Financing Options for Buying a Sarasota Home

Need some financing options for buying a Sarasota home?

Bruce Garlitz of Countrywide Home Loans stopped by our office with some interesting options for financing your real estate purchase. If you are thinking of buying a Sarasota home and are short on cash for a down payment, you might consider an FHA loan as a solution to your mortgage needs. Bruce explained the First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit to us too while we munched on a delicious lunch. Thanks Bruce -- lunch and the information were excellent.

FHA loans were popular many years ago, and now they making a comeback for primary homeowners and first time buyers. Give Bruce a call for the Guidelines or shoot us an email. You can contact Bruce at bruce_garlitz@countrywide.com.

For information on Sarasota homes for sale, email Annette for detailed sheets from the Sarasota MLS on homes that match your criteria. Search our IDX database for any Sarasota County home.

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.

Sarasota Named to Relocate America's Best Places to Live 2008 List

Relocate America's 11th Annual Top 100 Places To Live was just announced and Sarasota Florida is in the Top 100. Relocate America accepts nominations for each city and town throughout the United States to be considered as a "great place to live". Each nominating party must include "reasons why they feel their city should make the list. The nominations, along with key data regarding education, environmental greenworthiness, economic opportunity, parks & recreation choices and real estate & home ownership options are reviewed, rated & judged by Relocate America's editorial team" before announcing the list.

Top 10 Cities 2008:

Charlotte, North Carolina
San Antonio, Texas
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Greenville, South Carolina
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Stevens Point, Wisconsin
Asheville, North Carolina
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Huntsville, Alabama
Seattle, Washington

Click to see entire Best Places to Live 2008 list.

Sarasota Real Estate Market Sparks Hope

Check out Sarasota's Beach & Waterfront Properties

Sarasota residents and realtors have been reading all the "bad" news for over a year now so when an encouraging report appears, hope emerges. The Sarasota-Bradenton real estate market sold more houses in the month of October than any other city in Florida. It's a great buyer's market here and real estate is on sale. Website traffic along with buyer inquiries are picking up and inventory is moving. Don't forget when Macy's has a sale, the good inventory goes first. A few days later that good stuff is gone, and buyers are out of luck. Waterfront properties are on sale right now along with mainland properties, and the selection of homes is incredible. The best waterfront locations go first, then the mainland properties start to follow. If you've been looking for a Sarasota home or condos through the years, you might just see what is available, and read the entire Herald-Tribune article by all means first!

Annette Smith offers the highest of Internet exposure for properties in Sarasota with multiple websites and a creative marketing strategy for the changing Sarasota real estate market. To view Sarasota homes or condos, call Annette at 941-504-3922.

Venetian Golf & River Club Update

Enjoy Golf Course Views in Sarasota, FL Area Community

If you are selling your Sarasota home, you are probably preparing your home for sale by either staging, updating your landscape, painting and decluttering. All of these tasks are helpful and most sellers are using one or all of the items mentioned as the inventory of homes still soars. Buyers are the lucky ones at the moment. Venetian Golf & River Club has over 90 homes listed in the Sarasota MLS. You can choose from a two-bedroom, two-bath villa at $239,000 for just over 1000 sq.ft to a magnificent 4900 sq.ft. home with views of the golf course for $1,370,000. In between are an array of golf course homes, some with lagoon pools, in the $300,000 to $1 million range. Check out the villas for under $300,000.

Want a golf course home in a gated community with fabulous amenities?

One main & 2 private dining rooms, lounge, cabana bar with outdoor grill, day spa, aerobics, fitness center, 6 tennis courts, pro shop, 2 resort pools, nature park & canoe launch for residents are all here. The River Club offers the "complete" Florida lifestyle.

Don't play golf, doesn't matter. There's so much more to do at the River Club.

For professional real estate results if you are buying or selling a home in Sarasota, FL, Annette Smith is experienced in golf course real estate sales and is ready to assist you. For a list of luxury Sarasota homes available if Florida real estate is your choice, email Annette.