Posts made by author 'Stephanie Hollender'
19
Make Them an Offer So They Know You Mean It
5 Tips for Making an Offer to Buy a Home
So you've fallen in love with the perfect house. Your dream home is waiting, and now the ball is in your court. Knowing how to make the right impression with the seller is an important element in negotiating an agreeable selling price and ensuring that your prospective new home doesn't slip away and into someone else's hands. Our real estate agents have the experience and know how to help you make an offer that's hard to refuse, and we've put together a few suggestions that could give you the advantage in sealing the deal.
11
The Story Behind Sarasota's Unconditional Surrender Statue
Our REALTORS® are always thrilled when new residents come to Sarasota to look for a home and ask about interesting things to see and do. Inevitably, we direct them to a popular destination with public art that comes with quite a storied past.
Sarasota's "Unconditional Surrender"
One of the most photographed statues in Florida, if not America, is a 26-foot tall statue that calls Sarasota home. It commemorates the famous photo that appeared in LIFE magazine of a young U.S. sailor dipping and kissing a nurse in Times Square on the day World War II ended. The statue, Unconditional Surrender, is part of a series of statues created by American artist Seward Johnson and can today be found in Sarasota's Bayfront Park. This statue pays homage to the "Greatest Generation" and the joyful celebrations at the end of the war, but its placement in the park has a rather interesting history.
6
Right on the Money | Getting Your Finances in Order to Buy a Home
Getting Your Finances in Order to Buy a Home
Preparing to purchase your first home starts long before you choose a REALTOR® or fill out a loan application form. You've probably started the process without even knowing it by graduating from school, accepting your first job, and financing a car.
There's something you should know before we get started: lenders typically base their loan approval on two things:
- a buyer's ability to make an acceptable down payment and
- the buyer's credit profile. A good credit profile shows the person's ability to make timely, ongoing monthly payment.
Before you begin the loan application process, it's important to get your finances in order to buy your first home.
28
Spend Sunday Evenings in Siesta Key at the Drum Circle
One of the perks of living near Siesta Beach in Sarasota (apart from enjoying the beach itself) is the weekly drum circle held every Sunday. Here, you will be treated to a beautiful sunset while listening and dancing to drummers in a festive-like atmosphere. Our REALTORS® in Sarasota have all the details of this exciting local phenomenon as well as all other to-do things in the area.
The Siesta Key Drum Circle starts one hour before the sun sets every Sunday and continues into the night. The popular tradition attracts large crowds of onlookers and participants for dancing and drumming on Siesta Beach. Drum circle regulars sporadically perform with fire, swords, or even hula hoops. They are also dressed in beautiful colors and offer flowers to onlookers.
21
Baby Boomers are Landing in Sarasota
It happens every year as sure as the change of the seasons: Folks from the North and even into Canada travel south to find a warm, mild climate to spend the winter. The name given to those who happily engage in this annual practice: Snowbirds.
Snowbirds are typically established professionals or retired people who want to enjoy a change of scenery and a slower pace for winter. There'll be no worries about keeping the furnace hot or digging the car out of the snow when you decide to bask in beautiful Sarasota.
Just how welcoming is Sarasota? Its winter temperatures run from about 51 degrees at night to 70 or so during the day. Air conditioning is ubiquitous throughout Florida, so virtually any place you plan to spend your time will also be equipped with central heating.
It should come as no surprise some people decide to finally settle down here. In recent years, Baby Boomers have flocked to Florida like never before!