Fall TV Season in Sarasota Florida

Balancing Sarasota Real Estate with Fall TV Schedule

It's that time again -- football season and the new lineup for fall TV. Between watching SEC and LSU footballs games on the weekends, awaiting tonight's star-studded Dancing With the Stars three night premier, Grey's Anatomy this week and the new HBO hit True Blood, it's hard to focus on all the new Sarasota FL real estate on the market.

I wasn't so sure I'd like True Blood, even though my son's childhood friend, Sam Trammell, is one of the lead actors in the show. Sam plays Sam Merlotte, the bartender who protects or seems to protect Sukie, one of the waitresses who works at Merlotte's. True Blood is a world of vampires with the show's setting in Louisiana. Sam Trammell's entire family hale from Bayou Country, and his mother, the former Betsy Foote who was an LSU beauty, and I went to LSU together. Sam's Dad and I were in a wedding together in the late 1960s when my roommate married Carl Jory, Sonny Trammell's best friend. Such a small world!


Sam and Bill, my oldest child, played on the Berry Hills Country Club golf team together in junior and senior high school. They both attended George Washington High School in Charleston, West Virginia, and at some point during those years Sam met Nick Nolte who was married to the former Becky Linger of Charleston. The Noltes were neighbors of the Trammells, and Sam and Nick became friends. Somewhere along the way the acting bug bit Sam.

In 1998, Marsha Albert, a Sarasota resident, whose daughter, Lesli Kay of the Bold and Beautiful, invited me to visit her Princeton, NJ home. Marsha and I took the train into the city to have lunch with Lesli and attended Sam Trammell's performance in the Eugene O'Neil remake of Ah Wilderness. Sam received a Tony nomination for his outstanding performance. Since 1998, Marsha and I have followed Sam's career. Congrats to Sam as True Blood has just been renewed for its second season. View video clip from YouTube below:

Charleston, WV was a great place to live, raise my kids and develop lifelong friendships. Most of those close friends now live in Sarasota, FL and have helped me create a network for my real estate business across the United States and Europe. If you are one of those Charleston folks that are still dreaming of a Sarasota home, contact Annette Smith as Florida's having a nice sale here with thousands of properties in the Sarasota Florida MLS. You can enjoy the 2009 TV season in a new waterfront home, along with all the cultural events Sarasota offers.

St. Armands Circle for Lunch

Recently, I met friends whose home is near St. Armands Circle at Tommy Bahama's Tropical Cafe for lunch. It's always fun to visit the Circle and a treat to have feast at Tommy Bahama's.

Before joining my friends, I always browse the shop below the restaurant and can't seem to get out without purchasing one of their fabulous shirts for my son. For island wear, the inventory in the shop on St. Armands is outstanding.

Tommy Bahama's offers a relaxed atmosphere and excellent cuisine. One of my favorites is Crab Calloway, yummy! Try the Trinidad tuna for a mouth watering experience too.

Tommy Bahama's is located on John Ringling Blvd. on luxurious St. Armands Circle. We stop at Tommy Bahama's often when showing Sarasota FL real estate.

After lunch, the shops of St. Armands await!

Sarasota Real Estate - Bird Key Homes for Sale Update

In our June real estate update on Bird Key homes for sale, we reported 53 homes available on the Key with homes priced from $592,000 to $14,900,000.

This week we have customers in town from England and did some research on Bird Key when scheduling showing appointments for our customers. Currently the Sarasota MLS, now the Mid FL Regional MLS reports 53 listings on Bird Key. Pending sales on the Key total 7. Activity on this barrier island has been quite active in the last few months with a burst of international customers taking advantage of the Sarasota real estate market. Sales in the last six months total 20!

Have we hit a bottom in the Sarasota and Bird Key real estate market? Who knows? I do know that our website traffic has tripled in the last two months and the phones are ringing and the emails are clogging up my computer. We are once again answering questions about Sarasota, its real estate market and referring questions about mortages, insurance and taxes to the appropriate professionals. Our showing schedules are filling too so give us a call if you plan to visit Sarasota and want to check out one of the 53 homes for sale on Bird Key.

Sarasota Florida Real Estate Searches

If you've been searching for Sarasota Florida real estate on our blogs and sites in the last few weeks, I'm sure you've noticed the process is different. Sarasota Realtors are now included in the Mid Florida Regional MLS and searching is very different. In the basic search area, you will see many more cities included for your Florida search.

If you are considering a move to Florida and need research on South West Florida cities, it's easier than ever to explore Florida online! Click on our video tour of Sarasota on our home page to see Sarasota photography.

We're always available to do searching for you should you get a little confused. There is also a map search link too. You might consider clicking the map search for Siesta Key. Add your price range and once your map loads click on a link to check a listing.

If you need would like an appointment to view property in Sarasota, please call us to be included in our showing schedules.

Venetian Golf & River Club Homes

Enjoy all the amenities of the gated golf course community of Venetian Golf & River Club including fitness center, tennis, pool, club house, dining and a new golf club.

Contact Annette for more details about Venetian Golf & River Club at 941-504-3922 or search for Sarasota homes for sale.

Reporting from Hurricane Central Sarasota

Hurricane Update, Sarasota Florida

Tuesday Morning Update: 5:15 am

Hurricane warnings cancelled -- now Tropical Storm Fay. Should be rainy and windy most of today. Haven't seen a raindrop yet so Snuffy and I will get our walk in early this morning since the storm is still considerably south of Sarasota.

Update: 8:15 pm Sandy Whitehead was just here for dinner. We talked Sarasota real estate and the weather and then I checked my email -- another email from one of the MS Maes, Laurie McGee in Greenville, MS. I reported that hopefully this will be no more than a tropical storm!! The last time I check with the weather center the storm was about 140 miles south of Ft. Myers.

Update: 3:00 pm Goverment offices in addition to school will be closed tomorrow (Tuesday). Clouds are getting darker in Sarasota -- just saw the first rain drop at 3:04 pm. Possible tropical storm conditions tomorrow.

Update: 1:00 pm Check out Channel 10 Tampa Bay to track Hurricane Fay.

Update: Noon

Schools will be closed tomorrow according to local Channel 10 news. The hurricane track looks like it is headed for Sarasota, but this could change over time. For the time being, there are no mandatory evacuations. Temperature is 87 degrees, and it is getting a little cloudy. I just spoke with Sandy Whitehead who is on her way back to Sarasota. She's near Naples and was in pouring rain. Tomorrow will be a messy day. Don't panic and be prepared.

Early this morning, about 6:15 am, Snuffy Smith and I took a long walk. We may not be able to walk in Paradise if Fay hits Sarasota this week. I noticed that my yard needs to be cut and hope that the landscaping company shows up as scheduled on Mondays. Our Sarasota neighborhood is quiet as it's barely dawn -- our best time to walk.

Okay, I'll make that hurricane run to the grocery store. It's unFloridian not to do this and just plain stupid not to be prepared! My next door neighbor is outside, and we chat about all the hype in the news about Hurricane Fay. She works and is worried her employees won't show up. My customer from West Virginia just cancelled our showings of Sarasota real estate because he didn't want to be stranded in Paradise. I understand, not really! Who wouldn't want to be in Sarasota a few extra days.

Publix was not crowded at all at 7:45 am, and I got all the hurricane items I needed, water. I'll fill the car with gas after Snuffy and I walk tomorrow. At 9:45 am, I'm delighted to see the landscapers mowing my yard. I'm thinking about bringing in the furniture from the lanai -- still have plenty of time.

The best part about a hurricane forecast for Florida is all my friends around the globe check in to be sure I'm okay. My cousin, Teegie, one of the MS Maes, called this morning and our conversation turned to SEC football and the grandkids. Hurricane Fay, who is she?

For information on Sarasota FL real estate, contact Annette at 941-504-3922.

Viewing NBC Olympic Studio from Sarasota FL Home

Inside NBC Sports' Olympic Studio from Sarasota, FL

After Snuffy and I took our morning walk near our Sarasota FL home, I turned on CNBC and was mesmerized by coverage of the Olympics. Carl Quintanilla of MSNBC had a short segment at the NBC Sports Olympic Studio. The studio is NBC's headquarters in Beijing. If you've been watching Olympic coverage, I'm sure you know that Mark Phelps won yet another metal -- he's now a household name. Would be nice if he needed a Sarasota home! It would look great with his Ralph Lauren attire. Hope you didn't miss the Opening Ceremony.

Since 1984, when Mary Lou Retton won her gold medal, I've followed the Olympics closely. When buying kitchen utensils for my gourmet kitchen shop at the Dallas Home Show later that same year, I had the pleasure of seeing Mary Lou and other Olympians who were staying at the Anatole Hotel also. One of the coaches of the USA Diving Team gave me two Olympic diving team pins for my sons. He told me that the pins would be collector's items one day because the rings were manufactured upside down. I still have the pins but they are not collectors items as far as I can find. In fact, most of my Olympic pin collection has gone down in value considerably. The pins are part of the merchandising package of the Olympics and great fun when you are in the midst of a collecting frenzy!

Even though the Olympics are consuming households across the country, our phone is ringing and emails are still coming in with questions about the Sarasota FL real estate sale. Yes, Florida is on sale folks, come on down! Or if you'd like us to merchandise your Sarasota home, give us a call and we'll create a frenzy in Sarasota!

For more information or if you are selling your Sarasota FL real estate, contact Annette Smith for a marketing presentation prepared specifically for your property.

Sarasota FL Real Estate Market

The Sarasota real estate market is definitely offering some wonderful properties at huge discounts these days. I contacted several of my Internet marketing partners and asked them about their local real estate markets to see if this was true in other areas. Since CNBC has something different to say every day, I thought I’d get comments from realtors in my referral network about their areas.

State of the Market From Realtors in My Referral Network:

The Myrtle Beach condostore people urge anyone who is looking for the rock bottom deal or foreclosure homes to act soon. Prices have pretty much bottomed-out and inventory is going fast. Oceanfront condos in Myrtle Beach can be had for prices equal to 2003-2004.

Like many of the smaller residential areas, Greenville SC home sales were not that much affected by the 2005 boom, and therefore still offer a good market for both buyers and sellers. Greenville has something for everyone, from downtown condo living to gated senior golf communities.


North Texas Realtors report sales from Flower Mound Tx real estate and Frisco Texas real estate are remaining very affordable and offer a great alternative for retirement or suburban living. Prices there are stable and great deals can be found.

The consensus in Myrtle Beach, Greenville, SC and from my Texas network is "great inventory and affordable prices won’t last forever". When real estate hits the bottom, it will be too late to know. If you are buying Sarasota FL Real Estate I would agree with my network. Affordable prices, a great selection of inventory with these interest rates won't last forever. Once interest rates rise, prices may go a little lower but over the long run, buyers will pay more -- unless of course, it's a cash purchase.

Taking a Break from Sarasota Real Estate

Remembering the 1996 Olympics

It's hard to believe that 12 years have passed so quickly. In the 1990s, I went to work at King & Spalding, one of Atlanta's premier law firms. My boss, Charlie Shaffer, was one of the 9 men responsible for all the hard work that preceded Atlanta winning the 1996 Olympic Games. Seeing all the television coverage of Beijing brings all the memories back. I'll be glued to the TV for the next three weeks pulling for our athletes and enjoying all the sites and venues of the 2008 Olympic Games. Sarasota real estate will be taking a break in the evenings.
Highlights from 1996:
King & Spalding represented corporate customers who passed out Olympic pins: UPS, Delta and Coke. I got a pin at Johnny Rockets, my favorite hamburger joint in Buckhead too. Pins were everywhere. I still have a little bag with a few I didn't give away.
My friend and Sarasota attorney, Stanley (Corky) Sergent, got permission from his wife, Connie, one of my best friends, to go solo to the Atlanta Games and stayed at my Atlanta home. We went to Olympic Park and checked out the bricks. Prior to the Olympics, you could buy a brick with your name engraved on it. Later the bricks were built into the walkways of Olympic Park. Corky and I left the park the night of his arrival and had dinner in Buckhead. Since I lived in the area on Lenox Road, I knew a little place that wouldn't be crowded with our international visitors.
Early the next morning, my mom called from Mississippi delighted to hear my voice on the phone. She told me about the bomb in Olympic Park and just knew that Corky and I were there. The bomb exploded about an hour after we left.
We were scheduled to see track competition the morning after the bomb. The security was very tight, and we waited for what seemed like hours under a tarp at the new Olympic stadium with other spectators as it was raining heavily. The mood of the crowd was uplifting!!!

Officials closed Olympic Park for several days after the bomb exploded while every newspaper in Atlanta pointed a finger at Richard Jewel -- poor guy, and law enforcement investigated the area. The park reopened with a ceremony featuring Billy Payne and Andrew Young. Charlie Shaffer, his daughter Emi and I attended a moving, tearful ceremony and once again the park was open for business.
The second week of the Olympics my friend and colleague, Gloria Blessing, from our office in Houston, TX arrived for a visit. Gymnastics and women's a men's basketball were on our Olympics agenda and The House of Blues! We lost Gloria shortly after the Olympics to cancer. She is missed and remembered.

Mary Anne Walser, a King & Spalding attorney, and I attended the final festivities of the 1996 compliments of Charlie Shaffer! Mary Anne is now a real estate agent with Keller Williams in Atlanta. I snapped this picture on closing night of Mary Anne with members of the Canadian team.
Mary Anne and I enjoyed these highlights: Charlie along with the original nine Atlanta Olympic organizers carrying the Olympic flag out of the stadium, rockn' to Little Richard, and enjoying the beautiful Georgia native Tricia Yearwood's performance. With flashing fireworks and a bright sign that said "Good Bye from Atlanta" -- it was over in a flash. Now it's 12 years later, and we're ready for Beijing. "Let the Games Begin."

Cher's Home in Sarasota, FL

Cher's home in Malibu is for sale so for fun I searched the Sarasota MLS, the Mid-FL Regional MLS, for a 6 bedroom house in the Sarasota area with 7 bathrooms just to see what would be comparable to Cher's $45 million estate in Malibu, CA.

I found two houses searching Longboat Key, Casey Key real estate and Siesta Key. Cher's home also has a pool which these all do and a tennis court, gym, theater and guest house. These two Sarasota homes are priced at $17,500,000 for the one on Siesta Key and $18,500,000 for the Gulf to Bay estate on Casey Key. The Casey Key estate has a gym, with an indoor lap pool, billiard room, staff quarters, a pool house, a covered boat house on the Bay side, tennis court and putting green. Cher should buy a home in Sarasota, FL for a bargain! Stephen King might enjoy a new neighbor on Casey Key.

For more information about Casey Key FL real estate, contact Annette Smith.

Laurel Oak - Sarasota Country Club Homes for Sale

Sarasota Country Club Homes Available at Laurel Oak Estates

Laurel Oak is a private Sarasota country club community located east of Interstate 75. This beautiful golf course community has two championship golf courses designed by Gary Player. Near downtown Sarasota Florida, the Club is positioned on over 800 acres. Over 400 residents live in this well-maintained gated community. Many residents are part-timers choosing to enjoy Laurel Oak Estates as their second home in Sarasota's warm Florida climate. Residency in this community is not mandatory for a membership to the Club.

If a Sarasota golf course home has been at the top of your wish list, consider Laurel Oak Estates. The Mid FL Regional MLS currently lists 45 homes for sale in Laurel Oak. Prices range from a custom Arthur Rutenberg home built in 1991 priced at $874,900 to $1,895,000 for a fine estate home with over 7,000 sq.ft.

For more information and to set up and appointment to view homes in Laurel Oak, contact Annette Smith. If you are selling your Laurel Oak Estates home and would like to view our marketing plan, please call us to schedule an appointment.

Columbia's 1905 Salad Favorite in Saraosta

Columbia's 1905 Salad Always a Hit
When I got a call from a customer in Las Vegas about Sarasota real estate a few months ago, the first thing he mentioned was "can we go to St. Armands Circle and have a 1905 salad." Last Sunday, we went to Columbia and four out of the four of us ordered the world famous "1905" Salad!
Our group sat at an indoor outdoor table on the Mediterranean patio room and enjoyed good conversation and people watching on the Circle. Marsha and Bob Albert added a Cuban sandwich to their salad order and Winsor Harmon added scallops to his. I always add the black bean soup.

Marsha and Bob met Winsor and me for lunch to meet Winsor Harmon for the first time. Marsha and Winsor are soap opera related as their real life children are brother and sister on "The Bold and the Beautiful." Lesli Kay and Winsor Harmon III play Felicia and Thorne Forrester. Lesli worked for me in Charleston, WV at Kitchen Kaboodle as a teenager and was my babysitter. Her brothers David and Michael both went to George Washington High School with my sons: Bill and Scott. Marsha convinced me to purchase Sarasota real estate almost 10 years ago.
Lesli Kay visited Sarasota in May and word has it that Lesli and Winsor, aka Felicia and Thorne, will visit Sarasota this year so watch the Columbia. You never know whose walked the "red carpet" and is visiting the Circle, and by all means order a 1905 Salad at Columbia!


For information about the Sarasota, Florida area, Longboat Key real estate, or any of Sarasota's barrier island, send me an email.

Sarasota Properties

Next week's showing schedule includes customers from Canada searching for a Sarasota property including a downtown condo in Sarasota with a price range of under $1,200,000. We scheduled appointments to view two buildings which they narrowed down from searching on the Internet. 100 Central and 1350 Main are always two of our property picks so it wasn't a surprise when those condominiums were the choices of our buyers. Rental restrictions are sometimes a problem for buyers but when the customers are planning to live year-round in Sarasota, they usually prefer a building where there isn't so much coming and going.

If you are searching for a Sarasota condo, don't forget to ask about rental restrictions and pet policies as each condominium building has a different set of rules.


Another customer needs a home in Sarasota close to Sarasota Memorial Hospital, preferably on the water. Theses customers would like to have a deep water dock for their boat. Since they need to be close to the hospital, our pick is Harbor Acres and the Sarasota MLS currently offers several listings.

For more information on Sarasota properties visit our main Sarasota FL real estate site Visit our Siesta Key FL site too if beach living is for you!

Sarasota Dream Homes

Ca d'Zan - Mable Ringling's Dream Home

Even in 1925, Mable Ringling was designing a Sarasota dream home. The Ringlings' waterfront estate Ca d'Zan is one of Florida's architectural treasures. Mable worked with Dwight James Baum during the Roaring 20s to produce the 30 room mansion.

The Ca d'Zan is now a popular Florida tourist attraction and owned by Florida State University. Some students from Florida State's design department make the drive at their own expense to study the inspiring mansion. University students from Tallahassee visited Sarasota this week to view the intricate designs of Mable Ringling's dream home. For more information about the Ca d'Zan and Mable Ringling's vision for her Sarasota dream home, read Harold Bubil's excellent article in the Herald Tribune published Sunday, July 20, 2008.

The C'd'Zan is located behind the Ringling Museum of Art on the Sarasota waterfront. If perhaps you are boating on Sarasota Bay, make sure to pass the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall and continue north for a view from the water of Sarasota's most famous dream home.

Contact Annette Smith to make an appointment to search for a Sarasota home or condo. We will work diligently to take you through the process with speed and ease. You'll be moving in your Sarasota dream home shortly! Until then you'll have to just imagine Sarasota.

Imagine Sarasota

Imagine Life in Sarasota Florida
Snuffy Smith loves living in Sarasota Florida. He's been here since November 2007 and can't imagine any other best place to live. On Saturday mornings Snuffy helps me check on a property for an out of state customer who lives in Bay Isles on Longboat Key. We drive past Selby Gardens on the way over to the Key and pass the famous sailboats on Sarasota's bayfront. Entering beautiful Emerald Point, the guard at the gate is always polite and Snuffy is usually wagging for a bone -- none there, not like Starbuck's, Walgreen's and the cleaners on Webber Street. The vet has put this 13 pound pooch on a diet.

As you can see from the video, Snuffy checks out some of the lush landscaping at Emerald Point before we head out the gated entry. As we approach the bayfront, Snuffy starts whining for his pooch friends so we stop for a walk. We pass the boats, the Party Barge with the Mermaid atop and visit with friends. Snuffy's tongue is hanging, and he stops for a rest before one last look at the dolphin fountain before heading to Casey Key for a romp on the beach. Our Saturday ends perfectly with a beautiful Sarasota Florida sunset!

Bird Key Real Estate

Yesterday a gentleman from Michigan called for information on Bird Key real estate. He said he had visited Miami and some areas of Arizona but Bird Key was his favorite for pursuing real estate. I was driving out to Longboat Key to check on some property for a customer so I asked him to send me an email. He was also looking for a "deal". We hear that every day now.

Update on Bird Key real estate:

There are 53 homes for sale on Bird Key listed in the Sarasota MLS at prices starting at $599,900. The highest priced home on Bird Key is $14,900,000, a waterfront estate on Seagull Lane. In the last six months, there have been 16 closings and 8 Bird Key homes are under contract according to MLS data. Thanks to a blog reader this search data has been corrected!

With inventory levels high, many sellers are motivated to sell. Sellers have reduced their properties considerably and seem to be holding as pointed out in the Sarasota real estate market statistics this month. Making an offer and negotiating a price will be a win/win right now. Many want to sell their property and move on with their lives and are willing to go lower. Make an offer and see if the home you want may just be the deal instead of searching for distressed properties, short sales and foreclosures.

If you are interested in Bird Key real estate or other Sarasota properties, contact Annette Smith at 941-504-3922.

Social Media Selling Sarasota Real Estate

Selling Sarasota Real Estate Through Social Media Web 2 Sites

Do you Twitter? Are you LinkedIn? Do you have friends who have their mugs on Facebook or do you? What about a plot on MySpace? Is your business connected and networking through social bookmarking sites and web 2 sites?

Think of the old fashioned networking meeting at 7:00 am at your local java shop where hometown a mortgage broker, real estate agent, life coach, gift shop owner, young lawyer gathers once a week to grab that first cup of coffee after getting dressed and rushing through traffic . Now the 7:00 am meeting is at a computer in their own home. These professionals can wear pj's and make our own coffee, save money on gas and relax while their fingers do the talking.

In June 2007, Annette Smith took Sarasota real estate marketing to new heights adding multiple websites and multiple blogs for increased internet exposure for our customers. Now you can find profiles of Annette Smith on multiple social networking and bookmarking sites:


Annette Ashley Smith LinkedIn

Annette Smith Facebook
Twitter Annette Smith
Annette has your Sarasota property covered A-Z using websites, blogs and social media sites for full Internet Exposure. Call us at 941-504-3922 for more information and a listing appointment if you are selling your Sarasota home and are seeking local and global Internet marketing.

Waterfront Condos on Longboat Key

Selling Waterfront Condos on Longboat Key

Real estate prices are down considerably on Longboat Key and buyers in the last few months are stepping in to purchase while the selection of condos remains high. Oceanfront or beach property is always a winner with our customer although some prefer the activity of the bay. Bayfront homes on Longboat Key offer outstanding vistas of sailboats, fishing boats and recreational boats. Activity on the Bay is always interesting including a variety of wildlife.

You can search for a Longboat Key waterfront condo from our main website or right within our blogs or call us if you need help. There are many rules and regulations to consider if are purchasing so be sure to ask plenty of questions. Can you have a pet? How much are the maintenance fees? Is there beach access?

Call Annette Smith for your Sarasota real estate info! 941-504-3922

Toast to Sarasota Real Estate Market Uptrend

Saturday I went with my friend and fellow realtor, Sandy Whitehead to see the acclaimed new movie Sex and the City. We loved the movie and headed for Ceviche, one of downtown Sarasota's new dining hotspot afterwards. Sandy and I used to comment on what a great building the old Times Building was as far back as 2000 when we each moved to Sarasota from Atlanta and Miami. The new owners have done a superb job of restoring and creating a unique dining spot in the heart of the city -- it seemed a perfect place to have a glass of wine and talk about the Sarasota real estate market. If you'd like a fun place for dining, try the tapas at Ceviche and toast an uptrend in our real estate market!

Sarasota Real Estate

Some of the most beautiful Sarasota real estate is in downtown Sarasota. Condos on Gulfstream across the Trail from Marina Jack's provide owners a beautiful view of the water and the marina.

About 6ish on Wednesday evening, my good friend and customer from Cleveland, Ohio met me for a nice dinner at Marina Jack's. Marina Jack's has casual music at its outdoor bar and the best cocktail sunset in Sarasota! Try the Santa Fe wrap for a light meal. The wine is excellent also.

Claudia and I walked along the marina picking out our favorite boats as the harbor twinkled. Downtown Sarasota condos are numerous in the MLS providing buyers quite an array of features. An urban lifestyle is a new way of life for many who want the amenities a city has to offer and the convenience of walking to each destination. With today's gas prices, walking is very popular! For a list of downtown sarasota condos including 100 Central, Plaxa at Five Points and 1350 Main, give call the Herron Group for all your Sarasota real estate.