Marc Rasmussen's Blog: All Categories

I have a client that has been in a 5 month process to buy a short sale. It has been very frustrating for everyone, me, buyer, seller, new lender and listing agent. The short sale process is utterly ridiculous. We even have an attorney working for both the buyer and seller to try to get the short sale approved. My client has remained very calm for the last 5 months waiting for some sort of response from the bank . Of course, we have received the typical vague answers that the banks are programmed to say.

So, out of frustration, my client wrote a letter to Barack Obama about the whole ordeal. He doesn't really expect the President to answer him but I am sure he felt better after he wrote it. I posted the letter below or you can read it here. You might find…

I've noticed something interesting lately in Sarasota, Florida. Several beach front & bay front homes have recently gone under contract. Just off the top of my head I know of 3 beach front homes on north Longboat Key, 2 on Siesta Key, and a bay front home on Lido Key (shown above) for $8,999,000 have gone under contract. There also have been several homes and lots on the beach that have closed within the last 60 days. We just had a home on Bird Key close for $4.75 million.

Is the smart money buying?

Sarasota seems to be forming a bottom. The low end of the market is selling quickly. I cannot imagine prices will drop too much more in that segment of the market. If you ever wanted to get into buying…

I just listed this chic condo in 100 Central in downtown Sarasota, Florida. This is a 1 bedroom, den, 2 bathroom condo in the heart of downtown. This would be a great winter getaway or the perfect spot for a young professional couple. The unit has 991 square feet and a large terrace overlooking the city. It is an end unit so there are extra windows and the unit is filled with plenty of natural light.

The asking price is $439,750. We used the condo above, unit 401, as a guide for our pricing. It is the exact same floor plan and is currently under contract. The asking price of 401 was $445,000.

Property description:

Located in the heart of downtown Sarasota, this bright end unit is within footsteps of Whole Foods, Marina Jacks, Farmer’s Market,…

I was in the gym the other day talking to a buddy of mine. His friend has his house on the market. After he told me that I could immediately see frustration in his face. I got the, "Why hasn't my house sold yet?" question from the guy. It is a pretty common question that many Realtors get from sellers.

Here are 5 reasons why your home may have not sold.

1) Lousy Photos

There are a lot of properties out there for sale. Buyers typically have several properties to choose from so sellers really need to set themselves apart. Roughly 9 out of 10 buyers start their search on the internet. If you have limited photos or if they are blurry or dark you really hinder your chances of having the buyers want to…

Looking for breathtaking water views yet want to be within walking distance to Whole Foods, Sarasota arts district, countless restaurants, Marina Jacks, a multitude of quaint shops and all of the other amenities in downtown Sarasota? Take alook at the Condo on the Bay unit in downtown Sarasota, Florida.

I always enjoy showing these because the minute you enter the condo buyers are hit with a stunning view of the Sarasota bay. If you get high enough in the building you can even see the Gulf of Mexico. I have yet to find anyone not impressed with the water view. They are the best that downtown Sarasota has to offer.

The two buildings are made up of 888 and 988 Boulevard of the Arts. They were constructed in 1982 and there are a total of 272 condominiums.…

Foreclosure is the current buzz word in the real estate world. I get frequent requests from home buyers who want to only look for bank owned properties. While there are some tremendous values to be found in properties owned by banks those are not the only properties out there that are priced well. If you are only looking at foreclosures you are probably missing out on other great properties with realistic and motivated owners.

Sarasota Foreclosure Statistics since 1/1/2009

• 1,462 bank owned properties sold in Sarasota & Manatee counties
• 4,876 properties sold in Sarasota & Manatee counties
• Bank owned properties amount to 30% of total sales
• Longboat Key - 3 sales
• Siesta…

Lido Shores is an exclusive community located on Lido Key, just north of St. Armands Circle and south of Longboat Key.  Some of the waterfront and bayfront homes are breathtaking. There are several beach front estates in Lido Shores that are some of the most expensive real estate in Sarasota, Florida. All residents of Lido Shores has a deeded beach access so playing in the sands of Lido Key beach is very convenient. Many of the older homes have been scraped to make way for larger more modern structures. The waterfront homes on Westway drive are either on the beach or bay. They provide majestic water and beach views.

Lido Shores Homes Video Tour

If I can help you buy or sell a Lido Shores home please call me at 941.812.6272. Visit Lido Key homes…

Looking for a great waterfront home on Longboat Key? Take a stroll with me through the neighborhood of Country Club Shores on the south end of the island. The community is made up of single family homes on and off the water. The water front homes either sit on the canal or the bay front. The bay front homes offer spectacular wide open bay views. Some of them look to the south east towards downtown Sarasota, Florida. The views are simply breathtaking.

Country Club Shores Homes on Video

If you are looking to buy a Country Club Shores home give me a call at 941.812.6272. Visit - Longboat Key homes for sale to view hundreds of homes for sale on the island. I would be happy to help you buy or sell.