Skip to main content

Castles in the Sand

Business, Castles in the Sand

Sheetrock rocks

Oct 23, 2024 – Louise Bolger
September 3, 2024
By Louise Bolger

Will declining mortgage rates fix the market?

It may take more than the Federal Reserve throwing us a lower interest rate bone this month to make everyone happy. Nevertheless, when it comes to lower rates, we’ll take what we can get, but will it…
,
August 27, 2024
By Louise Bolger

The day has arrived

Starting this month, the rules have changed for governing real estate commissions. We’ve been talking about this since the National Association of Realtors (NAR) voted on this change to the commissio…
,
August 20, 2024
By Louise Bolger

Mortgage rate relief?

Aug. 9 was an interesting day. Manatee County was still cleaning up from the flooding and record-breaking rain from Debby and the mortgage rates hit the lowest level in over a year. What’s the connec…
,
August 12, 2024
By Louise Bolger

Real estate brats

One of the things I love about writing this column is that while I’m doing my research, I frequently stumble on things I never heard of and likely never would in my day-to-day life. This month I lear…
,
August 5, 2024
By Louise Bolger

Housing market the only thing frozen in August

If you’re one of the lucky homeowners who was able to lock into dirt-cheap mortgage rates, well done. You’re one of the winners in today’s peculiar and lopsided housing markets. This isn’t the first…
,
July 29, 2024
By Louise Bolger

Hot temps, cool market

For some reason, I’m finding this summer more uncomfortable than in past years. I considered that I’m just getting older, but I can’t believe that, or maybe reading the sales statistics every month i…
,
July 22, 2024
By Louise Bolger

House swap to escape the heat

Are you hot yet? Are you always saying, “Next summer I’m going to a cooler climate?” Are you starting to feel like you’ll never see 60 degrees again? Well, maybe it’s time to log on to a house-swappi…
,
July 17, 2024
By Louise Bolger

Appraisals an art form

The last time I did a column about property appraisals was almost four years ago in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic when the real estate market was all over the place and a fair appraisal was dif…
,
July 9, 2024
By Louise Bolger

Bargains on the beach

Realtor.com is part of my everyday life. I check it for new listings, sold listings, open houses and sometimes just to look at the pictures on what may be an otherwise slow day. Sometimes I even lea…
,
July 1, 2024
By Louise Bolger

The three-month sofa

Tomorrow is July 4, a festive day for the country and Anna Maria Island, where small-town vibes and celebrations still happen. Flags flying, parades, fireworks and barbecues will be on full display…
,

Upcoming Events

April 9, 2025
11:45 am

The Off-Stage Ladies of the Island Players, April luncheon meeting