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Big changes could be coming to the Coquina Beach Trail.
Business, Featured, Tourism

TDC approves proposal to use Coquina Beach Trail for shuttles

Apr 26, 2023 – Jason Schaffer
April 3, 2023
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

Real estate potpourri

Think of the real estate market as one big pot. Into the pot you throw in the asking price of a property, selling price, availability of properties, mortgage interest rate and your personal credit sc…
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March 27, 2023
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

Rate sensitive

Mortgage rates appear to be controlling the real estate market across the country. My new favorite term is “rate sensitive.” This means that a buyer who would have been happy at 6.75% ran f…
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March 20, 2023
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

Condo ownership and Florida law

I have a condo personality. Not everyone does, but I do. Down through the years, I’ve written quite a bit about condo ownership, culture and personality. I have very happily been living in a condo fo…
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March 13, 2023
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

Navigating the real estate market

I recently read a very extensive and well-researched piece in The Wall Street Journal regarding how foreign buyers are back in the United States to buy real estate and relocate their families. As exp…
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March 6, 2023
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

When old is too old

Last week we talked about interest rates and the effect they may be having on the national and local real estate markets. But what if you’re a senior citizen, retired and want to buy another home? Th…
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February 28, 2023
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

Real estate market warming up

It’s winter in Florida and it can be a little chilly in the morning, but, if you pay close attention, you may feel a slight warming breeze. However, the breeze I’m talking about is not in t…
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February 28, 2023
By Jason Schaffer
Pizzano’s packs a punch with pizza

Pizzano’s packs a punch with pizza

HOLMES BEACH – Nobody is quite sure if being two blocks from the beach makes pizza taste better, but the owners of Pizzano’s Pizza and Grinderz say it’s good for the soul if nothing else…
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February 20, 2023
By Jason Schaffer
Tourism up, record set

Tourism up, record set

BRADENTON – As the busy tourist season approaches full swing, Manatee County’s tourism consultant delighted tourism officials with a milestone set in 2022. “When we look at the entire calendar year…
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February 20, 2023
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

When the numbers are too high to count

Several years ago, I started writing a monthly column analyzing the over $1 million properties on the Island and in Cortez. Then, because of the volume of properties, I amended that to do the analysi…
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February 20, 2023
By Jason Schaffer

Tourist tax collections 2022

2022 tourist tax collections compared to 2021 January Anna Maria ↓ 6% Bradenton Beach ↑ 37% Holmes Beach ↑ 40% Manatee County ↑ 34% February Anna Maria ↓ 18% Bradenton Beach ↑ 23%…
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Upcoming Events

April 9, 2025
11:45 am

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