Take a Look at Lakewood Ranch

Located on the Sarasota/Manatee County line on Florida's west coast, Lakewood Ranch is a 7,000-acre, master-planned community providing unlimited golf as well as a wonderful place to enjoy life regardless of your age.

The Lakewood Ranch community includes five "villages" for family living, all convenient to nearby education, business, retail and medical services in both Sarasota and Bradenton.

Lakewood Ranch is one of those rare places that provide all of the elements of a wonderful lifestyle; beautiful homes, condos, shops, and the opportunity to play golf and have fun with neighbors and friends 12 months a year.

Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club is a private membership club where you and your family can relax, meet new people, enjoy recreational facilities and participate in a variety activities.

The County Club consists of:
- 36 holes of championship Palmer-designed golf
- Complete practice facility including driving range
- Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary
- An elegant 45,000 sq. ft. Italian Villa clubhouse.

There is a new-construction or resale home or condo in Lakewood Ranch that's just right for you. Let Rich Stover of REMAX Alliance Group help you get the very best deal on a home in this outstanding community. You pay no more for the peace-of-mind of being represented by a professional Realtor who is looking out for you, not the seller or builder.

Feel free to check out my featured homes or
Search the Sarasota MLS on my website at any time.

Should You Sell Your Sarasota Florida Home Right Now

It might seem crazy at first, but right now might be the best time to sell your home in Sarasota Florida.

Every home and condominium has things about it that you, as the owner, wish you could change. You may or may not have recognized these issues when you bought the property but you cannot fix these problems now for various reasons. Perhaps the cost would drive your investment in the home beyond what the neighborhood will support. Maybe your home or condo cannot be changed to suit your wishes because of its physical structure, association rules, it's location, or even changes in your own personal circumstances. Maybe it was near a great school when you bought the home, but now the kids are gone and that nearby school is just a source of noise and traffic. Realtors call these home problems with homes, it's "unchangeables."

But why is right now a good time to sell a home when prices have dropped as much as 20%? Here's why. While the price you'll get for your current home may be down, so is the price of a home that doesn't have the same drawbacks, or "unchangeables." With recent steep declines in Sarasota area home and condo prices and with interest rates historically low, NOW may be exactly the right time to step up to the home that maybe you originally wanted but couldn't afford.

Let's take an example. Suppose you bought your home 3 to 5 years ago for $300,000, but it has now lost 20%. It it would sell for closer to $240.000. But, the home you originally wanted that sold then for $425,000 is now down by that same 20% to $340,000, a drop of $85,000, almost one and a half times the reduction the price on your current home has seen.

And with so many homes currently on the market, if the seller of that home really needs to sell, it is possible, maybe even probable, that, with the help of an aggressive Realtor, you can negotiate that price down even lower than $340,00. Chances are good that if you could afford your $300,000 home 3 to 5 years ago, you can probably afford the home you always wanted now that Sarasota real estae prices are so depressed.

As a bonus, when home prices start to rebound, you'll not only have the nicer home, but that new home's price will rise even faster than your old one with those troublesome "unchangeables."

For help in finding the right Sarasota Florida home for your family, visit my Sarasota Florida Real Estate website. For more immediate help, call my cell phone at 941-266-1799, or toll-free at my RE/MAX office at 800-966-5454. If you prefer, you may also E-Mail Me for more info on Sarasota real estate prices and bargains. I'd be delighted to be of service.

Sarasota Florida Budget Cuts Announced

Sarasota Florida city manager Robert Bartolotta said last week that $8 million is being cut from the city's projected $10.2 million deficit as he announced elimination of 89 jobs, with the Sarasota Police Department bearing one-third of the staffing cuts.

27 Sarasota city positions were cut while another 62 open city positions were eliminated. "The police force reductions, however, did not include "street level" officers and will not affect resident safety," Bartolotta said. Police Chief Peter Abbott said his focus will be on keeping the same number of officers out patrolling the streets.

Read the full article on my website.Then call me on my direct line (941) 266-1799, or toll-free at my office at (800) 966-2334 for more information on great bargains available now on homes and condos for sale on the Sarasota Florida real estate market.

RE/MAX Merger Creates RE/MAX Alliance Group

Read about the merger which has created the largest RE/MAX office in the State of Florida at
http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS156121+29-Jan-2008+MW20080129.

If you need assistance or just information about buying or selling Sarasota Real Estate . You may also call me directly at (941) 266-1799 or email me at rstover9@comcast.net

Gov Crist Addresses Florida Realtors on Property Tax Amendment

With “Vote Yes On 1” signs raised high, Florida Realtors greeted Governor Charlie Crist this morning with a standing ovation, thanking Crist for his efforts to cut property taxes. The governor addressed Realtors attending the Florida Association of Realtors® (FAR) Mid-Winter Business Meetings in Orlando.

“When was the last time you could go to the ballot box and pass yourself a tax cut?," he asked. "Tell everyone you see to vote for Amendment 1. It’s critical to Florida’s economy,” he added

Read the Full Story on the Florida Association of Realtors' website. Then please call upon me for assistance in buying or selling Sarasota Real Estate . You may also call me directly at (941) 266-1799 or email me at rstover9@comcast.net

This story, copyrighted by the Florida Association of Realtors, is presented
here for your information only

Sarasota Florda Home Prices Still Dropping. Is 2008 Your Year to Buy

If you were smart enough not to buy a home or condo in Sarasota Florida during 2007, will 2008 be the year to make the move?

The primary cause of the price downturn is the enormous inventory of homes for sale right now. There is nearly a year's supply of homes for sale on the market. Based on recent data, at the height of the Sarasota real estate market in 2005, there were about 1,600 homes and 1,150 condos for sale at prices that were admittedly atmospheric. Fast forward to today and you'll find over 8,000 homes and more than 4,700 condos on the market -- and they are not selling. The Sarasota Board of Realtors predicts that real estate prices will fall a bit more in 2008, but that 2008 may be the right year to make your move....... Read the full article Call me at (941) 266-1799 or email me at rstover9@comcast.net

Before you buy that Foreclosure Condo

Before you buy that Foreclosure Condo in Sarasota Florida, you need to know what else is involved other than the price. You can learn the basic information you need to gather before you go further than just learning about the availability and price of the unit on my website. Read the full article then call me at (941) 266-1799 or email me at rstover9@comcast.net