Why Did It Sell? Over $2.4 Million and Under One Day on the Market

“Go get my pocket book,” said Christine Del Monte’s buyer, Barbara. It was at a bustling broker’s tour on a Tuesday morning in November. Barbara had just stepped through the front door of a contemporary Sarasota home for sale located West of the Trail. An interior decorator with a discerning eye, she stood in the living room of the well-appointed waterfront residence and immediately felt like she was home. Christine gave her a quizzical look. “Please go get my purse out of the car,” Barbara urged. “I want to make a bid right now, put down a significant deposit, and place it under contract.” Barbara then perched on the white leather sofa in the open living room, like a mythical dragon protecting her treasure, and kept a watchful eye on all the tour’s activity. She wasn’t moving until the doors were locked and all the Realtors had left. It was after viewing over 40 luxury homes stretching  from Bird Key, Longboat Key, Lido Key, and the Sarasota mainland, that in this moment of perfect clarity, Christine Del Monte’s buyer knew she’d found her home. “I met her nearly two years ago,” Christine explained. “A valued client of mine, a local attorney named David Haenel, referred her to me. She is a dear family friend of his.”  Barbara had a number of homes around the country (in New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and Las Vegas). She was recently widowed and wanted to move to an area where she could find a sense of community and immerse herself in the local scene and culture. She considered Naples but ultimately, she chose Sarasota. She’d enjoyed past visits to Florida’s cultural capital and already had a number of friends nearby. “At the time, I sold Barbara a condominium on Longboat Key in L’Ambiance.  It has magnificent Gulf views but it was also something of a project for her. She meticulously refitted the condominium in a soft contemporary style with exquisite finishes and furnishings.” It was after this labor of love that Barbara determined she wanted the space and freedom of a single family home. But she didn’t want to give up the views and design aesthetic she’d grown accustomed to at L’Ambiance. Together, Christine and Barbara combed the Sarasota inventory for months searching for the home that would meet her requirements. She almost settled on a waterfront home on Bird Key but after renovating her condo, she was not thrilled with the idea of another “project house”. Then, at a weekly Michael Saunders & Company sales meeting, Realtor Linda Dickinson, who recently teamed with Kelly Quigley, announced they had a spectacular new listing near The Field Club. “Linda did so well describing the home I wanted to make sure I didn’t miss it on Caravan.” Less than an hour later, she arrived at the property in Oyster Bay during the broker’s tour. Christine took in the magnificent setting overlooking a canal and the incredible quality of construction.  She started to get excited for Barbara and called her. “I don’t know what you are doing” she said over the phone. “But when you walk into this house, you’ll feel as though you never left your condo.” Barbara dropped everything and headed straight to the broker’s tour. The 5-bedroom home was open and inviting. Views of the gracious limestone terraces, lap pool, sculptured banyan tree, and private dock created a serene setting.  Inside, the modern aesthetic spoke to Barbara in such a way that she felt she could have designed it herself.    “It was almost like déjà vu,” Christine explained. “Like she stepped into her own condo and did all the upgrades and the improvements herself.” As it turned out, the seller was an architect and interior designer. Barbara was thrilled she would not need to make a single change. "After all the Realtors left the broker's tour, we scurried to Tom Luzier’s office, a  local Real Estate attorney at Dunlap & Moran, PA. He wrote up the contract within the hour and we presented it to the sellers agents by the end of the day."  They offered $74,500 less than the asking price of $2,499,000 and it was accepted. “The experience was magical for her.  She was searching for something magnificent at a good value and she wanted to be in a home before season.” Now in the process of moving in, Barbara is looking forward to sharing the home with her children and grandchildren when they visit. What’s more, now that she doesn’t have to spend her time on a “project house” she is thrilled she can start taking advantage of Sarasota’s social and cultural scene. “She’s just so vibrant, elegant, and a bundle of joy; we’ve developed an incredible relationship,” explained Christine.  “I’m so happy she’s found everything she wanted. Like Barbara said, this whole process has been her own Renaissance.”