Treat your furry friend to a day at one of our area paw parks.
While our gorgeous coastal area provides plenty of fun for those who enjoy the outdoors, fine dining, world-class shopping and some of the most beautiful beaches found anywhere, there are also a number of recreational spots designated and built especially for Fido to get his exercise and socialize with style. After all, it’s important to keep in mind the old saying, “If your dog is fat, you aren’t getting enough exercise.”
So, here are our top 10 places to take your pooch, including beaches, trails and parks where dogs are allowed, but do not feature fenced leash-free play areas. Remember, some locations require leashes, others don’t, so be sure to check the rules before you go.
1. 17th Street Paw Park – Located in north Sarasota, this expansive dog park features acres of grassy and wood-chip-strewn play space for pooches. It provides plenty of room for off-leash play, shade/shelter, pick-up bags, and agility equipment for large dogs. Hours are dawn to dusk. Adjacent to the paw park are baseball, softball and soccer fields, a snack bar and restrooms. Call 941-861-9830 for more information.
2. Lakeview Paw Park – Located next to Lakeview Elementary School off Proctor Road at 7150 Lago St., Sarasota, Lakeview Paw Park offers a cool, shady oasis on hot summer days. This 26-acre park features a picnic shelter, playground and restrooms. Open from dawn to dusk. Adjacent to the paw park is an area with a jogging and fitness trail, restrooms and picnic tables. For more information, call 941-861-9830. (more…)
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.
Discover a number of gorgeous homes in Stoneybrook at Venice. Pictured: 11355 Dancing River Dr.
A Lennar community that opened in 2004, Stoneybrook at Venice is one of the newest family-oriented neighborhoods in Sarasota County. A master-planned, gated community, Stoneybrook at Venice is nestled within 640 acres with 55 percent of the area being preserve and lakes, with an array of amenities for everyone to enjoy. There are a variety of home floor plans available for retirees to growing families. Located off Center Road or River Road in Venice, it is minutes from I-75, shopping, medical facilities, schools, golf courses, downtown Venice, and, of course, our fabulous beaches.
Market Activity – Stoneybrook at Venice
Stoneybrook at Venice is enjoying robust activity in this challenging real estate market with 620 homes currently built out of an estimated 900 total. Lennar posted six new home sales in the first three weeks of June and are in the process of beginning their next phase of new construction homes. There were nine closed re-sales in the last 30+ days, and there are 12 pending re-sales. Homes prices range from the mid $100s to $300s for new and re-sale homes with square footage ranging from 1,300 to 3,000+.
Agent Kudos – Stoneybrook at Venice
Michael Saunders & Company agents have worked together to list and sell homes in Stoneybrook at Venice with a recent collaborative by Theresa Brown, listing agent from the Venice office, and selling agent Jody Skapyak of the Palmer Ranch office. The home was a lovely three-bedroom, two-bath with den, and was sited with a preserve in the back and green space on one side offering privacy and a lush setting. This home went under contract in less than 30 days and sold for an affordable $162,000. (more…)
A number of fine homes are available in Venice Golf and Country Club. Pictured: 206 Vestavia Drive.
Nestled in 460 tropical acres, The Venice Golf and Country Club is a member-owned, quality equity club community of 587 single-family homes. Residents of this gorgeous community enjoy championship golf, superb tennis, contemporary fitness facilities, a beautiful full-service clubhouse and gracious Florida living amid nature’s splendor. They also take pride in being a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary with 26 lakes and 13 preserves dotted throughout.
Market Activity – Venice Golf and Country Club
Venice Golf and Country Club is fully built-out with the exception of one or two privately owned lots. Available re-sale homes number under 10 percent of the community with the 2010 market activity well in-line with the history of sales. Pricing of the homes is competitive with area golf communities that do not offer the same world-class amenities of Venice Golf and Country Club. (more…)
A stroll along the storefronts along Venice Avenue on Venice Island.
People love to live in 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…)
Turtle Rock offers a variety of residential options to suit any taste.
Turtle Rock is a gated residential community located in the heart of Palmer Ranch. The community is comprised of 751 properties, including single-family homes and maintenance-free villas set within a lovely background of serene beauty. Most of the homes enjoy views of the pristine lakes and natural preserves. Residents enjoy an assortment of great amenities, such as tennis, basketball, swimming, walking, biking and even canoeing. In Turtle Rock, you are just steps away from the ever-popular Legacy Trail, where you can bike, jog or rollerblade 11 miles to Venice. Whether you are an active adult, early retiree or have a young family, there is a home that is right for you. (more…)
Our Plantation office is ready to assist homebuyers and sellers throughout the area.
Plantation Golf & Country Club in Venice was open for business with the completion of the Bobcat golf course in 1981. The Plantation added the second 18-hole Panther golf course in 1991 to complete the Ron Garl-designed 36 holes of championship golf. The courses feature two distinctively different layouts, providing challenging play and a rewarding golf experience at every level.
The Plantation community consists of 1,300 acres and is approaching its build-out plan of 2,800 homes. Club membership is not restricted to residents of the community. Plantation offers a friendly yet refined atmosphere of comfortable elegance and first-class amenities, which include 13 Har-Tru lighted tennis courts, a heated junior-Olympic size swimming pool, a spa, a state-of-the-art fitness center, and a grand clubhouse with the ambiance and charm of “Old Florida.” Plantation was voted “Best Private Country Club,” “Best Banquet Facilities” and “Best Tennis Facilities” by the Herald Tribune’s Reader’s Choice Awards. Plantation Golf & Country Club is very proud to have been selected to host the LPGA Annual Tour Qualifying School since 1987, one of only two qualifying schools in the nation. And, the Bobcat and Panther courses are included in the Golf Digest’s Places to Play Directory. (more…)
Florida’s west coast attracts many visitors and new residents from all over the world. Company CEO and Founder Michael Saunders talks about many special things that make our area so compelling.
What is so compelling about the west coast of Florida?
If you have questions for Michael Saunders, email AskMichael@michaelsaunders.com.
Sarasota's past comes alive for Halloween. Pictured is an artist's rendition of a spooky Sarasota.
The mere mention of the name Sarasota is enough to cast fear into the minds of those who are aware of its terrifying past. No other place in the world is home to a more gruesome, bone-chilling history of blood-curdling horror and shocking tales of ghastly fright sunken deep within…
Ok, I apologize. None of that is even remotely true. But with Halloween just around the corner, I would be remiss to let this moment pass without researching and digging up the scary tales and spooky celebrations found throughout the Sarasota area. Turns out, our sleepy waterfront destination is more sun drenched than blood drenched, which is fine by me.
While we may not boast the macabre notoriety of places like Salem or Transylvania, you can rest assured that Sarasota does have some skeletons hiding in its tropical closet. Here are the top 10 most horrifying stories and scary places of Halloween celebration throughout the Gulf Coast area. Beware—some of these may cause nightmares. Probably not, though. (more…)
Venice Beach is just one of the area's many wonderful charms. Photo courtesy of coastalliving.com.
Venice office branch manager Kathy Wood enthusiastically reports a strong market in the Venice area; and she’s right to be excited. According to the Florida Regional Venice MLS, sales of single-family homes in August rose 49.12 percent compared to August of 2008, and condominiums sales for the month of August rose 40 percent compared to August of 2008.
Just how important is it to know your market?
As one of our Venice agents recently learned, it is very important to be familiar with the market you serve. You will hear the same response from any number of Michael Saunders & Company agents, in any number of our offices, because they are all consummate professionals who have made it their business to know their area of expertise. They make a point to actually see the inventory on caravans each week, prepare comparative market analyses (CMA) for potential listings, and familiarize themselves with the surrounding area. (more…)
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