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  • The Great Buyers' Market of 2010

    Michael Saunders & Company 12:43 pm on February 4, 2010 | Comments:0 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: consumer confidence, economic recovery, , , , , , ,

    Our nation has been experiencing a one-day-at-a-time economic recovery, punctuated by fits and starts.  Finally, however, the good news is consistently outweighing the bad; allowing for a sustained measure of confidence to seep back into our battered psyches.  In fact, consumer confidence across the U.S. rose in January to the highest level since September 2008 as new signs of recovery caused Americans to feel more optimistic about their immediate futures. Florida’s consumer confidence index also rose unexpectedly in January—by five points, to 74—with the biggest jump being in the perception of whether it is a good time to buy big-ticket consumer items.

    For sure, confidence has at long last trumped fear and trepidation with respect to our local housing market.  The months-long buying binge in the price tiers below $400,000 is showing no signs of letting up; especially as season revs into high gear and buyers continue to compete for pared-down inventories of lower-priced properties.

    This should come as welcome news to everyone—including pundits, prognosticators and seasoned market watchers—who believes a recovery in the housing and labor markets are the essential ingredients for restoring our nation’s overall economic health.  Moreover, while virtually every housing market in Florida continues to grapple with the twin hurdles of high unemployment and record foreclosures, Southwest Florida’s has been on a solid trend toward recovery and price stability for the better part of the last six months in spite of these serious and ongoing obstacles.

    While the U.S. experienced a 16.7 percent dip in existing home sales between November and December of last year—the largest such monthly decline in more than 40 years—Sarasota-Manatee veered hard in the opposite direction; notching a 43 percent increase in existing home sales; while Charlotte County posted an equally impressive 42 percent increase.   Furthermore, while December’s decline in national sales was largely attributed to buyer belief that time had run out on the first time home buyers tax credit, that perception did nothing to put the brakes on sales in Southwest Florida.  In fact, the last time our region saw a monthly decline approaching 17 percent in unit sales of existing homes was between July and August of last year.  Since then, sales and pendings have shown nothing but consistent improvement.

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  • Pages of Inspiration – Top 10 Books for Motivation

    John Butzko 2:02 pm on February 4, 2010 | Comments:0 Permalink | Reply

    Motivational books can help you overlook your obstacles to focus on your goals.

    When faced with challenging times, the right message can lift you up to look beyond hardships and encourage you to set your sights on the goals you seek. Inspirational, instructional and influential words have long served as the building blocks for success, whether used to boost morale, enhance attitudes or ignite hopes and dreams.

    Without motivation, it gets much too easy to give up when you meet the obstacles on the way to success. Fortunately, there are motivational books that can help you fire up yourself and jumpstart your motivation. Here are the top 10 motivational and inspirational books as suggested by our management team: (More …)

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  • The Neighborhood Report – The Meadows

    John Butzko 4:03 pm on February 2, 2010 | Comments:0 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: ,

    Tranquility awaits in The Meadows in Sarasota. Discover a range of available properties.

    The Meadows is a country club community that was the original planned urban development in Sarasota. Along with an assortment of real estate styles from single-family homes to villas and townhouses, The Meadows features 54 holes of challenging golf and a dynamic tennis club. This is a very active time in The Meadows, as many of its residents are seasonal, and everyone is here now to enjoy the beautiful winter weather.

    Market Activity – The Meadows

    At this time, there are approximately 40 properties for sale in The Meadows with prices ranging from $125k to $1,150,000, so opportunities for all types of homes are present. Our Main Street office represents a number of available properties for sale in The Meadows, and our most recently completed transactions have been accomplished by Judy Nimz. (More …)

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  • The Buyers’ Choice

    Michael Saunders & Company 4:49 pm on January 29, 2010 | Comments:0 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , , homes, international brokerage affiliations, , ,

    If selling your home or condominium is high on your agenda in 2010 here are some important facts you should know.

    Any licensed brokerage is capable of listing your property.  But only one is the undisputed leader in finding buyers for homes on Longboat Key. Michael Saunders & Company.

    The proof is in the performance.  Based on dollar volume sales over the past 12 months—as recorded by the Mid Florida MLS and published by the leading independent real estate tracking firm TRENDGRAPHIX—agents from Michael Saunders & Company bring buyers to Longboat Key property sales nearly twice as often as their next closest competitor.

    As the below bar graphs depict, this phenomenon holds true across all price ranges; but becomes noticeably more dramatic as the price range increases.  For properties $1 million and up, our agents furnish buyers more often than our next four closest competitors combined.

    Before you list your Longboat Key property, contact an agent from Michael Saunders & Company.   Find out how the region’s largest network of top-producing agents, its most heavily-frequented Web site and unparalleled network of international brokerage affiliations will help you succeed in finding a buyer faster.  After all, isn’t that what selling your home is all about?

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  • Give a Warm Welcome – Top 10 Tips and Treats for Your Open House

    John Butzko 3:40 pm on January 28, 2010 | Comments:0 Permalink | Reply

    Make your open house special and memorable for your guests.

    This time of year on Florida’s Gulf Coast brings an influx of visitors and seasonal residents who take the opportunity to view homes on the market. Perhaps that’s why well-informed real estate agents schedule their Sundays to showcase their properties to interested buyers and prospects.

    Holding an open house is a wonderful way to attract attention to a home for sale, so it is important to be sure your home creates a welcoming ambiance of comfort and ease. To do so, it helps to fill the space with pleasant aromas and provide light snacks for your touring guests. While great food won’t always help close the deal, having treats and beverages can make some buyers linger longer and discover the charms of your place for sale.

    Here are the top 10 tips and treats for creating a cozy, comforting open house: (More …)

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  • Rule Britannia

    Michael Saunders & Company 3:23 pm on January 28, 2010 | Comments:0 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: Britannia, , , London, , , , Nick Churton, , The European Real Estate Network, U.K.

    As informed trend watchers will tell you, buyers from the United Kingdom are not only among today’s most active homebuyers in Southwest Florida; but have traditionally favored our region over all other possibilities on Florida’s two coasts.  So much, in fact, do they prefer our particular blend of climate, culture and coastal ambiance that they purchase residential properties in the Sarasota-Bradenton-Venice market at a rate nearly three times higher than either of their next two closest preferences—Naples and Tampa-St Petersburg.  (Source:  Florida Association of Realtor’s 2009 Survey of International Homebuyers)

    Therefore, the decision to sell your home in Sarasota, Manatee or Charlotte Counties should by all measures include choosing a company that can provide you with the strongest and most comprehensive network of incoming international referrals—both from around the world and across the U.K.

    At Michael Saunders & Company, we’re exceptionally proud of our exclusive network of worldwide brokerage affiliations—pieced together carefully over more than three decades—that enable us to put your property on the radar screens of qualified buyers everywhere. These affiliations include Leading Real Estate Companies of the World, Luxury Portfolio, Christie’s Great Estates, the European Real Estate Network and Mayfair International Realty.

    While each of these exclusive affiliations is international in scope and strategically important in its own right, Mayfair International Realty is especially key toward helping our agents effectively connect with buyers from the U.K.—who last year alone accounted for 16% of all Florida home sales to foreign buyers.

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  • The Neighborhood Report – Village Green

    John Butzko 3:44 pm on January 26, 2010 | Comments:0 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , ,

    Well-manicured fairways adorn Village Green's golf course.

    Village Green is a prime neighborhood in the city of Bradenton, Florida, with 1,001 residences consisting of 575 freestanding single-family homes and 426 villa condominiums. Many of the condominium sections include community swimming pools among their amenities, and winding paths and tranquil lakes highlight the beautiful, lush surrounds.

    Bounded on the north by 7th Avenue West, on the south by 29th Avenue West, on the east by 63rd Street West and on the west by 75th Street West, Village Green enjoys a convenient location close to area shopping and medical services. The sparkling waters of Palma Sola Bay are only three blocks away, and the beautiful beaches on the Gulf of Mexico are a short three-mile drive.

    Recent Sales Activity – Village Green

    In the last 60 days, there have been seven sales in Village Green, with an average sales price of $156,992. Of the seven residences sold, five were single-family homes and two were villa condominiums.

    Agent Kudos – Selling Village Green

    Bradenton office agents Kathy Valente and Ally Howell have recently sold a home in Village Green to customers from out of the area. According to Ally, “They buyers fell in love with the home due to the great condition and gorgeous greenbelt view.”

    7405 7th W Ave - This 3BR villa is available in Village Green. Listed by Kathy Valente.

    The buyers were familiar with Village Green since they have family in the area, so they searched for homes online, where they also located Kathy and Ally for assistance in finding the right property. The residence purchased was a two-bedroom villa condominium with a two-car garage and approximately 2,100 square feet and sold for $136,000.

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  • Linked – Top 10 Real Estate Apps for Droid Phones

    John Butzko 4:18 pm on January 21, 2010 | Comments:0 Permalink | Reply
    Tags:

    More than just phone calls - Droid's offer a variety of helpful apps for real estate.

    Modern cell phones have come a long way from their bulky, buggy predecessors. Capable of performing many useful tasks, today’s smart phones have become essential daily tools incorporating programs to help with navigation, information gathering, shopping, social networking and more. For those interested in all things real estate, a number of helpful applications (apps) have become available.

    Now, beginning your real estate search or learning about specific neighborhoods can be done in the palm of your hands. Whether you want a quick view of available properties, want to learn more about an area, or are a Realtor looking for information on listings and communities, the android smart phone market has some pretty helpful applications for you. Here are the top 10 real estate-based apps for Droid owners: (More …)

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  • Fine Art

    Michael Saunders & Company 6:26 pm on January 20, 2010 | Comments:0 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: Christie’s Fine Art Auction House, , Christies, luxury homes, , Midtown Manhattan, New York, real estate brokerages,

    Through the soaring limestone, glass and sculpted bronze façade of 20 Rockefeller Center pass one of the world’s most coveted clienteles.  This renowned Midtown Manhattan landmark, long celebrated for its Art Deco design and worldly sophistication, appropriately houses another landmark of worldly sophistication—the 310,000 square-foot North American headquarters of the venerable Christie’s Fine Art Auction House, now in its 243rd year.  Appropriate too because the clientele that step across Christie’s magnificent triple-height threshold represents a cross-section of the most sophisticated and deep-pocketed buyers of fine art, jewelry and antiquities on the planet.  In New York, as elsewhere in the world, Christie’s is a name and place that bespeaks extraordinary art, unparalleled service and expertise; and international wealth and glamour.

    What does any of this have to do with buying or selling properties in Southwest Florida?

    If you’re selling a luxury home valued at $1 million or up, co-branding the Christie’s name with Michael Saunders & Company—by far the local leader in both listing and bringing buyers to high-value properties—immediately imparts an aura of prestige while heightening overall buyer interest in the property.  At the same time, it affords the opportunity your home to be custom marketed to, among others, the world’s most sophisticated connoisseurs of fine art and luxury properties—customers of Christie’s Fine Art Auction House.  Purchasing second, third or even fourth homes in quality destinations such as ours is front-and-center on the radar screens of many of these high net-worth individuals.   Moreover, they trust the Christie’s name implicitly and immediately realize that even the most complex real estate needs will be handled with Christie’s-like attention to details, service and style by its chosen representative in Southwest Florida—Michael Saunders & Company.

    For this reason, Christie’s Fine Art Auction House is the only institution of its kind to wholly own and operate a worldwide network of top-tier real estate brokerages as an important—and some would say vital—service to its customers; and other equally capable homebuyers around the globe.  That service—better known as Christie’s Great Estates—is an international network of luxury real estate brokerages whose strategic connectivity links qualified buyers with properties judged to be among the finest in the world at any given time.

    (More …)

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  • Ask Michael - What Advice Would You Give Real Estate Agents in Today's Market?

    Holli Schleicher 4:13 pm on January 19, 2010 | Comments:1 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , Real Estate Agents,

    In this Ask Michael video, Michael Saunders lends useful advice to help real estate agents navigate through today’s challenging market.

    To see our complete collection of videos, click here.

    If you have questions for Michael Saunders, email AskMichael@michaelsaunders.com.

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