Discover a relaxed lifestyle in Tortoise Estates on Siesta Key.
A small subdivision consisting of about 40 home sites, Tortoise Estates enjoys a prized location on the southern end of Siesta Key—the quiet end of the key. Straddling Midnight Pass Road, properties inside the community offer bay front, Gulf front and inland opportunities. The owners here also have private beach access for their personal use. Turtle Beach is a within walking distance, as is a marina, a pub and two restaurants.
Market Activity – Tortoise Estates
There are presently two homes listed for sale in Tortoise Estate. One is on Horizon View Drive, which is the street to the west of Midnight Pass Road and closest to the Gulf of Mexico. This property features Gulf views—although not beachfront—and is listed at $1,595,000. The other home is located on Tree Bay Lane, which is east of Midnight Pass Road, and has an asking price of $1,700,000.
This year two homes have sold in Tortoise Estates. Alix Wexler and Paul Romley were the listing agents on a modest home built in 1992 and located on Midnight Pass Road. This property sold for $499,000. Monica Slater, Michael James and Janice Perry were the Michael Saunders & Company agents who facilitated the sale of a charming, bayfront Sarasota School of Architecture home that closed at $975,000.
The world famous white quartz sand of Siesta Key’s Crescent Beach ends with a stretch of limestone rocks, a formation unique on Florida’s west coast. This is Point of Rocks, the Key’s highest elevation. The homes set on the bluff above the rocks are among the Key’s most desirable. Those facing the Gulf have spectacular views and the neighborhood itself retains touches of Siesta Key as it used to be.
It’s a low key community, intimate in scale, with less than 100 homes. Some are remodeled and expanded classics from the 1950’s and 60’s; other are newer and contain every luxury. A canopy road adds to the old fashioned, tropical atmosphere.
Our area beaches are among the finest in the world. Take a look at one of our live web cam feeds to see what you're missing.
The first thoughts of spending time in the Sarasota area often center around lazing on some of the world’s most renowned beaches enjoying the fresh sea breezes and soaking in the warm sunshine.
While you may be miles away from our sun-kissed shores, you can rest assured they maintain the pristine natural beauty that made our area a preferred destination for beach-lovers around the world. In fact, the renowned Stephen Leatherman—also known as Dr. Beach—most recently named our Siesta Key Beach in the no. 2 spot for America’s Best Beach in his annual survey.
Sarasota County’s beaches remain as gorgeous as ever, and our waters are open and inviting for a range of recreational activities and the world-class fishing that makes our area a special treasure for anglers.
We invite you to see for yourself by viewing some of the live feeds showing real-time action of beachgoers enjoying the pristine waters and sugary white sands of our area beaches.
Take a live virtual trip to Siesta Key, Dr. Beach’s number 2 ranked beach in the country HERE.
HERE’s a live look from the BeachHouse Restaurant on Bradenton Beach.
More than just gorgeous, world-class beaches, the Sarasota area boasts a range of exceptional dining options.
With choices ranging from innovative fine dining establishments to quaint waterfront hideaways bursting with Old Florida charm and everything in between, Sarasota is truly food-lover’s destination set to find its way onto America’s culinary map. Our vibrant city adores unique dining concepts and treasures its tried and true mainstays that have provided delectable food and fun for generations of visitors and residents. No matter what the craving, you can guarantee there is a menu to be found in the Sarasota area that does it and does it well.
As longtime area residents and people about town, our agents and branch managers have sought, savored and selected the preferred dining spots they enjoy sharing with guests, clients and family alike. So here—in no particular order—is the first sampling of a multi-part series highlighting some of our favorite Sarasota-area restaurants:
• The Casey Key Fish House – Laidback and relaxed, the Casey Key Fish House offers casual waterfront dining with an “Old Florida” feel in mind. A favorite spot of Longboat Key South agent Deborah Beacham, the restaurant is located just over the north bridge at Blackburn Point to Casey Key. Here you will find fresh seafood served daily from 11:30 am to 9 pm. Owner Jimmy Von Hubertz and Master Chef Willie Tia present terrific food served with warm hospitality. There are daily lunch specials—Deborah’s favorite lunch is the Caesar salad with grilled mahi—and customers rave about the ahi tuna, Bouillabaisse and almond snapper dishes available on the more extensive dinner menu. There is an outdoor section where dogs are allowed (well mannered, of course), so Deborah’s poodle is always welcome! Boat docking available. Learn more HERE.
• Madfish Grill – With a dinner menu offering a selection of Caribbean-inspired cuisine from starters and tapas to seafood to salads and sandwiches, Madfish Grill is a favorite of Siesta Key Branch Manager Debbie Judge. Located at 4059 Cattlemen Road in Sarasota, this locally owned spot serves great cuisine lending itself to the islands and a selection of great steaks. Plus, the bar area is a great place for a lively evening. Fun fact: the restaurant was a bank at one time and the private room is the old vault! Learn more HERE. (more…)
Our gorgeous beaches are full of fun things to do. Just be sure to keep it safe.
With the recent endorsement by the renowned Dr. Beach ranking Siesta Key Beach as the country’s number 2 beach—using 50 criteria including water quality and temperature, cleanliness, weather, sand, safety and facilities—residents and visitors alike flock to the surf and sand to enjoy the pristine natural beauty found only on our acclaimed shores. In fact, there’s a good chance there are plenty of sun worshipers there now. You can see them HERE.
While a day at any of our gorgeous beaches offers the perfect blend of fun and relaxation, there are many things to consider to help keep your trip safe and trouble free. From sun safety to recognizing surf conditions and everything in between, here are our top 10 tips for beach safety:
1. Learn to Swim – Everyone should know how to swim, but also remember that swimming in the Gulf is often much different than swimming in a pool. Waves, currents and tides can quickly become overpowering. Do not overestimate your swimming ability. Contact your local American Red Cross, YMCA or recreation department for information on swimming lessons in your area.
2. Good Conditions – Check surf conditions before you enter the water. Make sure no warnings are posted and no warning flags are up. (Red flag = swimming is prohibited. yellow flag = dangerous conditions, green flag = low hazard, purple flag = dangerous marine life.) Find out the water temperature and tide schedule. Observe the water currents. Rip tides can appear normal. The best advice if you’re caught in a rip tide is to remain calm and swim parallel to the shore. Try not to let the tide carry you out, but definitely do NOT swim against the tide.
3. Swim Near A Lifeguard - Statistics indicate that it is safer to swim on beaches with lifeguard services. Lifeguards are trained not only in injury prevention, but also in emergency response. Should anything go wrong at the beach, a lifeguard can help make the difference between life and death. Areas without lifeguard protection may also be areas that have hidden dangers such as sudden drop-offs, currents and weeds all which can endanger your safety. Visit HERE to find area beaches with lifeguards.
3. Hold the Booze - Approximately 50% of catastrophic injuries (including drowning) involve alcohol consumption. Even small amounts of alcohol can impair your judgment, balance, and coordination. Alcohol affects your swimming and diving skills, and reduces your body’s ability to stay warm. Alcohol can make you take risks at the beach that could lead to serious injury or death, so avoid alcohol when swimming at the beach. (more…)
Michael Saunders is please to welcome Bob Kelly to the Siesta Key office.
Having been a domestic and international hardwood broker for 15 years, Bob brings a wealth of experience in sales and marketing.
Bob uses his special skill set to achieve the highest value and return for buyers, sellers and investment groups. He offers a wide variety services and expertise to enable customers to fill their needs, wants and dreams.
The Week Magazine, owned by Dennis Publishing, is a popular magazine that was a start-up in the US in 2002. Today, the magazine boasts a large audience in print and online.
The Week Magazine distills the best of news, opinions and ideas from the U.S. and international media. It covers a wide range of topics including breaking news, health, books, film, the arts and more, enveloping the entire political front.
The Week Magazine’s Best Properties on the Market
* Snook Inn, located on Siesta Key, is featured along with other Christie’s Great Estates properties.
Click on the image below to see all of The Week Magazine’s Best Properties:
Enjoy beachfront living in the Sanderling Club. Pictured: 7808 Sanderling Road.
The Sanderling Club had its beginnings as Siesta Properties, Inc. Its developer was Elbridge Boyd, originally from Atlanta, who was also responsible for developing Hidden Harbor, Cedar Park Circle and Cocoanut Bayou. Gulf-front lots sold for $10,000 and waterway lots for $8,000. An integral part of the plan was dredging on the east side of Midnight Pass Road to create bay access and a tidal flow for Heron Lagoon. Between 1946 and 1958, 67 houses were built in Siesta Properties. The homes built during this period were basically three-month beach houses which were furnished with wicker and had bathroom doors on the beach. As the number of property owners increased—now numbering 100—the need for a homeowners association became apparent. It was around that time, in 1951, that Sanderling Beach Club was founded in order to give non-Gulf front owners access to the beach. Paul Rudolph was commissioned to design the original cabanas, and his designs later won the grand prize at the Brussels World Fair and launched his career. He went on to become dean of the Yale School of Architecture. The Sanderling Beach House, also designed by Rudolph, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Three tennis courts and a 15-slip marina were added in later years.
A Closer Look – Sanderling Club
Powder-white beaches, a Paul Rudolph-designed cabana club exclusively for the use of residents, acre-plus lots, deed restrictions that protect the natural—what’s not to love about the very private Sanderling Club on the south end of Siesta Key? (more…)
The white sands of Siesta Key Beach are just a breath away from Siesta Isles.
Enjoy the best of beaching and boating in Siesta Isles, the largest subdivision of waterfront homes adjacent to Siesta Key Beach. Meticulously manicured and tropically appealing, the community was designed with winding streets and curving waterways meandering throughout. The homesites were planned with a mixture of sizes and shapes to avoid a grid-like pattern, and many of the properties are well-shaded by majestic, carefully preserved century-old oak trees. Homes situated on the waterfront offer wide seaways ideal for easy watercraft navigation.
Close-Knit Community – Siesta Isles
The Siesta Isles homeowners association hosts two neighborhood gatherings a year, one is an annual dinner and the other is a beachside cook out. Neighbors have arranged other groups within the community, including a monthly dinner party and a book club. (more…)
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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