A COLOURFUL LIFE IN DOWNTOWN SARASOTA
Businessman Steve Kingshott splits his year between south London’s Wimbledon and Sarasota. After selling his home in the New Forest when it became unmanageable, he relocates to sunny Florida for winter and early spring, returning to Blighty for the remaining months.
Kingshott, 73, bought his
sixth-fl oor two-bedroom condominium at 1350 Main in downtown Sarasota last June for $360,000
(£231,325) through realtor Pat Tan.
“It’s a buyers’ market now. The previous owner paid $600,000 (£385,543), so I got a good deal.” He also got a lot for his money: communal pools, games/ party and business meeting rooms, 24-hour concierge,
parking space and air- conditioned lock-up.
After walking away from a ‘short-sale’ (bank
repossession) that wasn’t moving, Kingshott bought his apartment that’s walking distance to restaurants (there are so many he hasn’t worked out how to turn on his own oven), theatres, cinemas and Siesta Key beach, sight unseen. “Pat sent me a full report and pictures. The key is getting somebody to represent you that you trust.” A typical day for Kingshott, who’s caught locals’ attention in his distinctive stripy blazers, is a three-mile walk, a nose around the Farmers’ Market, followed by a night at the opera. “It’s very arty here - the polar opposite to Orlando.”
“There’s something for everyone,”
she says, “from private and 40 ‘pay as you play’ public golf courses, to beaches, walking trails and lectures from the likes of Tony Blair, Bill Clinton and Maya Angelou.” Equally, there’s housing to suit most
every wallet. Although prices dropped by 40-50 per cent in the recession, the market’s turned a corner and values are leveling out, believes Tan. A good, one-bedroom condominium
starts at $70,000 (£44,594) and two- bedrooms cost $100,000 (£63,706). A new, three-bedroom ‘single family’ (detached) home costs about $200,000 (£127,413), with another $20,000
Below right
Fishing at Sunset Below Left
Benches and palm trees at a marina
(£12,741) on top for a pool. If you want to get the biggest bang
for your buck buy now, advises Laura Benson, president of the Sarasota Association of Realtors (www.
sarasotarealtors.com), who reports values up by 17 per cent last year and the number of sales by 8.2 per cent, the highest level since 2005: “Inventory’s dropping and demand from international purchasers is strong, particularly at lower price points.” Knowing where to buy is crucial, especially for foreigners who don’t know the place. If you’re a swimmer or ‘beach walker’, you’ll be happiest near the water on a Key, such as Longboat,
where homes are from $350,000 (£222,973) up to $19 million (£12.104 million), but you won’t necessarily get much space, argues Maureen Horn from Michael Saunders & Company (
www.michaelsaunders.com). Another interesting community
is the vibrant downtown sector, where you can now pick up a good condominium from $200,000 (£127,413), unheard of fi ve years ago. Horn also tips Lakewood Ranch, “a good live-work-play community of 7,000 homes, where a new, three- bedroom home on a lake with den, pool and some upgrades costs $305,000 (£194,305). Be careful of upgrades,
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