SARASOTA, FLORIDA, November 2nd, 2016 – Pursuit of excellence continues this school year for Pine View High School in Osprey after regaining its top 10 national ranking and leader of the pack in Florida as ranked by U.S. News & World Report. Pine View, certainly one of the top draws for Sarasota homes for sale in Osprey, rose nationally in 2016 to seventh from 24th place in the 2015 U.S. News compilation.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, November 1st, 2016 – An open-air free trolley service to and from Siesta Key is expected to start operating between this December and February 2017. The Sarasota County Area Transit (SCAT) announced this October that bids are now being solicited for an operator to run this service which would help mitigate the perennial traffic and parking problems in the island, which is a major local tourist draw as well, as a prime destination for Sarasota homes for sale.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, October 31st, 2016 – Options for new builds will soon boost the stock of existing homes at University Place and in its neighborhoods Savannah Preserve and Carolina Landings. Benderson Development, which owns a mixed-use property adjacent and just south of these communities, is seeking Manatee County approval on infill projects for more commercial/office space and hotel rooms. It also seeks additional residential units to build out this land parcel.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, October 27th, 2016 – Development is fast catching up in east downtown Sarasota along the flanks of U.S. 301 (Washington Blvd). The historic Laurel Park west of this road corridor and Paver Park Estates along with Payne Park opposite east will soon be neighbors with several residential and commercial establishments now in the pipeline. Just north of Payne Park at its School Avenue stretch, construction is slated to start this October for the contemporary townhomes of The Artisan on Main.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, October 26th, 2016 – It’s green and go for two property development projects in West Manatee—Peninsula Bay and Tides End—with their final approval of the Manatee County Commission in October. Peninsula Bay will rise on the 359-acre site of Manatee Fruit Co. located north of Cortez Road, and south of Palma Sola Bay. Its owner, Whiting Preston, plans 1,950 residential units in this property straddling east and west of 115th Street West.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, October 25th, 2016 – The Realtors Association of Manatee and Sarasota (RAMS) has taken steps to be on top of the issue of climate change and its impact on the real estate industry. In its September annual meeting, RAMS had as one of its resource speakers David Houle, a “futurist in residence” at the Ringling College of Art and Design, who provided an overview of the anticipated effects of global warming and climate change for the Gulf Coast.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, October 24th, 2016 – Increased buying interest looms for Sarasota homes for sale in Lakeside Plantation. Developments now in progress in its North Port locality provide some added delights to living in this 306-acre community located just east of North Toledo Blade Blvd. For starters, the widening from four to six lanes of the stretch of Interstate 75 north of the property is nearing its completion. This road improvement will help ease travelling northward to Venice and southward to Charlotte County.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, October 23rd, 2016 – Prospective buyers of homes for sale in Charlotte County, barring any major hitch, will be touring builder models starting early next year in Lake Timber, the first community in the master-planned Babcock Ranch in east Punta Gorda. Four homebuilders separately launched in September the construction of their showcases in this eco-friendly development accessible via Bermont Road then southward on State Road 31.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, October 23rd, 2016 – Much remains to be seen from the housing sector’s post-Great Recession recovery with the recent power play amongst Lennar Homes, WCI Communities, and M/I Homes, three prominent builders of homes for sale in Sarasota and Manatee. Lennar Homes is poised to shake up the hierarchy of U.S. homebuilders, having announced this September its plan to acquire WCI Communities to the tune of about $643 million. The boards of Lennar and WCI have already approved the deal.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, October 22nd, 2016 – Stonegate Bank is one financial institution which sure has a positive outlook on the Southwest Florida economy, particularly the region’s property sector in general and Sarasota homes for sale in particular. This Pompano Beach-based bank is spending $36.5 million to acquire Insignia Bank in Sarasota, its second bank purchase in the county within a two-year span.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, October 22nd, 2016 – Future residents of Risdon on 5th, a mixed-use condo project at the Rosemary district, will find a bountiful line up of nearby attractions matching those in downtown Sarasota a short distance south of their neighborhoods. Fruitville Road, which is an easy stroll south from the condominium, is proving to be a growth hotspot with a slew of projects lined up along this corridor.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, October 21st, 2016 – The first phase of the resource protection, preservation, and enhancement project for Palma Sola Scenic Highway successfully kicked off in September, an initiative that adds to delightful living in the West Bradenton communities flanking this road corridor. The project covers the four-mile stretch of Manatee Avenue West (S.R. 64 West), which includes the Palma Sola Causeway, from 75th Street West to East Bay Drive on Anna Maria Island.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, October 21st, 2016 – The Realtors Association of Sarasota and Manatee (RASM) continues to champion affordable housing. Just look at a program that its Leadership Academy launched recently to generate realtor and public awareness on the William E. Sadowski Affordable Housing Act. Enacted in 1992, this legislation created a dedicated revenue source for Florida housing programs dependent only on federal sources and appropriations approved by the state legislature.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, October 20th, 2016 – A long-pending plan for a townhouse development called the Preserve at Walden Lake off 33rd Street East in southeast Bradenton appears gaining steam. This project is located in a 38.5-acre site currently dominated by the residential subdivisions of Briarwood, Garden Lakes, and the deed-restricted Oak Terrace, all offering attractively priced Bradenton homes for sale.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, October 20th, 2016 – Plans that the city of North Port adopted earlier to help retain and attract residents through more and better equipped places to play have begun to pan out, subsequently further contributing to the marketability of its Sarasota homes for sale. This September, the city inaugurated a pedestrian and equestrian bridge linking its Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park to the 25,000-acre Carlton Reserve.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, October 19th, 2016 – A flurry of new businesses coming into the city of North Port promises to lend further excitement to its residential property market in the months ahead and onwards to 2017. The Tamiami Trail corridor near this highway’s junction with Tuscola Blvd. and Sumter Blvd. is one of the city’s new growth epicenters that could help spur market interest on North Port homes for sale.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, October 19th, 2016 – More home buyers appear gravitating towards properties in Charlotte County, recent monthly data from Florida Realtors© show. Sales of single family homes in August at the county’s Punta Gorda metropolitan statistical area rose 12.5 percent, the second monthly gain recorded this year after a 3.6 percent advance in June. In contrast, August sales in neighboring Sarasota and Manatee registered a 1.7 percent decline.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, October 17th, 2016 – Here’s encouraging news for aspiring buyers of distressed Suncoast residential properties for rehabbing and keeping them for their own use. They now faceless competition from investors with an appetite for foreclosures and flipping their purchases for a profit. Statistics that ATTOM Data Solutions culled for the 2016 second quarter show that flippers delving in Sarasota and Manatee homes for sale were on the retreat.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, October 17th, 2016 – If plans do not miscarry, development of surplus Manatee county lands for housing, including those in Bradenton’s urban corridors, could be underway sometime soon. The Manatee County Commission recently announced plans to invite developers to buy surplus county-owned land parcels sitting idle and costing maintenance to the county.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, September 30th, 2016 – Three communities in South County, two of them new developments, recently announced construction of new amenity centers that should further enhance marketability of their residential properties in listings of Sarasota homes for sale. At the well-established golf community of The Oaks Club in Osprey, construction began in July of 2016 for a $2.5 million WellFit Center to round out the wide array of amenities already available to its residents and club members.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, September 29th, 2016 – There will never be a dull weekend or holiday for families living in the Suncoast, with Sarasota county alone having over 160 parks offering some 55,000 acres of wonderful play spaces. Outside of these public facilities, new venues have been recently added, thus enhancing further the marketability of Sarasota homes for sale. One recent exciting addition is EVO Athletics which opened in August 2016.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, September 27th, 2016 – Seeking diversity in a search for newly built Sarasota homes for sale in one stop? Consider the new community of Savanna at Lakewood Ranch as amongst your destinations. It now offers many models of varying designs and price points which may just be right for your budget and lifestyle. Meritage Homes, one of the principal builders in Savanna, opened in September 2016 four fully furnished models for showing to prospective buyers of Bradenton or Sarasota homes for sale.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, September 26th, 2016 – Check out Huntington Pointe in Palmer Ranch or Granada Park for Sarasota homes for sale with smart technologies, which some realtors’ reports indicate are now priorities in the checklist of many prospective home buyers. Recent industry readings also suggest that it would be wise for sellers to include smart home devices in prepping up a house for sale.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, September 23rd, 2016 – South County is contributing a large share to the steady rise in inventory of Sarasota homes for sale that has been on an uptick since February of 2016 and highlighted by gains of between 15 and 21 percent from May to July this year. West Villages accounts for much of the spike in South County’s home inventory and provides plenty of newly built choices in current listings of Sarasota homes for sale.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, September 21st, 2016 – Housing they can afford has long been a gripe of millennials in the Bradenton‒Sarasota area. Now it looks that this need is finally being addressed. Some homebuilders have started purposive efforts to fill this largely unserved item in the millennials’ wish list—choices of affordable Sarasota homes for sale. Millennials now account for the biggest slice of the U.S. market, having surpassed the erstwhile leading demographic—the generation of baby boomers.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, September 20th, 2016 – Stock Signature Homes, the homebuilding unit of Naples-based developer Stock Development, has had a remarkable debut at Country Club East, selling its first model home the very first day it was showcased in this golf community in Lakewood Ranch (LWR) recently. This fully furnished home, featuring three bedrooms within its 3,136-square-foot floor area, was immediately grabbed for $1.1 million.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, September 19th, 2016 – Chinese home buyers in recent years have significantly grown their presence in the Suncoast where foreign home buying was erstwhile largely dominated by Canadians and Europeans. According to the 2015 Profile of International Home Buyers compiled by the National Association of Realtors® (NAR®), 27 percent of Chinese buyers in all of Florida chose properties in the Bradenton-Sarasota-Venice area.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, September 16th, 2016 – It looks like a growing number of prospective buyers of Sarasota homes for sale and their agents would be making a bee line to North Venice, particularly to this area’s newest hotspot of residential developments—the Laurel Road‒Jacaranda Boulevard corridor. Much of the market interest in this locality is riveted on Toscana Isles, a Mediterranean-style gated community the marketing for which opened early 2016.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, September 14th, 2016 – Sales listings of newly built single family homes in the Longboat Key real estate market are quite few but more may soon be added to its stock of never-occupied, single detached residences. Early in September 2016, Land Resource Strategies LLC filed a town referendum request to pave the way for developing 10 new homes on a 1.8-acre property at 5630 Gulf of Mexico Drive south of Cedars Tennis Resort.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, September 13th, 2016 – Northwest Bradenton goes one neighborhood richer come spring 2017 with the expected completion of the development of The Estuary which broke ground in August of 2016. A project of the prolific regional homebuilder Neal Communities, this new subdivision sits on 53 acres off 103rd Street bordered north, south and west by the sprawling nature park Robinson Preserve.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, September 12th, 2016 – The Sarasota‒Bradenton region now appears more prominent on the radar screen of Corporate America. This attention, certainly a plus too for Sarasota homes for sale, can be seen in the national retail chains and fast food franchises which have recently established and grown their presence in the area. Macy’s, one of the nation’s top retailers, counts amongst the companies bullish on the Suncoast, having added its fourth store in the region at the Mall at University Town Center (UTC) in 2014.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, September 9th, 2016 – The inventory of available homes for sale has become richer around the well-established Creekwood in East Bradenton, as options have recently surfaced in new neighborhoods around this deed-restricted community off State Road 70. Some of these fresh choices on Bradenton homes for sale were recently unveiled at the Ridge at Crossing Creek of Neal Communities. This new neighborhood sits on 88 acres good for a total of 138 home sites.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, September 8th, 2016 – Wonder not if Bayou Oaks is getting an increased share of home buying interest these days. Its residences may pale in comparison with their more upscale neighbors west at Indian Beach/Sapphire Shores, but nonetheless, the quality of life in the Bayou Oaks Neighborhood has grown as desirable. Significant improvements of the Old Bradenton Road running about 1.5 miles across Bayou Oaks bring in much of the newfound vitality of Sarasota homes for sale in this neighborhood.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, September 7th, 2016 – The upswing in residential property values in Bradenton for the past 12 months looks sustainable. A wealth of pipelined public and private construction projects promises to take the city’s growth to a new level and thus help spur market interest on Bradenton homes for sale particularly those in and around the downtown district. Work, for one, is slated to start by year-end of 2016 at the planned Springs Hill Suites Hotel at the former site of the Manatee Players theater.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, September 6th, 2016 – The Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (SRQ) and Punta Gorda Airport (PGD) are stepping up efforts to be more competitive with their larger Florida peers. These moves are expected to lead not only to better and value-for-money services but also contribute to the growth of the property sector in the region as well. At SRQ, airport officials have teamed up Visit Sarasota County in persuading Southwest Airlines to revive flights.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, September 2nd, 2016 – Count the recent decision of Home Depot to open a new store in East Manatee as one smart move. The Sarasota‒Bradenton metropolitan area wherein Home Depot is set to expand its market coverage has been ranked by the business news channel CNBC as one of the top 20 U.S. metros to start a business. Our metro area came out no. 15 in this first-ever CNBC ranking.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, September 1st, 2016 – The number of existing single family homes sold in Sarasota and Manatee has slipped by 4.6 percent through the first six months of 2016, but local realtors are of the consensus that this drop won’t knock the wind out of the residential property market’s sails. Real estate agents, for one thing, have anticipated the market to cool off following the consecutive record-high sales set in 2014 and 2015.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, August 30th, 2016 – Two adjacent old neighborhoods south of downtown Sarasota, Red Rock and Oyster Bay, continue to draw market interest, despite the recent proliferation of newer residential developments in the region. Based on the MLS of Sarasota homes for sale, some 15 residences were sold in these two West of the Trail communities during the past 12 months, and available properties are sprouting here as well.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, August 29th, 2016 – Chalk up BMX bike racing as another point for Sarasota as a world-class sports destination, a growing stature good for market visibility particularly for communities like Lake Ridge and Glen Oaks offering attractively priced Sarasota homes for sale. Already enjoying proximity to the popular Ed Smith Stadium, these communities got an added perk from the $2.4 million renovation of the BMX race track.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, August 26th, 2016 – The barrier island of Casey Key, though home to just about 500 residents, shares much of the current upbeat mood of the Sarasota residential property market’s luxury segment. Records from the MLS of Sarasota homes for sale show that deals on nine Casey Key properties have been sealed since the start of 2016, while some 17 new listings were added during the same time period.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, August 24th, 2016 – The Del Webb Lakewood Ranch community for residents 55 years old and over hit the ground running early in 2016, auspiciously at pace with homebuilders’ positive outlook for this housing segment. In the second quarter of 2016, the market index on 55-plus housing for single family homes rose a point to 57, indicating that more builders positively view the outlook for this particular construction industry sector.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, August 23rd, 2016 – Now may be an opportune time to get into the market for those prospective buyers spooked by the double-digit percentage gains in Sarasota homes for sale since August 2015. The median price of single family homes sold in the county rose by 7.8 percent to $248,000 in June 2016, the first single-digit percentage gain in 12 months. It compares with the 17.9 percent gain in June 2015 and the record pace of 28.7 percent posted in February of 2016.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, August 22nd, 2016 – Don’t miss out on available properties along the Burnt Store Road corridor in a search of homes for sale in south Charlotte. Major improvements are continuing on this highway leading to the western periphery of Fort Myers and Cape Coral, thus giving some added lift to home values in many communities along its stretch. Amongst these Charlotte neighborhoods are Pirates Harbor and Burnt Store Lakes.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, August 17th, 2016 – The revitalization of the Historic Ware’s Creek Neighborhood just west of downtown Bradenton continues to move forward and help push interest on Manatee homes for sale. Early in 2016, the dredging of the community’s namesake creek was successfully completed. Likewise favorable for downtown Bradenton homes for sale, an infill project with a park component will soon commence on 9th Avenue West off the eastern bank of the waterway.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, August 16th, 2016 – Efforts to protect the health of the region’s ecosystem continue to move forward as the Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast, an Osprey-based nonprofit, is making significant progress in conserving three ranches in Sarasota and Manatee counties. These three include Triangle Ranch and Sheps Island Ranch, both bordering the Myakka River State Park, and the Orange Hammock Ranch in North Port. With a land area totaling 7,564 acres, these ranches are conservatively valued.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, August 15th, 2016 – As of early August 2016, the MLS of Sarasota condos for sale lists less than 20 available units at Golden Gate Point Peninsula. More are expected to be added soon, however, with the recent approval of the site plan for The Pearl at the 22-acre waterfront neighborhood by the southeastern approach of the John Ringling Bridge. This new upscale project is scheduled to break ground in October 2016 for the redevelopment of two lots on the block of 609 Golden Gate Point.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, August 13th, 2016 – New local hubs of growth continue to emerge as contributors to Florida’s economic growth. The state’s economy, seen as ahead of the national pace and building further momentum, draws its continuing strength from job growth and construction, factors which are as robust in Sarasota and Manatee. Further improvements on the region’s labor front can be expected in the near term not only from major projects like the 3,500-acre Waterside project.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, August 12th, 2016 – The Realtor® Association of Sarasota and Manatee (RASM) is continuing to strengthen its partnership with the two counties’ Habitat for Humanity nonprofits program involved in helping qualified residents to attain sustainable home ownership. In 2016, RASM joined joined forces Habitat for Humanity Sarasota in presenting a three-bedroom, two-bath home in Brooksdale Drive to a family of three erstwhile sharing a one-bedroom rented apartment.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, August 11th, 2016 – Energizing recreational outdoor activities are now accessible again at Jiggs Landing, an old-school fish camp by the 12-mile long Braden River in East Bradenton which definitely counts as one of the charms of living in Sarasota and Manatee. A designated preserve, this property was closed to the public during the 2016 first quarter to make way for some major upgrades. It reopened sometime in April 2016 and has already hosted some exciting summer events.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, August 10th, 2016 – Home sales overall have cooled down in the Sarasota area during the 2016 first half, but players in the high-end condo market segment feel they still got plenty of reasons to be cheery these days. The number of deals closed on Sarasota condos for sale priced $1 million and higher were on the upswing since January 2016. This uptrend contrasts with the decline of nearly 4 percent in the total number of existing homes and condos sold in Sarasota.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, August 5th, 2016 – The long-proposed bridge across Braden River which would connect Tara Boulevard with Honore Avenue has been excluded from the 5-year Capital Improvement Program of Manatee presented to county commissioners in June 2016. But while this span won’t be built anytime soon, expect continuing debate ahead as local residents are divided on this project which is part of the county’s Comprehensive Plan created in 1989.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, August 4th, 2016 – Sales took off at a brisk pace at Willow Walk and Heron Creek, two of the newest communities at Palmetto in north Manatee where homebuilders are offering affordably priced single family homes. Since their market launch early in 2016, about a dozen Willow Walk residences have already been sold, with seven deals closed for June and July alone, as per MLS records. Three of the homes recently sold in this new subdivision have tag prices in the high $100s.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, August 2nd, 2016 – It makes more sense to buy a home rather than rent a residence in Florida, according to GOBankingRates.com, a personal finance website which tracked monthly rents and monthly mortgage payments across the U.S. The website, in a study released in July 2016, ranked the top states where homeownership is cheaper than renting through a comparison of median listed sale prices and median rent prices for single family residences in each state.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, August 1st, 2016 – This is one ranking which residents of Beneva Pines, Clark Meadows and Nathaniel Place would surely agree with as they arrived at the same rating before in their selection of Sarasota homes for sale. South Gate Ridge, the larger community to which these three neighborhoods belong to, has been ranked highly amongst Florida’s top 100 best places to live in, a list that also included eight other Sarasota communities.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, July 29th, 2016 – The green light is on for Sarasota-based Medallion Home to convert the public golf course in Gulf Gate into a 108-home neighborhood. This development was unanimously approved by the Sarasota County Commission in July 2016 after resolving the strong opposition from the Gulf Gate Community Association. The local residents’ group earlier vehemently opposed the project because it was planned as an isolated development that would wind through the Gulf Gate community.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, July 28th, 2016 – Development of its final phase has stepped up in the Hidden Bay condominium in Osprey, and in the past few months, its additional units and resale condos have already been contributing to a healthy supply in the Sarasota County market. Inventory of condominium units in Sarasota as of June 2016 was again estimated at slightly above a five-month supply, a level that has been the norm since February 2016.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, July 27th, 2016 – More recreational opportunities revolving around carless trails and pathways may soon add to the perks of living in Bradenton and eastern areas in Manatee like Ellenton and Parrish. The county’s Greenways Master Plan, on mothballs for over a decade now due to lack of funding, appears ready for takeoff. In June 2016, the Sarasota/Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) approved the Willow-Ellenton Greenway and the AMI SUN Trail for inclusion in the Regional Project Priorities list.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, July 26th, 2016 – Major real estate projects planned in southwest Bradenton are poised to dramatically alter the residential property market in this area largely dominated at present by the sprawling waterfront communities of Coral Shores and San Remo Shores off the westernmost stretch of Cortez Road. Just west of San Remo, a new master-planned community called Peninsula Bay has been lined up for final approval.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, July 21st, 2016 – Tivoli Homes has intensified marketing efforts for its newest community—the Cottages of Curry Creek in Nokomis—after its other property developments met success in the resurgent market for Sarasota homes for sale in recent years. This Sarasota-based company is building upon the strong sales exhibited in The Cottages of Callista Village which it developed around 2005 in Longwood Run just off of University Parkway. Tivoli has already sold out its 21 cottage-style single family homes.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, July 20th, 2016 – D.R. Horton in recent months has been adding more new builds in Bay Street in Osprey, a neighborhood of carriage homes and townhouses where residences are typically priced in the $200s range. This national homebuilder appears to have made some sharp pencil-pushing in stepping up construction in this community. Market demand at Bay Street homes’ price points indeed has been quite robust recently. Since January 2016, sales of condos in the $200s in the were generally on the uptick.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, July 19th, 2016 -Anna Maria Island has a scheme that wants people out of cars and on to the streets. But don’t be alarmed as this is positive on prospects for Manatee and Sarasota homes for sale. Launched in the island recently was a multimodal transit system featuring, amongst others, a bike sharing and parking service. This is to encourage car-free travel and thus reduce traffic and parking problems in the island’s seven-mile stretch. Called Ride AMI, this system was initiated by local businesses.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, July 18th, 2016 – With Fort Hammer Bridge in East Manatee nearly one-third complete as of early July 2016, the county is pursuing construction of three more spans which are expected to help further ease local vehicular traffic and contribute in firing up further interest on the local property market. Costing some $32.7 million, the Fort Hammer Bridge will open a link between Parrish and Lakewood Ranch. Its planned two-lane stretch spans some 2,300 feet across the Manatee River.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, July 15th, 2016 – Some relief in vehicular traffic is in sight for residents of Lake Sarasota, Hammocks and the golf communities of Laurel Oaks and Bent Tree. The widening of Bee Ridge Road, a main access to their locality, is expected to wind up in July 2016. Started in 2014, this $22 million project covers a 2.68-mile eastward stretch of Bee Ridge from Interstate 75 between Mauna Loa Boulevard and Iona Road. Its completion turns this section into a four-lane roadway divided by a landscaped median.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, July 14th, 2016 – Job seekers who have focused their searches in Sarasota and Bradenton are right on track. A recent ranking of the personal finance website WalletHub put these two areas amongst the best Florida cities to find a job in 2016. Sarasota topped this list, while Bradenton was ranked no. 21 out of a total of 130 cities included in the analysis. This reaffirms earlier industry reports of robust employment growth in the region.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, July 12th, 2016 – Future property developments and existing communities on the Moccasin Wallow road corridor in Palmetto just got one strong peg by which to anchor their growth in the years ahead. A new owner, the Zelnik family of Valrico, Florida and Bronx, New York, in June 2016 announced its purchase and plans for Imperial Lakes Golf Club, one of the dominant properties in this East Manatee area.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, July 11th, 2016 – Indian Beach may be one of the oldest communities in Sarasota but it still counts amongst our bayfront localities where prospective buyers have a choice on some of the newest Sarasota homes for sale. It recently added a new neighborhood, the Bellora, an infill development of the award-winning custom home pros, Legacy Builders on the West Coast. This project was in the recent 2016 Parade of Homes (POH), the annual showcase of the Manatee–Sarasota Building Industry Association.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, July 8th, 2016 – Add more feathers to the cap of Venice which again boosted its stature as one of the most desirable places to live in Florida. Two separate studies recently named this city amongst the safest places in the Sunshine State while another research ranked Venice as one of the most affordable sunny small towns in the U.S. ValuePenguin.com ranked Venice as 10th safest amongst mid-sized city in Florida having population of between 15,000 and 40,000.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, July 7th, 2016 – A road safety project and a unique art walk have been pipelined for downtown Bradenton, both welcome enhancements to the walkability and connectivity of many residential neighborhoods around the city center including Village of the Arts and White Bear Park. As safety measures, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is currently designing a median, turn lanes, and crosswalks along key road corridors linking the downtown south to the Village of the Arts.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, July 6th, 2016 – The median sale price of homes sold in Sarasota in May 2016 notched a 14.6 percent increase to $263,000, sustaining double-digit percentage gains since August 2015. Prospective buyers though need not be spooked by these steady increases in prices of Sarasota homes for sale. There are still many buying opportunities below this price point and some new builds and fresh listings too, if we look more closely at the hyperlocal levels.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, July 5th, 2016 – Charlotte County will have to fast track its 10-year beach renourishment program particularly at the northern end of Manasota Key noted for prime choices of Englewood condos for sale. The coastal erosion here is posing an immediate threat to many gulf-side condos and single family homes along North Beach Road, aside from adversely affecting local tourism. In the aftermath of tropical storm Colin in June 2016, two homes along this road were declared unsafe.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, July 1st, 2016 – The bayfront community of Sapphire Shores gained some media mileage recently as one of its homes hosted a fundraiser of former President Bill Clinton for his wife Hillary in April 2016. But there’s more that has been transpiring in this historic Sarasota neighborhood that merit attention besides having enabled some Sarasotans a rare photo-op with an ex-White House tenant. Sapphire Shores, for one, has a lineup of Sarasota homes for sale truly of presidential caliber.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, June 29th, 2016 – The new urbanism that Sarasota is pursuing via its zoning and land use codes appears as the key in resolving the issues that local residents have raised on the dormant Ringling Shopping Center east of the city center. In June 2016, the city announced a settlement agreement with the owners of the shopping center to rezone the retail hub’s site so as to allow multi-use development. This mixed-use concept, which is one of the foundations of new urbanism.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, June 28th, 2016 – Folks who recently picked Sarasota homes for sale in the Meadows Country Club, Las Palmas at Sarasota, and other communities near the University Town Center (UTC) should now be happy with their choices even more. Near these neighborhoods, an intricate tapestry of amenities will soon be accessible in the planned entertainment center of the Mall at UTC. Renderings of these facilities were presented during the 2016 annual conference of the International Council of Shopping Centers.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, June 27th, 2016 – The stage appears set this summer for a torrid season of buying or selling a home in many U.S. metros which have been experiencing a steadily strengthening employment and rising personal incomes. These economic fundamentals favorable to a robust housing market look evident in Manatee where more households now appear able to access home loans. Since August 2015 up to May 2016, a consistent double-digit percentage declines were posted in cash home purchases.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, June 24th, 2016 – Some property developments are warming up for takeoff at Central Bradenton, promising to add some more pep to the residential communities in this area that typically offer affordably priced homes like those at Dahlia Gardens and Casa del Sol. In early June 2016, the Manatee County Commission approved a rezoning of 2303 1st Street to allow residential units on this site at the southeastern corner of U.S. 301 and U.S. 41 occupied by the Knights Inn motel.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, June 22nd, 2016 – The Pennsylvania-based convenience store chain Wawa is one commercial enterprise definitely upbeat on the prospects of Southwest Florida’s residential property sector. This company is poised to break ground soon in Venice after opening a new location each in Bradenton and Sarasota in June 2016, apparently convinced of the continued population surge and retail growth opportunities forecast in the region. In Bradenton, Wawa opened its fifth franchise in Manatee at 4506 53rd Avenue.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, June 21st, 2016 – As residential property prices continue to rise in Southwest Florida, many first-time home buyers are now more inclined towards Charlotte and its Punta Gorda metro area where the median price for single family residences has yet to breach the $200s mark. Those checking out starter homes in this area, however, will need to move quickly. Prices of Charlotte homes for sale in the highly desirable Punta Gorda metro area are rising too at a fast clip like its neighboring metros.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, June 20th, 2016 – Positive ripple effects are expected to be generated soon by the massive Waterside expansion of Lakewood Ranch (LWR) into Sarasota County, benefiting communities near Fruitville Road, like Tatum Ridge and Palmer Reserve. As early as 2017, road travel towards north from this Fruitville locality will have alternative routes besides traffic-prone Interstate 75. This convenience and added perk to Sarasota homes for sale in the area will result from several road projects underway.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, June 17th, 2016 – Mirroring the spike in national home construction of over 3 percent in April 2016, homebuilding continues to pick up pace in East Manatee. Acreages near the junction of State Road 64 and the Upper Manatee River Road constitute one of the epicenters of new property developments announced recently. Medallion Homes is amongst the builders poised to add more choices on Bradenton homes for sale. In May 2016, this Bradenton-based builder got county approval for a multi-use development.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, June 16th, 2016 – Marketing efforts directly addressing millennials is one slant that prospective sellers of Manatee or Sarasota homes for sale may want to seriously consider in 2016. A recent study of the National Association of Realtors (NAR) indicated that home buying for this demographic group aged 35 and under has been increasingly growing stronger in the U.S. The NAR research, titled Home Buyer and Seller Generational Trends, showed that millennials took 35 percent of total 2015 home sales.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, June 15th, 2016 – Development is fast picking up at Arlington Park in 2016, a community just south of Sarasota downtown where some property developers are undertaking several infill projects. Many are buying old houses for demolition as well to give way to new and larger builds as fresh additions to the stock of Sarasota homes for sale. With these new developments, Arlington Park is well on its way towards transforming itself from a domain of old, nondescript suburban homes to that of a chic neighborhood.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, June 13th, 2016 – Recent emphasis on higher density is paving the way for townhomes as a rising option for housing in the historic Island of Venice. Coming in as an under-the-radar counterpoint to several master-planned developments east and south of the city, these new choices promise to revitalize the aging housing stock around Venice’s downtown district. One of the transformations taking place is at Milan Avenue.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, June 9th, 2016 – Realtors who have picked up a significant number of sales leads in Englewood are gratified that recent efforts to revitalize this town continue to gain headway. These initiatives, they agree, promise to further fuel market interest in this charming home buying destination in the Cape Haze Peninsula. Much of Englewood’s ongoing renewal focuses on the historic Dearborn Street district which is popularly known as the Olde Englewood Village. The Old Florida ambiance pervades in this area.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, June 8th, 2016 – The market for multigenerational housing appears a growing niche in 2016, opening opportunities not only to homebuilders. It is also a point to consider for prospective sellers of large, pre-owned Sarasota homes for sale which can be retrofitted to accommodate extended households.One of the reasons cited for this resurgent trend was an increase in immigrant families, particularly Asians and Hispanics for whom intergenerational households are often the norm.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, June 7th, 2016 – Steady job and wage growth coupled with low mortgage rates appears to be setting the stage for more first-time home buyers to engage in the market. This trend seems clear not only on the radar screen of some homebuilders but has also been apparently tracked by many prospective sellers of existing or pre-owned Sarasota residences. In April 2016, new listings of Sarasota homes for sale was strongest in the $250,000‒$299,999 range.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, June 6th, 2016 – North Port is one market territory that should keep realtors happy in 2016 and onwards. Recently released U.S. Census Bureau data showed population growth is one of the strongest amongst Southwest Florida cities based on housing and building permits and other official records. It was estimated that population count in this city in south Sarasota County, along with that of Bradenton in Manatee County, rose by over 3 percent in 2015.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, June 3rd, 2016 – Property developments in south Sarasota are keeping pace with other hubs of growth in the county as two more neighborhoods are rising at the master-planned West Villages, both of which are under the banner of Toronto-based Mattamy Homes. These two developments are located off of U.S. 41 adjacent to each other in the northern end of West Villages. One of these neighborhoods is planned for some 600 homes within its 245-acre site west of River Road and the Myakka River.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, June 2nd, 2016 – A game-changer looms for residents and property owners at Pine Shores as the proposed Siesta Promenade just south of this community is now moving forward as a mixed-use project with a residential component. The project’s proponent, Benderson Development, in May 2016 presented to the Sarasota County’s development review committee a revised plan incorporating 600 multifamily condos and apartments next to the existing Pine Shores community.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, June 1st, 2016 – Communities along Rye Road, which extends for some six miles northeast from SR 64 in Bradenton to Ruthland Road in Parrish, just got a boost recently. Residents of River’s Reach, Del Tierra, and Rye Wilderness on this stretch are all elated that the Manatee County decided in May 2016 to reduce the road’s speed limit to a safer 45 mph from 55 mph. Those living in this locality can look forward not only to the early 2017 opening of the strategic Fort Hamer Bridge just west of their neighborhoods.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, May 31st, 2016 – Much of the rangelands and pastures in Manatee and Sarasota have given way to residential and commercial property developments, but cattle ranching and the cowboy culture associated with it remains alive and well in the Southwest Florida region and still actively contributing to its eclectic lifestyle. Some 50 working ranches, by one estimate, still operate in East Manatee though most beef producers in the region could only raise 100 head of cattle or fewer.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, May 27th, 2016 – Home building activity sure is picking up at Twin Rivers, a sprawling development in Parrish nestled between the banks of Gamble Creek and the Manatee River, where several pre-construction or spec homes are on the pipeline of several builders. The projected completion of the Fort Hamer Bridge in 2017 appears as one strong factor driving builders like M/I Homes, Medallion, and Johnson Homes to push their new construction at Twin Rivers amongst listings of Sarasota homes for sale.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, May 25th, 2016 – The saying that great things come in pairs held true for Harbour Isle at Anna Maria Sound whose win in March in the 2016 Parade of Homes saw an exciting follow-through in the much-awaited inauguration this May of the Perico Preserve adjacent east of this community in west Bradenton. In this year’s showcase of the Manatee‒Sarasota Building Industry Association, Harbour Isle emerged best in amenities in the category for developments with 201‒500 multifamily units.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, May 24th, 2016 – While the average price of luxury homes stalled in some major U.S. markets in the 2016 first quarter, hefty gains in the luxury category were posted in the Sarasota area, recent industry figures show. During the first three months of the year 2016, it was estimated that prices of luxury Sarasota homes for sale rose 27.3 percent from a year earlier. This gain compares with year-over-year price drops of between 11 and 15 percent in such prime markets as Sandy Springs, Miami Beach, Austin, and Boston.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, May 23rd, 2016 – Residential construction in Charlotte appears to have picked up more steam, and its home market is now beginning to look as vibrant as its northern neighbors Sarasota and Manatee. A recent housing report by the market research firm Metrostudy indicated that Charlotte, along with Sarasota and Manatee, is amongst Florida’s top home markets based on annual starts (rolling four quarters) as of the 2015 fourth quarter.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, May 20th, 2016 – Chalk up another delight to the southern Siesta Key communities of Tortoise Estates, Island Reef Condominium, Fisherman’s Cove, and Fisherman’s Haven. Prospective buyers of Sarasota homes for sale in these properties will be pleased to note that the sand renourishment project of the neighborhood’s Turtle Beach has been successfully completed. Costing $21.5 million, the beach improvement pumped sand of more than 713,000 cubic yards to a two-mile section of Turtle Beach.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, May 19th, 2016 – Further improvements in bike lanes and trails as well as more pedestrian paths and streetscape upgrades for enhanced walkability are high on the list of the 10-year comprehensive plan that the city of Venice is currently updating. Alert on such initiatives, some property developers have launched new communities in the city, moves that should further enliven the market on Venice homes for sale.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, May 18th, 2016 – New homebuilding projects planned for the Palmer Ranch area continue to pour out of the pipeline. One of these latest developments is the Legacy Estates of national homebuilder Taylor Morrison which has two other current projects in Palmer Ranch—Cobblestone and Arbor Lakes. This new community will rise in a site of over 100 acres off Honore Avenue south of the existing Silver Oak neighborhood.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, May 17th, 2016 – The New Homes Month that the building industry marked in April 2016 has resonated strongly in Sarasota with a wide selection of newly constructed residences that have been entering the local property market. As an added delight for prospective buyers of Sarasota homes for sale, most of these fresh offerings are eco-friendly residences from builders noted for their energy-efficient construction after they have long-adopted green practices as a standard in their projects.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, May 13th, 2016 – The tight supply in the region’s home market appears easing as months supply of inventory has been on the rise both in Sarasota and Manatee since January of 2016. After hitting a low of 3.5 months in 2015, the stock of available homes for sale in March rose to 4.7 months supply in Sarasota and to 4.8 months in Manatee. This home inventory build-up towards the market equilibrium of 5.5 months supply could be attributed to builders becoming more positive about the market’s outlook.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, May 12th, 2016 – The centennial celebration of the National Park Service (NPS) this year extends to Bradenton with activities centered at the De Soto National Memorial which too is a magnet for many residential communities northwest of the city. The NPS was formed on August 25, 1916 for the stewardship of U.S. national parks and engaging communities through programs on recreation, conservation, and historic preservation.