West of the Trail Heritage in Sarasota

In these times of quickly changing landscapes, especially here in Florida, it’s comforting to know that a strong sense of heritage still lives on. Woven into the fabric of a modern, 21st century city are homes and neighborhoods that embody the charm of yesteryear while still being relevant and accessible in the vibrant Sarasota of today. These are the gems of our town that Carolyn and Gary Collins find truly inspirational. These are our West of the Trail properties!

As specialists on West of the Trail properties, we constantly have our collective finger on the pulse of the downtown and beyond area. In fact, we update our website ww.LifeInSarasota.com weekly by price point and property type (house or condo) to allow you to have access to information on properties West of the Trail which are actively on the market, have pended (gone under contract) or which have sold. Now, you don’t have to wait to find out what your neighbor’s house or condo is listed for or for what it sold! (See West of the Trail Property Updates.

As of last week, condos were selling on average for 85% of the last list price and were on the market for an average of 291 days. Houses were selling for 88% of last list price and had averaged 296 days on the market. Keep in mind that is a snapshot of one week. But, isn’t it interesting that houses and condos are running close to the same average days on the market? The condo market really does seem to be picking up.

The most active price point in sales is less than $500,000, but we’ve seen an up tick in the higher price points as well recently. A condo just sold on Golden Gate Point for $2M. Up until then, for over eight months, the highest sale there had been $1.275M, one of our listings.

For particulars, please visit our website or contact us at Carolyn.Collins@SothebysRealty.com or 941.320.0722.

Carolyn provides personalized, thoughtful customer service, just the way it used to be. But her background proves she’s more than just a people person. A former legal administrator and marketing executive, she relocated from New York City in 1993. With her, Carolyn brought valuable experience in all facets of a real estate transaction, including contracts, disclosures, inspections and negotiations.

Gary is a details and numbers man. He is also a fourth generation Floridian and long-time spec home builder who lived and worked in the D.C. area for many years. Gary offers over twenty-five years of building industry experience to assist their customers in the buying, selling or building process.

Carolyn and Gary represent a unique combination of real estate prowess with their diverse backgrounds. And although they have different business approaches and roles, they do share the most important element in their success - passion and enthusiasm for the heritage of our proud city. Some people see real estate opportunities as more than just houses. They see them as homes with a personal history. If your family treasures the generations of smiles shared among the walls of a vintage home, but also lives a distinctively modern life, then call the Collins team. They’re just the family to help yours

Home sales once again top 500 in Sarasota market

As Reported by the Sarasota Association of Realtors

Home sales once again top 500 in Sarasota market
Overall home sales in the Sarasota real estate market exceeded 500 for the second time since June 2008, inventory levels dropped, and the median sale price for both single family and condominiums stabilized in May 2009. These statistics all point toward a normalization and moderation of the market following a more volatile period during the past two years. Read the entire report


Pending sales soar to 981 in April 2009; sales top 500 mark for first time in 11 months

According to the Sarasota Association of Realtors in their April Report

The number of properties reported pending skyrocketed to 981 in April 2009 in the Sarasota real estate market, the highest since the boom years of local real estate in the 2003-2005 period and topping the previous month by 21 percent. Overall sales climbed over the 500 level – the first time since June 2008 – and the median sale price for both single family and condominiums rose above the March 2009 figure. This continued a recent upward trend for prices, which could mean the market doldrums have finally subsided. Read the entire report

You can find additional stats and related Sarasota Real Estate, Relocation and Lifestyle information.

West of The Trail Property Updates

As you know by now, Gary and I are passionate about vintage neighborhoods and also about our beautiful, historic Sarasota. This is a free service we are offering our neighbors with no obligation! Just click the link below to access the WEST OF THE TRAIL PROPERTY UPDATES.

Now, you can visit LifeInSarasota.com and Click on the West of the Trail Property Updates page and see Weekly statistics broken down as follows on properties located West of the Trail (West of US 41).

Just click the respective links to access the information. If they don't open initially, please hold the Control button down, and try again. Sometimes they seem to have a mind of their own.

When there are multiple properties, you may navigate between them by clicking the address window drop down box and use the navigation arrows.

Active Listings of Single Family Homes priced $1M and Up
Active Listings of Single Family Homes priced between $750,000 and $1M
Active Listings of Single Family Homes priced between $500,000 and $750,000
Active Listings of Single Family Homes priced up to $500,000
Active Listings of Condos priced $1M and Up
Active Listings of Condos priced between $750,000 and $1M
Active Listings of Condos priced between $500,000 and $750,000
Active Listings of Condos priced up to $500,000

Pending Listings of Single Family Homes priced $1M and Up
Pending Listings of Single Family Homes priced between $750,000 and $1M
Pending Listings of Single Family Homes priced between $500,000 and $750,000
Pending Listings of Single Family Homes priced up to $500,000
Pending Listings of Condos priced $1M and Up
Pending Listings of Condos priced between $750,000 and $1M
Pending Listings of Condos priced between $500,000 and $750,000
Pending Listings of Condos priced up to $500,000

ALL SOLD INFORMATION IS WITHIN THE LAST SIX MONTH PERIOD:

Sold Listings of Single Family Homes priced $1M and Up
Sold Listings of Single Family Homes priced between $750,000 and $1M
Sold Listings of Single Family Homes priced between $500,000 and $750,000
Sold Listings of Single Family Homes priced up to $500,000
Sold Listings of Condos priced $1M and Up
Sold Listings of Condos priced between $750,000 and $1M
Sold Listings of Condos priced between $500,000 and $750,000
Sold Listings of Condos priced up to $500,000

In addition, you can sign up to receive automatic updates the instant they hit the Multi Listing Service. If you'd like to receive automatic emails in real time on any one or all of these categories, please enter your contact information in the Sign Up Window and let us know which you'd like to receive. And, don't hesitate to let us know what else or you'd like to see there.We'd love to hear from you.

Best regards,
Carolyn and Gary

As appeared March 1, 2009
The Independent
United Kingdom

City Slicker Sarasota
It's festival time in this Florida city, so get some culture with your suntan. Ian McCurrach offers a guide

WHY VISIT?
Florida's cultural centre springs into life this month with a series of high-profile events. The 29th annual Jazz Festival (jazzclubsarasota.com) kicks off today and runs until 7 March. There's a daily round of open-air and indoor concerts from such as Dick Hyman at venues such as the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall and Holley Hall.

Sarasota rolls out its red carpet for the 11th annual Sarasota Film Festival (sarasota filmfestival.com) from 27 March to 5 April. There will be more than 200 films from around the world and screenings every day. Past celebrity attendees include Felicity Huffman, Charlize Theron and Woody Harrelson. Read the entire article

ALL THINGS SARASOTA

Sarasota, consistently ranked as one of America’s best places to live, has become world-famous for its award-winning beaches, warm blue-green Gulf waters and leisurely lifestyle. This Southwest Florida community boasts big-city amenities with a small-town feel providing the best of both worlds. The arts center of this region, Sarasota serves up an intoxicating cocktail of culture. Its natural endowments promote a myriad of leisure activities, from water sports and fishing to golf, tennis and eco-activities such as bird watching, hiking or kayaking.

For the sports enthusiast, enjoy professional volleyball and hockey to major-league baseball spring training games. With a strong economy, nationally ranked public schools and medical facilities, world-class shopping and dining add to the long list of amenities. Sarasota offers multiple residential options for every lifestyle and price range.

Wake up every morning to endless views of the Gulf of Mexico or Sarasota Bay, walk to theaters and restaurants from your downtown condominium, or enjoy the recreational amenities of an active country club lifestyle. Sarasota has it all.

Sarasota Public Buildings going Green

Building to Standards of the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED program to the projects.



LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.



The Whole Foods Market in Sarasota is also a LEED-certified structure, as is the Girl Scouts headquarters designed by Guy Peterson on Proctor Road. Thirty more Sarasota projects are in planning or construction, according to the U.S. Green Building Council’s Web site.



Florida Gov. Charlie Crist has mandated that all new public buildings in the state be built to LEED standards.