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Castles in the Sand
Business, Castles in the Sand

House hunting – the fun and not so fun

Mar 5, 2019 – Louise Bolger
February 11, 2019
By Cindy Lane
COVID-19 impact on 2020 visitation slight

Red tide down, tourism promotion up

Updated Feb. 14, 2019 – BRADENTON – Local officials are accelerating tourism promotion efforts to overcome the stigma left by red tide since it appeared in area waters in August 2018. Red tide was…
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February 5, 2019
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

Selling your home – it should show like a model

Every year around this time I try and remind homeowners what potential buyers are looking for. Even though our market remains brisk, we are on the brink of the busy selling season, which will get in…
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February 1, 2019
By Cindy Lane
Manatee County seal

County plans to pursue Airbnb users for taxes

BRADENTON – Manatee County commissioners have unanimously voted to find another way to collect tourist taxes from vacation rental owners using Airbnb to rent their properties, rather than wait for a…
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February 1, 2019
By Cindy Lane
Beach umbrella

Tourist tax collections 2018

The local 5 percent tourist tax is collected from owners of accommodations rented for six months or less who charge the tax to their renters, in most cases, tourists. About 50 percent of the tax p…
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January 30, 2019
By Tom Vaught
Surf shop reopening soon

Surf shop reopening soon

HOLMES BEACH – The surf is up for the reopening of the West Coast Surf Shop, 3902 Gulf Drive, after a fire heavily damaged it on April 15, 2018. Owner Jim Brady was notified Tuesday that the shop’…
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January 29, 2019
By Joe Hendricks
Sato and Duncan county’s top Realtors

Sato and Duncan county’s top Realtors

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Jason Sato was Manatee County’s top Realtor for the fourth consecutive year and Darcie Duncan was the county’s number two Realtor in 2018. The sales and listing figures are con…
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January 29, 2019
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

Sunshine State population growth

There’s a reason that Florida is called the Sunshine State and it has nothing to do with sunshine. What it does have to do with is people – people from other states – and here’s why. According…
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January 22, 2019
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

2019 tax nightmare

The Christmas tree is put away, the leftover food and holiday cookies are hopefully gone, and the gifts have been returned to the mall – so what’s next? The day has arrived, the day that some America…
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December 29, 2018
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

New Year, new appraisals, new problems

Welcome to 2019, which promises to bring even more far-reaching technology into our lives. The personal touch and simply interacting with other humans are eroding away on a daily basis. Shopping onli…
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December 22, 2018
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

Cooling temps cooling market

It’s a little chilly outside as I write this, however, it is December and even Florida starts to cool down a little. But is the cool weather a harbinger of our real estate market cooling off? It’s po…
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April 9, 2025
11:45 am

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