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Strong Canadian Dollar makes Florida Real Estate Desirable

February 17, 2012 By Leave a Comment

In the last 6 months the Canadian Dollar (CAD) has seen much fluctuation against the US Dollar (USD). Since September 1st 2011 we have seen the CAD drop as much as 6 cents below parity to the USD, with highs above 1.03CADUSD. In the last 90 days although the CAD value is generally trending upwards we have seen fluctuations of up to 4 cents. The good news is over the last 2 weeks the CADUSD value has averaged 1.0019, meaning it is a great time for Canadian buyers to find their dream home and purchase here in Florida.

Moneycorp is the foreign currency exchange and transfer service, offering the best exchanges rates at the best time.

Advantages for a foreign buyer:

  • Knowing the actual value of the client’s currency to have an accurate price range
  • The ability to monitor exchange rates free of charge or obligation
  • The ability to lock in an exchange rate to protect the amount of investment for up to 2 years
  • No transfer fees for anything over £10,000 equivalent
  • Free guidance and support to understand the currency market

Advantages for a foreign seller:

  • Knowing the real value of the client’s sale in their “home currency”
  • The ability to monitor rates to make the most profit of their sale proceeds
  • The ability to send their funds out of the US, even if they are not present in the US
  • Free transfers for anything over £10,000 equivalent
  • Guidance and service to understand the currency market

Advantages for US residents with foreign currency exchanges:

  • Better exchange rates than most US Banks (typical savings of 2-9%)
  • The ability to facilitate transfers under £20,000 equivalent online
  • The ability to lock in an exchange rate for up to 2 years
  • Free guidance and support to understand the currency market

Interested in Buying or Selling in the Sarasota Market?

Contact me to get started on finding your dream vacation home or condominium in the Sarasota area and potentially great savings by partnering with Moneycorp as your foreign exchange service.

Filed Under: News

1613 Bayshore Road Property for Sale

January 30, 2012 By Leave a Comment

View from Dock Toward 1.39 Acre Parcel

 I am pleased to offer this amazing bayfront property located at 1613 Bayshore Road in Nokomis. The property is 1.39 acres and has 170 feet of water frontage on Little Sarasota Bay/Blackburn Bay. The lot is subdividable, has been cleared of the prior structure, and is ready for your architect to work his/her magic to build your dream home. The elevation from the 2006 survey indicates the land is at 14 ft. elevation. This is an amazing property and is value priced at $1.199 million.

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1608 Casey Key Gulf to Bay Property for Sale

January 30, 2012 By Leave a Comment

View of Little Sarasota Bay from Master Balcony

Living Area with Wrap around Gulf to Bay Views

Beautiful Casey Key Sandy Beach

 Welcome to Casa Mia – a unique Gulf to Bay Property on Casey Key’s 8 mile beach where you will find no high rise condominiums and no traffic lights. This property was designed to take full advantage of sweeping gulf and bay views from every vantage point. The white aluminum  railings wrap around the decks and resemble those you would find on a cruise ship. This is a holiday home where you can kick back, relax and enjoy boating, fishing, walking the beach, sunrises and sunsets galore! Entertaining is easy in the open plan and the price cannot be beat: $1,950,000 for the ultimate beach home with deep boating water. Truly a paradise awaits you on Casey Key!

Filed Under: Blog Posts, News Tagged With:

2012 Real Estate Predictions for Sarasota

January 19, 2012 By Leave a Comment

 

1219 Westway Drive

 

2012 is going to be the year we return to strong sales in the luxury market. Since December 1st, 2011,  there are 13 properties in Sarasota and Manatee counties with pending sales in the $2 million plus range. Judging by the showing activity in most neighborhoods, the market will be very busy indeed and deals certainly will get done.

No sooner had I written these words for an article in the Longboat Observer published yesterday, that the number of properties pending since December 1, 2011, increased from 13 to 19–and 11 of these are $3 million plus single family homes, and 4 are condominiums.

 With current inventories so low—across price ranges, it’s important that building activity has significantly increased. Buyers today do not want to go through the 2-3 year process it takes to design, permit and build a new home. This is clearly evident in the high-end properties that are now pending: most of these pending sales are for newer construction or nicely renovated properties.  Continuing low interest rates, combined with excellent press coverage about our area’s beautiful beaches, a world class cultural community, an extraordinary lifestyle, and unprecedented real estate opportunities, all combine to make 2012 a watershed year for buying and selling real estate in Sarasota-Manatee counties.

Stay tuned–and if you are a buyer seeking a luxury home, my advice is to hurry up and give me a call while inventory is still available!

 

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Casey Key Real Estate Market Update

December 21, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Year-To-Date Sales Activity on Casey Key

Casey Key sales in 2011 are slightly ahead of last year with 17 sales as of 12/19/11, 3 pending sales, 2 “active with contract” and 40 still actively for sale. The sales have ranged from $600,000 for a 1959-built, 1,625 sq. ft. canal home in Casey Cove with an original list price of $850,000 on the low end of the spectrum, to a 2004-built, 10,291 sq. ft. custom home selling for $7.575 million, with an original list price of $10.9 million.

Of the 3 pending sales, one is a non-waterfront home listed at $750,000 for a 3 bedroom home, with deeded beach access; one is a full bayfront home built in 1962 with deeded beach access and listed at $1 million, and the 3rd is a gulf front home built in 2002 and listed at $1,999,999 and is a short sale.

There remain 40 active listings as of 12/19/11, ranging from $699,000, which is a 4-plex located in the small motel section of the key near Albee bridge, with 1,790 sq. ft. to a family compound comprised of 3 structures plus a vacant bayfront parcel, situated on the north end of the key on 300 feet of gulf, and listed for $19 million.

Total volume of sales for Casey Key for 2011 is $34,857,500 with an average ratio of list price to sales price of 83%. This compares to 2010 stats of $32,772,000 in sales with average ratio of 80%.

With its proximity to the historic, walking town of Venice, minutes to downtown Sarasota, and 8 miles of beautiful beach, Casey Key remains one of the strongest neighborhoods for today’s buyer who is looking for an exclusive neighborhood with no traffic lights and no high rise condominiums.

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Bird Key Real Estate Market Update

December 20, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Year-To-Date Sales Activity on Bird Key

Bird Key has been a hot neighborhood in 2011 with 35 sales as of 12/19/11, 5 pending sales, and 29 still actively for sale. The sales have ranged from $407,000 for a 1963-built, 2,098 sq. ft. garden home with an original list price of $600,000 on the low end of the spectrum, to a 2009-built, 6,570 sq. ft. custom home selling for $4.95 million, with an original list price of $7.85 million.

Of the 5 pending sales, one is a garden home listed at $899,500 for a 4 bedroom, remodeled home, which was under contract in just 11 days; the other 3 are either canal front homes or full bay.

There remain 29 active listings as of 12/19/11, ranging from $545,000 for a garden home with 2,262 sq. ft. to a custom home built in 2006 with over 7,800 sq. ft. of living space and listed for $8.8 million.

With its proximity to downtown, St. Armand’s Circle, and Lido Beach, boating water, Bird Key remains one of the strongest neighborhoods for today’s buyer who is looking for convenience to the lifestyle afforded by these amenities.

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1304 Casey Key Road Gulf to Bay Property for Sale

December 8, 2011 By Leave a Comment

1304 Casey Key Road Gulf to Bay Property for Sale

I am thrilled to represent the seller of this magnificent George Merlin designed home situated on a half acre gulf-to-bay parcel on Casey Key. The design concept takes full advantage of both Gulf of Mexico and Little Sarasota Bay views through the sight lines established by the architect.

 

1304 Casey Key Luxury Waterfront Home for Sale

 
The library/office is exquisitely appointed with custom Yoder cabinetry, a fireplace, with a French door leading to the gulf-side balcony for viewing amazing sunsets.
 
 

View of Little Sarasota Bay from 1304 Casey Key Residence for Sale

 
 
With five ensuite bedrooms, separate his and her baths, an elevated pool that extends the living space outdoors, a dock with access to the intracoastal waterway, a beach walkover to the 8 mile walking beach of Casey Key, this property has it all. It is offered at $5,295,000. A separate furniture package is available.
 
The full property details can be found on my Luxury Property In Sarasota website.
 
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925 Casey Cove Sells for $600,000

November 9, 2011 By Leave a Comment

925 CASEY COVE

This 2,300 sq. ft. home on a 9,804 sq. ft. lot sold today on Casey Cove, located on Casey Key, an 8-mile barrier island, 12 miles south of Sarasota. This home was first offered for sale in 2007 for $1.675 million. The selling price today was $600,000, an unbelievabe deal for the buyer who is getting waterfront property at a fraction of what it would have cost during the boom of 2005-06.
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1500 Casey Key Road Sells

November 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Villa Mediterranea On Casey Key

1500 Casey Key - $3.65M

 I am pleased to report that my listing at 1500 Casey Key Road, “Villa Mediterranea,” a gulf-to-bay property with a cozy beach cottage in addition to a 6 bedroom main residence, with a grotto-like pool, dock with deep boating water, all wrapped into a 33,114 sq. ft. parcel of land, sold today for $3.65 million. This represents the first gulf to bay sale on Casey Key in 2011, and the second highest sale for the year on Casey Key.

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Countdown to Success

October 20, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Posted by Michael Saunders October 20, 2011

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With prices stabilizing in the segments of our market below $500,000, buyers have reduced the inventory of available homes in Sarasota County to levels not seen since the property shortage created by the real estate oom in 2005. Their demand for more and better listings makes now an excellent time to list your home for a potentially more satisfying result—provided it is well-priced and reasonably well-maintained.

If you are thinking of selling now to take advantage of our recovering market as it approaches the busiest sales season of every year, here are the…

Top Ten Reasons To List Your Home With An

Agent From Michael Saunders & Company

1- The newest TRENDGRAPHIX® report (issued earlier this month for Sarasota County) reveals that over the past year, agents from Michael Saunders & Company collectively accounted for nearly as much in closed dollar volume—across all price ranges—as our closest two competitors combined.

2- Over the past year, MS&C agents closed on more dollar volume of properties—priced above $1 million—than our next four nearest competitors combined.

3- Over the past year, MS&C agents found buyers for nearly as much in closed dollar volume—throughout all price ranges—as our next two closest competitors combined.

4- Over the past year, MSC agents found buyers for sales involving properties priced above $1 million—than the next nine nearest competitors combined.

5- In the first 9 months of 2011 MichaelSaunders.com, by far the region’s most frequented real estate-related web site, welcomed more than 1.3 million visitors—an increase of over 31% versus last year.  (Source:  Compete.com)

6- When conducting a search on the internet from anywhere in the world, buyers will typically discover MichaelSaunders.com atop the ranking on nearly every search query involving real estate in Southwest Florida.

7- MS&C’s hand-selected international brokerage partnerships connect your home to over 200,000 of the world’s top-selling real estate agents.  These exclusive affiliations include Christie’s International Real Estate, Luxury Portfolio International, Leading Real Estate Companies of the World, the European Real Estate Network (EREN) and Mayfair International Realty.

8- Through September of this year, the MS&C Appointment Center set 44,630 appointments to show properties, putting it on track to exceed last year’s volume of 55,229 appointments set.

9- MS&C’s core customer services include MSC Mortgage and MSC Title, ranked month-after-month among the region’s top community-based lenders and title companies.

10- With nearly forty years of experience as Southwest Florida’s leading independent brokerage no one has a better handle on our local market, its many neighborhoods and nuances, than Michael Saunders & Company.

And there’s one more major reason to list your home with Michael Saunders & Company:

11- Thus far this year, our agents have helped buyers and sellers achieve their real estate goals to the tune of  $1.241 billion in closed sales.

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