Are the Venice Florida real estate Englewood Florida real estate markets getting any better?  If you look at the statistics as compared to 15 months ago, October 2007; YES it is getting better but home values are still declining.  The inventory is still down (not as many homes available for sale) and the amount of homes sold and that were under contract has increased.  The number of homes for sale in the Venice FL and Englewood FL markets combined as compared to 15 months ago has dropped 17.4%.  Homes that have sold (closed) have increased 88.1% and homes under contract (pending) are up 69.6%. The average days on the market (DOM) has dropped from 137 to 123 and list to sales price ratio although has fluctuated over the past 15 months is at 90%, down 1.1%, which means that the average ho... 01/12/2009

Hello folks, I decided to spend my New years day visiting one of Florida's beaches which I have not been to in some time. A huge benefit we have by living in Florida is that there is never a "lack of" plenty of beaches to visit for a bit of variety. Thursday morning I woke up bright and early and headed out to Casperson beach in Sarasota County. Casperson Beach is also considered one of the beaches of Venice, Florida. An interesting aspect of the beaches in Sarasota (Venice Florida) is the abundance of sharks teeth which you can find on the beaches. Casperson beach is considered by many people to be a particularly good beach for finding the teeth and if you hit it at the right time, usually is not crowded. Some of the better areas to find the teeth is around the rocks and at the low tid... 01/02/2009

A home inspections are different then appraisals.  Home inspections are for buyers and appraisals are for lenders.  A home inspection will provide the buyer with detailed information about the condition of the property before the closing.  You should always employ a qualified home inspector, one who is certified by the National Association of Certified Home Inspectors.  The home inspector will evaluate the condition, structure and mechanical systems of the home looking for any major defects (such as structural damage) and alert you to any safety hazards that may exist.  You will also be provided with a written report, photographs and a checklist of items that will need to be addressed.  An appraisal are for lenders and are required to several reasons; to estimate the market value of the... 12/31/2008

Favorite Inspriational Quotes   "Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude."Thomas Jefferson   12/30/2008

j This is a Black Drum caught off my dock on Robert's Bay.  They are delicious eating.  This week we also caught some Red Fish and Snook.  We clean the fish and cook them in a huge cast iron skillet over the gas grill outside with lots of blackened redfish seasoning and butter.  A side of roasted red garlic potatoes and tossed salad - yummy!  Come to Venice and fish off the Jetty's or any public park.  By the way our beaches are all public parks - with free parking and plenty of it.      12/30/2008

A home is typically the biggest investment most people will make in their lifetime.  In these challenging times and unexpected repair or replacement cost can be difficult to manage and trying to find the right professional to fix your problem can be stressful.  Having a home protection plan won't stop your appliances from breaking down but will help cover some or all of the costs of covered repairs and replacements. Some of the items that a home protection plan may cover are plumbing, water heater, electrical, pool and spa equipment, air conditioning, and appliances.  How much money do you think it would cost to repair your air conditioner should it break down?  Depending on the problem, it could range in the thousands of dollars. There are many different home protection plans available... 12/29/2008

Finding and purchasing a home that will meet your needs, now and in the years to come, is a significant and often stressful time. My goal is to make this transition as smooth as possible. Here are some tips that you may follow to help make the search for finding your dream home seamless. Before you start looking for a home, you should ask yourself a few questions: Where do you want to live? Do you want to be near schools, shopping or work? What kind of house would you like (need)? Are you looking for a particular style such as single family home, condo or luxury home? How many bedrooms and bathrooms do you want? Do you want a yard? How much house can you afford? Have you consulted a Realtor or mortgage lender to determine the size of the mortgage you would qualify for?  It is extremely ... 12/29/2008

I can't think of a better place to live.  You can walk or bike to the beach or adorable downtown area from most any condo or home on the island.  Condo prices start at under $100,000 and go over $1,000,000.  Homes begin in the low $200,000s up to $4,000,000.  Since Venice Island has 3 bridges to get off and on we don't suffer the traffic jams that other islands and keys in the area have.  The following are the amenities we have on the island: 1. Gulf Beaches, including a designated dog beach 2. Shops and restaurants, including a beachfront restaurant with fishing pier called Sharky's 3.  Venice Yach Club - low summer rates 4.  Library, art center, community center, theatre, symphony 5.  Boating, kayaking, canoeing, skiing, snorkeling, diving, all water sports 6.  Free yoga on the beach ... 12/29/2008

Steve Wooster, Chairman of the Green Real Estate Alliance of Sarasota Florida offered me this great "Green Marketing" tip:  Celebrate Arbor Day and join the 4th Grader Foresters Program.  Arbor Day is the third Friday of January for Florida, January 19th.  Every state celebrates Arbor Day on a different date.  To check the day your state celebrates Arbor Day visit www.arborday.org.  The project is a simple and inexpensive way for you to sponsor the 4th grade students at your local elementary school in your community.  Sponsors can attach a their business card to each tree and sponsorship can be announced in press releases to local media.  This is the best feel good marketing you can ever do. This project will help revitalize observation of Arbor in our schools and to send every fourth g... 12/28/2008

Venice, Florida is one of the most beautiful communities in Florida and is located directly on the Gulf of Mexico.  Venice is a very popular place to live for retired seniors and families.  Venice FL is known for its beautiful beaches, scenic parks, quaint downtown shopping and its lovely boulevard shaded by giant live oaks that extend from downtown to the Venice Beaches.  Venice is also know as the "Sharks Tooth Capitlal of the World" and is the best location to find prehistoric sharks teeth and other treasures on their beautiful Florida beaches.  In addition to the lovely beach, a central park along Venice's main street, Venice Avenue, is the site of concerts, arts and craft shows, and various special events.  Venice Municipal Airport is 2 miles away from downtown Venice and sits near... 12/28/2008

Is the Venice FL real estate and Englewood FL real estate getting any better? If you look at the statistics as compared to 15 months ago, September 2007; YES it is getting better but we are still in a declining market. The inventory is down (not as many homes available for sale) and more homes have sold and were are under contract to sell. The number of homes for sale in the Venice FL and Englewood FL markets combined as compared to 15 months ago has dropped 13.8%. Homes that have closed has risen 25.9% and homes under contract are up 115.3%. The average days on the market (DOM) has dropped from 146 to 112 and list to sales price ratio although has fluctuated over the past 15 months is still at 91%, which means that the average home is selling for 8% - 9% off the stated list price. If y... 12/28/2008

Thank you to everyone who helped us relocate the newest member of our family, Smokey.  And a very special thank you to Kathleen Weeden for allowing us to adopt him.  Smokey is settling into his new home nicely and loves being with the children.  Yesterday, Smokey decided to lay down and take a little nap with all of my children.  Michael, Anna and Rachael laid down with Smokey for a well deserved afternoon siesta.  I wish I could have taken a picture of it but I missed it.  I think if the kids could sleep in the pasture with Smokey all the time they would.  We would love everyone to stop by and welcome Smokey to our family. 12/27/2008

In this highly competitive market only the most dedicated agents become successful and stay in business.  Those agents create a business plan, use it as a guide line, follow it and track their efforts.  This allows you to stay focused on the what works, allows you to work smarter, not harder.  You should set your goals both professionally and personally.  Review what worked well for you in 2008 and repeat it.  Set your income goals and calculate the number of transactions needed to accomplish those goals.  Develop a business and marketing budget which include all your business costs when you are setting your income goals (cell phone, supplies, dues, postage, postcards, etc).  Create a plan to add prospects to your database. What will your professional development goals be for 2009 (brok... 12/20/2008

I am not new to real estate but I am a new agent.  Since joining Coldwell Banker in September of this year I can't tell you how many people, including my husband, told me that I was crazy for getting into this market at a time like this.  At times I began to wonder if everyone was right but I keep plugging on. I felt this is a perfect time to become an agent.  I have plenty of time to get the training I need, earn designations that will help me grow my business, involve myself with my community, and to get my name associated and recognized with real estate.  Since joining Coldwell Banker in September I immediately enrolled in their training program and completed 70 hours of training within the first month and an additional one week training course to learn the new Mid Florida Regional M... 12/17/2008

    What is Thanksgiving?  The month of November brings spectacular fall colors, hot chocolate and cozy nights by the fire.It's also a time of Thanksgiving - a time for Thank Yous.  In reflection, we all have found what it means to be thankful by cherishing our family, friends, and entrusting customers - even and the beauty that surrounds us everyday becomes reason to give thanks. From our family to your family...We hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving this year.   "Let us remember that, as much has been given us, much will be expected from us, and that true homage comes from the heart as well as from the lips, and shows itself in deeds." Theodore Roosevelt   Contact Kari A. Battaglia, licensed Realtor® in Venice Florida at 941-270-1851 to list your property for sale or to help you i... 11/27/2008

There is nothing better than fresh cranberry sauce to compliment your turkey on Thanksgiving Day.  It is so easy to make and it tastes like you put so much effort into it.  There are of course many ways of preparing this delicious condiment but I love it plain and simple.  Now my mother loves canned cranberry sauce and I have to serve it too on Thanksgiving Day just for her.  What do you think?  Do you agree with my mother that the canned variety is better?  I guess everyone has their own taste.  Here is my recipe for fresh cranberry sauce:  1 package of organic cranberries, 1 cup of water, 1 cup of sugar and a little dash of ground clove.  Cook in a medium sauce pan for about 10 - 15 minutes until the little cranberries start to burst.  Put in a serving dish and cover.  Refrigerate for... 11/23/2008

I wanted to share with everyone something I learned from a real estate agent a few months ago during a GRI class I attended in Sarasota, Florida. I noticed that one of my fellow classmates had one of those cool new paper thin Apple laptops with a small box the size of a deck of cards attached to it. I had to go over and check out this great new laptop. After speaking with her I learned that she had recently gone through what she explained to be nothing short of a nightmare; her business laptop had been stolen! Replacing the stolen laptop is easily done, but replacing your customer data base, history of customer communications, tasks lists, calendar, emails, documents, spreadsheets, pictures, etc. may not be replaceable. It took her months and countless hours to restore her lost informat... 11/23/2008

Finally all of my hard work blogging, posting, and months of my husband asking me what are you doing on Active Rain again has paid off.  I got my first call from someone who read my Active Rain profile.  I have to tell you I was thrilled.  When I got off the phone I yelled "Y E S it works!"  I got a call from buyers in Long Island, New York.  They are looking to buy a winter home here in Florida and plan to retire here in 7 years.  They first started their search in the Naples area and a friend of theirs told them they should check out the Venice Florida area and how beautiful it is here.  The buyers went to the internet and found my Active Rain profile on About.com and gave me a call.  I asked them when they plan on coming to the Venice area, that I would love to show them around and w... 11/06/2008

I just attending a Green Real Estate Professional Alliance Workshop at our local board which was a program developed by Steve Wooster of Michael Saunders in Sarasota Florida to help our Realtors® association develop a new committee under our local board called the Green Real Estate Alliance.  Steve is currently the Chairman and founding member of the Green Real Estate Alliance of Sarasota and his goal is to spread the word.  The Green Real Estate Alliance will help teach members and the general public about energy efficent and environmentally friendly home features, and the many ways to help protect our environment.  Green real estate is attracting buyers.  Green homes are not just good for the environment but also a way for your to make your listing stand out from all the rest.  I am e... 10/24/2008

This is my continuing series of promoting many of my business partners.  They all have their special strengths, and I feel I would like to help them promote their business.  If you ever do business with any of these people or businesses, please feel free to comment here about your experiences! Today, for my second issue, I would like to promote: Sandra Wiseman - Wiseman Law Office 355 West Venice Ave Venice, FL Attorney at Law specializing in Real Estate Litigation and Real Estate Closings. Active Member of the Attorney's Title Insurance Fund (The Fund). Additionally, a former insurance defense attorney and public defender, also taking personal injury and criminal defense cases. Business Category: Legal/Mediation While Sandra technically is also a business 'networking partner' she has h... 08/09/2008