It’s a whole year later and we’re still talking about interest rates and low inventory – will it ever end? The sellers are still happy with their values, the buyers are still dismayed with the lack of inventory and it’s not likely things will change much in the new year.
The most recent conversation among real estate analysts is that even though interest rates have dropped slightly, it will make homes more affordable but not affordable enough since the shortage of available properties to purchase is not expanding at the national level.
The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller National Home Price Index, which measures home prices across the nation, rose 3.9% from a year earlier in September compared with a 2.5% annual increase the prior month. September was the highest since the index began in 1987. In addition, according to the National Association of Realtors, the median existing home sale price rose 3.4% in October from a year earlier to $391,800.
So, what is the outlook for the new year? Some analysts feel home prices are feeling the burden of high mortgage rates, which will slow the rate of price growth in the new year. Others agree and think it might be that home prices are going to tread water for a number of years until the economy gets in balance with higher incomes and lower rates.
One nice change for those buyers out there is the increase in the maximum size of home mortgage loans eligible for backing by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which represent the majority of home mortgages. In expensive markets like Hawaii, California and New York, the increase will be a maximum of $1,149,825 from $1,089,300 and for less expensive markets, the cap would rise to $766,550 from $726,200. The increases are set by a legal formula and could make it easier and more affordable for some borrowers, especially in the high-end markets.
Let’s take a look at Manatee County’s November sales statistics reported by the Realtor Association of Sarasota and Manatee.
Single-family homes closed 22.2% more properties compared to last November. The median sale price was $485,861, down 4.1%, and the average sale price was $662,237, up 4%. The median time to sale was 82 days compared to 77 days last year.
Condo sales were up 20.7% compared to last November. The median sale price was $351,500, down 1.8%, and the average sale price was $393,475, up 0.6%. The median time to sale was 83 days compared to 56 days last year.
The month’s supply of available properties for both single-family and condos were up. Single-family properties had a 3.4 month’s supply, up 13.3% from last November and condos had a 4.4 month’s supply, up 63% from last November.
Overall demand is strong for both Manatee and Sarasota counties. With inventories in both counties continuing to increase, we can assume sales will be strong over the winter months when visitors and part-time residents return in force.
The stability of the real estate market really depends on the stability of countrywide and even worldwide economies. And don’t discount the emotional impact of wars and unrest as well. Fortunately, Florida is still a hot market that doesn’t look like it’s cooling off any time soon. We’re going into the busy buying and selling season, which will be the real barometer of how successful our market is.
In January, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection levied an $8,500 fine for improper mangrove trimming and debris removal activities that occurred at Carlos Beruff’s Aqua development in unincorporated Manatee County in 2022.
Some Aqua mangroves were trimmed to create better views for those occupying the development’s multi-family residential buildings. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
FOX HONORED AT CELEBRATION OF LIFE
At the celebration of Suzi Fox’s life in January, local dignitaries, family and friends painted a picture of a dedicated advocate for Island turtles, a fun-loving and funny friend, and a caring mother, sister and grandmother. Fox, longtime executive director of Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring, died on Sept. 30, 2022 after a fall. More than 150 people attended the event at the Center of Anna Maria Island to pay tribute to Fox.
EARLY START TO SEA TURTLE SEASON
Island sea turtles got off to an early start in 2023 as the first nest of the season appeared on Anna Maria Island. “AMITW got a big surprise early this morning, finding the first loggerhead nest of the season,” Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring Executive Director Kristen Mazzarella wrote in an April 18 statement. Sea turtle nesting season officially begins May 1 and lasts until Oct. 31.
SUZI FOX DAY DECLARED ON MAY 1
As turtle nesting season began, Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring declared May 1 as Suzi Fox Day to honor the legacy of its former executive director.
PINEY POINT CONTAMINATION EXTENDED FURTHER THAN ORIGINALLY THOUGHT
A study showed that contaminated water from the 2021 Piney Point spill, which contributed to algae blooms and red tide in Tampa Bay waterways, traveled farther than originally thought. According to the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program (SBEP), a chemical signature from the spill was found more than 30 miles away, in St. Joseph Sound near Tarpon Springs.
LOGGERHEAD SEA TURTLE ‘SUZI’ PARTICIPATES IN TOUR DE TURTLES
As hundreds of delighted onlookers gathered to see a publicized turtle release at Coquina Beach, loggerhead sea turtle “Suzi” made a grand entrance from the sand to the water. She hesitated several times walking on the beach, appearing to look at the crowd, but once she reached the water she was in her element and took off swimming. The June 27 release wasn’t the last time Suzi’s whereabouts was known – she was satellite-tagged and tracked during the Tour de Turtles race.
MULTIPLE TURTLE NESTS RUN OVER
On a daily patrol in July, Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring volunteers were shocked and saddened to find multiple turtle nests that had been trampled on and run over with vehicles. On its Facebook page, Turtle Watch posted photos of tire tracks and footprints through multiple nests with marker stakes broken and on the ground. Vehicles are illegal on the beaches of Anna Maria Island. The culprits were not found.
SEA CAPTAINS CATCH POACHERS
The vigilance of three local charter captains resulted in multiple citations against three men for poaching marine life in local waters.
TURTLE HATCHLINGS RESCUED FROM HOLE ON BEACH
Four turtle hatchlings that had fallen into a hole on the beach were found by Holmes Beach Code Enforcement staff on the morning of July 16. While entrapped, the turtles were using up energy they needed for their long swim to the floating sargassum line where they will spend the next few years.
HURRICANE IDALIA CAUSES BEACH EROSION
Hurricane Idalia’s Aug. 31 storm surge eroded the Island’s renourished beaches, but the full extent of the damage and when it will be repaired is not yet known. “It could be months before any decision on what efforts will be undertaken is made,” Manatee County spokesman Bill Logan said in a Sept. 8 email to The Sun.
Mangrove trimming debris at the Aqua property was not properly removed and disposed of. – Rusty Chinnis | Sun
FLAMINGOS FLOCK TO FLORIDA
Hurricane Idalia’s Category 3 landfall in late August brought rain, wind, and, surprisingly, flamingos, to Florida. One flamingo was rescued by boaters in the Gulf off St. Petersburg Beach. Nicknamed “Peaches,” the bird was brought to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Tampa Bay and was then transferred to the Seaside Seabird Sanctuary in Indian Shores for rehabilitation. After a week, “Peaches” was self-feeding and becoming active. She was released and spotted later at Fort DeSoto in Pinellas County.
HURRICANE IMPACTS TURTLE NESTING
Turtle nesting season ended early this year, with Hurricane Idalia having left a large dent in nesting numbers. “Hurricane Idalia had a major impact on our nesting season, causing the loss of 18.5% of this season’s nests,” Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring Executive Director Kristen Mazzarella said. The last nest on the Gulf of Mexico side of the Island hatched on Sept. 19. The season typically runs through October.
BIOLUMINESCENCE FASCINATES BEACHGOERS
The bioluminescent glow that came off the water in September may be related to the aftermath of Hurricane Idalia, according to one local expert. “This could be related to the nutrient pulse from Idalia,” said Dr. Dave Tomasko, executive director of the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program. “The water came up and much of the grass clippings and yard debris on our landscape got dragged back out into the bay as the water receded.”
U.S. COAST GUARD SUSPENDS INVESTIGATION INTO SEAPORT MANATEE OIL SPILL
Following testing of multiple potential sources, and with no responsible party identified, the U.S. Coast Guard suspended its investigation on Sept. 26 into the source of an oil spill at SeaPort Manatee, pending any new information. The spill was reported by SeaPort Manatee on Sept. 1, launching the Coast Guard’s examination of facilities and ships for evidence of an improper oil discharge.
PINEY POINT CLOSES FIRST OF FOUR WASTEWATER COLLECTION PONDS
In September, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection said the work on the first of four wastewater collection ponds was complete. The pond, built to contain industrial wastewater from phosphate processing operations, is located at the top of a phosphogypsum waste stack.
MANATEE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS REDUCE WETLAND BUFFERS IN A 5-1 VOTE
Commissioners voted on Oct. 5 to default to the less restrictive state of Florida minimums from more restrictive county standards. Buffers between sensitive wetlands and new upland development were reduced from 50 feet to 25 feet. Buffers between outflowing wetlands and new upland development were reduced from 30 feet to 15 feet.
MANATEE PROTECTION, ALGAL BLOOM RESEARCH FUNDED BY FEDS
Federal funding is coming to Florida to support two environmental initiatives critical to the state – the protection of manatees and harmful algal bloom research. Congressman Vern Buchanan’s office announced that the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed two of his amendments to the Interior and Environment government funding bill, one of which dedicates $1.15 million for the rescue and rehabilitation of manatees.
– Sun Correspondent Joe Hendricks contributed to this story
CORTEZ COMMERCIAL FISHING FESTIVAL CELEBRATES VILLAGE
The 41st Annual Cortez Commercial Fishing Festival took place on Feb. 18-19 in the historic fishing village. The festival, which celebrated 100 years of Star Fish Company, was organized by a volunteer committee from the non-profit Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage (FISH). “The money raised at the festival will support the continued restoration of the FISH Preserve,” FISH board member Jane von Hahmann said. The preserve covers over 98 acres of environmentally sensitive land immediately east of the village. It is the last stretch of undeveloped waterfront property left on North Sarasota Bay.
CANAL DISPUTES
In 2023, Hunters Point developer Marshall Gobuty, his Cortez Road Investments and Finance ownership group, and his legal team prevailed in two rulings pertaining to multiple canal-related disputes that remain ongoing. In March, Administrative Law Judge Bruce Culpepper recommended the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s governing board issue a final order granting the developer’s application to construct 49 boat slips/docks in the privately-owned Hunters Point canal. In May, the governing board issued that order. The owners of the nearby Cortez Village Marina are appealing the final order as part of their ongoing opposition to the Hunters Point docks. In late October, as part of another canal-related dispute, 12th Judicial Circuit Court Judge Edward Nicholas denied motions seeking to dissolve the lis pendens claims Cortez Road Investments filed against canal-side property owners Wendy and George Kokolis and Jonathan and Sheila Graham. A lis pendens claim notifies potential buyers of a lawsuit involving the property and can impact the ability to sell a property, obtain financing or obtain title insurance.
The FISH Preserve in Cortez, which opened on Nov. 3, provides a natural buffer between the Cortez commercial fishing village and development to the east. – Submitted
FISH PRESERVE DAMAGED BY FIRE
Despite a May 10 fire that the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office said was intentionally set at the 98-acre Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage (FISH) Preserve, work continued on the final phase of a restoration project. The fire had minimal impact on the restoration efforts.
SEAFOOD SHACK/ANNIE’S BAIT AND TACKLE FOR SALE
Annie’s Bait and Tackle is part of a parcel including the Seafood Shack that went up for sale in May with a starting price of $15 million. Annie’s, which has been in operation since the 1950s, has been owned by Bruce Shearer and Kim Shepherd for more than 20 years. The Seafood Shack went under contract for sale in August, but the listing agent remained tight-lipped about the potential buyer. Realtor Dave Neff said, “The property has not sold yet, but it is under contract. I am not able to disclose who the buyer is. Much of the speculation on the internet centers around the potential buyers as the current owners of a waterfront restaurant in Venice. There are rumors going around about who the buyer is, but those rumors are premature in nature and inaccurate,” Neff said.
ANNA MARIA ISLAND PRINCESS FOR SALE
The Anna Maria Island Princess paddleboat went up for sale in 2023. Listed at $499,999 on the Boat Trader website, the 99-foot paddleboat has caught the attention of potential buyers. “It hasn’t sold yet but we’ve had a lot of interest,” said Mia Still, Bradenton Beach Marina executive assistant for tours and operations on Sept. 26. The boat is owned by Bradenton Beach Marina, which was purchased in January by local developer Shawn Kaleta.
HURRICANE IDALIA CAUSES SHORT-LIVED DAMAGE
As residents and businesses cleaned up following the Aug. 30 storm surge from Hurricane Idalia, which flooded local roads, the recurring consensus was, “We got lucky.” “There was no boat damage (to the fleet of fishing boats). We lost a few boards on the dock,” A.P. Bell Fish Company owner Karen Bell said. “We were very lucky.” On Wednesday morning, roads in Cortez were underwater. By that evening the waters receded and roads were passable. In advance of the storm, local fish houses secured their fleets of fishing boats. Tide Tables was flooded from the storm surge but cleaned and dried by the following day.
CORTEZ ROAD CONSTRUCTION STUDY BEGINS
In August, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) launched a Cortez Road corridor study that extended from 121st Street Court West in Cortez to U.S. 301 in Bradenton/West Samoset. The corridor study project is a partnership between FDOT, Manatee County and the Sarasota-Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization, with the Renaissance Planning consulting firm tasked with gathering input from the public and other stakeholders. The primary goals were to identify ways to make the Cortez Road corridor safer for pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and others and to address the relationship between the roadway and future growth along the corridor. More than 8,500 new homes and residential units are expected to be constructed near Cortez and Anna Maria Island in the coming years. In April/May, the Woodruff and Sons construction company began clearing trees and other landscaping along the north side of Cortez Road as part of a Manatee County sewer line project. The utilities easement agreement the county entered into with property owner Whiting Preston stipulates the new sewer line must provide the capacity to handle the sewage produced by the 2,000 residential units planned as part of Preston’s Peninsula Bay development.
CORTEZIAN GROWS RECORD-SETTING PUMPKIN
What started out as a casual pastime for Cortez resident Tim Caniff turned into a statewide record-sized pumpkin. At 1,039 pounds, the pumpkin, grown in Caniff’s backyard, blew the previous state record out of the water by more than 400 pounds. “This started off as a fun beer-drinking hobby,” Caniff said.
CORTEZ STONE CRAB FESTIVAL CELEBRATED
The kickoff to the stone crab harvest season was celebrated on Nov. 11-12 at the 11th Annual Cortez Stone Crab and Music Festival. The festival typically draws more than 5,000 attendees and more than 2,000 pounds of stone crab is consumed. “The festival celebrates the heritage of Cortez and the kickoff to stone crab season,” Adam Sears, Swordfish Grill General Manager said. This year’s theme was “Crack a Cold One,” since stone crab is served cracked and cold.
FISH PRESERVE RIBBON-CUTTING HELD
In the culmination of more than two decades of planning and hard work, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at the FISH (Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage) Preserve on Nov. 3.
At nearly 100 acres, the preserve is on the south side of Cortez Road, an oasis of natural beauty among multiple construction projects nearby. The preservation and non-development of the preserve land, adjacent to the Cortez fishing village and bordering the waters of Sarasota Bay, was precisely the goal of FISH members in 2000 when they began fundraising to purchase the property. The invitation-only ribbon cutting featured speakers Dr. Dave Tomasko, Director of the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program; Dr. Jay Leverone, staff scientist with SBEP; FISH Treasurer Jane von Hahmann; EPA Region 4 Regional Administrator Jeaneanne Gettle and Manatee County Commissioner and SBEP policy board member Kevin Van Ostenbridge.
PASSINGS
On Feb. 22, former Swordfish Grill Manager Greg “Grego” Koeper passed away from melanoma at 67.
– Sun Correspondent Joe Hendricks contributed to this story
ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Heavy rains, high tides and storm surge produced localized flooding throughout Anna Maria Island Saturday night and Sunday morning.
Shortly after 11 p.m., ABC 7 Chief Meteorologist Bob Harrigan noted on TV that the Rod & Reel Pier camera showed the Tampa Bay waters rising nearly to the level of the pier decking and the base of the pier-based restaurant building.
In Bradenton Beach, around that same time, Drift In employee Mike Cook said rising water was crashing over the shoreline and flooding Bay Drive South. A short time later, two Bradenton Beach police officers arrived at the Bradenton Beach Pier to further secure the police boat that sits on an elevated boat lift that was nearly submerged.
At the other end of the floating dock next to the Bridge Street Pier, two boats, including one that appeared to be sinking, were pushing up against the recently installed perpendicular finger dock pilings. The owner of the non-sinking boat braved the high waves and rough surf in her efforts to better secure her boat to prevent it from damaging the new finger docks.
A post-midnight tour of the north end of Bradenton Beach revealed street flooding along Gulf Drive North and significant street and yard flooding between 22nd Street North and 25th Street North, from the bay nearly to Avenue C in many locations. Street flooding also occurred in the Sandpiper Resort mobile home park.
In Cortez, the Tide Tables restaurant parking lot flooded.
When the Sun rose on Sunday morning, several areas were still flooded. In Holmes Beach, Marina Drive was flooded with deep standing water near city hall and the Island Branch Library.
In Anna Maria, Ginny’s & Jane E’s parking lot was flooded. So was North Bay Boulevard, where Anna Maria resident Doug Copeland said a couple of inches of water seeped into his house.
When asked about the flooding in Anna Maria Sunday morning, Mayor Dan Murphy said, “Not as bad as Hurricane Idalia, but close. We are pumping on the north end, near Bean Point.”
He also said there was significant shoreline erosion near the Rod & Reel Pier.
Bridge Street took on a great deal of water in the early morning hours of Dec. 17 after heavy rain soaked the Island. - DEVON STRAIGHT | SUBMITTED
A car parked on 25th Street in Bradenton Beach in the early morning hours of Dec. 17 took on water. - DEVON STRAIGHT | SUBMITTED
Avenue A between 24th Street and 23rd Street was under close to 3 feet of water in the early morning hours of Dec. 17. - DEVON STRAIGHT | SUBMITTED
A car parked on 25th Street in Bradenton Beach in the early morning hours of Dec. 17 took on water. - DEVON STRAIGHT | SUBMITTED
Avenue A between 24th Street and 23rd Street was under close to 3 feet of water in the early morning hours of Dec. 17. - DEVON STRAIGHT | SUBMITTED
The Ginny’s and Jane E’s parking lot in Anna Maria was flooding Sunday morning. - MIKE FIELD | SUN
Magnolia Avenue at North Shore Drive was blocked off Sunday morning due to high water. - CINDY LANE | SUN
The Tide Tables parking lot in Cortez experienced some overnight flooding. - ALASKA JOE | SUBMITTED
Portions of North Bay Boulevard were covered with floodwater Sunday morning. - DOUG COPELAND | SUBMITTED
Holmes Beach resident Scott Moore took this photo Sunday morning. - SCOTT MOORE | SUBMITTED
Jennifer Hewitt took this photo of Marina Drive, in Holmes Beach, while traveling to church Sunday morning. - JENNIFER HEWITT/FACEBOOK | SUBMITTED
Much of Bay Drive South in Bradenton Beach was flooded by midnight. - JOE HENDRICKS | SUN
CORTEZ – In the culmination of more than two decades of planning, fundraising and hard work, the Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the FISH Preserve on Nov. 3.
At nearly 100 acres, the preserve is on the south side of Cortez Road, an oasis of natural beauty in stark contrast to the multiple construction projects nearby. The preservation and non-development of the preserve, adjacent to the Cortez fishing village and bordering the waters of Sarasota Bay, was precisely the goal of FISH members in 2000 when they began fundraising to purchase the property.
“The FISH Preserve came close to getting paved over by developers, however, the community came together to purchase the property in the nick of time,” according to the FISH website.
The invitation-only ribbon-cutting featured speakers Dr. Dave Tomasko, director of the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program (SBEP); Dr. Jay Leverone, staff scientist with SBEP; FISH Treasurer Jane von Hahmann; EPA Region 4 Regional Administrator Jeaneanne Gettle and Manatee County Commissioner and SBEP policy board member Kevin Van Ostenbridge.
A special guest at the ribbon cutting was Dr. Theresa Bert, the widow of John Stevely, who was instrumental in the planning and purchase of the preserve’s parcels, and of the Cortez Commercial Fishing Festival that funded it.
Tomasko applauded what he said was the perseverance and resilience of the FISH board in making the preserve a reality.
“That’s what it takes to succeed,” he said. “This is the light at the end of the tunnel to keep what they had.”
“This is a celebration,” Leverone said. “It’s really moving to have this actually done.”
His participation with the project goes back 10 years.
“We paid for the plans and the permits and we were shovel-ready,” he said. “We were just waiting for the money for the shovels to start. That was the last hurdle we had to overcome. I guess I was the conductor, but I had a great orchestra behind me.”
Leverone said the Biden Infrastructure Law (BIL) funding of $700,000 was critical in the completion of Phase IV.
“We talked about preserving this; what it looked like before I’m not sure we wanted to preserve it,” he said. “Over time, it really needed a facelift. The goals of what we wanted this property to look like have finally become realized.”
Leverone said 10,000 native plants have been planted recently.
Dr. Jay Leverone leads a tour of the FISH Preserve. – Leslie Lake | Sun
“We have committed the estuary program to one year of maintenance of the plants,” Leverone said.
“Finally, we’re not quite done. We have and we continue to look to foundation or public funding for bridges, trails, signage, kiosks,” he said. “We want to make this publicly friendly, publicly usable. We want people to come and enjoy this.”
Gettle said that the preserve is “an inspiring story for us all.”
Van Ostenbridge recalled his youth when the preserve land was a hangout for teens.
“I never thought at the time we’d ultimately be turning this into a wetland mitigation project; it was essentially a dump site and a hangout site in what we all assumed was going to a subdivision – a waterfront subdivision,” Van Ostenbridge said. “It’s thanks to the foresight of (former Manatee County) Commissioner von Hahmann and the FISH board that we ended up here and when EPA came up with the money, that we were shovel-ready.”
Plaques were presented to Leverone and Bert in recognition of their contributions to the preserve.
“In recognition of your outstanding dedication to the restoration of Sarasota Bay and the FISH Preserve and the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program and the Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage,” Tomasko read from Leverone’s plaque.
“There’s one person that could not be with us today,” von Hahmann said. “This is a gentleman who was part of the original purchase of this program, who was part of the original board that was FISH in 1992, he was part of Sea Grants and sat on the board. And we lost him last year to a battle with cancer.”
Von Hahmann then asked Theresa Bert to come to the podium to accept a plaque on behalf of her late husband.
“In memory of John Stevely, without his dedication to, and passion for, the FISH Preserve and the village of Cortez, the FISH Preserve restoration project never would have been accomplished. Gone but not forgotten,” von Hahmann read from the plaque.
“This is indeed a momentous day, because our only son’s wife is at this moment in the hospital having our first grandchild,” Bert said.
“I think I have a surprise for you guys perhaps,” Bert said. “In John’s and our will, we put $50,000 to be willed to the FISH Preserve. What I would like to do is donate that $50,000 to the FISH Preserve now, specifically for trails and bridges. So this will help build those.”
The preserve is fully restored, but public recreation is currently limited to a few foot trails.
“When you build things to make them more natural, you make the divisions. Water is so important,” von Hahmann said. “Because you can’t access the west side from the east side so now we have to do these bridges and connective trails, so people can use the entire property.”
CORTEZ – The stone crab harvest is being celebrated in a big way at an annual festival in the historic fishing village.
The 11th Annual Cortez Stone Crab and Music Festival will be held at the Swordfish Grill and Tiki Bar parking lot the weekend of Nov. 11- 12 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., featuring music, local seafood, crafts and of course, lots of stone crab.
“The festival celebrates the heritage of Cortez and the kickoff to stone crab season,” Swordfish Grill General Manager Adam Sears said.
The theme of the 11th annual Cortez Stone Crab and Music Festival is “Crack a Cold One.” – Submitted
The festival was the brainchild of John Banyas, a fourth-generation fisherman from Cortez and owner of Swordfish Grill and Tiki Bar, Cortez Bait and Seafood Inc. and N.E. Taylor Boatworks, named for his grandfather.
Sears said the festival attracts upwards of 5,000 attendees and more than 2,000 pounds of stone crab is sold.
This year’s theme is “Crack a Cold One,” since stone crab is best served cracked and cold.
Stone crab season runs from Oct. 15 to May 1. Stone crabs are harvested for their claws and then returned to the water, where the claws will regenerate.
In addition to stone crab, many other local seafood favorites will be available. The festival also will feature a Kid Zone with face painting and other kid-friendly activities. Vendors from throughout Florida will be selling arts and crafts, including marine and beach-inspired art. Live music is scheduled both days on two stages.
The festival has a charitable component. All proceeds from draft beer sales will benefit the non-profit Bradenton-base Blessing Bags Project, dedicated to providing basic critical needs to the homeless and less fortunate.
“Big Storm Brewery is graciously donating the beer trailer,” Sears said.
The festival will be held rain or shine at 4628 119th St. W., Cortez., and a large, covered seating area will be available. Festival admission is $5, with kids under 12 free.
Parking is available at the FISH Preserve, next to the festival, at a cost of $5 per vehicle. Parking proceeds will benefit the non-profit Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage (FISH).
SATURDAY’S MUSIC
Festival main stage
10 a.m. – Mikey Silbaugh of Concrete Edgar
Noon – Mushroom Soup
2 p.m. – Uncle John’s Band
4 p.m. – Doug Deming and the Jewel Tones
Swordfish Grill Tiki Deck stage
11 a.m. – Ted Stevens
3 p.m. – Stockton Brothers
7 p.m. – Tim Chandler
SUNDAY’S MUSIC
Festival main stage
10 a.m. – Ted Stevens and the Doo Shots
Noon – Berry Oakley and Friends
2 p.m. – Twinkle and Rock Soul Radio
4 p.m. – Trevor Bystrom’s RX featuring Zion Albert
CORTEZ – The vision that FISH (Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage) members had more than 20 years ago to preserve the environmental integrity of coastal land on Sarasota Bay has come to fruition.
The preserve, on 100 acres of coastal wetland between Cortez Road and Sarasota Bay, will open with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, Nov. 3 at 10 a.m.
The sold-out event will feature speeches from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 4 Administrator Jeaneanne Gettle and Manatee County Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge.
The FISH Preserve borders the historically significant Cortez commercial fishing village and the waters of Sarasota Bay. It is one of the only untouched waterfront properties on the bay.
The preserve underwent years of environmental restoration which removed exotic vegetation and added waterways to connect to Sarasota Bay and restore aquatic habitats.
“The FISH Preserve came close to getting paved over by developers, however, the community came together to purchase the property in the nick of time,” according to the FISH website. FISH raised the initial funds for the protection of the land in 2000, buying parcels one at a time ever since.
Funding for the first $60,000 mortgage payment on the land was raised from donations from citizens and conservation-minded companies. Years of proceeds from the annual Cortez Commercial Fishing Festival each February and donations from members and friends allowed FISH to pay off their original mortgage.
A major grant was provided by the Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership, which led to the creation of a tidal stream system. That grant allowed for the creation of new wetland areas and the removal of invasive plants.
“The water quality in Sarasota Bay is improving. Large-scale restoration projects like the FISH Preserve build on that progress to help restore our fish and wildlife populations,” said Dave Tomasko, executive director of the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program.
The preserve is fully restored, but public recreation is currently limited to a few foot trails. FISH and its partners are looking at adding boardwalks, trails and signage.
Restoration of the preserve was a collaborative effort between FISH, the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the Southwest Florida Water Management District, the EPA, the Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
To some people, our national real estate market is downright awful, but to others, it may be the best of real estate times. It’s all in the eye of the beholder.
Don’t believe everything you read and, believe me, I read it all. Yes, it’s true that buyers, especially first-time buyers, are having a terrible time finding an affordable house. Yes, indeed, sellers aren’t moving out of their 1,200-square-foot starter house because they have a 3% mortgage. But it’s also true that sellers who want to sell are in a pretty darn good financial position and they’re as happy as can be.
Home prices were declining for five consecutive months but all of that has reversed itself quicker than the housing economists expected. The surprisingly quick recovery suggests that the residential real estate downturn is turning out to be shorter than many housing economists expected. Even if the number of sales keeps going down, sale prices are unlikely to fall significantly. In popular regions, including Florida, bidding wars are breaking out again, reliving the insanity of the 2021 market.
A byproduct of higher selling prices and fewer sales is, of course, the fear of low appraisals. If the buyer is planning on obtaining a mortgage based on the contract price the lender will be looking for a satisfactory appraisal for at least the purchase price. If the appraisal comes in too low, that will affect the loan-to-value ratio and could easily sink the transaction.
Sellers in today’s competitive market may remove the appraisal contingency from the contract. This means that no matter the amount of the appraisal, the buyer is legally bound to complete the transaction and better have the additional cash available.
Facing a low appraisal in an escalating market is not uncommon and can be a shock to buyers. Again, they will need to come up with more cash to close the gap to proceed with the transaction. Parties to the transaction like the broker and/or attorney can ask for consideration on the appraisal if they determine that one or more of the comparable properties were not valid, however, getting appraisers to change appraisals is nearly impossible.
Time to look at Manatee County’s August sales as reported by the Realtor Association of Sarasota and Manatee for the month of August:
Single-family homes closed 6.9% more than last August. The median sale price was $525,000, the same as last August. The average sale price was $715,711, up 9.2% from last year. The median time to contract was 33 days, compared to 13 days last year. The month’s supply of properties was 2.8 months, compared to 2.5 last year.
Condos closed 0.8% less than last August. The median sale price was $358,990, up 1.8% from last year. The average sale price was $393,727, down 2.6% from last year. The median time to contract was 50 days, compared to 13 last year. The month’s supply of properties was 3.3 months, compared to 1.8 months.
The Realtor Association feels that our prices are steady, and Florida is enduring in its desirability among out-of-staters. The fact that new listings and pending inventory are up for both single-family and condos is encouraging. Single-family had 8.6% new listings and 8.4% pending inventory. Condos had 18% new listings and pending inventory at 16.1%.
My eye beholds further adjustments, not a downturn, and once buyers get comfortable with 7.5% interest rates, they will forget all about the 3% their friends have. This is the way the economy rolls; it can’t be timed, it can only be faced head-on.
BRADENTON – David Lynn Nichols, 60, has been found guilty of battery and leaving the scene of a crash that caused a Cortez man to lose an arm, among other serious injuries.
In Manatee County’s 12th Judicial Circuit Court last week, a jury found Nichols guilty of both felony counts stemming from a Nov. 18, 2019 argument with Cortez resident Freddy Gilliland, 64.
According to police reports, Nichols struck Gilliland with his truck, dragged him about 300 feet, then fled the scene without notifying authorities.
According to a Nov. 19, 2019 Manatee County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) report, at approximately 10:22 p.m. on Nov. 18, deputies responded to 46th Avenue West and 102nd Street West in Cortez in reference to a vehicle versus pedestrian traffic crash. Upon MCSO’s arrival, Gilliland was on the north side of 46th Avenue West with multiple traumatic injuries that included a nearly severed right arm, a left hand with exposed bone, compound rib fractures and massive facial injuries. He was transported to HCA Florida Blake Hospital by EMS in critical condition and underwent emergency trauma surgery.
Nichols
“As a result of the defendant’s actions, the victim sustained a magnitude of life-threatening injuries which at last update included the removal of his spleen, a lacerated liver, multiple rib fractures, collapsed left lung, right arm amputation and numerous facial sutures,” MCSO Dep. Britton Couch said in his report following the incident.
When medical personnel and MCSO deputies initially arrived on the scene, Nichols and his vehicle were no longer on the scene and were not located in the immediate vicinity. During the preliminary investigation by deputies, Nichols was identified as a person of interest based on the vehicle description and a witness providing the suspect name “Dave” and the area where he lived in the Sunny Shores subdivision. Deputies responded to the defendant’s residence and located a Chevrolet pickup matching the witness’ description with front-end damage and evidence of a collision with a person. A witness also identified Nichols in a photographic line-up.
Nichols’ sentencing is scheduled on Friday, Oct. 13 at 3 p.m. in front of Judge Frederick Mercurio.
A GoFundMe page called “Friends of Freddy,” which raised $6,400 to help with his expenses, is full of words of support and well-wishes from not only friends and family, but also people in the community wishing to help a neighbor.
CORTEZ – As residents and business owners cleaned up on Thursday morning following the storm surge from Hurricane Idalia that flooded local roads, the recurring consensus was: “We got lucky.”
“There was no boat damage (to the fleet of fishing boats). We lost a few boards on the dock,” A.P. Bell Fish Co. owner Karen Bell said. “We were very lucky.”
Cortez is one of Florida’s last commercial fishing villages. It hugs the north shore of Sarasota Bay. On Wednesday morning, its roads were underwater, but by that evening, the waters had receded and roads were passable.
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In advance of the storm, A.P. Bell workers had secured the fleet of fishing boats with extra dock lines.
Bell also owns the Star Fish Co. restaurant and co-owns the Tide Tables restaurant.
“Star Fish sits so high we had no water encroachment,” she said. “But Tide Tables got about 6 inches of water.”
Tide Tables co-owner Bobby Woodson said they prepared for the storm by moving out large equipment.
“Before the storm, we moved all the equipment out east,” he said. “This isn’t something we wanted to mess around with.”
On Thursday, the equipment – including freezers – was in the back of a moving truck in the Tide Tables parking lot and ready to be reinstalled.
Tide Tables’ interior had been cleaned and dried by Thursday morning, and workers were shoveling yard debris into the back of a truck for removal.
“We expect to be back open by Saturday,” Woodson said, adding, “This could have been a lot worse.”
Boats at Cortez Bait and Seafood fish house that had been pulled from the water before the storm were back in the water Thursday.
In that same complex, owned by John Banyas, are two restaurants – Cortez Kitchen, which is undergoing renovation, and the Swordfish Grill and Tiki Bar.
“The parking lot was flooded, but the restaurants were OK,” Swordfish manager Adam Sears said on Thursday. “Swordfish sits 10 feet above the water so that was fine, and the work at Cortez Kitchen is moving along. That will be open fairly soon.”
Sears said Sunny Shores trailer park on the north side of Cortez Road was hit hard with flooding during the storm. Sunny Shores fronts Palma Sola Bay.
At Annie’s Bait and Tackle, water never got into the building, but the docks there sustained damage.
“The water came up to the building, but it didn’t get in. I’d say we were lucky,” Annie’s manager said. “The docks need to be repaired though. The middle dock is still usable, but the gas dock is trashed. It’s going to take a little while to get this all fixed.”
Cortez residents Cindy Rodgers and Paul Dreyfoos live about a block from the water. The flooding from the roads in front of their house did not impact their home.
“All good here,” Rodgers wrote in an email to The Sun. “Lucky once again.”
CORTEZ - Boats were pulled out of the water Tuesday at Cortez Bait and Seafood Inc. in advance of storm. - Leslie Lake | Sun
Rising water from the Intracoastal Waterway made its way toward the Tide Tables restaurant in Cortez. - Joe Hendricks | Sun
MANATEE COUNTY – Hurricane Idalia has been upgraded to a Category 2 storm with maximum sustained winds of 100 miles per hour. The storm is anticipated to continue to impact Anna Maria Island and the surrounding area this evening and overnight. County officials warn that the greatest risk the storm poses to this area is the chance for tornadoes to spawn from the hurricane and storm surge combined with a king tide expected to come in tomorrow morning at 11:30 a.m. Currently, NOAA shows that Anna Maria Island, Cortez and coastal areas of west Bradenton remain in the 4-7 foot peak surge warning zone.
Tuesday, Aug. 29, 3 p.m. UPDATE:
MANATEE COUNTY – Hurricane Idalia is classified as a Category 1 storm with sustained winds of 90 mph near its core. The storm is forecast to increase in strength to a Category 3 storm before making landfall. Currently, the hurricane is anticipated to make landfall mid-morning Aug. 30 near Cedar Key.
The outer bands of Idalia are bringing rain to the area. Anyone choosing to stay on the Island are asked to avoid driving through flooded areas and to shelter in place as the storm moves through the area.
A significant storm surge is expected with Hurricane Idalia. Due to a king tide expected Wednesday, Aug. 30 around 11:30 a.m., the highest storm surge is expected tomorrow morning. County officials advise residents and visitors to continue to shelter in place through tomorrow’s high tide. NOAA predicts 4-7 feet of storm surge for Anna Maria Island.
Hurricane Idalia is expected to bring 4-7 feet of storm surge to Anna Maria Island. – Submitted
NOAA predicts sustained winds of 35 mph with wind gusts up to 50 mph for coastal Manatee County. County officials note that once winds reach a sustained 35 mph or roads become impassible due to flooding, first responders will not be able to respond to emergency calls.
There will be no trash pickups today or tomorrow. Recycling and yard waste pickups are canceled for the week.
Currently, there are no plans to cut water or other utilities to Anna Maria Island. Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy said that water will be shut off if Hurricane Idalia reaches a Category 3 designation or storm surge is expected at 7 feet or higher.
Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer said that the drawbridges would not be raised at any time to prevent people from leaving the Island during the hurricane.
There will be no trash pickups today or tomorrow. Recycling and yard waste pickups are canceled for the week.
MANATEE COUNTY – Hurricane Idalia is on a collision course with the west coast of Florida. The Sun is committed to giving you the latest updates as the storm moves closer to Anna Maria Island.
County officials issued a press release at 9:37 a.m. today including newly announced closures. Manatee County Area Transit buses will stop operations at 2 p.m. today or earlier if weather conditions call for an earlier suspension of service. Transportation services will remain suspended until it is safe to restart them.
Level A residents and visitors, including everyone living in mobile homes, Anna Maria Island, Perico Island, Flamingo Cay, waterfront areas of west Bradenton, and Cortez, are under a mandatory evacuation with Level B residents and visitors under a voluntary evacuation notice. All residents who evacuate are reminded to take their re-entry tag issued from their city in order to gain access to the Island after the storm passes. Anyone who chooses to shelter in place on the Island is advised that all first responders and emergency personnel will be grounded once winds reach a sustained 45 mph.
County officials warn that while wind and rain are expected as Hurricane Idalia moves closer to the west coast, the major cause for concern is storm surge, which could happen near an already expected king tide on Wednesday. As of a 4 a.m. update, NOAA was projecting a storm surge near Anna Maria Island of 4-7 feet.
The current peak surge forecast for Hurricane Idalia as of 4 a.m. on Aug. 29. – Submitted
Sandbagging stations are open at Bayfront Park in Anna Maria, City Field in Holmes Beach, Coquina Beach in Bradenton Beach and GT Bray on 59th Street in Bradenton.
All Manatee County libraries are closed until Thursday, including book drops.
All Manatee County schools are closed until Thursday morning at this time pending assessments after the storm passes.
Emergency shelters are open for those who need them. Shelters should be considered a last resort and anyone who can is asked to shelter in place with friends or family outside of the evacuation zone. A list of open shelters can be found online. If going to a shelter, take bedding, food, water, medications and other supplies to last for at least three days. Note that not all shelters are pet-friendly. If you’re taking a pet, make sure the pet has a crate, food, water, leash, litter box (if needed) and any other supplies necessary for a three-day stay. All pets must be accompanied by their owners and owners must furnish proof of recent vaccinations.
Manatee County officials are scheduled to give a 3 p.m. update from the Emergency Operations Center which can be viewed live on YouTube and Facebook.
While Idalia is not currently forecast to make a direct impact on Anna Maria Island, county officials warn residents and visitors to keep an eye on the weather and watch as models of the path of the storm are updated throughout the day. Keep checking back to this post for the most up-to-date information from The Sun.
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 properties listed on the Island and in Cortez. Now that exercise seems quaint, almost peculiar and it all changed in a short three-year period.
Because of these extraordinary listing numbers, which I see every day, I did a quick analysis of available properties in the three cities of Anna Maria Island and Cortez, researched on the Realtor.com website as of this writing. Rather than use $1 million as my breaking point, I upped it to $3 million, so get ready for this:
The city of Anna Maria had 82 properties listed, 44 of which were $3 million or over, almost half. The top property was listed at $16,995,000. Every million-dollar category was represented, and, except for the very top listing, there wasn’t a big gap between the categories.
Holmes Beach and Bradenton Beach, which are combined by zip code on Realtor.com, had 179 properties listed, 45 of which were $3 million or over. The top listing number was $22,500,000 and, like Anna Maria, except for the very top, the listing prices represented every million-dollar category.
Even Cortez has a new listing at $3,750,000 with the rest of the 12 listings hovering in the mid- to high-million dollar range.
Sales of properties in the high-end market around the country are slowing. The high-end and luxury market nationwide is defined as the top 5% of homes and they’re suffering from the same issues the regular old real estate market is struggling with, low inventory and high interest rates.
Redfin’s analysis reports that in the first quarter of 2023, the sales of high-end properties were down by 33% from the first quarter of the previous year. They feel this is the result of the frenzy during the pandemic as well as inflation and a volatile stock market.
The markets with the biggest drop in transactions for the three months that ended June 30 are also the metro areas that were unstoppable during the pandemic: Miami was down 40.14%, Nassau County on New York’s Long Island was down 39.34%, New York City was down 35.98%, Los Angeles was down 36.17% and Chicago was down 34.13%.
Miami and New York City are starting to show signs of life. Miami is still recovering from the mass migration and buying frenzy during COVID-19, and inventory has not been resupplied. And New York is New York and will always come back to life with the suburban high-end areas around it following. However, it appears that Los Angeles and Chicago will take a little longer based on residents leaving Los Angeles for lower tax states and Chicago residents leaving because of crime.
Based on the number of pending properties, it looks like Anna Maria Island is also slowing but we are in the worst part of our off-season with heat alerts and record-breaking temperatures, so we won’t have a clear idea until later in the year. Typically, Anna Maria Island, and Florida in general, has outpaced most of the country in growth and the real estate market has followed along.
The combination of Anna Maria, Holmes Beach and Bradenton Beach had 89 properties listed at $3 million or over, all on a 7-mile spit of land. I think I’ll stop asking myself where it will end because I don’t know and neither does anyone else. Such is the nature of real estate.
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 short lyric and is understood by everyone. For buyers and sellers in this real estate market, the money is represented by mortgage interest rates which change so quickly your head could go ‘round and ‘round.
At the July meeting of the Federal Reserve, they raised interest rates by another quarter percent, which was expected, but they did indicate the possibility of easing towards the end of the year. According to Forbes on Aug. 2, the average residential 30-year fixed rate mortgage was 7.47%, not making buyers feel warm and fuzzy.
Interest rates are impacting the real estate sales market as frustrated home shoppers are facing high rates combined with a shortage of available properties that are not moving substantially down. Sellers are happily sitting tight on their 3% mortgages with Cheshire cat smiles on their faces for being so smart.
According to the National Association of Realtors, June sales fell 18.9% nationally compared to June of last year. Manatee County had 17.7% more sales for single-family homes compared to June of last year.
Sale prices are down slightly but still historically high. The national median existing-home price fell 0.9% in June from last year to $410,200, and the Manatee County median sale price for single-family homes was down 4.5% to $525,000. However, based on the new listings coming out daily, I wouldn’t be too worried about our values taking a deep dive any time soon.
There is another way for buyers and those sellers who want to sell to come together despite high rates that may be disqualifying some buyers. Sellers could offer or buyers could suggest that sellers finance a buyer’s purchase of their home. This is called taking back a mortgage and is more common for investment properties but could also offer a solution for some buyers with an interested seller.
Seller financing helps buyers increase their purchasing power by saving on closing costs, setting up escrow accounts, and application fees or paying lower interest rates. It could also help sellers who want buyers to make a full-price or higher offer on the home and are concerned about the property appraising through a conventional bank lender. The transaction is similar to closing with a lender; the buyer receives title to the property at the closing as with a traditional mortgage.
Sellers are assuming the larger risk of taking back a mortgage on their property. If the buyer defaults or doesn’t pay their real estate taxes or insurance, the seller will need to proceed with a foreclosure which is expensive and time-consuming. It’s all a little complicated and risky for all parties including getting a tax advisor involved and, of course, an attorney.
Anxious sellers who have properties that have been on the market for some time could consider holding the mortgage. This could also produce a steady stream of income for the seller if they are in a financial position to delay receiving the proceeds from the sale.
Typically, buyers can negotiate an interest rate lower than the prevailing rate, however, there is a minimum interest rate regulated by the IRS to consider. Sellers could wait out the higher rates hoping for a future decline then apply for a conventional mortgage and pay off the seller.
Money makes the world go ‘round and trying to understand it can make your head explode. Proceed with caution.
LONGBOAT KEY – The vigilance of three local charter captains has resulted in multiple citations against three men for the alleged poaching of marine life in local waters.
Capt. Joey Sweet, of Sweet Sunset Dolphin Tours, Capt. Katie Scarlett Tupin, of Capt. Katie Scarlett Boat Tours, and Capt. Kathe Fannon, of Capt. Kathe and First-Mate Pup-Pup Charters, had long noticed a depletion of marine life at local sandbars and suspected that poachers were to blame. They reported their suspicions to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), resulting in several citations.
According to FWC incident reports, Linh Ha, 51, of 3401 24th St. W., Bradenton, Loc Nguyen, 55, of 3230 44th Drive E., Bradenton, and Hai Nguyen, 51, of Rockford, Ill., were charged by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) officers on July 1 at Jewfish Key.
“The three individuals were identified to FWC officers by a vessel passing by stating they were keeping over the bag limit of shellfish,” according to the FWC report. “Upon performing a resource inspection, we found all three suspects to be over the allowable bag limit for marine life species (20 max per person/day) as well as over the bag limit for each species (2 per species/per person per day.) The subjects were in possession of 25 tulip snail, 24 crown conch, 9 fighting conch, 2 lightning whelk and 2 horse conch.”
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers photographed what they said were illegal catches of marine life at Jewfish Key on July 1. – Submitted | FWC
Each man was charged with violation of the Florida Administrative Code Pertaining to Southwest Florida Shells-Harvest of Live Shellfish in Manatee County; Permitted Harvest of Shells which states: “A person may not harvest in Manatee County more than two live shellfish of any single species per day or possess in or on the Florida waters within Manatee County that are seaward of the mean high water line more than two live shellfish of any single species.”
They were also charged with Violation of Florida Administrative Code Pertaining to Marine Life-Recreational Bag Limit which states: “A person may not harvest in Manatee County more than two live shellfish of any single species per day.”
The FWC report states that at approximately 5:30 p.m. on July 1, officers were patrolling the area of Jewfish Key and received a report of three men taking excessive marine life from the north end of the sandbar.
“We observed three subjects matching the complainant’s description near a red and white personal watercraft (PWC) wading along the Jewfish Key sandbar,” according to the report. “The subjects had several hand-nets full of various species of marine life and additional marine life in the footwell of the PWC.”
Hai Nguyen was also found to have no saltwater fishing license and was issued a warning.
Since the other two men were licensed, four of the tulip snails, crown conch and fighting conch were returned to Loc Nguyen and Ha. Two lightning whelk and one horse conch were returned to Loc Nguyen, as they fell within bag limits. The remainder of the organisms were returned to state waters alive, according to the FWC.
The three men are required to appear in Manatee County Court on Wednesday, Aug. 2 at 9 a.m.
According to an FWC press release, officers have received multiple reports since summer began of individuals harvesting marine organisms near Longboat Pass in the Jewfish Key area of Manatee County.
“Over the course of the Independence Day weekend, FWC officers increased patrols in the area and performed resource inspections on multiple vessels,” the press release states. “The violations included the harvest of more than two live shellfish species per day, harvest of more than 20 individual tropical marine life species per day, the possession of undersized stone crab, the possession of egg-bearing stone crab, the possession of whole-condition stone crab, the possession of stone crab during closed season, and fishing without a valid saltwater fishing license.”
“I feel like we are just scratching the surface,” Sweet said. “We’re still seeing a lot of the same activity. Hopefully, people will take notice. I was told by the FWC that if anyone sees something, they should take down the numbers on the boats and report it.”
Call the FWC Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (888-404-3922).
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