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Short-term vacation rentals reopen for holiday weekend

Short-term vacation rentals reopen for holiday weekend

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Anna Maria Island, Community News, Featured.

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Anna Maria Island’s short-term vacation rentals were allowed to reopen in time for Memorial Day weekend, with some restrictions.

On Thursday afternoon, Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) approved the Manatee County short-term vacation rental reopening plan submitted by County Administrator Cheri Coryea. The state approval took effect immediately.

While local municipalities can still ban vacation rentals, all three Anna Maria Island cities are allowing rentals to reopen.

“Vacation rental check-ins are now allowed in Anna Maria,” Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy said Thursday afternoon after reading the approved plan.

Murphy then issued a local emergency order rescinding a previously issued order that prohibited new vacation rental reservations in that city.

The city of Holmes Beach recently allowed its local emergency orders banning short-term vacation rentals to lapse.

“I do not plan on a Holmes Beach directive extending the rental ban at this time,” Mayor Judy Titsworth said Thursday afternoon.

The city of Bradenton Beach never issued any COVID-19-related local emergency orders that further restricted vacation rental activity beyond the prohibitions set forth in DeSantis’ executive orders.

“Under the plan, vacation rental agencies may now accept bookings from residents of U.S. states with an overall COVID-19 case rate within the state of less than 700 cases per 100,000 residents as of May 15. Reservations from COVID-19 hot spots identified by the governor are to be avoided for the next 30-45 days. Reservations from international travelers will not be accepted,” according to the press release Manatee County issued Thursday afternoon. “Other guidelines spell out protocols vacation rental owners must follow to implement social distancing and still others that address the cleanliness standards of the property.”

The press release noted the short-term rental guidelines would be mostly self-policed and enforcement would be complaint-driven.

“We’re asking that vacation rental managers take extra precautions to make sure their renters have access to and follow the guidelines in the approved plan. Owners should ensure that their renters are aware and abide by the approved plan, but also any municipal restrictions in the city where the rental is located,” Coryea said in the press release.

When discussing the plan on Tuesday, May 19, county commissioners initially proposed a 24-hour turnaround time for cleaning and sanitizing vacation rentals between guest departures and new guest arrivals.

During public comment, several vacation rental owners said a minimum 24-hour turnaround time would prohibit back-to-back seven-day rentals and result in numerous cancellations.

The commission then decided to simply require “ample time” for cleaning and sanitizing and the approved five-page plan includes an entire page of cleaning and sanitation guidelines.

“Extra time must be allowed for enhanced cleaning procedures to take place between stays based upon the use of appropriate cleaning and sanitation according to CDC procedures and in accordance with this plan,” the plan says.

Local reaction

On Friday, Sato Real Estate co-owner Barbara Sato said via email, “We are very relieved that vacation rentals are open. It has been so frustrating answering the numerous daily phone calls asking when the governor will open rentals again – and why hotels, motels, and resorts are open and not being able to give them a reasonable answer. Needless to say, the word is out and our phone has been ringing non-stop. We think the approved plan is very good. I personally emailed Elliott Falcione, from the Visitors Bureau, and County Administrator Cheri Coryea to thank them for their teams’ hard work in getting it approved so quickly.”

Short-term vacation rentals reopen for holiday weekend
The phones were ringing off the hook at Sato Real Estate on Friday. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

When contacted Friday via email, Murphy said, “It is too soon to tell the impact this policy might have on the city, but we are grateful that the county has incorporated a bi-weekly review process to make adjustments to the plan. Our two areas of concern are:

  • Enforcement: Some of the requirements would appear to require an extensive enforcement effort. If these turn out to be an issue, we are not equipped to enforce some aspects of the order.
  • Remote check-in: Although seemingly in everyone’s best health interests, this policy presents serious issues of potential fraud and possibly criminal activity. The policy needs to be revisited,” Murphy wrote.

“We look forward to partnering with the county to improve the plan going forward,” he added.

Short-term vacation rentals reopen for holiday weekend
The folks at Duncan Real Estate are happy to be back in the short-term vacation rental business again. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

On Saturday afternoon, Duncan Real Estate owner Darcie Duncan said via text message, “We opened Friday morning to the sound of phones ringing off the hook with guests ready to book for the summer. We have all our compliance requirements in place and we were ready for guest check-ins Saturday morning. We are thrilled and looking forward to increased bookings due to pent-up demand.”

Jason Sato tops county real estate rankings again

Jason Sato tops county real estate rankings again

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Business, Real estate | Development.

ANNA MARIA – For the fifth consecutive year, Sato Real Estate’s Jason Sato was the top real estate agent in Manatee County in 2019 in combined total sales and listing volume.

Duncan Real Estate owner and broker Darcie Duncan was again the Island’s second-highest seller and she ranked fourth in total volume countywide. AMI Beaches Real Estate agent Gregg Bayer ranked ninth.

The rankings are according to the 2019 Agent Market Share Report for Manatee County.

Sato made 30 sales and had 42 listings for a total volume of $81.5 million. Duncan made 23 sales and had 38 listings for a total volume of $40 million. Bayer made 17 sales and had 18 listings for a total volume of $35 million.

AMI Beaches Real Estate agent Gregg Bayer did more than $35 million in sales and listings in 2019. – Submitted | AMI Beaches Real Estate

Two agents in the top 20 made more than 50 sales and two others had all listings and no sales.

Sato’s streak

“It’s been five years in a row. It’s a lot of hard work and a lot of time put into it,” Sato said. “I grew up on the Island, I live on the Island and people see that I’m active in the community. I don’t stretch myself thin. I focus all my attention on Anna Maria Island and I want to thank my loyal customers.”

Sato said his sales assistant, Grace Wenzel, and office manager, Monica Reid, contribute significantly to his success.

“They’re very helpful setting appointments and getting the paperwork organized. I’ve got a good team behind me. My customers love Grace and she helps me stay organized.”

Sato was asked how 2019 compared to 2018.

“I was up by about $7 million, but for the most part, it was about the same. Hopefully, we can keep it rolling,” he said.

“If you’re doing $30-35 million a year, you’re doing really well,” he said of his peers.

When asked about market trends, Sato said, “People like the newer stuff. Builders are building nicer spec homes and people seem to like those. The market seems pretty solid. Inventory’s good and interest rates are low. A lot of people are buying second homes and more people are buying for themselves rather than for renting. It’s about half and half. It used to lean way more toward the rental side. People still love the Island. People want to be a part of the Island and I think that’s our biggest selling feature. People love that ‘old Florida island’ feel that we still have.”

Proud mom

Sato co-owns Sato Real Estate with his mom and fellow Realtor, Barbara Sato.

“Five years in a row. Nobody’s done that before,” Barbara Sato said. “I’m super proud of him and I believe he gets there by being honest and hardworking. He was raised here, he lives here, he loves the Island and he knows the Island like the back of his hand. The whole office is so proud of him. He’s very deserving.”

Duncan delivers

When asked about her annual appearance near the top of the rankings, Duncan said, “I attribute it to hard work, good client relationships and being in this business for 30 years. I get up every day, work hard and do the best I can to bring my customers the best service I possibly can. And I love what I do.”

Darcie Duncan was once again second on the Island in sales and total volume. – Submitted | Duncan Real Estate

Regarding market trends, Duncan said, “Prices have stabilized and there’s a lot of interest. I see the market being strong this year and you have never seen interest rates as low as what you’re seeing right now. Out here, we’re seeing rates in the low 3% range. You get a lot of house for your money right now with interest rates so low.”

“A lot of people want to buy here and it’s not as rental driven as it was in the year prior. People are looking to retire here. The inventory levels are stable and there’s a lot of different price points, so there’s something for everyone,” Duncan said, noting she has a nice mixture of on-Island and off-Island clients.

When asked about the Island’s older, traditional, ground-level homes, Duncan said, “We’re seeing more people buy them for permanent residences.”

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Sato and Duncan county’s top Realtors

Sato and Duncan county’s top Realtors

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Business, Real estate | Development.

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 contained in the 2018 Agent Market Share Report, compiled by the My Florida Regional Multiple Listing Service and shared by the Realtor Association of Sarasota and Manatee.

In 2018, Sato totaled 70 transactions, with 36 properties sold and 34 properties listed for a total reported value of $71.6 million and an average sales price of $1.06 million.

Duncan totaled 57 transactions, with 23 properties sold and 34 properties listed for a total reported value of $54.9 million and an average sale price of $963,000.

Sato and his mother, Barbara Sato, own Sato Real Estate at 519 Pine Ave. in Anna Maria. Duncan owns Duncan Real Estate at 310 Pine Ave. in Anna Maria.

Sato’s observations

Sato attributes his success to the comfort level and familiarity he has with the Island and its real estate market.

“I grew up here, I live here, and my office is here. I do stuff off-Island for friends and people I know, but my focus is Anna Maria Island,” he said.

He said new construction and newer homes remain the most popular, but there’s also a market for renovated homes and a price point of desirability for historic bungalows.

“The Island’s got something for everyone, which is great. And the vibe is different in all three cities,” Sato said.

He’s seeing an increase in the construction of custom homes designed as permanent residences, and he’s not seeing as many vacation rental homes being built.

He said the Island’s real estate inventory is strong and it spikes at the beginning of the year because more people list their homes during season.

Sato didn’t see significant home price increases in 2018 and he attributes that partially to the knowledge available to buyers using websites like Zillow.com and Realtor.com.

Sato said the red tide had some impact on home sales, but 2019 is off to a busy start and he sees that as a good sign.

He said red tide affected the real estate market by bringing fewer people to the Island. This impacts sales because vacationers often turn into potential homebuyers when they discover the Island’s magic.

“We need people here to sell real estate,” Sato said of the relationship between vacationers and homebuyers.

Duncan’s insight

“2018 was fantastic,” Duncan said.

Darcie Duncan
Realtor Darcie Duncan came in as the second-highest local realtor for 2018.

She said the red tide impacted her vacation rentals, but she didn’t lose a single home sale because of it, and her sales figures were up from 2017.

“I attribute my success to hard work, working with integrity and giving back to my community. Seventy-five percent of my business is from past client referrals and my sphere of influence,” she said, noting that 70 percent of her sales are on the Island.

“Not as many people that I worked with this past year were laser-focused on rental income. They were looking more at living here and retiring here. I think it’s important that people know that,” she said.

Duncan believes the housing market is stabilizing, and prices are going to level off some in 2019. She said she’s already seeing some price reductions.

She agrees the Island’s real estate inventory is strong and there’s still much new construction taking place. She said the $500,000 to $800,000 price range is the most-desired right now, but some of the Gulffront homes and others are selling for $1.5 million and up.