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Louise Bolger

Louise Bolger

August 17, 2017
Louise Bolger is The Sun’s Real Estate columnist.
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May 29, 2021
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

It’s worth the stretch

A very wise real estate broker I was fortunate to meet more than 40 years ago not only got me interested in selling real estate, but also gave me great advice about buying as much house as you can po…
May 23, 2021
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

Crazy rich homeowners

We’re in the “careful what you wish for” zone, not just Floridians, but every homeowner across the country. Prices are up, inventory is low and a lot of potential buyers are really unhappy; where wil…
May 16, 2021
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

The never-ending saga of Florida insurance

Like a bad soap opera, the Florida insurance storyline keeps repeating itself. This time it’s not even flood insurance, which I touched on two weeks ago; it’s your regular homeowner’s insurance that…
May 9, 2021
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

Governments change; so do taxes

There always seems to be something to talk about as it relates to taxes. Tax liability for real estate investors and individual homeowners is continually changing, especially when there is a change i…
May 2, 2021
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

Good grief, it’s almost hurricane season

Let me be the first to welcome you to the 2021 North Atlantic hurricane season. Technically, it doesn’t start until June 1, however, based on what we lived through last hurricane season in the middle…
April 26, 2021
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

Home prices, new construction soaring

It seems like new home construction and home renovations are taking over Manatee County. If you dare to take a ride east of the beach, you’ll run into new construction starting on Cortez Road, then o…
April 19, 2021
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

Foreclosure in the time of COVID-19

Foreclosure has taken on a whole new meaning this past year. Yes, your home may be in foreclosure or approaching foreclosure because of job loss impacting your financial situation, but you could also…
April 11, 2021
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

Are we in a boom or a bust?

Happy tax day! Well, maybe not, since tax day has been extended another month. With so much going on in the world and in the country, it’s easy to forget about some things that are traditional and in…
April 3, 2021
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

No inventory, no sales?

Remember last March – the week the country shut down – and you raced to the supermarket to stock up on food and toilet paper? My biggest shock was going to Publix on March 17 and seeing about a quart…
March 28, 2021
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

Commissions vs. technology: Local knowledge rules

I’ve never met a seller who didn’t cringe a little at closing when the brokers’ commission checks are cut. They know intellectually that brokers have to be paid, but they frequently never really thin…
March 20, 2021
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

Priced out of single-family homes? Try a condo

It’s wild out there, and if you read my column last week, you’ll understand just how wild it is. The value of homes on Anna Maria Island is soaring, and it’s not uncommon to see listings not just ove…
March 14, 2021
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

And the million-dollar beat goes on

Well, here we are again; three more months have passed as we fight our way through the biggest pandemic in more than a century, but Anna Maria Island’s real estate market hasn’t blinked. The price…
March 7, 2021
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

Look before you leap

In case you haven’t noticed, there is a pandemic housing fever going around the country. This is putting a lot of pressure on buyers to buy fast, buy online, compromise, and – probably the biggest mi…
February 28, 2021
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

Cold month, hot market

I have always found real estate to be a very exciting profession. What other job allows and encourages you to peek into people’s closets and check out their favorite shampoo? And right now, real esta…
February 22, 2021
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble

If you think Macbeth’s witches had trouble, just wait. If the COVID-19 housing bubble bursts, it could be a replay of 2008. To be fair, not everyone thinks there is a bubble. Many real estate prof…