Sarasota's "land Rush"

It's a seller's market in Sarasota! Home owners will not often read this piece of advice in the current situation - but here it is: if you are thinking of selling your home in Sarasota, now is a good time to list it! There are buyers waiting to snap up homes in this Florida paradise. This is an unusual situation and begs the question: Why does Sarasota miss the realty doldrums?

The local real estate taxes are lower than they are in other nearby counties but this would probably have nothing to do with its popularity as a place to live. In fact, it is thought to be the sheer beauty of the place that draws people in like a magnet.

However, there is more appeal than just visual beauty in this scenic, sun-soaked city. Sarasota has gourmet dining, first class shopping areas, museums and state parks to take your breath away. A large and diverse interest in the arts means that opera, ballet, live plays and musicals are all available on a regular basis.

You are offered pristine beaches, fishing, golfing, boating and the perfect climate to enjoy them; the climate usually sits at a comfortably warm seventy-three degrees almost year round. Sarasota is thought to be a paradise by its residents.

Sarasota and its neighbors to the north and south form the seventh largest property market in the USA. It is also the third fastest growing major market in Florida, along with its neighbors, Charlotte County and Manatee County.

Its growth rate is quadruple the reported national average and the per capita retail sales are 20% above the national average. Sarasota is a booming place!

In 2004, property prices showed an increase of a massive thirty-three percent. Local real estate agents are reporting now that despite huge increases in property prices, buyers are still scrambling over each other to buy a Sarasota home. It's the Sarasota version of the Oklahoma Land Rush.

Although Sarasota has a strong foundation of retirees, they only account for approximately a third of the population. The fastest growing group of the population is the average family looking for the average family home.

Sarasota believes in entertaining its residents. Major events such as the Spring Carnival, Jazz Festival, Comedy Festival, the Music Festival and the Film Festival are interspersed with many and varied events, recreational classes and seminars.

You can enjoy live music which is as different as The Mikado is to The Beach Boys. You can watch the Russian Ballet on stage or 'Simply Ballroom'. Your family can learn Dancing for Kids or watch 'The Hungry Caterpillar'. There is a plethora of live shows, plays, comedies and dramas for all the family.

Sarasota also wants to entertain your brain, so you can attend classes to learn a language, study foreign affairs, find out how a Bedouin lives, learn to fly, delve into Bio-Identity Hormones, study the intricacies of genealogy and learn Bridge.

Just want to relax? Sarasota also offers all the usual classes in hobbies and crafts, computers and exercise etc. There is even a 'classroom on wheels' in case your old mum visits! You will never be bored in Sarasota even if you do manage to drag yourself away from the beaches.

The more that Sarasota is investigated, the more obvious the answer to the question becomes: Why does Sarasota miss the realty doldrums? Because it is a true paradise - it offers everything.