Lido Beach Club

The 107 condos at Lido Beach Club were built in 1974. The lobby at Lido Beach Club was recently renovated and residents enjoy a club room as well as a fitness room. Floor plans are open and windows bring the outside in. Many condos at Lido Beach club have waterfront views. The building is right on Lido Key Beach and there is a beachside swimming pool. Lido Beach club is within walking distance to St. Armands Circle. Downtown Sarasota is within minutes by car.

The Sarasota MLS currently reports five condos for sale at Lido Beach Club. Prices currently range from $497,000 to $899,900. There are two condos under contract and four condos have sold in the last six months at prices ranging from $500,000 to $710,000.

If you are searching for in the market for beachfront Lido Key condos, contact the John Allen Team. We regularly show Lido Beach club as well as Orchid Beach Club, St. Armands Towers and the Ritz Carlton Beach Residences.

Sarasota Real Estate Sales Headed in the Right Direction

According to the latest reports and statistics from the Sarasota real estate listings data, sales in this area are headed in the right place: up! Just last week the Today Show’s Barbara Corcoran named Sarasota as the No. 1 Best Place to Buy a Home in the United States. The Sarasota real estate market was hit hard in the last few years with prices coming down a whopping 33% last year but now are up by 13% in the last few months. The median price for a home is now $179,000. Sarasota seems to have stabilized with low interest rates, a great selection of inventory providing buyers excellent choices of Sarasota real estate.
There are homes for sale in Sarasota to suit almost every lifestyle and budget. The equestrian can choose from a fabulous section of acreage, farms or ranches. The golf enthusiast can find a home on a beautiful lagoon overlooking a peaceful fairway in one of Sarasota’s premier gated country clubs. Buyers of beachfront property will be certainly surprised to see that they can purchase a luxury condominium on the Gulf of Mexico at a price far below the prices of previous years. In downtown Sarasota, urban lifestyles are conveniently offering buyers amenities of luxury resorts without leaving their condominium. Walking neighborhoods are popular in downtown as well as Sarasota’s West of the Trail are near Sarasota Memorial Hospital.
With all these lifestyle choices including beach, golf course and downtown Sarasota real estate, Sarasota will remain in the news as the area continues its recovery! Make sure you are searching for your Sarasota home before you are priced out of the market.

Southpointe Shores Homes for Sale in Sarasota FL

Searching the Sarasota MLS for homes for sale in Southpointe Shores is easy on our site. Our custom search engine takes you right to the doors of houses in Southpointe Shores, a waterfront Sarasota neighborhood. View basic details, photos and virtual tours and ask for more detailed info if you find a property that peaks your interest.
Enter your Southpointe Shores on the form, add a price range, let us know the number of bedrooms and baths, provide us with some square footage details if you like. Save your search, and you’ll automatically receive updates and new Sarasota MLS listings with homes for sale in Southpointe Shores as they come on the market.
If you aren’t comfortable with filling in a form with you property requirements, use our Sarasota MLS MAP search or send John Allen a personal email for the information you need. Our great team of Sarasota Realtors will follow up quickly and get you all the detailed information on homes for sale in Southpointe Shores as soon as possible.
Currently there are 6 houses for sale in Southpointe Shores. Prices range from $325,000 to $3,450,000. The closer to the water, additional square footage and the better the condition of the property and view, the more expensive it is. In the last six months, one home has sold in Southpointe Shores at a selling price of $312,500. This home had approximately 2200 square feet, a swimming pool and a boat dock -- an outstanding buy for a waterfront home in the Sarasota area.
For more detailed information on Sarasota homes for sale, simply request a property detail sheet. We can show you any listing in the Sarasota area, just give us a call for a showing appointment.

Sellers Are Dropping the Prices on Luxury Sarasota Real Estate

High-end sales of Sarasota real estate have lagged similar to the national trend. Even Hugh Hefner took a big price reduction when he recently sold his California home. Many Sarasota sellers are getting the message and finally reducing prices causing the market to see some activity.
In Sarasota, Florida two recent sales gave estate sellers a boost in confidence that the high-end market is rebounding in this area. According to Sarasota MLS records, the recent sale in Lido Shores was originally listed at $11,000,000. It sold for 7,423,500 or 67% of original price.
Casey Key homes for sale have demanded top prices for many years. The home at 1538 North Casey Key Road recently sold for $6,200,000 (adjacent parcel included with the original listing was sold off in 2008 for $3,797,500). The listing was originally priced at a whopping $20,035,000. Both properties were on the market for several years.
Sarasota Florida waterfront real estate has been prime real estate for decades. Luxury home buyers have pursued properties in Sarasota largely because of the beautiful beaches and warm weather. Sarasota brings culture into the picture too. The cultural venues of this delightful city include an opera, ballet and symphony. The downtown area of Sarasota is a place to enjoy shopping, dining and professional services as well as Sarasota’s fabulous Bayfront Park. The Sarasota lifestyle is the best!
If you are interested in receiving any information on Sarasota real estate, head over to BuySarasota.com to start your search. We regularly show all Sarasota barrier islands of Casey Key, Siesta Key, Bird Key, Lido Key and Longboat Key as well as the mainland Sarasota.

Sarasota Mortgage and First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit Update

Bruce Garlitz of HomeBanc just emailed to us let everyone you know that 30 year fixed conventional rates are now between 5.25% and 5.375% depending on the day. FHA rates have been between 5.375% and 5.5% depending on the day. The US government is still offering the $8,000.00 federal housing tax credit to 1st time home buyers.

Qualifications for $8,000 tax credit:

• Must purchase a home (close and receive title) between January 1, 2009 and December 1, 2009.
• Must be a first-time home buyer, which means you cannot have owned a home for the previous three years prior to purchase.
• The home must be a primary residence, cannot be used as a vacation home or rental property.
• Home can not be purchased from a close relative such as your spouse, parent, grandparent, child or grandchild.
• Buyers must make less than $75,000 for a single taxpayer or less than $150,000, if filing jointly.

For more information on the tax credit, visit the IRS page First-Time Homebuyer Credit Questions and Answers: Homes Purchased in 2009.
Contact us today for more information, or visit our award-winning Sarasota real estate website where you view detailed information on the hundreds of communities in the area and search thousands of MLS listings.

Country Club of Sarasota

Enjoy the Sarasota Golf Course Lifestyle at an Affordable Price

Bordering the fairways of the TPC at Prestancia club course, the Country Club of Sarasota offers resort style living to its owners at an affortable price. The homes in this quiet country club community were built from 1977 to 2005 and have excellent curb appeal.

Amenities offered at Serendipity Racquet Club, located within the gates of the Country Club of Sarasota, are available to residents. Fitness, tennis, pool and dining are popular activities enjoyed by the residents of this Sarasota neighborhood. Golf membership at TPC and tennis membership at Serendipity are both optional.


The Sarasota MLS lists 10 homes for sale in the Country Club of Sarasota. Current listing prices range from $349,000 to $537,900.

The Country Club of Sarasota is in a terrific location adjacent to Palmer Ranch Sarasota, close to Westfall Shopping Mall, specialty shopping, beaches and restaurants. Downtown Sarasota’s Main Street shopping, galleries and cultural venues are a short drive from Country Club of Sarasota.
Other Golf Course Communities

BuySarasota.com has extensive information on many of Sarasota's most popular golfing communities. Visit our website for more information on:

• Bent Tree


• Concession Golf Club


• Gator Creek


• Meadows


• Laurel Oak Country Club


• Misty Creek


• Prestancia


• The Oaks Club


• The Founders Club


• University Park

If you are searching for the golf course lifestyle in Sarasota, visit BuySarasota.com or contact John Allen directly at 941-544-6467. John has extensive experience in Sarasota golf course properties and can help guide you to a home and community that fits your needs and budget.

Bird Key Homes for Sale – Sarasota MLS Update

Our report on Bird Key homes for sale is often posted quarterly, but since this community is quite active we are providing an update. Our April 28, 2009 post reported 44 homes for sale on Bird Key. Read our Poston the Bird Key real estate market update in the April report. This month there are 39 Bird Key properties currently available in the Sarasota MLS.


Bird Key’s winding deep canals lead to open waters and provide a Paradise for boaters. Located between St. Armands Circle and downtown Sarasota, boaters have easy access to Sarasota Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. Many homes on Bird Key have their own dock or owners use the active Yacht Club to moor their vessels.

Buyers of Bird Key Homes can choose from old Florida style ranch and plan to redo to fit their own lifestyle or select a mini mansions with custom fishes created for the luxury buyer. Many older homes were replaced in the last several years on this popular Key. There are over 500 homes in this enclave, and buyers can select from the 39 active listings of homes for sale in the Sarasota MLS. Bird Key continues to be an active area of Sarasota for single family sales as the statistics show:

Bird Key Home Sales Update:

• Least Expensive Home: $451,000


• Most Expensive Home: $6,800,000


• Average Home Price: $2,180,397


• Median Home Price: $1,775,000


• Under Contract: 19


• *Solds: 18

For additional news and information on Bird Key real estate sales, contact John Allen at 941-544-6467. John knows waterfront properties and has the experience to guide you to a successful purchase of a home on Bird Key. If you are planning to view homes for sale on Bird Key, please give us plenty of notice as our calendars fill quickly. Owners and agents need time to make their arrangements also.

*Homes sold in the last 6 months on Bird Key, according to the Sarasota MLS database.