This might turn out to be one of the best summers we have experienced in a long time in Sarasota!  The weather has been beautiful, especially for those who have been visiting our coastal areas and barrier islands.  Rarely are the temperatures higher than 92 degrees, and the cross breezes make it comfortable.  Not to mention the ability to jump in your pool, or better yet, the Gulf of Mexico or Sarasota Bay.
 
If you are a fisherman, the fish have been plentiful.  Our waterways have remained pristine, not a hint of oil in sight.
 
From a real estate perspective, things are looking up too.  Month after month we are reading reports from the Board of Realtors which tell of shrinking inventories, small price increases and record year over year sales.  While we are still in a Buyer’s market, the market trends are good news for a market which is trying to recover.
 
I have personally closed over $30 million of luxury waterfront properties so far this year (since January 1, 2010).  This summer has been very strong for me with over $7 million in closed sales.  The summer is an interesting time for sales in our area, kind of hit or miss.  We have far fewer Buyers in town looking for properties.  That said, when a Buyer does come to town looking for property, they are much more likely to make a purchase.  In fact, they come with the purpose of buying something, and they usually do.
 
Of interesting note has been the uptick in the number of high end, water front condominiums on Longboat Key.  There have been 14 closed sales over $1,000,000 in the past 90 days!  (See chart below).  This is a strong performance for our typical “slow” season.