Yesterday, I wrote an article on my Active Rain blog about favorite beaches and the music of the Embers, the Drifters and the Tams asking what's your favorite beach music. It was fun to walk down memory lane and get comments from other bloggers about their favorite artists singing beach music through the years. Jan Chilton of Myrtle Beach, wrote how she was a real Embers groupie:
My little group of 60's hippies always went to North Myrtle Beach and Ocean Drive. There was shag music all around and I love it to this day, but none of us ever learned to shag...:-( In the 70's and early 80's I became an Embers groupie. I went all over the place in NC...). The Embers broke up, and now the only good part left is the Craig Woolard Band. He received the best male singer award in the National Beach Music Awards this year!
There's a new Embers group, which sounds nothing like the real ones. Jackie Gore just started a new band called the Legends of Beach. What a phenomenal voice he has!
Johnny Hopkins, who was my real crush back then,
is with some other band I wasn't even aware of till I just looked!
Anyway, much as I still love them, it makes me feel SOOOO old to see them now...
In our blog article yesterday, we mentioned Sarasota's best shopping spot, St. Armands Circle. Coastal Living Magazine's online site, points to Sarasota shopping hot spots on the Circle citing "paths lead to stores with rare jewelry, designer clothing, and gourmet treats. Shoppers find familiar names such as Lilly Pulitzer, and surprising boutiques such as Cuddlebugs, which sells children’s clothing and toys."
Coastal Living's Favorite Stores on St. Armands Circle
St. Armands Gifts and Winery
Scoopdaddy's
Optional Fine Art Jewelry
Dream Weaver Collection
Sports Edition Gallery
Wet Noses
If you are interested in Sarasota shopping, check out our recommendations. Excellent cafes and restaurants are plentiful on St. Armands Circle and hotel accommodations on Lido Key or mainland Sarasota are located close to the Circle.
Contact Annette Smith for all Sarasota FL real estate.
Posted on Active Rain Real Estate Blog
If you are a Sarasota resident, you know how wonderful it is to vote and live in Sarasota. The entire process took me approximately 25 minutes from "door to door". When you live in a Sarasota home that is centrally located most of your daily routine can be accomplished in minutes.
The poll workers yesterday were polite and helpful. Everything was very organized and nothing like the reports I heard on television about long lines. It's nice to live where a huge percentage of the population votes and not be stressed!
For Sarasota FL real estate information, give us a call.
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:
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.
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.
West of the Trail - Sarasota Florida Community Near Sarasota Memorial Hospital
Homes West of the Trail near Sarasota Memorial Hospital offer visitors convenience to downtown area venues as well as the local restaurants, shops and business of Southside Village. Morton's Gourmet Market is popular and visitors to Sarasota and residents shop for hard to find items including wine, cheese, delicacies. Having spur of the moment guests? Buy your appetizers or the entire dinner including fabulous pastries at Morton's.
Don't want to bother with sprucing up the house? Okay, not a problem. Make a reservation at the "new" Fred's. Sit outside and people watch. Catch up on local Sarasota gossip too.
Sam Snead's is across the street or walk down Osprey to Knick's Tavern, one of Snuffy's favorite spots. Knick's has great burgers and Michelle, Bella or Jennifer will bring you a glass of vino quickly while you peruse the specials. Not in the mood for anything but pizza, step right next door and order the white spinach pizza at Anthony's.
Homes in the hospital are of the Trail are in a highly popular spot and prices are down considerably. Now might be the time to jump off the fence. With lower interest rates and such a great selection of properties, this could be your day to buy Sarasota.
The Sarasota MLS lists 161 homes for sale West of the Trail. Prices range from a two bedroom, one bath house priced at $199,900 to a house in Cherokee Park with over 9000sq.ft. priced at $10,700,000. West of the Trail subdivisions to consider are: Cherokee Park, Harbor Acres and San Remo Estates.
Annette Smith offers the highest of Internet exposure for selling your Sarasota home or condo with multiple websites and a creative marketing strategy for the changing Sarasota real estate market. Email Annette with your questions or call at 941-504-3922 for a buying or listing appointment.
