The deadline to file a homestead exemption in Sarasota County Florida is March 1.  You will need to file a DR-501 application in person at the county property appraiser office.  Florida law requires that the A.  The property is your permanent residence.  B.  You owned the property as of January 1.  C.  You live in the property and treat it as your permanent residence.  Homestead exemptions will give you a credit of approximately $500 off of your tax bill.  Of course there are many factors that go into to this, so make sure to ask the county property appraiser.

Make sure to give me a call if you for all of your Real Estate questions, I would be glad to help.  Mark 941-408-5326

Venice Florida mid February update.  As of today there are currently 1,033 active properties on the market.  There are 405 Pending properties.  405 Pending represents a strong demand for properties.  There have been 51 closings take place this month with the average List Price of $185,710 and the Sold Price of $168,897.  This gives us a sale price to list price ratio of 93%.  Last year there were 137 closings for the month of February.  Look forward to giving a good report at the end of the month.

What is a CDD?  It is a government unit that is used to plan, operate and maintain a community for the benefit of its residents.  A CDD will be governed by the landowner appointed supervisors initially.  After a period of time…approximately 6 years, the CDD will transition to residents supervision.  The Board operates under strict ethic and financial disclosure laws.

The benefits to the residents inside a CDD will be consistent level of public facilities and services…Examples “Road Maintenance, Landscape around the community etc.  The board will determine the quality, type and expense of the facilities and service.  The district community ensures that the development of the facilities and services are completed in line with other parts of the development.  The CDD and residents working together help protect the property values in the community.

The expense of a CDD is paid by the people that benefit from the services.  The CDD is assessed through the county tax collector.  Generally there will be a fixed assessment and a fluctuating assessment for operations and maintenance.  In general the CDD will add between $600 – $1,200 per year to your tax bill.

Two communities in the Venice area that have CDD fees:  Stoneybrook of Venice and Venetian Golf and River Club.

Please give me a call if you have any questions regarding CDD’s Mark Cummings 941-408-5326

Caspersen Beach is one of the places many visitors to Venice never get to.  At the end of Harbor Drive, just a bit beyond Sharkys’, on the South end of the Island of Venice sits 177 acres of land with over 9,000 linear feet of gulf beach frontage.  There is so much to do in this private paradise.  You can walk the nature trail, fish in Red Lake, Search for Shells and prehistoric sharks’ teeth watch the dolphins, utilize the covered playground…and so much more.  The beachfront is in its natural state, just like you would have found it hundreds of years ago.  There are bathrooms located at the entry and plenty of places to enjoy a picnic.

We were able to go to an open house for the Sky Academy this week.  Sky is a charter school for grades 6 – 8 that opened last year.  The director of the school Dr. Oleh Bula has over 18 years of experience in education and seemed to have a passion for helping children achieve their goals through education and fitness.  The community of Venice has been blessed to have a wide array of charter schools along with strong traditional schools, giving the residents a choice in education to fit every child.

More information about SKY Academy

Venice Florida almost sets record number for closings.  According to Venice MLS there were 158 sold properties in Venice.  When looking back, the best January that I could find was back in 2004 “161″ and 2005 “155″.  There was a four year stretch that our market didn’t sell over 80 units in the month of January.  I’ll report final numbers later next week…Our Average sale price was $165,729 in Venice.  Down just a bit from last years average.  January 2011 our average sale price was $163,478.

Many times I have clients ask…Where are we at compared to pre-boom times…My best answer would be 2002.  In January 2002 the average sale price was $167,000.

For all your real estate needs…Call 941-408-5326 and ask for Mark

969 Chickadee Dr Virtual Tour Link

This amazing home will be featured in the Sarasota Homes and Land publication in February.  Contact Mark Cummings 941-408-5326 to view this great property today.

Looking over the Sold properties in Venice this morning.  There have been 122 so far.  Currently there are 1,056 units that are active and 375 pending.  375 pending properties is a large…

Plantation had 2 nice closings this month.  482 Sherbrooke Ct 4 bed/3bath 3,724 sq ft built in 1991 sold for $495,000.  617 Khyber Lane 3 bed/2 bath 2,313 sq ft built in 1994 sold for $320,000.

Here is a link to the Plantation Golf and Country Club

The seller just reduced the price of this great home to $159,900.

Beautiful pool home in Venice East.Enjoy the privacy this quiet street gives you. The park like setting and large oak tree’s will make you feel at home right away. This 3 bedroom 2 bath home offers a large fenced yard along with a large pool with new cage and pool heater. Complete remodel in 2009 included updating of the kitchen and baths and so much more. Close to shopping, golf and beaches. Ride your bike to the Jacaranda Library.

Call me today to view: 941-408-5326

Sarasota County Schools have been ranked 4th in the state of Florida.  There are 67 districts in the state of Florida.

Here is the article in the Sarasota Herald Tribune:  Sarasota Is 4th