Newsletter 117

NEWS FROM THE SUNCOAST…..

SNOWBIRDS RETURN, BUT NOT CANADIANS

Even before COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations started trending downwards, downtown Sarasota was showing its regular wintertime signs of life. On Lemon Avenue, directly south of Main Street, the street gets blocked off on the weekends to make way for outdoor seating at the Gator Club. Parking spaces on Main Street are hard to come by. And there were still plenty of people on the outdoor patio at Mattison’s, dancing the night away, maybe trying to forget about the pandemic.
Many of the area’s regular snowbirds have, in fact, made the decision to fly – or drive – south for the winter, despite the ongoing pandemic. The biggest difference, however, is Sarasota is missing out on its regular stream of Canadians. There’s a new quarantine requirement that forces Canadian citizens returning to their native country to quarantine for 14 days, including a mandatory three-day stay in a hotel at their own expense for those who return via plane. Because of this, and many other issues, many Canadians do not want to go through the hassle of wintering in Florida. To read more on this story, courtesy of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, please click here: Snowbirds Return

SNOWBIRDS MORPHING INTO SUNBIRDS

The following is a guest editorial from Budge Huskey, guest columnist for the Sarasota H-T. As a Florida native growing up in a real estate family, I was introduced to the term snowbird at a very early age. No doubt many of you reading this article may describe yourselves as such. According to Wikipedia, "A snowbird is a person who migrates from the colder northern parts of North America to warmer southern locales, typically during the winter. The southern locales include the Sun Belt and Hawaii in the United States, as well as Mexico and the Caribbean. Snowbirds used to primarily be retired or older, but are increasingly of all ages." The last sentence has undoubtedly become more true over time with the rising affluence and mobility of generations. Recently, however, a different term is earning prevalence; sunbird. A later addition to Wikipedia, "A sunbird is one who leaves warmer locales in the summer, migrating to cooler locales such as higher elevations or more northerly regions." And daily, we see more and more sunbirds on the Gulf Coast. For more on this story, please click here: Sunbirds

HOME & CONDO SALES SOAR

Home and condo sales in Sarasota and Manatee counties continued to post strong gains in January. Closed sales, pending sales and higher median prices all continued to reach or near record highs, with inventory shrinking in both counties in the first month of the year, according to a news release from the Realtor Association of Sarasota and Manatee. "Our sales tend to be strong through fall and winter, but what we’re seeing right now is unprecedented," said Realtor Association president Alex Krumm, broker/owner of NextHome Excellence. "There are far more buyers than sellers, which reinforces the trend of rising prices and competition in our marketplace." Record low interest rates also are driving home sales higher nationwide. Closed sales of single-family homes in Sarasota and Manatee counties totaled 1,181, a 21.1% increase year over year. Condo sales totaled 721, up 27.8% from last January. There’s more on this story here: Home & Condo Sales

LONGBOAT PENTHOUSE SELLS FOR $5.7 MILLION

A waterfront penthouse with sprawling views of the Gulf of Mexico has sold on Longboat Key for $5.7 million, the most expensive condo sale in Sarasota-Manatee in more than a year. The penthouse, a 7,800-square-foot property, is one of 16 condos within the exclusive Aria at Longboat Key enclave at 2251 Gulf of Mexico Drive. The penthouse has floor-to-ceiling windows, multiple terraces and expansive Gulf views along with a gourmet kitchen, a climate-controlled wine room and four en-suite bedrooms. On the rooftop, there’s a private terrace with a covered seating area, a large summer kitchen, a dining area and a space for hanging out around a fire table. The condo also has a secure, three-car, dehumidified garage. Please follow the jump for more on this story: LBK Penthouse

STATE OF THE LUXURY MARKET

This story is a Guest Editorial from Duff Rubin for the Sarasota H-T.
Last year, the resilience of the real estate market pleasantly surprised us all, but the vigor of the luxury market reached new peaks and as we’ve stepped into 2021, we continue to see luxury real estate markets across the country soar. Coldwell Banker recently released The Report — an annual in-depth profile analysis of luxury markets and real estate trends across the globe. Major shifts in home buying and lifestyle preferences were identified along with new rising luxury markets and buyer demographics. North America is home to the largest share of the world’s ultra-high net worth population, with 105,080 people with a net worth of at least $30 million. These new shifts are making significant impacts in our communities. There’s more on this story: Luxury Market

RESTAURANT INDUSTRY INNOVATION

On March 20, 2020, a date that many Florida hospitality workers will not soon forget, Gov. Ron DeSantis ordered restaurant dining areas closed across the state.
Sarasota-Manatee restaurateurs, left with only takeout service to survive, were forced to adapt like never before. First, it was with to-go options. Then after the ban lifted, it was creating open-air seating, as al fresco dining remained the focus for many Floridians, a positive trend that continues today. Alas, some beloved restaurants and bars did not survive the shutdowns and economic slump brought on by the pandemic. The vast majority, though, are thriving again following a decline in coronavirus cases, rising COVID-19 vaccinations and visitors flocking to our corner of sunny Florida during the height of tourist season. As we mark the one-year anniversary of the pandemic, we spotlight several of the numerous restaurants across Sarasota and Manatee counties that led the way with smart, innovative steps and dogged perseverance. The reporting and quotes are the result of our series of interviews conducted with local restaurateurs and chefs during the past year. Please click here for more: Restaurant Innovation

ARTS SCENE ROLLING WITH THE PUNCHES

In the year since the coronavirus pandemic shut down the arts scene, Sarasota area cultural organizations have lost millions in potential ticket revenues, furloughed dozens of full and part-time employees and put hundreds of onstage and backstage seasonal artists out of work. While many arts leaders thought the pandemic might last only a few weeks, they ended up canceling hundreds of performances and delaying art exhibitions that were difficult to arrange because of international travel restrictions. Unlike those in other parts of the country, none of the Sarasota area’s arts organizations has had to permanently shut its doors. But some leaders, joyous over the surging number of people being vaccinated, warn that another full season without ticket buyers could alter the local arts landscape. Click here for more: Arts Scene

BAYFRONT TRANSFORMATION TO BEGIN

For Jon Thaxton, transforming the dream of an urban oasis on downtown Sarasota’s bayfront into reality would take one pathway to success and a thousand to failure. One step at a time, and after nearly a decade of planning and community collaboration, that path to build The Bay project finally broke into a clearing this week. With more than $10 million in the bank and a site plan approved by City Hall, the first phase of an ambitious years long effort to redevelop 53 acres of city-owned land south of the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall into parkland will break ground in a few weeks. Spread across 10 acres on Sarasota’s cherished waterfront north of Boulevard of the Arts, it is hoped the park’s amenities will satisfy the interests of residents and visitors for generations to come. There’s more here: Bayfront Transformation

THE CONCESSION GETS TOP MARKS

Players at the first-ever World Golf Championships-Workday Championship at The Concession Golf Club scored birdies, pars and bogeys. A few carded double and triple bogeys during the four-day event, but only one ace, on the par-3 sixth hole.
But the most impressive ace was reserved for The Concession itself, and anyone involved with the tournament’s production who helped make Ty Votaw one happy PGA head honcho. According to the executive vice president of the International PGA Tour, with just 45 days to prepare for an event just below a Major, The Concession, in the parlance of baseball, hit it out of the park. "It was an amazing week relative to what was able to be done, in a short amount of time, with a dedicated club in The Concession," Votaw said. "I think the feedback from everybody … is it’s been a wonderful week. I think people of the Sarasota-Bradenton area who knew of The Concession, those people who have played The Concession, knew it was a gem. There’s more on this story here: The Concession Top Marks

HEADED TO A PIER?

The city of Anna Maria is negotiating with Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium to bring a marine learning center to the Anna Maria City Pier. If it comes to fruition, the center may offer live animal exhibits, interactive exhibits and education programs. Mote Marine is a Sarasota-based marine research nonprofit that operates an aquarium in Sarasota, as well as centers in Key West and Islamorada similar to the one proposed in Anna Maria. "The community of Anna Maria has a great connection to the marine environment," Mote Marine President & CEO Michael P. Crosby said. "The restored Anna Maria Island City Pier presents an additional location where Mote can connect folks with our marine research, how they can interact and conserve the waters around Anna Maria, and tell the long history of the community’s relationship with the marine environment." If you’re interested in reading more, then click here: Anna Maria & Mote Marine

HUNDREDS OF MANATEES DEAD

It’s already been a deadly year for Florida manatees. More sea cows deaths have been documented through the first two months of the year than were recorded during those same two months in 2019 and 2020 combined, according to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission records. Through February 12, the state recorded 317 manatee deaths, though former FWC commissioner Ron Bergeron said he thought the number was closer to 350 sea cows. Manatee advocates said the die-off is another example of poor water quality. "It’s something we’ve never really seen before," said Pat Rose, director of the Save the Manatee Club. "It looks like we have a substantial number of manatees that are starving." Click here to read more on this sad story: Manatee Deaths