As we near the fall season in Sarasota and the surrounding area, many are planning and strategizing what they want to accomplish for the remainder of the year. According to buying trends in our region, this is around the time people start seriously deciding they want to buy a home. Everyone wants a shiny new house with the latest [...]

  The promise of a new year often sparks the desire to make big changes in one’s life. So, it is no surprise that spring is one of the most active home buying and selling seasons in Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte counties. Venturing into real estate – whether for the first time or buying your third home – can be stressful and [...]

As in previous years, the fourth and final quarter was largely a continuation of the market behavior seen in Q3, with inventory levels slightly outpacing demand and a balancing of the median sales price that peaked in the middle of the quarter before tapering down. In this quarterly report, we're taking a look at the three driving factors [...]

For 42 years, Michael Saunders & Company has been proudly independent with no intention of ever changing that. This is mostly derived from Michael Saunders, CEO and Founder, starting the business in 1976 when, as a woman, you had to be strong, you had to be determined, and you had to make your own path. Over the years, the company has had [...]

Over the last four years, The National Association of REALTORS® Home Buyer and Seller Generational Trends Report has found that Millennials—those aged 36 or younger— make up the largest share of buyers in the market at 34%. Of these buyers, sixty-six percent were first-time buyers and ninety-eight percent financed their purchase. With [...]

Continuing with our "Saunders Stories" series, Drayton Saunders, President of Michael Saunders & Company, looks back at the growth of the brokerage over the last four decades.  From [...]

You’ve been dreaming of the perfect beach cottage, a serene retreat where each morning you are greeted by blue skies and the sound of waves crashing against the shore. For those considering it, buying a second home is a big decision. Here are some steps to help you prepare and determine if a second home in Sarasota, Manatee or [...]

According to The National Association of Realtors®, Millennials (sometimes called Generation Y) make up the largest share of homebuyers and 68% of them are making this significant purchase for the first time. What's more, 97% of this generation who were born between 1980 and 1995 finance their purchase. To help navigate what can be [...]

A long-anticipated change has hit the mortgage scene. Known as TRID, discover what it is and how it can affect you. Contact MSC Mortgage and MSC Title to learn more.

As recently as last spring, the Sarasota-Manatee metro area was ranked second in the nation for its large percentage of residential homes for sale paid for in cash.  But that trend—which at its peak involved two-thirds of all sales—has begun to ebb. By the second quarter of 2015, a 27% rise in local mortgage originations had propelled [...]