The View From Here

A Message From Michael Saunders

Dear friends:


With last week’s official beginning of fall came the news that our local real estate market continued its strong pace of recovery throughout the summer—even as overall national sales took a baby step backwards. While home sales across the country showed a slight drop of 2.7 percent in August, sales in the Sarasota-Manatee market posted yet another sizeable increase. August’s 23 percent increase followed a 30 percent increase in July; no doubt the combined result of low prices, low interest rates and the final rush to take advantage of the government’s first-time home buyers tax credit, scheduled to end on November 30. Meanwhile the State of Florida posted its 12th consecutive month of climbing sales.

These results surprised no one. Our offices throughout the region have been beehives of activity all summer long, with each reporting impressive increases in sales, pending sales and flocks of buyers ready to pounce. Moreover, the inventory of available homes on the market is now officially at its lowest level in four years.

Speaking of buyers, for area homes priced from $150,000 and up, the agents of Michael Saunders & Company brought 68 percent more of them to the closing table over the past 12 months than our next closest competitor. For homes priced above $500,000 we brought the buyer to the transaction more than twice as often. Find out why in this month’s feature, Dominating the End Zone.

Business took another exciting leap forward last month when we opened a brand new branch office—our 17th—on the Bradenton campus of the world famous IMG/Bollettieri Academies. Michael Saunders & Company is proud to have been named official real estate brokerage for this one-of-a-kind collection of sports training academies. Read Who Knew to find out why so many of the superstars (and future superstars) of sports make regular pilgrimages to Southwest Florida. And why some never leave.

Last—but not least—we look beyond the numbers in Fuzzy Math to see if Florida really has lost population as many recent news stories have suggested. What we found may surprise you.

Autumn in Southwest Florida doesn’t manifest itself in the glorious leafy tones we remember so vividly from time spent up north. Our changes are much more subtle. Here, what really excites the senses is the not-so-subtle change in climate. Approximately two weeks from now the air will become deliciously cool and dry as we begin to experience the fabulous weather that annually carries us from now until late spring. We call that “season” around here and it’s the other main reason why flocks of buyers are always headed in this direction. As the last leaves fall up north, Southwest Florida comes back to life. This year, in more ways than one.

We hope you find this edition of Saunders@Home entertaining and informative. Read on and enjoy!



Cordially,



We would love to hear your comments and suggestions as to what you would like to read in the weeks and months ahead. Please email them to me, care of editor@michaelsaunders.com. Meanwhile enjoy our eighteenth issue.

Did You Know? Our office in the lobby of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Sarasota is staffed by an elite team of real estate professionals with extensive knowledge and expertise in our area’s three Ritz-Carlton properties. Contact 941.364-8884 or visit michaelsaunders.com for more information.

Dominating the End Zone

Even though the area’s real estate market is at long last exhibiting true signs... Read entire article »

Fuzzy Math

In case you missed the news—which is highly unlikely if you looked at TV, listened to the radio... Read entire article »

Who Knew?

Not long ago we wrote about the various educational institutions that make Southwest Florida more... Read entire article »

Homebuyers Are Going Green

Rising energy costs have consumers thinking about energy conservation and... Read entire article »

Bella Gente's Got the Bread (Courtesy of Sarasota Magazine)

I love Bob Plunket (aka Mr. Chatterbox). He is the ultimate dinner date... Read entire article »

Contact

Michael Saunders & Company®
100 South Washington Blvd.
Sarasota, FL 34236
EMAIL

Phone: 888.552.5228