Newsletter 19
Dear friends,
It already feels like summer on the beautiful Suncoast. Our temps are warm and our friends from the north have returned to their summer residences. We look forward to their return.
We’ve just finished one of our busiest winter seasons in history. There’s more information on that story in the news below.
We’re busy taking care of our clients’ properties, and providing them with peace of mind that their southern homes are in good hands. We take the worry out of vacation home ownership.
We appreciate referrals and welcome new clients.
Here’s some recent Suncoast area news:
TOURISM HIGH MARK : Florida had more visitors in the first quarter of this year than ever before, continuing a record-setting pace that helped the state emerge from the Great Recession and surge economically. The Sunshine State hosted an estimated 26.7 million visitors between Jan 1 and March 31, a 2% increase gain over the same period in 2013. Sarasota County hosted 276,200 visitors and outpaced the state with a 4.3% gain over last year. Click on the link for more on this story:Big Tourism Gains
VACATION HOMES HOT PROPERTIES : Vacation home sales have surged of late, even as investment property purchases have tapered off. Buyers in 2013 acquired vacation homes at a 30% faster clip than the prior year, while investment sales fell by 8.5%, according to a study by the National Association Of Realtors. Vacation home sales represented 13% of all transactions nationwide last year. The South was the most popular spot for vacation homes, with 41% of all U.S. buying activity occurring in the region last year. Click to read more: Vacation Homes Hot
SARASOTA TOPS LIST OF BEST CITIES : Baby boomers are one of the top demographics steering Southwest Florida’s housing recovery, with northerners trekking down to this area to pick up a sunny retirement home, according to a new study released last week. Sarasota was ranked as the best city in the nation for retirees by the financial education website CreditDonkey.com. The website analyzed data on community population, multi-unit housing, health care availability, cultural attractions and population growth. “Retirees can enjoy golf year round as well as sports fishing” it said. “Population growth is also high, so retirees looking to settle down in this coastal resort town better get there quickly”. Read more here: Sarasota is #1
ARTS ABUZZ : Arts and cultural organizations across Florida can expect a 384% increase in state funding in the next fiscal year. $43.3 million dollars will be allocated to groups and may be the largest the state has made available. From circus to theatre, bastions of creativity across Florida will enjoy a sizable amount of funding. Local groups benefiting are: Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, Van Wezel, Asolo Repertory Theatre, Florida Studio Theatre and Sarasota Opera. Follow the link for more: Huge Boost in Spending on Culture
WALLENDA TO CONQUER CHICAGO NEXT : The Discovery Channel has announced that Sarasota daredevil Nik Wallenda will turn the Chicago skyline into another white-knuckle platform. His recent Grand Canyon skywalk garnered huge ratings for the TV network. Wallenda had planned to stage a wire walk over Manhattan, however the New York Police Department Commissioner dampened those prospects by telling the press it would put “thousands” of New Yorkers at risk. Follow the jump for more: Wallenda to skywalk in Chi-town
We’re here to help you make your dreams come true. If that’s assistance with finding your dream home in the Suncoast area or carefully watching your southern property when you return to the north or to your home country …. you can count on us. Visit our website for more information: Suncoast Home Concierge
Thanks for reading our newsletter and please let us know if you have any questions. Feel free to forward to your friends, we love referrals.