PHOTO GALLERY: Sarasota's Tamaron neighborhood
Centrally located at the southwest corner of Bahia Vista Street and McIntosh Road, with entrances on either thoroughfare, Tamaron is an attractive Sarasota community. Curved, tree-lined streets, mature foliage, sidewalks and five large lakes add to its appeal.
“It’s neat, clean and quiet — a typical middle-income neighborhood that reflects the entire county, except for the keys,” said Coldwell Banker Realtor Bob Fortier.
The entrance to Tamaron on Bahia Vista Street in Sarasota. (Staff photo by Harold Bubil)
Tamaron was developed by U.S. Home, starting in 1976 and built out by 1984. Lots were generously sized, ranging from 7,500 to 17,000 square feet, with the most-prized properties situated on the lakes. The homes sold quickly. Originally divided into five units with separate deed restrictions, the neighborhood is now under the aegis of one homeowners’ association, with annual dues of around $70.
Most subdivisions created at the time had just a few models. In Tamaron, U.S. Home offered 10 options, including several two-, three- and four-bedroom floor plans, and a variety of looks and finishes. Altogether there are 498 houses with stucco, panel and some brick elevations, and shingle, barrel tile and metal roofs. Most of the homes have two-car garages.
In the western section is a 13-acre preserve with a lakefront park, gazebo, benches and a white shell walkway. Fortier, who lived in Tamaron for 17 years before moving to a condo on Longboat Key in 2004, remembers when it was the site of the privately owned, neighborhood sewage treatment plant.
“At some point, Sarasota County installed its own system, tore down the buildings and storage area for water, and worked with the HOA to create a preserve for use by the community members,” he said.
During his time in Tamaron, Fortier served on the board of the HOA for five years, as membership chairman, and got to know quite a few of the residents. When he arrived in 1986, the neighborhood was mostly retirees who lived there year-around, and a few snowbirds. Since then, it has changed gradually, growing younger and including renters. But the welcoming, convivial atmosphere remains.
“It’s a great community,” he said.
Jeanette Lee, a financial adviser with UBS Financial Services who has lived in Tamaron for 20 years, agreed.
“It’s a good, friendly mix of retirees, working professionals and families with young children,” she said. “There is a community security patrol. Neighbors watch out for one another.”
Lee lives just down the street from the preserve and goes for walks there whenever she can. She likes the fact that there are sidewalks throughout the neighborhood, and that pets have to be kept on a leash when outside.
Above all, she enjoys the convenient location. It’s just a 10-minute drive to work at her downtown Sarasota office. There are a number of shopping areas, restaurants, banks and grocery stores close by on Fruitville and Bee Ridge, and it’s easy to get to Interstate 75.
In the mornings and afternoons, school buses come into the community to pick up and drop off children for Alta Vista Elementary, McIntosh Middle and Sarasota High schools.
A stable neighborhood, Tamaron weathered the housing crisis well.
“Although there were some foreclosures and short sales during the housing bust, I appreciated the way the board pressed people to keep the homes up,” Lee said.
Because of its appeal, sales have been steady, and homes move quickly. In 2012, the 29 real estate transactions there had an average sales price of $153,428 and an average stay on the market of just over a month.
Since January 2012, there have been 34 sales, ranging in price from $66,000 to $225,000. Sales are pending at list prices from $120,000 to $249,000.
Inventory is low, with only two homes listed as active, at $174,900 and $244,000, although Fortier said he anticipates more will come on the market this year.
While Lee said she has no immediate plans to move, she feels good about the neighborhood’s position in the market.
“I know when it comes time to sell, I won’t have a hard time doing so, because Tamaron has such a good reputation,” she said.
