There's Always Something Going on In Bradenton

Bradenton, the largest city in Manatee County with approximately 50,000 residents, is located just to the north of Sarasota. Bradenton offers its residents and visitors an appealing relaxing and casual lifestyle.

Bradenton and its neighbor, Anna Maria Island, are fabulous places for young families, professionals, baby boomers, and retirees. Take leisurely walks on the beach, enjoy boating, fishing and sailing, including scuba diving. Play golf on its numerous public and private golf courses. The city of Bradenton is home to some of the nicest Bradenton Florida golf courses.

"But Bradenton is also so much more than that," says Andree Huffine, a well-known Sarasota luxury homes Realtor, "There is a constant flow of family-focused events and activities that are fun and entertaining for residents of all ages." For example, during just the past month, a number of family-focused events occurred including:

•The Annual Bradenton Holiday Boat Parade
A flotilla of boats of all sizes decorated with festive Christmas lights, inflatable statues and Christmas trees, manned by boisterous, fun-loving crews, participated in the 14th annual Bradenton Holiday Boat Parade.

The annual boat parade began at the Bradenton Yacht Club, went up to Tarpon Pointe and then returned to the yacht club for judging. Five judges chose the winners, basing their decisions on crew spirit, audience participation and creativity.

•A Winter Wonderland in Downtown Bradenton
It didn't snow anywhere else in Florida, but it snowed on Main Street in Bradenton, Florida one day in December.

A family friendly street party complete with a snow mountain and Santa Claus came to Bradenton for the 16th Annual Winter Wonderland Festival on Old Main Street. Children of all ages enjoyed this annual street party event known locally as the Bradenton Winter Wonderland.

•A Broadway Star Returns to Bradenton
One of biggest stage stars to emerge from Manatee-County area made her highly anticipated return to her hometown.

Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe brought back WBTT founding company member Teresa Stanley to join the cast in its season-opening show, “Love, Sung in the Key of Aretha.”

The 29-year-old has been loved by local theatergoers since she became known to them as a precocious teen on the local theater scene. Four years ago, Ms. Stanley realized her lifelong dream of reaching Broadway in the musical “The Color Purple.” She has since been in the national tours of the “30th Anniversary of “Ain’t Misbehavin’” and the smash “Rock of Ages,”

•Village of the Arts Art Walk
The Village of the Arts is a downtown Bradenton community of over 35 artists living and working together in Florida’s largest art community. Art Walks are scheduled Friday and Saturday on the first weekend every month. The streets fill with art lovers looking for everything from affordable fine art, jewelry, ceramics, clothing and small furniture. There are bookshops, collectibles shops, gourmet cafes and more. Special events and art-related lectures open to the public are also held from time to time.

In addition to all the other attractions in the Sarasota - Bradenton area, Village of the Arts must be on the "to do" list of all Bradenton newcomers.

If you've been "on the fence" about when to visit the Sarasota - Bradenton area to find your dream home, you need to get serious about it now. Whether you are looking for a home for your own immediate use or to generate some income until you're ready to retire, you would be well-advised to visit the vibrant city of Bradenton, Florida real soon. Home prices are about as low as they are going to get. In fact, in some communities prices have already started to climb back upward.

Make your dream of a “Little Piece of Paradise” in Bradenton or on Anna Maria Island come true now while prices are still st historically low levels and interest rates are at rock-bottom levels.

New Addition to our Sarasota Waterfront Communities Club

Connie Belmont has just joined the growing number of real estate websites displaying our introduction to over 40 of the best Sarasota Florida area waterfront communities.

You can visit Connie's new section at Sarasota Waterfront Communities.

Let us know what you think of it.

Harbour Towne Yacht Club Condos on Siesta Key

The Harbour Towne condominium complex was originally built as a deep-water marina, but in 1982 it was converted into 50 townhome-style condominiums to accommodate power boat and sailboat owners who needed deep-water docking facilities and unobstructed access to the open waters of Sarasota Bay and the Gulf of Mexico.

Today, with 25-foot deep docking facilities and no bridges or other obstructions between your dock and the waters of Sarasota Bay, Harbour Towne is ideal suited to serious power boat and sailing enthusiasts. In this secure, gated community, there is a that maintenance free lifestyle you've been seeking. Residents enjoy everything Siesta Key has to offer as well as being in the ideal spot to keep their yacht or sailboat right behind their own home.

Right across the street from the Harbour Towne Yacht Club lies the world-famous Siesta Key Beach, world-famous soft, white quartz sands. All of the causual shopping, dining, and recreational opportunities of Siesta Key Village are a short bike ride away and all of the upscale shopping, dining, entertainment and cultural venues that downtown Sarasota offers are but a short drive away.

Judie Berger, a well-known Sarasota and Siesta Key luxury condos expert says that currently prices for Harbour Towne condos range from the $400,000's for 2/2 units up to the low $600,000's for larger units, some with 3 bedrooms and 3 baths. All units have attached garages.

Harbour Towne residents also enjoy a community clubhouse, a heated swimming pool with spa and hot tub, a tennis court and a fishing pier. Owners of these condos may have one small pet.

As an added attraction for those seeking an income property until they are ready to retire, these units may be rented for a minimum term of 1 month, according to Bob Henley, a RE/MAX Realtor who frequently sells Siesta Key waterfront condos to people from all over the world.

A Restful Haven - Bird Key

Surrounded by the emerald waters of Sarasota Bay, Bird Key is an upscale community located between downtown Sarasota and St. Armands Circle on Lido Key is an exclusive enclave of about 500 single-family homes, many of them right on the waterfront.

"Once almost exclusively the province of Northern retirees, its quiet streets and striking vistas of the Sarasota skyline and bay skyline have drawn some younger residents in recent years, including many celebrities," says Bob Henley, a noted Sarasota real estate agent and expert on Bird Key reqal estate offerings.

The island is a boater’s paradise, with many of its homes on Sarasota Bay, itself, or on deep-water canals. Bird Key Yacht Club is considered one of the outstanding yacht clubs on West Florida's "Sun Coast."

Residents of Bird Key have the convenience of getting to the beach and downtown Sarasota very quickly yet Bird Key is secluded enough for a luxurious lifestyle with a great deal of privacy.

Most of the homes on Bird Key were built in the 1960's. However, many have been torn down over the years and replaced by larger, more elegant homes. If you are looking for a Sarasota Luxury Home directly on the waterfront or a deep-water canal, but still very convenient to all that downtown Sarasota offers, Bird Key could be the perfect location for you.

Intro to Tangerine Bay Club on Longboat key

Tangerine Bay Club on Longboat Key is siutated on the Sarasota Bay side of Longbaot Key near the southern end of the key, just north of the 34 acre nature preserve. For those who enjoy the game of golf, it is just across the street from the Islandside golf courses of the Longboat Key Club. For pure relaxation, these homes offer set among award-winning landscaping and fabulous views of Sarasota Bay. award-winning landscapes, and sparkling pools and waterfalls all surrounding a large, private, free-form pool/lagoon.

Living at Tangerine Bay Club combines the advantages of condominium living with the feel of a single family home. Each spacious unit, ranging in size from 2,200 to about 3,000 square feet, includes a 2-car garage and a significant storage area. The facilities include a state-of-the-art fitness center, a well-equipped club house, a heated lap pool for those who enjoy a morning swim to start their day and a whirlpool spa for the less athletically inclined.


Boaters will enjoy the deep-water channel bordering the shoreline of Tangerine Bay Club for easy access to both the Bay and the Gulf of Mexico.

There are just 90 units in the Tangerine Bay Club complex behind a 24-hour manned, gated security entrance. "The lucky residents," says Judie Berger, a well-known, Sarasota real estate waterfront homes expert. "have easy access to golfing, tennis, or quiet walks on the beach. Shopping at St. Armands Circle is less than 10 minutes away."

Sarasota Home sales in June Remain Strong

The Sarasota Association of Realtors reported a slight drop in single-family home and condo sales in June in the metro Sarasota and Manatee County area. 728 homes and condo sales closed during June compared to 796 in May.

Two positive signs of the overall health of the Sarasota real estate market were (1) that the median sales price for single-family homes, at $175,000, was the highest level in over a year and (2) the inventory of homes for sale dropped to the lowest level in over a decade.

In four of the six months of 2011 to date, Sarasota real estate sales have exceeded the 700 level. Pending sales of 754 in June were also down slightly from the May level of 841 reflecting the area’s typical seasonal slowdown as snow birders return home.

There were 510 single-family home and 218 condo closings in June. The current level of home sales is the strongest it has been since the real estate boom of 2003-2005. June's real estate sales volume reflect a high level of buyer interest; close to the mini-boom level that occurred during the Federal Homebuyer Tax Credit incentive program last year.

The total available inventory of properties for sale dropped to 4,830, the equivalent of 5.9 months of inventory of single-family homes and 8.2 months of condominium inventory both far below the highs of 25.3 months for single-family homes in early 2009 and 41.7 months of condominium inventory in late 2008. A 6 month level of inventory is considered to be the point at which buyer and seller interest are in equilibrium. “It is encouraging to see how the Sarasota real estate market has continued its strong momentum in the face of continuing weakness in the national and state economies,” said Sarasota Association of Realtors President, Michael Bruno. “The inventory of available properties, which is lower than it has been since the 1990s, is a very important statistic," he said. Historically, a reduction in the inventory of homes for sale leads to increased prices as buyers begin once again to "compete" for the most attractive properties.

The percentage of distressed sales (short sales and foreclosures) was 38% in June compared to the high point of 51% in November, 2010.

Dick Plumb, an experienced Sarasota and Bradenton real estate expert says, "all of this points to a Sarasota real estate market continuing to recover across the entire market area from Bradenton on the north to Venice on the south including the barrier islands, Longboat, Siesta, Lido and Casey Key." People who have been considering buying a primary or second home anywhere in Sarasota or Manatee County would be well advised to come to town now while home and condo prices are still more attractive than they have been in the past or are likely to be for much longer.

Siesta Key Ranked as the # 1 Beach in America

While frequently the "first runner-up," this year Siesta Key beach has won the title of the "Nation's Top Beach" last week.

Steven Leatherman, (known to many as Dr. Beach) and director of the Florida International University Laboratory for Coastal Research, every year compares the best beaches in the country and selects the top 10 based upon 50 criteria. Those criteria include the look and feel of the sand, quality of the water, facilities available among other factors. The top possible score is 250 points; Siesta got 230 to win the competition this year.

Coronado Beach in San Diego, California, which placed at #1 last year, was the runner-up this year. Number 3 was Kahanamoku Beach in Hawaii, while #4 was Main Beach, in East Hampton, NY. Rounding out the top 5 was Cape Hatteras Beach in North Carolina.

Among other factors, Siesta Beach, a 40 acre quartz crystal, soft and powdery, pure white beach scored well on its shallow, warm water and gentle currents while losing a few points due to the heavy vista of condominiums.

Praise for Siesta Key beach comes as no surprise to Andree Huffine, a respected Realtor selling Siesta Key and Longboat Key homes and condos or to Connie Belmont, a Sarasota real estate agent who loves to show and sell Siesta Key condos. Says Connie, "there are simply no better beaches in the world than those we have here on the Florida Sun Coast and Sarasota."