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Business, Castles in the Sand

Market in the eye of the beholder

Sep 26, 2023 – Louise Bolger
September 1, 2023
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

Higher rates here to stay

On Aug. 17, mortgage interest rates spiked to 7.09%, the highest in years per Freddie Mac. A lot of this has to do with the 10-year treasury yield, which hit its highest level since 2008 on the same…
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September 1, 2023
By Jason Schaffer
Tourism numbers stay strong on Anna Maria Island

Tourism numbers stay strong on Anna Maria Island

ANNA MARIA – Research Data Services’ (RDS) Ann Wittine presented an optimistic state of tourism update to the Manatee County Tourist Development Council (TDC) on Aug. 21 at The Center of Anna Maria I…
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August 23, 2023
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

High-end properties show blow-out numbers

Every day I look at new listings on Anna Maria Island and in Cortez, and every day I’m surprised and ask myself when it will end. In the years leading up to COVID-19, I would analyze over $1 million…
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August 22, 2023
By Leslie Lake
CRA votes to discontinue tram funding

CRA votes to discontinue tram funding

BRADENTON BEACH – The Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) board voted unanimously to discontinue funding the Old Town Tram at an Aug. 15 budget meeting. The potential defunding of the tram comes on…
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August 15, 2023
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

Has Anna Maria Island been gentrified?

I’m working on my 14-hour real estate continuing education course which I am required to do thankfully only every two years to keep my Florida real estate license. Every time I work through the quest…
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August 8, 2023
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

Money, money, money

There’s a great song from the movie Cabaret that goes something like this: “Money makes the world go ’round, the world go ’round, the world go ‘round.” I like it because it says so much in such a sho…
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July 31, 2023
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

Florida seniors caught in trap

Last week we talked about the insurance nightmare affecting all homeowners in the state of Florida. However, there is one group of residents having a more difficult time resolving their insurance iss…
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July 24, 2023
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

Florida insurance nightmare grows

It’s like waking up from a bad dream and realizing it was only a dream and everything is just fine. However, the Florida insurance nightmare isn’t just a bad dream, it’s the new reality, and we keep…
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July 17, 2023
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

Mortgage rates on the move

Residential mortgage rates barely budged in June, leveling off at the 6.5% mark the last week of May. Just when buyers were starting to exhale, thinking this may be as high as we go, the national 30-…
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July 11, 2023
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

The value of a renovated home

Most homebuyers today want to buy a home, but very few want to buy a project. Nice work if you can get it, but even in our slightly leveling-off market, it may not be so easy. Unfortunately for bu…
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Upcoming Events

April 9, 2025
11:45 am

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