Sarasota’s Skyline - Cranes in Action!

It is easy to derive a sense of well-being from the abundance of stunning views in downtown Sarasota. From the azure waters of the Sarasota Bay, to the perfectly poised architecture of the John Ringling Bridge and the eclectic, yet charming design composition of our lovely little city. One addition to the skyline of downtown has added excitement and optimism for many, in the business sector at least, – cranes – and not Sandhill Cranes. Yay! 

Those capricious cranes, so elusive during the recession, have reappeared. There’s a flock of them now with their wondrously long necks causing a lot of ruckus in the Sarasota Downtown area. The tower cranes can be seen in almost every direction in downtown Sarasota, lifting concrete forms and other materials around construction sites and swinging them into place with the stately movements of a giraffe. It's fascinating to watch!

Dozens of projects, some spanning the maximum 18 stories, will permanently change the appearance of the Sarasota skyline, a post-recession surge of building fueled by pent-up demand and confidence in the future. The city has issued building permits valued at more than $1 billion in the past three years. While that total include all types of construction, such as repairs and renovations, the new projects are the top-dollar draws. In the 2016 fiscal year alone, the city processed $442 million worth of permits.

Consider that our country is growing by 3.5 million people a year. That means in 15-years we’re going to have 52.5 million more people living amongst us. And here are more numbers from around the southeast to think about:

• Florida: Current population of just under 20 million people is expected grow to 25.5 million people by 2030, a 27.5 % increase
• Tampa Bay/St. Petersburg: Current population is 2.2 million and expected to grow to just under 3 million by 2030, a 31% increase
• Sarasota County: Current population of nearly 400,000 residents is expected to continue to grow.

As a lifetime Sarasota resident, I have seen many changes to our skyline, both good and bad. However, I remind myself that today’s construction is for tomorrow’s population, and the populace is moving into our urban core at a quick pace. Our city is growing vertically. This is driving the need for more high-density housing. When I first started as a Realtor almost 10 years ago, there was nary a crane to be seen in downtown Sarasota and a lot of concern about the economy…which makes cranes a magnificent sight to behold these days, after years of worry that they might become extinct. And in case you’re wondering –state bird of Florida is the Northern Mockingbird… unless you’re a developer or Realtor in Sarasota! 

If you are looking to buy a home in my hometown of Sarasota, call me at Re/Max Alliance Group and I will share my memories of the growth of our beautiful skyline and find a great home for you Sarasota's paradise!




Sources and Credits: Sarasota Herald Tribune, Allen Morris, SVN Commercial Advisory Group

I am a REALTOR® and a Few Other Things Too

REALTOR®: What does that really mean...and what do all those letters and designations listed after my name mean? If you really care about the person you have hired to help you buy or sell your home, this is really important.

When I first embarked on my career as a real estate agent, the only reason I was aware of the difference between ‘agents’ and a ‘REALTOR®' is due to the fact that I worked as IT Director for Re/Max Alliance Group for more than 10 years. Since my job entailed working with the technology needs of all of the staff and agents there, I learned a lot about the real estate business. But the average buyer or seller does not usually know that there is a big difference between an Agent and a REALTOR®, so I thought it important to depart from my usual hometown stories and do my best at explaining this. Associated with the REALTOR® designation are others that are very important for a potential client to know. I happen to have several of these designations and to most people, it’s just kind of an ‘alphabet soup’ of letters after my name. And they are very important. So here we go, beginning with what a REALTOR®  vs a Real Estate Agent really is, followed by a description of my other designations:

REALTOR® vs Real Estate Agent:  A REALTOR® is a real estate agent who is a member of the National Association of REALTORS®, which means that he or she must uphold the standards of the association and its code of ethics. There are so many types of real estate agents that even agents confuse themselves sometimes. To stand out in a crowd, some agents add titles after their names. They could be an associate, a real estate consultant, salesperson, or a REALTOR®, but they are all real estate agents. I am a REALTOR®-Associate and my Broker is Peter Crowley at Re/Max Alliance Group. Real estate brokers can work as agents but agents cannot work as a real estate broker without a broker's license. Agents who give real estate advice must have a real estate license. Most states, including Florida, maintain an online site where consumers can look up an agent's name, get a license number and check on violations filed against an agent. Feel free to look me up.

REALTOR®: I am proud to say I am a REALTOR®. People use the terms REALTOR® and real estate agent interchangeably, but that is incorrect. Not every real estate agent is a REALTOR®. There are differences between REALTORS® and real estate agents. They are not the same. Although both are licensed to sell real estate, the main difference between a real estate agent and a REALTOR® is a REALTOR® is a member of the National Association of REALTORS®. REALTOR® must subscribe to the REALTOR® Code of Ethics. There are 17 Articles in the Code of Ethics. To many consumers, this matters. Click here to read more. 

REALTOR® and MLS: This is important - You can't get MLS access without being a REALTOR®. A multiple listing service is an effective home selling tool. One convenient way of selling your home is to engage the services of a real estate broker. Brokers are highly skilled at helping home-buyers find more homes than they'd find on their own. MLS® allows a REALTOR® to work together with other REALTORS® (even those from other companies!), to sell that property.  It’s important to understand that the public is not accessing a complete Multiple Listing Service database, which may contain confidential information about properties, such as the owners' schedule, security issues or other showing-related details. MLS listings seen by consumers include only particulars that will help buyers in their home search. RE/MAX has undertaken a massive effort to create a single access point to MLS listings from across North America. The result is one of the most powerful online home search tools in the industry where you can search for millions of homes for sale.

SFR: Following the 2008 economic downturn, for many real estate professionals short sales and foreclosures became the new “traditional” real estate transaction. Knowing how to help sellers maneuver the complexities of short sales as well as help buyers pursue short sale and foreclosure opportunities are not merely good skills to have in today’s market — they are critical. I have successfully guided many buyers and sellers through this murky water thanks to the knowledge I gained by studying and receiving the SFR designation.

GRI: REALTORS® with the GRI designation have in-depth training in legal and regulatory issues, technology, professional standards, and the sales process. Earning the designation is a way to stand out to prospective buyers and sellers as a professional with expertise in these areas. Buying property is a complex and stressful task. In fact, it's often the biggest single investment you will make in your lifetime. At the same time, real estate transactions have become increasingly complicated. New technology, laws, procedures and the increasing sophistication of buyers and sellers require real estate practitioners to perform at an ever-increasing level of professionalism. So it's more important than ever that you work with an agent who has a keen understanding of the real estate business. The GRI program has helped the best and the brightest in the industry achieve that level of understanding. GRI’s are:

• Nationally recognized as top performers in the real estate industry
• Professionally trained
• Knowledgeable
• Dedicated to bringing you quality service
• A GRI can make a difference

CDPE: A Certified Distressed Property Expert® has a thorough understanding of complex issues in today's turbulent real estate industry and knowledge of foreclosure avoidance options available to homeowners. Because I have the CDPE desigantion, I can provide solutions, specifically short sales, for homeowners facing market hardships.

CNHS: Now that the real estate market has turned around, there are many new home developments sprouting up in Sarasota and the surrounding areas. The Certified New Home Specialist designation is recognized as Real Estate's #1 certification representing professionalism in working with Builders & New Home Buyers. More than 25,000 brokers, builders, managers & sales associates have earned this designation nationwide. Associates such as myself who earn this designation gain increased knowledge in the following areas:

• Understanding today's buyers
• Understanding the builder’s perspective
• Broker services most important to builders
• Important elements of new home contracts
• Construction financing options and considerations
• Residential construction from the ground up including materials, methods, terminology and the step-by-step building process
• Architectural design, blueprint reading, understanding site design & topography
• New home marketing strategies
• Sales center design and demonstration techniques
• The new home design process & organizing buyers' design information
• Strategies for effectively selling quality design & construction

So in addition to my background in construction in the early years of my life, as a REALTOR® in Sarasota, Florida, I have continued to educate myself to give you the very best service and knowledge to help you buy or sell your home in my hometown.

John D. and Sarasota Ron

I have always been an avid reader, starting with the Hardy Boy books when I was a kid. Someone once said: “A non-reader is somebody standing there in a blindfold.” One of my favorite authors is John D. MacDonald . MacDonald lived in Sarasota for many years, and wrote many of his books while living there in his house on Siesta Key. He became one of the best read and widely loved Florida authors of his generation. Recently, Sarasota celebrated his life and his books for what would have been his 100th birthday. The Sarasota Herald-Tribune has published tributes to his lasting influence by more than two dozen authors. 

John D MacDonald wrote 78 novels and almost 500 short stories. Many of his stories are set in Florida, making him probably the most prolific of all Florida authors. Most notable of the Florida books are his Travis McGee series. I read my first Travis McGee novels back in the 1960’s and have read every one them. They are good reads the second, third and fourth time too. These 21 novels are packed with mystery and adventure, and describe the changes in Florida between 1964 and 1985.

Travis McGee may be the first great modern fictional Florida hero. Commercially speaking, there has never been a smarter creation than Travis McGee. He is the embodiment of male wish-fulfillment. No nine-to-five job, lives by his own set of rules, resides on a houseboat, drinks but is not a drunk, tall, handsome, good with his fists but not a bully, etc. He has been called the first great modern Florida adventurer. 

One of my Sarasota hometown hangouts was the Crescent Club on Siesta Key. Nobody understood a place like the Crescent Club better than John D. MacDonald and he used some version of it over and over again in his books. It appears most prominently in his great Sarasota novel “Condominium“. There are bars like the Crescent Club the world over. But thanks to MacDonald, we have the embodiment only here in Sarasota.

MacDonald was the first modern writer to nail Florida dead-center, to capture its languid lifestyle, racy sense of promise and breathtaking beauty. This is why people come to Sarasota on vacation and fall in love with it. I have seen many changes in my lifetime of living in Sarasota; some say it has grown too fast and that we have enough people here. But how can you not want to live here once you have experienced paradise? I love this quote by J. Michael Blue: "Travis McGee had the right idea. Retirement days should be taken early and often." 

So if you are looking for a beautiful place to live and retire, Sarasota is it and I can help you find your dream home in Sarasota and tell you some stories about my hometown and why John D. MacDonald loved it here!

Sources and Credits: Florida Zone Blogspot, JDMHomepage.com, Sarasota History Alive, YourObserver.com

A Hometown Sarasota Thanksgiving

The Thanksgiving holiday is upon us again! Thanksgiving is more than just a day of parades, fond memories, football games and those special dinners our families cook. Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on the seemingly everyday things we are fortunate enough to have in our lives, such as a turkey dinner on the table, a warm place to sleep, and a roof over our heads. Thanksgiving is an expression of gratitude - a day where we are reminded of the bounty of treasures that is a large part of our lives.

It gives us the opportunity to be surrounded by family and friends, and appreciate the numerous things we are blessed with. Sarasota is my hometown and I am fortunate enough to have an amazing group of people in my life that I am truly thankful for. 

My business as a Realtor in Sarasota, Florida relies on the recommendations and support of those close to me, and I want to take a moment and say a heartfelt thank you to my wife, Liz, who is the wind beneath my wings, to Re/Max Alliance Group and to all of the loyal people who continuously support me. 

Happy Thanksgiving from my home to yours!