Miscellaneous

This is a follow up to last week's post - 50% off?

Clients often ask us what kind of discount they can expect to receive in an all-cash transaction. Sellers love receiving cash offers and typically will discount their home a little more because of no mortgage headaches. However, the discount is not as great as most people think. Below are sales statistics in Sarasota county for sold properties in the last six months.

Sarasota County Sales in the Last Six Months

• 4,171 - Number of properties sold
• 2,628 - Cash transactions
• 63% of all transactions were cash
• $5,250,000 - Highest sales price
• $2,500 - Lowest sales price (could be a reporting error)
• $206,474 - Average sales price
• $119,900 - Median sales price
• 93% - sales…

Be careful using Trulia to find your next Sarasota home. I have noticed several inaccuracies on the website over the years. Here is an example:

Above you will see a screen shot I took from Trulia that shows a listing in Palm Bay Club on Siesta Key for $500,000. However, there is no such listing in the community (here is everything for sale). Trulia has this property listed as MLS#A3935725. If you search our actual MLS system you will see a condo for sale in Island House on Siesta Key. Below is a screen shot from this website showing the property. So not only does Trulia show a listing in Palm Bay Club that does not exist but it also provides an MLS# that goes with a completely different property.

You will probably find…

More good news for the Sarasota Florida real estate market. Take a look at this article:

Forbes.com - Where Americans Are Hunting For Homes

We would like to welcome Karin Swanson to DWELL Real Estate. Allison, Shayla and I are excited to have her join our team. I originally met Karin at SKY Sotheby's (now Signature Sotheby's) back in 2006 where she won awards for being a top producer. Some of her sales accolades include:

• Winning Mini Cooper car for highest production.
• After joining SKY Sotheby's Karin sold first house in 17 days.
• First quarter in business she sold $3 million worth of property.

In 2008, Karin joined the St. Armands Circle office of the prestigious Michael Saunders and Company. Karin is a true professional with extensive market knowledge and endless drive to help her clients achieve their goals.

Please congratulate her. For her real estate services…

The weather was fantastic this weekend. I took the family over to the Sarasota Chalk Festival on Sundat to check out some of the great art work. Sarasota is blessed to have such a vibrant arts community.

2011 Theme: 'Pavement Art Through the Ages'

More information on Sarasota Chalk Festival

Photos of…

I took the leap. As of last Friday, I left Michael Saunders and Company and started my own Sarasota real estate brokerage – Dwell Real Estate. You may be thinking, “Why in the world would anyone open a real estate brokerage in Sarasota, Florida when so many other companies have gone bust?”

Great question.

Michael Saunders and Company

First, I would like to say that my time of over 3 years at Michael Saunders and Company was fantastic. I have the utmost respect for Michael, Drayton, the management team and the fabulous Realtors that work there. At a time when many real estate agents are leaving the business, brokerages are shrinking or going out of business Michael Saunders and Company has thrived. I don’t think anyone can deny that…

Written by: HomeSecurityFamily.com

Most people understand, at least to some extent, how to take care of and protect their homes. There is, after all, a huge range of home security advice out there for homeowners, and a good deal of home security is actually based in common sense. However, what many people – even those with a good deal of common sense – do not always consider, is how to take care of a vacation home. If you have a vacation home, you have probably looked into some of the basic principles of upkeep and security; however, there may be some ways of securing your home that you are unaware of, which could be hugely beneficial. For more details on some of the following discussion, visit http://www.homesecurityfamily.com.

One good…

A funny thing can happen when supplies shrink and demand is good - prices will eventually rise. Today in the Sarasota Herald Tribune there is an article titled - Region makes national list of recession-resistant cities for real estate. The article talks about a recent Forbes article using Zillow data to create a list of "America's Recession-Resistant Cities For Real Estate." Using data from Zillow.com, the Forbes article states that Sarasota real estate prices have begun to appreciate. Several cities in Florida made the list.

Excerpts from Sarasota Herald Tribune article:

By: Allison Werner

When you are at the stage where you are seriously thinking of making a move, there are a few essential steps that will help everything go as smoothly as possible:

• Figure out the price range that is comfortable for you.  If you plan to acquire financing it is a good idea to speak with a lender before you even begin seeing homes.  This ensures that all of your questions are answered, that you’re looking at the right homes, and that once you find the one you’ll be ready to move forward and submit an offer accompanied by your preapproval letter.  If you plan to pay cash, it is helpful to have a bank statement or letter from your bank stating that you have the funds available to purchase within the price range you…

by: Allison Werner

People frequently ask me how the market is doing and my answer recently is that things are VERY active.  We have been seeing lots of buyer activity, even in these typically slower summer months.  I personally have been involved in quite a few multiple-offer situations this year and they have been both on bank-owned properties (where this situation is most common) and also on regular arm’s-length sales.

Recently a listing of mine was active on the market for about 30 days and then received not one, not two, but THREE OFFERS in one day!  There were about 15 showings in the first month but no offers, then the interest peaked one weekend.  We made sure to price the property right from the start, which is the most important…