"Gators and Killers and 'Canes, OH MY!" As a Sarasota real estate buyers agent , I meet alot of people looking to relocate to this idyllic slice of paradise, Sarasota FL. But without fail, they come armed with a bagful of stories and legends regarding the "wild living" here in Florida...  "Is it true gators will come up and bite you when you are sunbathing?"  "Oh, I wont swim in the Gulf, I hear too much about shark attacks!"  "How do you deal with the constant hurricanes?"  I always smile and wonder why they would consider moving here at all! Fact is, yes we have gators and sharks...and although I have spent many years sharing a lake with an alligator, Ive not seen more than her snout, and she certainly isnt about to approach me looking for my suntan lotion...and swimming in the gulf i... 09/12/2008

Sarasota real estate, Sarasota, Florida Most of us start our Sarasota real estate search with a price range. It only makes sense, of course. But once you have targeted a few Sarasota area homes of interest, the question becomes  "What can I get it for?" The list price is often the Seller's view of what their home is worth, or what they think they want to walk away with. A good starting point, but certainly not the end of the story. If you have saved several homes of interest and wish to compare them more in depth, let us know. We will be happy to look deeper, find out the true comparable sales, the market value, the Seller's equity - we will find out what the home is really worth in today's Sarasota real estate market. Information is power - and we provide buyers with power everyday! US... 09/02/2008

Cutting edge ideas, people, resources and technologies that are shaping the future of alternative investments   Sarasota, FL--Rick Bisio is the author of the book, The Educated Franchisee, a franchise consultant and coach for people considering entering into a franchise.  At a recent interview, Rick explained, "When it comes to buying a franchise, there are a lot of resources available. Few of them, however, will truly prepare you for the decision of whether or not to purchase a franchise.  I found this out the hard way when my wife and I invested in our first franchise." Rick explained how investing in a new or existing franchise is different than buying an existing business and thus requires a different focus of evaluation. Although buying a book about small business ownership may be ... 09/01/2008

By Rick Bisio The Educated Franchisee      When it comes to franchise ownership, you may be open almost any type of franchise.  However, just as you are better suited to certain jobs, you are also better suited to certain franchises. So instead of the clichéd "thinking outside the box," why not build your own box ... a box that makes the most sense for you.    It is critical to build your box carefully and then analyze each franchise opportunity based on whether it is a good match to your skills and your vision.  How do you do this? Simply ask yourself, "Would I hire myself to manage this franchise?" Go through your skills and your vision and see if the argument is strong that you will be able to successfully drive the franchise.   Another question you may ask yourself is, "Even if I lo... 09/01/2008

Sarasota Buyer Broker As a Sarasota buyer brokerage, our buyer agents do not tell people what to offer on their desired home. But we do offer as much guidance and information as we can, in order to make sure the buyer of a Sarasota home never pays too much. A fallacy when writing an offer is that there is a set amount we can "lop off" the list price. As a matter of fact, we try to not consider the list price when looking at what is a fair offer. More important indicators include: 1) Latest assessed value - while this is a good guideline, it shouldn't be used by itself, and if the assessment is 11 months old, you may want to consider what the market has done in the past year. 2) Latest comparable sales - This is probably the most valuable resource when determining the current market valu... 08/30/2008

Tennis and Golf Course Community In April, our Sarasota Country Club Homes Update focused on the Oaks in Sarasota, FL.    Another golf course community in Sarasota with outstanding community amenities is the newly developed Founders Club.  A guarded gated community east of Interstate-75 with stately oaks dripping with Spanish moss, this community's Club House was designed by Tampa's famous Fleischmann Garcia, and the Founders Club showcases a golf course designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr.  This elegant Sarasota country club community's Golf Hall provides state of the art details that today's luxury buyers expect. Founders Club is located approximately 80 minutes from Tampa International Airport Experience a resort lifestyle at the Founders club, one of Sarasota's premier golf course co... 08/29/2008

Sarasota Buyer Agent In Sarasota, we have the unique opportunity to work with buyers from all over the world. This is a destination for investors, snowbirds, and vacation home buyers. As many people are searching Sarasota properties from afar, having a local buyer brokerage assisting them is of great importance. Even those who have been here before, or think they "know" Sarasota can benefit from the knowledge and up-to-the-minute market information. For instance: * Buyers searching the MLS for Sarasota real estate in a certain neighborhood will find some beautiful homes, only a few years old. What they DON'T know, is that the developer of the property still has brand new homes, never lived in - and they are selling for the same as, or less than the resales! * Buyers looking for a beach ... 08/22/2008

Alright, I don't actually mean to disregard  Sarasota real estate sales and market statistics. After all, the news of late has been surprisingly good - inventory has dropped for 4 months running, and is at its lowest point in 2 1/2 years. Pricing seems to have moderated with sales settling at a steady 92-93% of list price for nearly a year. Pending sales are strong indicating sales are continuing. A recent study named Sarasota as one of 10 metro areas in the country where it makes more sense to BUY than RENT. From a purely anecdotal perspective, nearly every offer I've made in the last two months has been involved in a multiple offer situation - indicating a rise in active buyers, actively searching out the good deals. Not to mention of course, that I barely have time to eat...also a go... 08/20/2008

Dorothy, we are definitely NOT in Kansas anymore! What is the meaning of all this "off-grid," eco-village, self-sustainability talk? And most of all--what the heck is a YURT ?!? Looks like Ireland is the place to go if you'd like to learn about Eco-Villages--that's where I found this really nice video about one:     But, they're all over! Here's the Russian version:  the "cancer" comment the American, Michael makes is also made in this one, which has some nice footage as well, and I feel nicely nails the concept: But, I didn't want to stop there--this is great stuff--so I'm going to include the video that started this quest (at least, THIS time), which was sent to me by an old drum circle friend--from the Eco-Village in Sarasota (oh, guess that means I'll have to be paying Sarasota a vi... 08/12/2008

Before purchasing Canadian buyers should look into protecting their interest by setting up a Revocable Trust or ? before purchasing in the U.S.  Any other advice for our foreign investors? Foreign investors here in the Sarasota,Bradenton and Venice Fl. area have been a saving grace for the market. Their Euro's are buying great properties at unbelieveable prices for a piece of Heaven.     08/07/2008

As a buyer agent, I am asked all the time why I love living here. There are so many reasons, but the following are five of the main reasons that Sarasota is a fabulous place to live. As I put this list together, I realized it sounds like a great place to take a vacation - and we live here!! No wonder so many relocate here to this paradise. There are few places I know of that you can live and work, while being within minutes to so many diverse wonderful places. To hear more about Sarasota, give me a call!   Siesta Key Public Beach - Repeatedly voted as one of the top beaches in the country, this white sand beach is expansive, clean and absolutely captivating. The white sand never gets hot, there are few shells to hurt your feet, and the water is tropical blue/green. Visit on Sunday night... 08/03/2008

Our Top Sarasota Properties of the Month As we schedule our showings for next week, we jotted  down our top Sarasota property picks for the month.  From time to time, the properties in Sarasota that we enjoy showing change but these are the buildings and the neighborhoods that made the list for August 2008.  Next week's showing schedule includes customers searching for a downtown condo in Sarasota with comfortable square footage and a price range of under $1,200,000.  We have appointments to view several condominiums including properties in our top picks at 100 Central and 1350 Main.  Rental restrictions are not a factor this time as our customers plan to live year-round in Sarasota.  Another customer needs a home in Sarasota, preferably on the water although it doesn't have to be on on... 07/29/2008

Is Under $200,000 Affordable for your Sarasota Condo? Not everyone who moves to Florida is a beach lover.  If you don't want your toes in the sand daily, a mainland condo in Sarasota within 20 minutes of the beach is findable.  Not only findable but plentiful! Sarasota offers more than the beach:  world-class restaurants, shopping, cultural venues:  opera, ballet, theater, film, symphony. Next week's showing schedule includes a customer searching for a condo in Sarasota with easy Interstate access, decent square footage and a budget of under $200,000.  We have appointments to view about 12 condominiums, with no less than 1200 sq.ft. and all about 20 minutes driving time to Siesta Key Beach, St. Armands Circle and downtown Sarasota for shopping and cultural events.  This buyer travels ex... 07/24/2008

We found it! It's perfect! But now what happens? Don't worry, during each of these steps you will have us right by your side. BEFORE MAKING AN OFFER: * Determine your financing situation. If you will require a mortgage, have a pre-qualification letter sent by your lender. MAKING AN OFFER * We will assist you in determining an aggressive but fair offer. Remember our goal is to get the sellers to accept your offer, so it should look like a win-win. * Offer amounts should take into consideration the recent comparable sales, assessed value, sellers situation and your comfort level. * Other terms to be decided on include amount of down payment, closing date, and inspection terms. The lower the offer, the more attractive we will try to make these terms for the Seller. * Decide ahead of time w... 07/24/2008

We are boat nuts, but in July in Florida, afternoon is not the time to be out unless you really like being very hot. So we did our Sunday open house and then took the boat out at around 6 pm. This is a great trick, since on Sunday night most people are headed home when we're headed out, and we have a little more peace and quiet. Plus the setting sun is usually fantastic. I forgot the camera so these were taken with the Treo built-in. Not the greatest ... The secret hangout is an area of Big Pass (between Lido Key to the north and Siesta Key to the south) where the shifting sands have made a little low island out in the middle of the pass. You'll find it out near marker 9 ... or is it 11? No matter, you can't miss it -- just go where the other boats are beached. We'll go there and lie in... 07/21/2008

The explosion of information on the Internet is truly astounding. I consider myself a relatively young woman, yet when my career began, no one had a PC...the proliferation of this valuable tool (or as I call it, my extra appendage!) and the Internet is nothing short of a miracle. For web savvy home buyers, there is a wealth of information right at your fingertips. As an exclusive buyer agent, in  5 years I have seen the shift in the buyer community - they come to us now with a much better understanding of what they can expect for the dollar amount they have to spend. But the MLS listings provide some information that consistently causes some confusion to my buyers. So in the spirit of passing along (even more?) information, here are answers to some of the most commonly asked questions. ... 07/20/2008

Question of the Week: Why do condo fees exist, and why is there such a huge difference from one condo to the next? Sarasota is a great residential town. There are terrific amenities, a fantastic school system, and ample sunshine for us year-round residents. But the fact remains that Sarasota is also a part-time community. Traditionally a "snowbird haven" for our retired residents who prefer spring, summer and fall up north, we now add to their ranks many who see the opportunity to own a piece of paradise for their own vacation getaway, regardless of age. Home prices have dropped to a level that many see their chance to grab their retirement place a bit early - as early as 20 years ahead of schedule! Because of the part time nature of so many of our residents, condos are an attractive op... 07/20/2008

As a buyer agent, I try to keep people up to date with those pockets of the market where we are seeing great deals. I noticed that my broker hit one of these on his blog- downtown Sarasota, which is an exceptional place to live, in my estimation. But another segment of the market which seems to be producing great "price per square foot" deals are golf properties. Oddly enough, we see alot of folks who don't even golf, gravitating to these properties. Why? When a property is located on a golf course, it often provides expansive golf course views from your lanai ...lots of open green space, no fear of someone building behind you! This wide open, "no neighbors " feeling is often coveted in Florida, where folks property lines are so close to one another. Living at a golf course also usually... 07/09/2008

Sarasota, Fl real estate Ah, the beaches of Sarasota. Once again, Siesta Key Beach has been named as one of the top beaches in the nation (#3, to be exact). Fine, powdery white sand that never gets hot, even on the hottest day. Crystal blue water. Nightly sunsets to die for. Many people looking to buy real estate in Sarasota these days begin their search at the beach. With the tales of foreclosures, tax woes and the like, they assume they can pick up beachfront, full Gulf view properties for a song. The reality is, although you CAN acquire waterfront property at 1/3 to 1/2 off 2005 Sarasota real estate prices, it will still cost quite a bit for a big water view. The perfect solution? Buyer after buyer is discovering the alternative of downtown properties directly on Sarasota Bay - HUGE ... 07/09/2008

Sarasota real estate I am a strong believer in education. While our board does require a minimal continuing education requirement, I feel that my buyers deserve the most well educated representative that they can possibly hire. To that end, I have been taking courses to add to my knowledge base. As a dedicated Buyer Broker, its important that my buyers understand that I am MORE than just qualified. Sarasota, Florida and the surrounding area is currently a strong buyers market. But there are cheap homes, and there is VALUE. There are good deals, and there are good INVESTMENTS. Knowing the difference is critical for the long term, and this is a service I provide. My whole team are dedicated Sarasota buyer agents. If you would like to see what a difference a dedicated BUYER AGENT makes, pl... 07/09/2008