The Anna Maria Island Sun Newspaper

Vol. 13 No. 23 - March 20, 2013

REAL ESTATE

There' s nobody to blame but ourselves

 

Want to know why the traffic on Gulf Drive is bumper to bumper in the middle of the afternoon or why everyone is saying there are more people here than ever before? Chances are it’s your fault, even though you may not know it.

I was having a chat with my publisher recently lamenting about how busy I am this time of year, with more and more friends and family coming down during the very compressed winter season. I started ticking off everyone that originally came to visit and now keeps returning year after year. In fact, I said I can’t think of anyone that I introduced to Anna Maria Island that has never come back. Like all good publishers, she said that could be your next column, so I started making a list.

And what a list it is adding up to more than 30 individuals who have moved either full time or part time, rent seasonally, rent for vacation or just make good use of my guest room. This does not include other people that have spun off from the original 30 that I take full credit for.

And all of this activity occurred from just one couple who introduced my husband and me to the area. You do the math – the numbers are overwhelming if you multiply those by everyone like me over a 15 year period, which gets back to the bumper to bumper traffic in the middle of the day.

There’s no doubt the real estate market is feeling the effects of all of this visitor activity. The number of sales on and off the Island, as well as the rest of the country, has drastically improved during the last year, as stated in last week’s column. We’re starting to see appreciation rates go up and inventory go down.

What was once a seasonal real estate market is pointing towards being busy year 'round as the first tier of baby boomers finally starts thinking about retirement or at least getting ready for retirement.

After years of not being able to sell their homes in the Midwest and Northeast, boomers are now able to sell their homes in order to downsize or relocate or both. A combination of cash in their pockets and historically low interest rates is motivating them to get off the fence they’ve been hanging out on for so long.

This is all great news for Anna Maria, whether it results in full time or part time buyers or seasonal renters. Some homeowners who have been unsuccessfully trying to sell for the past several years are now being presented with multiple offers, and many whose mortgages were higher than the home’s value are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

The single most important thing to a healthy real estate market is activity. We are finally starting to see the most activity in 6 years breathing life into what was once a deflated market.

The next time your speedometer is registering 5 miles an hour going around the curve by Manatee Beach, don’t get upset at the Michigan plate in front or the Connecticut plate behind, just blame yourself. Come to think of it, it’s probably all my fault anyway. Maybe I should change my phone number.

Real Estate Transactions
Real Estate Transfers from December 2012 and January 2013
Sponsored by Alan Galletto Island Real Estate

Sold Date | List Price | Sold Price | Address | Provision | Property Style

Anna Maria

12/14/2012 399,000 370,000 113 North Bay Blvd. 56.5x110 Ac
12/07/2012 799,000 779,000 811 S Bay Blvd. 2541 75x155 3 Br/2 Ba SFR
12/13/2012 1,300,000 1,100,000 104 Willow Ave.# A 1906 57x100 4 Br/3.5 Ba SFR
12/14/2012 469,000 469,000 118 Palmetto Ave. 707 48x50 2 Br/2 Ba SFR 12/14/2012 812,500 785,000 416 Spring Ave. 1546 52x145 3 BR/2.5 BA SFR
12/18/2012 950,000 800,000 104 Magnolia Ave. 2012 75x145 3 BR/3 BA SFR 12/27/2012 1,299,000 940,000 204 Oak Ave. 3318 73x110 4 BR/3.5 BA SFR
12/28/2012 575,000 540,000 512 Magnolia Ave. 1742 51x145 3 Br/2 Ba SFR
12/28/2012 1,995,000 1,750,000 103 Palmetto Ave. 1930 115x100 2 Br/1.5 Ba SFR
12/31/2012 899,000 900,000 212 Oak Ave. 3780 72x148 5 Br/5 Ba SFR
01/18/2013 725,000 690,000 300 N Shore Dr. 1500 4 Br/3 Ba SFR
01/08/2013 675,000 520,000 834 S Bay Blvd. # A 50x223 Ac
01/08/2013 675,000 520,000 834 S Bay Blvd. # B 50x223 Vac

Bradenton Beach

12/18/2012 389,000 351,000 2317 Avenue C # 300 1620 82 & 85x106 Inc
12/13/2012 319,000 290,000 1000 Gulf Dr. # 2 480 1 Br/1 Ba Condo

Cortez

12/14/2012 124,900 124,900 9604 Cortez Rd. #422 1218 2 Br/2 Ba Condo, Reo/Bank owned
12/20/2012 420,000 380,000 3860MarinersWy.#411 2227 3 Br/3 Ba Condo
01/07/2013 499,000 450,000 4004 128th St. W. #902 1628 3 Br/3 Ba Condo
01/18/2013 349,000 335,000 4112 128th St. W.#603 1762 2 Br/2 Ba Condo
01/25/2013 775,000 713,000 12923 Yacht Club Pl. 2784 4 Br/2 Ba/2 Half Baths SFR

Holmes Beach

12/06/2012 397,000 373,000 3013 Avenue F # U22 984 2 Br/1 Ba Condo
12/07/2012 730,000 625,000 212 52nd St 2656 3 Br/3 Ba Condo, Short Sale
12/27/2012 259,900 240,000 600 Manatee Ave. #225 1176 2 Br/2 Ba Condo
12/28/2012 210,000 193,000 3000 Gulf Dr. # 4 756 1 Br/1 Ba Condo
12/28/2012 600,000 500,000 204 52nd St .# 204 2656 4 Ba/3 Ba Condo, Short Sale
12/05/2012 1,189,000 1,100,000 642 Key Royale Dr. 4252 4 Br/5.5Ba Condo
12/05/2012 549,000 520,000 300 67th St. 1300 50x 100 3 Br/2 Ba SFR
12/07/2012 559,000 550,000 522 72nd St. 1949 100x17 3 Br/2 Ba SFR
12/10/2012 599,000 565,000 310 66th St. 1974 3 Br/3 Ba SFR
12/11/2012 439,000 415,000 215 66th St. 1114 54x105 3 Br/2 Ba SFR
12/14/2012 499,000 485,000 5802 De Palmas Ave. 1520 50x101 3 Br/3 Ba SFR
12/17/2012 489,000 450,000 5608 Holmes Blvd. 1040 2 Br/1 Ba SFR
12/19/2012 629,000 592,000 113 75th St. 1819 3 Br/2.5 Ba SFR 12/19/2012 494,000 469,500 212 81st St .# A 1200 90x90 3 Br/2 Ba SFR
12/21/2012 439,000 430,000 205 77th St. # B 900 2 Br/2 Ba SFR
12/26/2012 379,000 325,000 5903 Flotilla Dr. 1226 2 Br/2 Ba SFR
12/28/2012 399,900 363,750 503 71st St. 1884 95x97 3 Br/2 Ba SFR
12/31/2012 549,000 525,000 3705 Gulf Dr. # B 1227 3 Br/2 Ba SFR
12/31/2012 539,000 525,000 302 67th St. 1450 50x100 3 Br/2 Ba SFR
12/31/2012 1,000,000 800,000 303 68th St. 2000 4 Br/3 Ba SFR
12/31/2012 632,500 507,100 520 74th St. 3232 100x121 3 Br/3.5 Ba SFR, Short Sale
12/31/2012 995,000 940,000 516 83rd St. 1710 3 Ba/2 Ba SFR
01/14/2013 429,000 350,000 5200 Gulf Dr. # 304 1057 2 Br/2 Ba Condo, Short Sale
01/31/2013 425,000 410,000 5200 Gulf Dr. # 502 1169 2 Br/2 Ba Condo
01/15/2013 550,000 525,000 306 56th St. # 2 1620 3 Br/2 Ba SFR
01/18/2013 559,000 500,000 303 74th St. # A 1912 85x109 3 Br/3 Ba SFR
01/18/2013 749,000 700,000 4804 Gulf Dr. 3000 50x90 6 Br/4.5 Ba SFR
01/23/2013 598,000 550,000 208 67th St. 1443 75x105 3 Br/2 Ba SFR
01/24/2013 439,000 405,000 8316 Marina Dr. 1440 83x110 2 Br/2 Ba SFR
01/25/2013 645,000 580,000 520 Bayview Dr. 1970 87x118 3 Br/3 Ba SFR
01/30/2013 559,000 536,750 515 42nd St. 1590 3 Br/3 Ba SFR
01/15/2013 299,900 275,000 212 77th St. 85x98 Vac

 

Source: Manatee County Property Appraiser’s Office


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