ASHTON WOODS HOMES OPENS THE RETREAT IN BRADENTON
Ashton Woods Homes has opened The Retreat, a luxury neighborhood with 12 large home sites off 17th Avenue N.W., just west of 75th St. N.W. on Manatee Avenue in Bradenton.
Michael Roche, vice president of sales and marketing for Ashton Woods Homes, said houses in The Retreat are priced from $329,990.
Three-, four-, and five-bedroom homes, ranging in size from approximately 1,961 square feet to 2,750 square feet of living area, are available with three-car garages.
Sales information and site tours are available by visiting the sales center at the nearby Palms Vista community on Palma Vista Boulevard.
MOULTON EXPECTS BRISK SALES AND TRAFFIC AS SEASON BEGINS
Realtor Michael Moulton of Michael Saunders & Co. is upbeat about the coming winter-spring selling season.
“All signs are pointing to brisk real estate activity as we enter Sarasota’s ‘most wonderful time of the year,’ ” said Moulton in his report. “The continuation of the 2013 trend of strong sales, increased prices, tight inventory and heavier buyer interest suggests that the Sarasota real estate market is poised to see one of its most active seasons in recent history.
“Two years of uninterrupted growth in number of units sold, as well as median price gains, leads economists and industry experts to forecast year-end improvement in both sales and price compared to 2012 of 10 to 11 percent, and sales to continue at a similar pace in 2014 while prices soften a bit as more inventory enters the pipeline.”
Looking to sell a condo? Moulton says the time is now. Yes, Realtors always say “the time is now,” but this time, he says there is evidence condo sellers are in command of the multifamily market.
“In the early months of 2013, condominium sales lagged behind single-family homes, but in recent months there has been a noticeable shift, creating a significant drop in available Sarasota condos for sale at virtually all price points.
“With the peak tourist season kicking off, I expect to see this tightened inventory push prices even more. Just last month, condominium median prices jumped a remarkable 20.7 percent over previous year, while single-family home prices lifted 11.6 percent.
“Though a number of luxury condominium projects have been announced recently, most will not be ready for occupancy until 2015, so existing inventory in high-demand locations and well-maintained buildings are likely to be one of the charms of the Sarasota real estate market this coming year.”
REAL ESTATE is edited by Harold Bubil (941-961-8878, harold.bubil@heraldtribune.com. Terry Galvin, assistant business editor, contributes copyediting and design.
COMING SUNDAY IN REAL ESTATE: A look inside one of Sarasota’s most beautiful homes, which is elegantly decorated for Christmas.
