The Saunders Blog

The Neighborhood Report – Palma Sola Trace

A newer community located in West Bradenton, Palma Sola Trace features a range of single-family homes, condominiums and attached villas. Construction of the community started in 2006, and residents are able to enjoy its beautiful clubhouse, fitness center and resort-style pool. The side-by-side villas all have attached two-car garages and open floor plans ranging in size from 1,500-2,300 square feet. Many of the villa homes are located on ponds with great views. (more…)

In The Moment

If you were attending an outdoor event and needed to know how warmly to dress, would your first thought be to consult last month’s weather forecast? Of course not. Yet that’s not unlike what many home buyers do, thinking they’re obtaining the most “up-to-date” assessment of today’s local real estate market. Regrettably the data they’re fed in the mainstream media is often as much as two months old by the time it is compiled, released publicly and positioned as indicative of current market conditions.

Unfortunately, if you rely on the best available housing statistics for Florida—as culled monthly by the Florida Association of Realtors and reported to the media—you are, in fact, using stale data to inform fresh decisions. Sales that occurred in October won’t be reported officially until late November. By the same token, a definitive glimpse at November sales won’t be released until late December. By then, the market—with all its day-to-day volatility—could easily reveal a whole new reality.

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The Neighborhood Report – Southbay Yacht & Racquet Club

One of the area’s most prestigious boating communities, Southbay Yacht & Racquet Club offers its residents remarkable amenities, including a deepwater marina, clubhouse, tennis courts, community pool and bay front park. The marina consists of a seven-acre yacht harbor with deepwater access to the Intracoastal Waterway, which connects to the Gulf of Mexico less than five miles away. The community’s well-manicured common grounds are lined with over five miles of winding sidewalks for walking, running or biking pleasure. Many residents use the park for casual fishing in the Intracoastal Waterway, and beautiful sunsets are a stunning sight at Lookout Point Park. (more…)

The Neighborhood Report – Conrad Beach

Homes of varying sizes with a Key West style grace Conrad Beach.

A quiet and peaceful seaside enclave, Conrad Beach offers maintenance-free living in a limited edition of 27 single-family homes. Located between the quiet beaches of north Longboat Key and the historic Village of Longbeach, the residents of Conrad Beach enjoy convenient access to the beautiful beach on Longboat Key along with a community pool. The neighborhood was designed by nationally renowned architect Frank Folsom Smith as a traditional coastal community. The homes are designed in the Key West style with open, airy floor plans, wrap-around porches and the latest energy saving features.

Market Activity – Conrad Beach

There are currently three homes available through MLS in Conrad Beach with listing prices ranging from $849,000 to $1,299,000. These residences range in size from just under 2,000 square feet to just over 3,000.

Hannerle Moore of Michael Saunders & Company’s South Longboat Key office represented the sellers for the two listings that have sold in Conrad Beach in 2010. One of those sales was a lot, which sold in February for $285,000. The other was a house with just over 2,000 square feet, which sold in March for $575,000. (more…)

The Neighborhood Report – Summerfield in Lakewood Ranch

Discover your ideal lifestyle in Summerfield in Lakewood Ranch.

One of the original villages in Lakewood Ranch, Summerfield is located just south of State Road 70 off Lakewood Ranch Blvd. The Braden River runs along the southern border and connects to many lakes and two community parks that the residents enjoy. This is a family-oriented neighborhood with abundant recreational activities and community events. The winding streets are lined with mature trees that lead you to the five different Summerfield neighborhoods. Parents love the top-rated elementary and middle schools located with within walking distance of their homes.

The homes are single-family, with one maintenance-free community and one condominium complex. Only re-sales are available in this sold-out community from the high $100,000’s to the $400,000’s. The homes range in size from 1,300 to 2,500 square feet and were built from 1995 through 2002.

Market Activity – Summerfield in Lakewood Ranch

Of the 41 properties currently on the market, 35 are single-family homes and 6 are condominium residences. In the last 30 days, 7 single-family and one condominium have sold. There are 24 homes in the pending status right now! We are definitely seeing a lot of movement in the right direction for this desirable community.

Most recently, Elsa Roth’s REO listing on 12015 Winding Woods Way closed after just 21 days on the market. This property sold for $151,000, which was $6,100 over list price.

Why Choose Summerfield in Lakewood Ranch?

Buyers are drawn to Summerfield in Lakewood Ranch because everyone enjoys the sense of small town community that exists here. Lakewood Ranch is an award-winning, 8,500-acre master-planned community, and Summerfield residents take advantage of the shops, restaurants and movie theaters of Main Street in Lakewood Ranch. They use the business parks, hospital and medical center, and the golf courses. There are over 150 miles of sidewalks and trails, and the beautiful lakes, wetlands and nature preserves are abundant with wildlife. Summerfield in Lakewood Ranch is now more affordable than ever and you are within proximity to the culture of Sarasota and the best beaches in the world.

The Neighborhood Report – Downtown Punta Gorda

Revitalized and Refreshed: Discover the charms of downtown Punta Gorda. Image courtesy of tampabay.com.

The City of Punta Gorda was founded in 1882 by Colonel Isaac Trabue on 30 acres of land on the southern shore of Charlotte Harbor. A fire downtown destroyed almost all of Punta Gorda in 1905. After this disaster, the city council mandated all new businesses and homes be constructed of brick or concrete. After the completion of the first bridge across Charlotte Harbor in 1921, the great Florida boom reached the fishing village of Punta Gorda, and several key structures were built including City Hall, the Old Courthouse, Charlotte High School and the Punta Gorda Ice Plant

An Area of Revitalization – Downtown Punta Gorda

In 2004, the damage Hurricane Charley inflicted on the Punta Gorda area included many homes, structures and historical landmarks. A number of revitalization projects took place in the following years involving federal grants for restorations and amenities throughout the downtown corridor. Laishley Park Municipal Marina was constructed along Charlotte Harbor, the second largest harbor in the State of Florida with world-class fishing and access to the Gulf of Mexico. The marina has 85 boat slips and a boat launch for public use. A newly constructed Boat and Sail Club at Alice Park offers a kayak and canoe launch, along with powerboat dockage. The new construction of the Charlotte Event Center on Charlotte Harbor will bring culture and special events to the downtown corridor, and 800 new hotel rooms and restaurants add charm to the historic and downtown feel of the city. (more…)

The Neighborhood Report – Siesta Isles

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…)

The Neighborhood Report – Lakewood Ranch

November was quite a month for home sales in the over $1 million range in the gated areas of Lakewood Ranch—The Country Club and The Lake Club. Four sales closed during the month and another three homes went to contract, but have yet to close. Compare these results to just 15 sales during the previous ten months of 2009.

Agent Kudos – Helping Sell Lakewood Ranch

The improvement in sales in Lakewood Ranch is a clear result of long-awaited rational pricing in this category, which is more in evidence each day. One of the best examples is a home in the luxurious Portmarnock neighborhood listed by Barbara Najmy of our Lakewood Ranch office. Barbara, who has been associated with several transactions this year in this price range, clearly outlined the pricing realities of the market for her customer. She discussed the substantial costs associated with keeping a home of this nature on the market for prolonged periods and demonstrated the best ways to prepare a home for would-be buyers. The result: the home was placed under contract in 60 days and closed in just 80 days. What a difference when compared to the other three closings that averaged nearly three years on the market before sale!

The Bottom Line

Lakewood Ranch offers four different gated communities: The Country Club, Country Club East, The Lake Club and Edgewater. Each provides a unique lifestyle and different price categories. All are part of a community with a sense of place rather than simply a collection of developments. With 46 homes available in the over $1 million category and a return to sensible pricing, there are many opportunities for others to become a part of Lakewood Ranch. Just make sure you work with someone who understands the market.

The Neighborhood Report – Siesta Key Activity

Soaring Siesta Key condominium residences offer spectacular water vistas.

Siesta Key has been bustling with activity for the past three months, according to Siesta Key office branch manager Debbie Judge. We are seeing buyers from all over the world take advantage of 2002 pricing, which is the last time we had a similar amount of inventory under $200,000. No matter what the price range, there are many options for buyers. One significant difference between 2001 and 2009 is the existence of newly/newer built product including two new subdivisions—Coronas Park and Spice Bay—as well as some new condominiums.

A Look Inside – Statistics

Consider this overview of the stats from the last three months on Siesta Key. We currently have 25 months of condominium inventory and 17 months of single-family home inventory overall. However, it is important to get a closer look to find that different price ranges had different results in terms of months of inventory: (more…)

The Neighborhood Report – Palmer Ranch Communities

Lake and Golf Views from 4005 Las Palmas in Prestancia - Listed by Jane Rees.

A sprawling, master-planned community, Palmer Ranch offers a myriad of lifestyle opportunities for any taste. Residential sales activity in Palmer Ranch has been lively, according to Palmer Ranch office branch manager Darla Furst. Convenient to Sarasota’s beaches, vibrant downtown and cultural attractions, the communities in Palmer Ranch include: Country Club of Sarasota, Deer Creek, The Hamptons, Huntington Pointe, Marbella, Prestancia, Savannah at Turtle Rock, Stoneybrook and Turtle Rock.

A Closer Look at Palmer Ranch Sales

There have been 35 single-family homes to have gone under contract (pending) within the last 30 days. Of those pending sales, six homes (17 percent) are in the Deer Creek subdivision, five are in Village Walk, and four in Turtle Rock. A majority of these properties were listed under $400,000, which universally seems to be the most active price range for the area. Twelve of the homes were listed under $300,000. The average days on the market for these properties were 99, which is also a good indication that the market is healthy. (more…)