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Paradise Found - Siesta Key, Florida Condos
Monday, November 21st, 2011 / Marc Rasmussen

Have you been searching for a place to vacation or buy a winter home? Take a gander at the island oasis of Siesta Key. This eight mile long barrier island off the coast of Sarasota, Florida is a great place to spend time with your family on vacation, escape the winters of the north or to retire and spend the rest of your life. Siesta Key is surrounded by the clear aqua waters of the Gulf of Mexico and Sarasota bay. The beach is gorgeous and always ranks as one of the prettiest beaches in the country by several respected professionals.

There is plenty of Siesta Key real estate to choose from. What you can buy all depends on your expectations and budget. On the island you can find anything from a cozy efficiency near the beach all of the way to a magnificent multi-million dollar gulf front estate on the beach.

Siesta Key condos are a favorite for people who want to spend the winters in Florida. The great advantage of a condo is that you can lock it up and leave it while you are back north. No yard for you to mow, no pool for you clean, no roof for you to worry about. You just lock it and leave it. Here are four great Siesta Key condos:

1) Terrace East - Need beach, view, restaurants, fun and shopping in one location? The Terrace East condos are located in the heart of the Siesta Key village. Owners can walk to dining, the beach, shopping and all of the other amenities of the village. These condos overlook the Gulf of Mexico and Siesta Key beach. The views are spectacular.

2) Siesta Gulf View - This building sits right on the beach and offers all residents fabulous views of the clear blue waters. You will love the easy access to the beach. Siesta Gulf View is maintained very well and is not far from the village. Amenities include a tennis court, pool, building manager, covered parking, storage, elevators and security. You will just love the views.

3) Peppertree - This is a very large complex that runs from the bay side of the island to the gulf side. It is a good mix of townhouses and mid rises with a diverse group of a people. You will enjoy the life and energy of the people at the swimming pool. The community sits right on the beach so you can be dipping your toes in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico within seconds of your condo.

4) Palm Bay Club - Would you like a vacation condo that rents well while you are not using it? You can do that in the Palm Bay Club condos. They allow short term rentals and have an on-site rental office to handle all aspects of renting. This is a gulf to bay complex giving residents easy access to the bay as well as the beach. Amenities include beach, tennis courts, heated swimming pool and gated access.

So if you are looking for a winter escape take a trip to Siesta Key, Florida. If you are a looking for a family environment, gorgeous beaches, fun times, great dining and an overall fabulous place to live and vacation then do yourself a favor and visit Siesta Key.

Marc Rasmussen sells Siesta Key Real Estate

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Cherokee Park Homes in Sarasota, Florida
Sunday, November 20th, 2011 / Marc Rasmussen

Do you need to find a great neighborhood in Sarasota, Florida? There are many fabulous places to live in this beach town. You can find a great home on Longboat Key, Bird Key, Siesta Key, Lido Key, Casey Key, Lakewood Ranch and Sarasota. Do your neighborhood requirements sound anything like this?

Established neighborhood

Convenient location

Great school district

Lush, mature landscaping

Luxury homes

Family friendly community

Then you need to consider the Cherokee Park neighborhood. This highly sought after community is located in the ‘West of the Trail’ area just south of downtown Sarasota. People moving to this area often ask about this area because of its charm and character. You won’t find rows and rows of houses that all look alike. Every home is different and exudes its own character.

Cherokee Park is not any old neighborhood where every house is pretty much the same. No one would classify this community as ‘cookie cutter’. This 93 home neighborhood is a fabulous mix of newer homes and older, more established structures. Many of the older homes have been remodeled and/or expanded on. The great thing about Cherokee Park are the large lots. Many of them are a half an acre or more giving the feeling of openness and spaciousness. Older homes have been scraped to make way for newer, more modern structures.

Residents of Cherokee Park are made up of doctors, attorneys, business executives, retirees and young families. Since the community is located very closely to Sarasota Memorial Hospital you will find many medical professionals in the area.

One of the best advantages of living in Cherokee Park is the convenience. If you enjoy the beach you can be walking on Siesta Key or Lido Key beach within a very short drive or a bike ride. Do you dine out frequently? Residents have a collection of great restaurants to frequent within a very short drive. Do you have children? Southside Elementary school is considered by many to be one of the best in the area. You could even walk your children to Southside from Cherokee Park.

Homes in this neighborhood are not considered to be inexpensive. The most expensive sale occurred in 2007 for $6,600,000. It was a lavish bay front estate. Houses generally start in the $500,000 range and go into the multi-millions. On average about 3 homes sell in this community a year. It seems as if not many residents want to move.

Marc Rasmussen - Sarasota Neighborhoods

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Longboat Key Condos Combine The Beauty Of The Sea With The Perfect Community
Saturday, February 26th, 2011 / Slade Tanner

The eleven mile long island that is Longboat Key is awaiting you. The condos here are built with the premier idea of giving you paradise and the view it affords. There is something for everyone here and all centrally located close to Sarasota, Florida. So when will you arrive at your Longboat Key condos?

Those that visit Longboat Key are struck by its location and its beauty. These units are used for not only upwardly mobile business people that work in Sarasota, but as second homes and retirement villas for those ready to enjoy the rest of their life. The beauty of the beaches and vistas of setting suns make these condos a perfect choice to make your home.

The name Beachplace says it all with this condo. This is the largest condo complex available at Longboat Key. With eleven buildings and over thirty acres of beachfront property available this means a view is waiting for you. Not only is the beauty of this island a draw since there are golf courses, tennis, and community waiting for you too. Sarasota’s St. Armand’s Circle is only minutes away further adding the chance for events and social interactions. An on-site manger means you will be given the highest degree of attention and security is a focal point with round the clock security and gates.

Towards the end of Longboat Key is Seaplace. With smaller units available his allows more advantageous pricing. The forty two acres of tropical wild land is perfect setting and with two medium rise buildings, nine garden buildings, and some townhouses there is ample choices to pick the size and price range right for you. The new clubhouse is the perfect spot to enjoy your neighbors. With tennis courts, swimming pools, walking trails and the beach available for you to explore you will never be bored.

Sunset Beach is perfect for those that want the beach right outside their door. Set on the amazing beaches of white you are able to not only dig your toes in but watch ever sunset and sunrise from your couch. The buildings have swimming pools, community facilities and magnificent views of the ocean.

If you want luxury then you want En Provence. Set on six acres of the beach you have views and location partnered with larger and more spacious condos. The views are the selling point and combined with the strong community activities, golf and tennis availability and private swimming pools available to some of the units, it is paradise.

With lovely units including gourmet kitchens and terraces open to the lovely Gulf of Mexico, Positano will have you sure to have found your home. These condos are newly built and have ten acres of beachfront property at their disposal. Newly designed they feature high ceilings and vast windows to make the most of your view of the ocean which adds a feeling of sublime luxury. Many first floor condos even have the further enhancement of their own private swimming pools. The luxury with the location is the perfect recipe.

The Longboat Key condos are waiting for you. With so many choices in condo size and price range there is a perfect home or second home ready for you to move in. Imagine the lovely scent of the ocean and the amazing amount of activities ready for you to enjoy. So, what are you waiting for?

Take a look at some of the most amazing Sarasota beach condos for sale.

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Sarasota Homes - Time To Invest?
Thursday, December 16th, 2010 / Al Czervik

Real estate has been beaten up pretty badly over the last five years. The only people who have prospered during this time are the ones who do not own property. The country has never witnessed a meltdown in the real estate market of this magnitude. It has not only affected the United States but much of the world. The credit crisis of 2008 was directly caused by the bursting property bubble.

Warren Buffett once said, “Be fearful with everyone is greedy and be greedy when everyone is fearful.” It is safe to say that many people are fearful right now. Real estate is now looking very attractive. Everything runs its course and eventually the market will bottom. Many areas of the country might have already bottomed.

The Sarasota real estate market is showing signs of a bottom. The average sales price has been flat for a long time. The inventory of Sarasota homes and condos for sale has dropped significantly and has leveled off. The supply of properties is hovering between 9 and 12 months. Depending on what segment of the market you look at prices are back to 1999 to 2002.

Sarasota Homes

There are a variety of properties available in Sarasota, Florida. One can find a magnificent waterfront home on any of the barrier islands or the mainland, a great starter home in Lakewood Ranch or any one of several Sarasota neighborhoods, a cozy condo on the world famous Siesta Key beach, a luxurious penthouse on Longboat Key, an equestrian estate or a metropolitan downtown condo. Prices have come down nicely which presents a fabulous opportunity for today’s home buyers.

Some home buyers are still waiting on the sideline for lower prices. They might be right, they might be wrong. Fear of lower prices is keeping them on the sidelines. No one wants to buy a home only to have it be worth less in a year or two. However, if you have the right mindset it should not matter that much. We have gone back to how real estate used to be. It is a slow and steady long term investment. Forget the idea of a quick buck. That was a 2003 to 2005 mindset.

Time Value of Money

You can still build wealth with real estate. It just takes time and patience. Imagine buying a $300,000 home for yourself with a 15 year mortgage. If that home appreciates a modest 3% a year for 15 years it will be worth over $460,000. At the same time it will be mortgage free. Can you see how you might build a significant net worth with a little patience?

Owning Rental Property

If you ever wanted to own rental properties in Sarasota this is the time to start looking. You can now find a positive cash flow which we have not seen in many years. Imagine investing in 5 rental properties worth $100,000 each. If you put $20,000 down on each one you would have invested a total of $100,000. Now assume these five homes grow at a modest 2% a year. After 15 years when your mortgages are paid off these five homes would be worth over $670,000. Your $100,000 investment grew to a portfolio of five homes generating a nice monthly cash flow. This is a great way to build up a nice nest egg for retirement. It just requires some wise investing, patience and property management.

Al Czervik - Likes to write about Sarasota Homes

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Longboat Key, Florida - Your Next Vacation Spot
Friday, September 03rd, 2010 / Brody Boyd

Need a great vacation spot? If you have not already discovered Longboat Key then you need to treat yourself by visiting this luxurious but relaxing barrier island on the west coast of Florida. People flock to this barrier island every year to enjoy the sunshine, golf courses, tennis courts, arts, culture and beaches.

Longboat Key is known as being a very private island. However, more and more people are vacationing on this island. Many of these repeat visitors end up buying a home or condo on the island. There are a variety of Sarasota FL real estate options. You can find a multi-million dollar home on the beach all of the way to an affordable efficiency.

There are a variety of things to do on Longboat Key. Feel like shopping? Take a short drive down to St. Armands Circle and go shopping. Feel like exploring the waters around Longboat Key and Sarasota? Go to Cannons Marina and rent a boat so you can enjoy a day on the water. The Longboat Key Club offers 45 holes of golf and numerous tennis courts. However, they are only available to members of the club or guests of the Resort at the Longboat Key Club.

Do you enjoy a secluded beach? You can walk along the beaches of Longboat Key and see very few people. Since there are very few access points along the island you will not see large crowds. This is really a great spot for some peace and quiet or a romantic stroll.

Nature lovers can enjoy observing a variety of birds on the island. Walk along the beach and you are sure to catch a glimpse of an Osprey, White Ibis, Seagull, Crane or Snowy Egret. Keep your eyes on the Gulf of Mexico and you are sure to see a dolphin or two. I spotted a Manatee the last time I was on Longboat Key beach.

There are several great places to dine on the island. Euphemia Haye and its dessert room almost has legendary status at this point. The Dry Dock is a great place for a meal while you overlook the Sarasota Bay. Make your way to the north end of Longboat Key and enjoy a nice meal at Mar Vista. This will remind you of old Florida. This old structure has tons of character, fabulous water views and tasty food.

Longboat Key, Florida is an island of pristine beauty. It offers visitors and residents a luxurious and relaxing separation from the daily grind. Located out of the area that has been affected by the oil spill, this island paradise is the perfect destination for families or romance.

Brody Boyd - Sarasota Florida Real Estate

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