In 1968, the opening of Sarasota’s Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall helped the city realize its ambitious vision of becoming Florida’s premier destination for the arts and culture.  Now nearly 50 years later, a group of engaged local citizens and organizations—calling itself [...]

One of the most enjoyable things about selling homes in Southwest Florida is that we seldom have to “sell” our market. Once buyers have seen our communities and soaked-up a bit of their lifestyles, the region all but sells itself. All that necessarily remains is finding the right home to match their ideal lifestyle. [...]

The new MichaelSaunders.com has officially debuted.  More than a year in the making, the launch marks no less than the sixth time since 2000 that the site has been completely redone to keep it engaging and relevant; and to provide a richer digital experience that functions as well on a smart phone or tablet as it does on a laptop. [...]

How does a hotel that hasn’t been built yet pay dividends to the region nearly two years before welcoming its first paying guests? Virginia Haley, president of Visit Sarasota—the county’s lead tourism bureau—knows the answer.  Moments before joining other civic leaders at last week’s groundbreaking for the new Westin Sarasota [...]

Southwest Florida gets real quiet, real quickly, once the last of our winter visitors depart. Among other things, the resulting calm offers a respite for real estate agents who can finally catch their breath before regrouping for next season’s onslaught of buyers. This year, however, the onslaught never took a holiday. With prices on [...]

Record levels of buying have led to a persistent shortage of available properties in our lifestyle-rich region.  Thus the option to buy new is well worth considering—especially if you’ve ever pictured yourself living in a new home or condominium. The [...]

After hours of browsing online, a month of Sundays spent touring open houses; and numerous appointments to preview your pared-down list of properties, you’ve made an offer and had it accepted.   Already pre-approved for a mortgage, and with a signed contract in hand, you breathe a deep sigh of relief as your mind flashes blissfully [...]

“Look at your shopping centers.  Are they going down?  Or coming back?” With this simple query, Todd Mathes—the director of development for Benderson Development—prefaced his recent update on the retail market in Sarasota-Manatee before an audience of over 200 agents from [...]

Is the real estate market emitting mixed signals?  Or is the picture being blurred by conflicting accounts of its renewed strength?  Probably a little bit of each. Sales Activity over Six Months As real estate markets re-stabilize, it is not uncommon for upward spikes in monthly sales to be followed by a month or two of pared-down [...]

Record levels of buying have led to a persistent shortage of available properties in our lifestyle-rich region.  Thus the option to buy new is well worth considering—especially if you’ve ever pictured yourself living in a new home or condominium. The [...]