Sarasota Florida

On Florida's Gulf Coast, Sarasota is a paradise unto its own.

  If you have been considering relocating to Florida, there are many reasons to consider the Sarasota area as your primary destination. Sarasota has been ranked:

º  "One of Best Places to Retire" by CNBC and Portfolio.com

º  "The Best Small City in America" by Money Magazine

º   "The # 1 Market to Buy a Home in" by Real Estate expert Barbara Corcoran

º   "One of the Best Places for Business and Careers" by Forbes magazine

º   "One of the Best Places to Re-invent Yourself" by AARP

º   "The Best Place to Retire Young" by Money Magazine

º   "Among the 'Top 25 Small Cities for the Arts'" by American Style Magazine

º   "The Ultimate Beach Town" with 35 miles of pristine beaches by Money Magazine

  Intriguing, isn't it ?   But how much do you actually know about Sarasota, its next-door neighbor cities, Bradenton, Lakewood Ranch and Osprey and our gorgeous waterfront barrier islands; Longboat Key, Lido Key, Bird Key, Siesta Key and Casey Key. Here are some interesting facts for you to consider:

• The Sarasota area offers a very pleasant year-round climate with an average of 251 sunny days each year
  º  The average year-round temperature is 72.6 F (22.6 C)
  º  The average annual high temperature is 82.8 F (28.2 C)
  º  The average annual low temperature is 61.9 F (16.6 C)
• The Sarasota - Bradenton area is definitely "Florida's golf town." With over 80 public, semi-private and private courses, and dozens of golf course communities, there are golf courses that exactly match your level of play.
• Compared to the rest of the United States, the cost of living in Sarasota is 6.70% below the national average according to BestPlaces.com
• Sarasota has all the charm of a southern town with the conveniences of a big city thanks to the diligence of Sarasota's residents and developers. Sarasota Waterfront estates and luxury condominium communities have been designed to complement Sarasota's historic districts which have been preserved with pride.
• Downtown Sarasota offers quiet streets lined with grand trees and sidewalks.  Some streets, known as "the flower streets" are named for flowers such as Bougainvillea, Rose and Hibiscus with homes that reflect traditional and Spanish styles.
• The Sarasota Association of Realtors reported that, for the year 2013, reported that the median cost of a single-family home for the past 12 months was $184,900. For condominiums, the 12-month median price was about 164,900 just slightly above the national average.  These numbers include everything from modest homes to multi-million dollar waterfront mansions and penthouse condos. So, its important to remember that there are also more modestly priced homes available throughout the area.
• Sarasota County public schools, which serve about 40,000 students, while top-rated, cost taxpayers an average of $5,575/student, less than the national average yet the average class size is only 17.2 students. Sarasota County also offers a wide range of charter and private religious-affiliated schools. Sarasota teachers are top-ranked; nearly 80% have post-bachelor degree training. Two-thirds of the area's high school graduates go on to college; some at our 6 local higher education institutions.
• The year-round population of Sarasota is about 52,000, although that about doubles during the winter months, and it is not being allowed to be overrun by uncontrolled growth as some attractive Florida cities are. Since 2000, the population rate of growth has averaged only 1.2%/year.
• Sarasota has excellent health care facilities with two fine acute care hospitals, Doctors Hospital and Sarasota Memorial Hospital. Bradenton has the Blake Medical Center and Manatee Memorial Hospital.  Lakewood Ranch includes the 120-bed acute-care Lakewood Ranch Medical Center .
• Sarasota and Manatee County offer boating, sailing and fishing on both the protected Sarasota Bay and out on the Gulf of Mexico. Both counties offer a variety of single-family and condominium residences with deep-water docking for those with larger yachts or sailboats.
• Within the Sarasota Arts & Cultural District downtown, you'll find the Sarasota Orchestra, Sarasota Ballet, Sarasota Opera, the Van Wezel Preforming Arts Hall and the Asolo Repertory Theatre Company as well as the world-famous Ringling Museum of Art.
• Immediately north of Sarasota, in Manatee County, which includes the northern end of Longboat Key, you'll find Bradenton, a city of about 50,000 residents, the huge master-planned community of Lakewood Ranch, and the three towna out on Anna Maria Island, which offer a bit more casual, lifestyle with its own unique attractions, all within a few minutes drive from Downtown Sarasota's vast array of shopping, dining and arts and cultural destinations.

 No matter what type of residence you may be dreaming of, a modest home or condo in a traditional or country club community, a home in a historic neighborhood or an elegant waterfront home or condo, Sarasota has what you are looking for at a price today that makes this area even more attractive than it has been in a long time.

  If you'd like to know more about Sarasota, Contact Me Today for an informative Sarasota FL real estate information package. I'll send you Sarasota real estate and other information that will help you plan your move to Sunny Sarasota Florida