Louise Bolger
August 17, 2017
Louise Bolger is The Sun’s Real Estate columnist.
August 12, 2025
What investors are eyeing now
The old expression “follow the money” can be applied to several different aspects of life. Sometimes it’s as simple as tracking trades in the stock market and sometimes following the money can discl…
August 4, 2025
The property closing dance
There are all kinds of issues that can arise between signing a contract for sale and the actual closing. Realtors always say don’t spend your commission ‘til the check is in your hand, and that is g…
July 29, 2025
Why aren’t we a boomtown?
Looking for a boomtown? Then look in the South. Eight of the top 10 U.S. metro areas ranking as boomtowns are in the South; five are in Florida. But there’s not one in Manatee or Sarasota counties or…
July 21, 2025
Disasters may have silver lining
Last week we talked about the future restoration and look of Cortez after the storms and after the county’s purchase of the Seafood Shack property. This week we’ll cover an emerging trend in the coun…
July 15, 2025
Look to the future
Time to talk about Cortez again in view of the monumental changes being made on the Cortez peninsula and, by extension, within the fishing village. The changes will affect all Cortez residents and ma…
July 6, 2025
There are bridges and there are bridges
There are a lot of bridges on the coastline of Florida. They serve as an important function to transport vehicles and people to our beautiful beaches and restaurants. However, there is another type o…
June 30, 2025
Big holiday, not so big housing market
July Fourth is this week, so fire up the grill and hang up the flags, but go easy on the fireworks. You may not need real fireworks after reading the May sales statistics for Manatee County and the g…
June 23, 2025
Time to consider downsizing your home
Sometimes it’s just time for a change, and that change can take a lot of different forms – breaking off toxic relationships, getting a new vehicle that isn’t a BMW or Mercedes, or downsizing your liv…
June 16, 2025
Challenges of selling condos
Florida is condo heaven. If you’re interested in condo living, Florida offers condos in all price ranges, in all locations and with a variety of amenities and floor plans. The condo selling challenge…
June 9, 2025
Are you tired of homeownership?
Everyone who has owned property – whether it’s a condo or a single-family home or investment property – has had those days when you have no idea why you’re doing this. Isn’t renting easier, less str…
June 2, 2025
New take on hurricanes
I love to write. I didn’t come to writing from anything I learned in “J” school, where I never went, but rather in the school of hard knocks, working in business in New York City. Funny thing about w…
May 28, 2025
Insurance rates going down?
There’s a lot of reasons not to want to think about insurance. It’s expensive, confusing and boring. However, according to those in the know, Florida insurance rates may be starting to tick down or a…
May 20, 2025
All real estate is local, especially now
My favorite real estate expression is “all real estate is local,” which I have used in this space many times. But what exactly does that mean?
Essentially it means that real estate markets are signi…
May 11, 2025
Florida condo owners getting a break
It hasn’t been pretty for condo owners in the Sunshine State since the collapse of the Champlain Towers South in 2021. After this tragedy, laws were passed requiring “milestone inspections” of older…
May 6, 2025
The end of another era
I live in Cortez and was never a fan of the Seafood Shack restaurant, although it did come in handy on occasion. Well now, if you didn’t already know, the “shack” has been demolished. It sustained a…
