:0 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , ,

    Homes in Siesta Estates rarely go on the market. This one is currently listed by Harvey and Ethel Lovelace.

    Tucked away at the corner of Beach and Midnight Pass roads on Siesta Key is a private enclave of 16 homes in a private, gated community called Siesta Estates. The homes are newer, built since 1995, and the community offers privacy walls, lush tropical landscaping and underground utilities including natural gas. Although this community lives like a single-family community, it has yard and private pool maintenance included, which make it ideal for owners that travel or want to use the home part time.

    Market Activity – Siesta Estates

    Homes in Siesta Estates are a minimum of 2,000 square feet with the average being around 2,500 square feet. In June of 2009, the only remaining lot was put under contract by Mary Jo Violett and Kristina Rain with the Siesta Key office of Michael Saunders & Company. A new home is being built on that site. (More …)

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