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 "SUE'S NEWS " from October 13 - 20, 2008
Greetings from Anna Maria Island!
I love October on Anna Maria
Island! We have had picture perfect days, with 80 degree
weather, nice breezes, and clear blue skies. The annual Bayfest
festival was Saturday, and 8000+ people attended the 1220hour event up and
down Pine Avenue, with street vendors, an antique auto show, food booths,
and live music. I took some time out during the day and sat
stage-side outdoors under the blue sky and listened to one of the
bands, Koko Ray, that performed during part of the whole length of
the festival. They played a mixture of Santana, and
others, tunes, as well as their own. It was early in the day,
but some people got up and danced, and it was fun to people watch!
Last night, my client from
England flew in, and we had lunch together outside at the Waterfront
today after she met with the builder who is completely gutting and
updating the home they bought on Holly Road on the canal. She is
happy with the progress and having fun making choices for their
vacation/rental home.
On the real estate
front, there are currently 236 (up three) active
single family home listings in both Anna Maria and Holmes Beach
combined. There was one house that went pending
this week. It is a short sale (bank owned), located at
2412 Avenue A, in Bradenton Beach (see picture above). It has two
bedrooms and two baths and 1416 square feet and was built in 1976.
Its recent listing price was $499K, and it had been listed in 2006 for
$895,000. ; It was purchased in December of 2004 at $700K.
There
were 30 (same) active lots
listed this past week in Anna Maria and Holmes Beach, and one lot went
pending. It is located at 333 Tarpon Street and was listed fo
$599,900. It is 72ft. X 110ft. and located on a deepwater canal on
the north end of Anna Maria.
The lowest priced lot is still listed for $239,000,
and it is located at 3017 Avenue C, in Holmes Beach. The
highest priced lot is located at Spruce Avenue, in Anna Maria. It is
on the water, with two cottages on it, and it is listed for $4
,500,000.
There were 34
(up three) active duplex listings in the areas of Holmes Beach and Anna
Maria combined. One duplex went pending this week. It is
located at 5609 Guava Street, in Holmes Beach. It has 1276 square
feet, putting the asking price of $239,900 at $188.01 per square
foot. It had been listed originally for $450K in February of 2008,
and I am sorry to say it is now a short sale.
The lowest priced duplex just went pending, and the
highest priced duplex is located at 2810 Avenue E, Gulffront, and is
listed for $2,000,000.
There are 241 (up seven) active
condo listings in Anna Maria, Holmes Beach, and Bradenton Beach
combined, and no condos went pending this week. ;
As I wrote last week, the
prices of condos have a great range right now. The lowest priced
cond o is located at 107 8th Street #3, in Bradenton Beach. It is a
resort style one bedroom/one bath 420 square feet property and is
now listed for $143,900. The highest priced condo is located in
Holmes Beach, at 5622 Gulf Drive. It is a three bedroom/three bath
2594 square feet unit located in the Vista Grande Condos. It
is listed for $1,995,000.
On the SOLD front, the high-end Mediterranean home
listed for $1,595,000 on the end of 58th Street SOLD this week for the
listing price (see picture above). I had shown this property and had
buyers tempted at the "reduced" price, down from $1,995,000 (and said to
be once listed for $3.5 million). It had a total of four bedrooms,
four baths and 3618 square feet. It has a 262 foot
seawall and, at the selling price, it sold for $440.85 per square
foot.
On another note, here is some
local "fishing" news; Stone crab season has begun!
Fishers
bring stone crabs to market
by Lisa Neff. Islander Reporter
A $9.5 million market opens this
week.
Stone
crab season begins We dnesday, Oct. 15, and continues until May
15.
For
Cortez, that means crabbers are hard at work hauling, baiting and
collecting traps, and retailers are at work marketing the stone crab
claws.
Many
other fishing communities around the state also rely heavily on the
season. Last year, the state reported that sales of stone crab claws
generated about $9.5 million, with far more claws collected from Florida’s
west coast than the east coast.
The
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reported issuing 30
stone crab licenses in Manatee County for 2008 as of August. The number is
down from 54 licenses in 2003 and 97 licenses in 1998.
Catches
reported from Manatee County also have declined over the years — 24,466
pounds last season compared to 65,200 pounds in 2003.
Statewide
last season’s stone crab catch was 1.4 million, with fishers reporting
9,870 trips and crab sales averaging $6.69 a pound.
Until the
first reports from trap checks come in, fishers and retailers will not
know what kind of season to expect, but the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration has reported that stone crab population levels
are estimated to be high and no overfishi ng has occurred
recently.
Go
vernment agencies maintain that restrictions on crabbing have led to a
sustainability of the species, specifically rules allowing crabbers to
take only a legal-sized claw from a crab and then returning it to the
water.
For
diners, stone crab claws are a low-fat source of protein, selenium and
magnesium.
But the
nutritional value is not really what attracts foodies. Seafood enthusiasts
describe the claws as a delicacy — succulent, sweet, delectable — whether
dipped in butter or served with a signature sauce.
The claws
are cooked immediately after harvest. They are served fresh here, but the
claws also are fro zen and shipped worldwide.
“We have
people from all over come in for stone crabs,” said Alice Sistek of Cortez
Bait & Seafood Inc., 119th St. W., Cortez. “People enjoy those stone
crabs — and we get some colossals that are amazing, just
amazing.”
The fresh
seafood shop relies heavily on the stone crab harvest. “It pulls us
through,” Sistek said.
Just as
crabbers do not know what to expect of the harvest this new season,
retailers and restaurants do not know what to expect for prices.
The in
creased cost of fuel was expected to be a factor.
So.......I will
continue to keep you posted, and, until next report.....have a great
week!
Sue
Sue Carlson,
Broker/Owner
An Island Place
Realty
411 Pine Avenue
Anna
Maria, Florida 34216
941-779-9320
800-454-3211 Fax
941-720-2242
Sue's cell
www.islandplacerealty.com
"SUE'S NEWS" From
October 6 - 13, 2008
Hello everyone!
I have had enough people ask me
about another newsletter, so here it is! The weather is beautiful onAnna Maria Island. There have
been some welcome, humidity free “fall” days here! In spite of
the housing slow-down, things appear to be fairly busy here on the
island.
New homes are still being built and many are being remodeled here
and there throughout the island. You would never know things are slow,
except for the phones not ringing like they did a few years ago!…..and a
few real estate offices closing their doors….
For owners, I hate to say it,
but prices are still going down. We all are awaiting that moment when the
“light switch” is turned back on, and the frenzy to find a place NOW on
Anna Maria Island begins
again!
Here is the latest news of
Active, Pending, and SOLD listings on AMI:
ANNA MARIA:
SINGLE FAMILY HOMES:
ACTIVE: 81 Prices ranging from a $398K 3B/2B
to a newly listed $4.2M home at 799 North Shore
Drive
PENDING: 1 Frank Lloyd Wright designed canal
front home for $1,349,000
SOLD (4 MONTHS, from 6/13/07 to
10/13/07):
16 Starting at a $290K 2B/1B cottage behind the
Waterfront Restaurant, with 6 sales under $500K and 14 sales under
$700K.
CONDOS:
ACTIVE: 10 3 of these are the original Bayou Condos in Anna
Maria, from $320K (without a dock) to $365K; the other listings are places
that have been “condominiumized”
PENDING: O
SOLD (4 MONTHS, from 6/13/07 to
10/13/07):
O
DUPLEXES:
ACTIVE: 10 Prices from $378K to a Gulf Front $2,775,000
at 102-A Magnolia Avenue
5B/3B (listed 4/25/06, days on market: 536)
PENDING: 0
SOLD (4 MONTHS, from 6/13/07 to
10/13/07):
1
A 4B/2B duplex at 305 Palm Avenue for $417,450 (list
price: $499K)
LOTS:
ACTIVE: 17 Priced from $298K to $4.5M at 203 Spruce; of note here
is the $298K lot located at 416 Spring Avenue was originally listed at
$459K 468 days ago. It has been recently reduced and reduced
and has not gone pending yet. Also of note is: in my February 2007
“Sue’s News,” there were 30 active lots. Only 1 has sold since then, so many have
been taken off the market.
PENDING: 2 $299K and $699K canal front
SOLD (4 MONTHS, from 6/13/07 to
10/13/07):
0
HOLMES BEACH:
SINGLE FAMILY HOMES:
ACTIVE: 153 Prices ranging from a $329K
Seaside Gardens to a $3,999,999 Gulf
front 3B/2B located at 4300 2nd Avenue
PENDING: 3 In the price range from $445K to $499K
SOLD (4 MONTHS, from 6/13/07 to
10/13/07):
30 11 sales were under $500K and 22 under $700K
CONDOS:
ACTIVE: 147 $190K is the lowest priced and 34 are listed under
$400K, to the highest priced at $2,390,000 located at 5622 Gulf Drive , Unit #2,
3B/3B
PENDING: 1 A Playa Encantada Gulf front 3B/2B for $1,495,000
SOLD (4 MONTHS, from 6/13/07 to
10/13/07):
6
Sales prices ranging from $285K to $1,250,000
DUPLEXES:
ACTIVE: 10 From $349,900 to $1,100,000
PENDING: 1 At $599K, 106 46th Street
SOLD (4 MONTHS, from 6/13/07 to
10/13/07):
1
For $650K, a
6B/6B at 312 60th
Street
LOTS:
ACTIVE: 10 From $349,900 to $1,100,000
PENDING: 1 At $599K, 106 46th Street
SOLD (4 MONTHS, from 6/13/07 to
10/13/07):
0
BRADENTON BEACH:
SINGLE FAMILY HOMES:
ACTIVE: 28 From $198K at Sandpiper Resort (Modular) to $1,896,000 at
306 S. Gulf Drive
PENDING: 0
SOLD (4 MONTHS, from 6/13/07 to
10/13/07):
3
$250K & $350K
& $750K
CONDOS:
ACTIVE: 121 From $227,500 to $2.5M, with 50 listed under
$400K
PENDING: 1
SOLD (4 MONTHS, from 6/13/07 to
10/13/07):
11 Ranging from $160K to $950K, with 9 under
$400K
DUPLEXES:
ACTIVE: 18 Priced from $479K to $1,896,000 located at 306 S. Gulf Drive
PENDING: 0
SOLD (4 MONTHS, from 6/13/07 to
10/13/07):
0
LOTS:
ACTIVE: 2
PENDING: 0
SOLD (4 MONTHS, from 6/13/07 to
10/13/07):
2
$250K & a $750K bay front lot
REAL ESTATE
NEWS:
ON THE SUBJECT
OF PROPERTY TAXES:
A Leon County circuit judge ruled that the Florida
Legislature’s proposed property tax constitutional amendment is
misleading, and he removed it from the Jan. 29 ballot. FAR, lawmakers and
Gov. Charlie Crist are now reviewing the options: Appeal, revise the
amendment wording, or both.
OCTOBER 10,
2007:
Crist wants to expand current
legislative session and scales down tax plan
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Oct. 10, 2007 – With three weeks
to go before a property-tax referendum would be dead for a year, Gov.
Charlie Crist pushed legislators hard Tuesday to embrace a scaled-down
plan he says will revive the real estate market – but that would save the
average homeowner less than $250 a year.
The key differences between Crist’s proposal and the
one a judge threw off the Jan. 29 ballot: It protects the Save Our Homes
tax cap, provides “portability” to allow homeowners to transfer tax
savings to a new home, boasts a number of pro-business savings and doesn’t
take money from schools.
The governor and legislators have until Oct. 31 to
come up with a plan to replace the invalidated property-tax amendment.
Otherwise, a vote is likely to wait until November 2008. With time running
out and agreement hard to reach, Crist has increased the pressure – and
lowered expectations.
On
Tuesday, Crist suggested extending lawmakers’ special session into
overtime this week to vote out his plan, even though the estimated $6.3
billion in tax savings over five years falls short of his promise to make
taxes “drop like a rock.”
Crist said his plan “isn’t the endgame” and added he
will push for additional tax reforms with lawmakers when they meet in
regular session next spring and with the state Taxation and Budget Reform
Commission, which is meeting
now. “We’re going to keep calling plays, moving the
ball.”
FROM OCTOBER 8,
2007:
Greenspan 50/50 on
recession
WASHINGTON – Oct. 8, 2007 – Former Federal Reserve
Chairman Alan Greenspan said last week that the rate of U.S. economic growth was
slowing, but the odds of a recession are less than 50/50.
Greenspan also said in an
interview on CNN’s “Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer” that the turmoil
caused by the subprime mortgage crisis was easing and financial markets
were beginning to go back to normal.
Greenspan said Americans should be “cautious” about
the economy, but not necessarily nervous.
“I think the best way of putting it is that the
American economy’s rate of growth is definitely slowing down,” Greenspan
said, adding that the odds of a recession are less than 50/50.
Greenspan added that he
thought there was not much that lawmakers and the Fed should be doing to
avoid a downturn.
“I
doubt very much if there is anything that can or should be done. Because
remember, we have a very complex, self-calibrating, self-adjusting
economy,” he said.
FROM OCTOBER 3,
2007:
Mortgage problems continue to hamper
pending home sales
WASHINGTON – Oct.
3, 2007 – Pending sales of existing-homes activity will be dampened
near-term as mortgage disruptions continue to impact the housing market,
according to the National Association of Realtors® (NAR).
The Pending Home Sales
Index, a forward-looking indicator, fell 6.5 percent to a reading of 85.5
from an upwardly revised 91.4 in July, based on contracts signed in
August. It was 21.5 percent below the August 2006 index of 108.9.
Lawrence Yun, NAR senior
economist, says the mortgage market impact is quantifiable. “Fewer
contracts were being written because of mortgage availability issues, and
a separate internal survey of our members shows more than 10 percent of
sales contracts fell through at the last moment in August, primarily the
result of canceled loan commitments,” he says. “The volume of activity
we’re seeing today is below sustainable market fundamentals because some
creditworthy people are trying to buy homes but can’t because of the
credit crunch.
“The
impact was greater in high-cost markets that are more dependent on jumbo
mortgages. In some areas, as much as 30 percent of signed contracts were
falling through in August when the credit crunch problem peaked,” Yun
says. “The problem has since become less severe, though jumbo loan rates
are still higher than they would be under normal conditions. Therefore,
sales activity in late fall will better reflect market fundamentals.”
The index is a leading
indicator for the housing sector, based on pending sales of existing
homes. A sale is listed as pending when the contract has been signed but
the transaction has not closed, though the sale usually is finalized
within one or two months of signing.
Annual changes in the index are more closely related
to actual market performance than are month-to-month comparisons. As the
relatively new index matures and seasonal adjustment factors are refined,
the month-to-month comparisons will become more meaningful.
OVERALL OCTOBER REAL ESTATE NEWS & STATS:
Housing Market Indicators:
Florida existing home sales: -26%
Florida existing condo sales: -25%
Florida existing home median price: $231,900
Florida existing condo median price: $196,800
Florida consumer confidence: 79
National existing home sales: -4.3%
National existing home median price $224,500
National (Freddie Mac) mortgage rate 6.40%
THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE:
A
mortgage broker I work with on the island said there were four home sales
here in the month of July, and two of them were paid with cash.
I
had a buyer down from New
York State last weekend, looking in the
$300K and under range. We had 30 island wide condo listings to
choose from!
REAL ESTATE
NEWS From The Islander, October 3rd,
2007:
“Sales are going up. Sales are increasing because many
sellers have lowered their asking prices in the past year to “realistic”
expectations.”
“Through August 2007, 149 sales of condominiums,
homes and duplexes had been reported. For the first eight months of 2006,
only 114 sales were reported. That’s a 33 percent increase.”
“At the same time, the average sale price has
plummeted from $806,000 at this time last year to $574,000 this year. It’s
a buyer’s market.”
“Smart shoppers are coming back and finding the
Island property of their dreams, and the Island real estate market is
still “undervalued” compared to similar Florida
barrier islands. Even during the boom years of 2004 and 2005,
Island prices were
below comparable locations.”
“Now that sellers are discounting prices, Anna Maria Island still has better deals as
evidenced by the volume of sales.”
But once the “discounted properties” are sold, prices
are expected to “return to normal.”
On
an “up” note:
From The Islander:
Businesses pleased: tourism up more than 25
percent
By Rick
Catlin. Islander Reporter
Tourism figures just
released by the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau confirm that
Anna Maria Island
experienced a tourism boom in August (The
Islander, Sept. 19).Thanks largely to the additional two weeks
of summer vacation Florida public school students had this year, the CVB
reported that occupancy rates on the Island climbed from 40.2 percent in
August 2006 to 50.7 percent for the same month this year, a 26.1 percent
increase.
The upswing in tourism affected the entire CVB
reporting area, as the August 2007 figures showed an increase in occupancy
from the same month last year throughout Manatee County of 7.1 percent. The CVB
reported overall occupancy for August 2007 stood at 51.5 percent compared
with just 44.4 percent for August 2006.
I hope to see you all sometime over the next several
months while visiting this one of a kind island place! In the
meantime, I will continue to keep you in touch with activities here in the
real estate market!
Sue
"SUE'S
NEWS," From September 29 to October 6, 2008
Above: Sunday morning walk out on Bean Pointe, Anna
Maria
Hello from Anna Maria Island!
I took the attached photos
yesterday morning, as I walked out on Bean Pointe. My mother had
sent me a series of photos from northern Michigan titled "October in
Michigan," showing all of the brilliant fall colors from the weekend
there. I followed suit with an email back to her titled
"October in Florida." I thought they'd see the humor in it (as our
colors really don't change :-), besides the fact that they would enjoy
seeing photos of what they will soon be seeing in person!
The begining of October has
seemed a bit slow, as far as tourists go, here on the island. I have
seen, though, a few out of state license plates as some of the early
"snowbirds" have already headed south!
Here is what the current issue of the Islander Newspaper says about the influx of
people onto the island:
Businesses find winter friends returning
by Rick Catlin. Islander Reporter
A number of
Anna Maria Island business owners are relaxing now that winter friends are
beginning to trickle back for the winter season.
Also, the closure of the Anna Maria
Island Bridge — at least to this two-week point in the 45-day rehab plan —
has not impacted that return to any significant degree.
While it might be expected that
Bradenton Beach businesses would benefit from the detour that puts all
traffic to and from the Island and mainland onto the Cortez Bridge during
the closure, businesses located in the middle and on the north end of the
Island seem to be holding up well, at least through the first two weeks of
the closure.
“We’ve been pleasantly surprised,” said
Roxanne Reid of Sterling Anvil jewelers, which has been in b usiness in
Holmes Beach since 1971.
“It’s going very well for us,
especially since we moved to a new locatio n. We’re seeing some of our
regular clients returning to visit us, in additio n to some new ones,”
Reid said.
“I think people are discovering that
it's not so hard to get out here on the Cortez Bridge,” she
added.
Reid and business partner Mary Norman
had been concerned some regulars might not be able to find the store after
they moved over the summer to 5508 Marina Drive.
“Some of the people are starting to
return, and they’ve found us at our new location, so we’re very pleased so
far,” she said.
At Beach Bums-Island Attitudes on Pine
Avenue in Anna Maria, manager Lauren Sato said the sales figures for the
first week of October are already ahead of last year’s.
“We’re real excited about October,
especially with Bayfest coming up. We’ve got some new bicycles and we’re
co-sponsoring a kayak festival on Oct. 25. We’ve had some decent traffic
for this early in the season,” she said.
Sato noted that the entire Island
community seems to be “pulling together” during the closure
period.
“It’s great to see how everyone is
pulling together to get through this. I think October is going to be a
great month for everyone,” she said.
Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce
executive director Mary Ann Brockman was also pleased at how winter
visitors are returning, and the ability of the Flor ida Department of
Transportation and local law enforcement to keep traffic moving on and off
the Cortez Bridge.
“It’s all good,” she said. “I haven’t
had any members complaining, traffic is moving well, and we have started
to see the winter visitors show up at the chamber offices asking for
information about the Island. That’s a great sign.”
Brockman said members are reporting a
lot of visitors from Europe, who are taking advantage of low October and
November accommodation prices on the Island.
And, with a concerted effort by
Islanders to support Island businesses, Brockman said she expects Bayfest
to be “unbelievable” this year.
“All in all, we seem to be handling the
closure quite well, and the winter visitors are now returning,” she
said.
At the Holmes Beach Barber Shop in the
Island Shopping Center, Holmes Beach, owners Don and Patsy Madden said
they are starting to see a few of their regular winter
visitors.
“About four or five every week,” said
Don Madden.
0I don’t think the bridge has hurt us,
but our people are locals and winte r residents, not visitors.”
On the real estate front,
there are currently 233 (up two) active
single family home listings in both Anna Maria and Holmes Beach combined,
and there were no homes that went pending this week.
There were 30 (down one) active lots listed this
past week in Anna Maria and Holmes Beach, and no lots went
pending. The lowest priced lot is still listed for $239,000,
and it is located at 3017 Avenue C, in Holmes Beach. The
highest priced lot is located at Spruce Avenue, in Anna Maria. It is
on the water, with two cottages on it, and it is listed
for $4,500,000.
There were 31 (same) active duplex listings in the
areas of Holmes Beach and Anna Maria combined. No duplexes went
pending this week. The lowest priced duplex is located at 5609 Guava
Street, in Holmes Beach, for $239,900. The highest priced duplex is
located at 2810 Avenue E, Gulffront, and is listed for $2,000,000.
It was a busier week for
condos this week! There are 234 (down=2 0one) active
condo listings in Anna Maria, Holmes Beach, and Bradenton Beach
combined, and four condos went pending this week.
The first one20is located at
Bayview Terrace, 117 N. 7th Street, Unit #5, in Bradenton Beach. It
is a short sale that was listed initially for $310,000. It went
pending, finally, at the price of $149K. Looking20back at the sales
records, it had SOLD for $275K in December of 2005, the height of the
market. It is a one bedroom, one bath, 638 square foot unit.
The second pending condo is
located at Sandy Pointe, 3607 East Bay Drive, Holmes Beach, Unit
#204. It is a two bedroom, two bath, 1000 sq. ft. unit that was
listed for $269,999. It had originally been listed for $279,000, and
it spent 160 days on the market.
The third pending condo is a Sun Plaza unit, #102,
located at 5608 Gulf Drive, in Holmes Beach. This is a popular
Gulffront complex, and this unit had been for sale a long time (542 days,
to be exact). I had shown it several times over the past two
years. It is located in the back part of the complex that overlooks
the tennis courts. It had been listed for $659,000 in July of 2005,
but had been gradually reduced to its current asking price of
$339,000. This is a two bedroom, two bath turnkey unit, with 1092
square feet.
The fourth
pending condo is located nearby, at Martinique South, 5200 Gulf Drive,
Unit #604, in Holmes Beach. This is a two b edroom, two bath unit
with 1169 square feet. It is a top floor corner unit that has been
completely remodeled in 2003. In June of 2002, it SOLD for
$399,000. It went pending this week at the price of $499K (sales
price unknown yet).
Prices of condos have a great range right now.
The lowest priced condo is located at 107 8th Stree t #3, in Bradenton
Beach. It is a resort style one bedroom/one bath 420 square feet
property and is now listed for $143,900. The highest priced
condo is located in Holmes Beach, at 5622 Gulf Drive. It is a three
bedroom/three bath 2594 square feet unit located in the Vista Grande
Condos. It is listed for $1,995,000.
On the SOLD front, a
duplex property located at 105 S. 8th Street, units A & B, in
Bradenton Beach, sold for $300K this week. I had shown this older
cottage style property earlier this fall. It had been lowered to
$339,900, and the neighbor described it as a "tear-down," but my buyers
wanted to keep it as is and update the interior for a "near the beach"
rental. It had a total of four bedrooms, two baths and a combined
total of 1667 square feet.
I will continue to keep you posted, and, until
next report.....have a great week!
Sue
PS. News "under the table....." :-)
When out at the Rod 'n Reel Pier for lunch this week, a couple
of the wait staff told us that Southern
Living Magazine had been there and done a photo shoot while working
on a story on the island for a future issue! This will be in
addition to the already published article on the Pine Avenue Restoration
Project in its September 2008 issue.
Sue Carlson,
Broker/Owner
An Island Place
Realty
"SUE'S NEWS," From September
22 to 29, 2008
Above: New
house nearing completetion on Fern Avenue,
in Anna
Maria
Attached
photo:
"It's About Time Cottage," on Anna Maria's north
end,
Pending this week, at $440,000
Hello from
Anna Maria Island!
It's hard to believe that it's October
already. I don't know where the summer went, and here we are
into "fall" on Anna Maria Island! People from up north think I
am crazy when I say this, but you can really feel "fall" in the air
here. There is a crisper edge to the early morning air and the
breezes that come up during the nighttime. More and more people are
opening their windows and turning off the air conditioning, which is a
welcome relief!
The
dreaded closing of the Anna Maria bridge happened just a week ago, and the
island seems to be surviving! I have heard reports from everyone
that I talk to that it has been no bother at all taking the Cortez Bridge
back and forth to the mainland. Again, I worry that the news media
has scared everyone away with the forewarnings, but the actual occurrence
does not seem that bad! Here is the Islander's article this week on the closing:
http://www.islander.org/10-1-08/ami_bridgeclose.php
On
the real estate front, there are currently 231
(same) active single family home listings in both Anna Maria
and Holmes Beach combined, and three homes went pending this past
week.
The first
home is located at 103 81st Street, in Holmes Beach. It is a three
bedroom, two bath 1319 square foot older ranch-style home. It is
right next to the beach and had been listed originally for $995,000 in
March of 2008. It's most recent price was $649K, as it was a short
sale and recently drastically lowered.
The second pending home is a canalfront house in Anna
Maria located at 519 South Drive. It is a three bedroom/two bathroom
home with 1582 square feet. It had spent a total of 669 days on the
market and finally went pending at the asking price of $487,500. It
was an elevated home that needed work.
The third pending home is a cottage located at
868 North Shore Drive. I had recently shown this home. It was
listed at a very reasonably priced $440,000 just recently and has two
bedrooms and one bathroom. It is a vintage (circa 1948) cottage that
had been lovingly restored through the years of ownership, and it has
beautiful hardwood floors, an updated kitchen, and large private back yard
with decking. I think the offer that was accepted was at
$425,000, but I am not sure. I had spoken recently to the
listing agent about it being negotiated and going pending soon, which just
happened yesterday.
There were 31 (up two) active lots listed this past
week in Anna Maria and Holmes Beach, and one went pending this
week. The lowest priced lot is listed for $239,000 and is
located at 3017 Avenue C, in Holmes Beach. The highest priced lot is
located at Spruce Avenue, in Anna Maria. It is on the water, with
two cottages on it, and it is listed for $4,500,000.
There were 32 (down two)
active duplex listings in the areas of Holmes Beach and Anna Maria
combined. The lowest priced duplex is located at 5609 Guava
Street, in Holmes Beach, for $239,900. The highest priced duplex is
located at 2810 Avenue E, Gulffront, and is listed for $2,000,000.
On the condo front, there
are 235 (up three) active listings in Anna Maria, Holmes Beach, and
Bradenton Beach combined. One condo went pending this week. It
is located at 1801 N. Gulf Drive, in Bradenton Beach. It is a
Runaway Bay 2 bedroom/2 bath unit (#254) that was listed for
$284,000. It had originally been listed on 7/22/05 for $409K,
so it spent 692 days on the market.
The lowest priced condo is located at 107 8th Street
#3, in Bradenton Beach. It is a resort style one bedroom/one bath
420 square feet property and is now listed for $143,900. The
highest priced condo is located in Holmes Beach, at 5622 Gulf Drive.
It is a three bedroom/three bath 2594 square feet unit located in the
Vista Grande Condos. It is listed for $1,995,000.
On the SOLD front, a 3
bedroom 2.5 bath bayfront home CLOSED this week. It is located at
689 Key Royale Drive, close to the Key Royale Golf Course, on the
waterside. It had gone pending at the asking price of
$1,750,000. Originally built in 1974, it has 2956 square feet, a two
car garage, was updated throughout, and had a pool on the bayside, with
open water views. It SOLD for $1,150,000 after 207 days on the
market, which puts the selling price at $389.04 per square foot.
I will continue to keep you
posted, and, until next report.....have a great week!
Sue
Sue Carlson,
Broker/Owner
An Island Place
Realty
411 Pine
Avenue
Anna
Maria, Florida 34216
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