Florida Real Estate & Lifestyle Blog

  New construction incentives can reduce a buyer's costs, but a builder credit and a price cut do not create the same financial result. A price reduction lowers the home's purchase price, while a builder credit may help pay eligible closing costs or, depending on the offer and financing structure, s

    Palm Gables condos in Holmes Beach offer a low-density beachfront setting directly along the Gulf of Mexico on Anna Maria Island. The community contains only seven condominium residences, creating a distinctly different ownership experience from a large Gulf-front complex. Gulf views, direct acc

    Palm Cay is a low-rise condominium community at 3000 Gulf Drive in Holmes Beach on Anna Maria Island, offering compact island residences remarkably close to the Gulf beach. Verified Palm Cay condos include one-bedroom and two-bedroom layouts, with documented residences around 700 to 756 square f

    Cayman Cay Villas is a small condominium community at 4307 Gulf Drive in Holmes Beach on Anna Maria Island. The community has 18 residences divided between two low-rise buildings, with verified units offering two bedrooms, two bathrooms and approximately 1,027 square feet of living area. Residen

    Gulf Place is a direct Gulf-front condominium community at 6700 Gulf Drive in Holmes Beach on Anna Maria Island. The community combines immediate beach access with a heated swimming pool, tennis facilities and condominium residences that can offer Gulf, beach or pool-oriented views depending on

    Citrus Square is a mixed-use condominium development along North Orange Avenue in Sarasota’s Rosemary District, immediately north of the traditional downtown core. The development combines residential condominiums with street-level commercial space, giving owners a lower-rise urban alternative t

    Closing costs are the upfront expenses associated with completing a home purchase and, when financing is involved, obtaining the mortgage. They are separate from the home's purchase price and generally separate from the down payment. Depending on the transaction, buyer costs can include lender c

    Property taxes can change substantially after you buy a Florida house, especially when the seller has owned and homesteaded the property for many years. A change of ownership generally causes the property's assessed value to be reset to just value as of January 1 following the change of ownershi

    Some of the best child-friendly places in Venice, Florida include Centennial Park and its splash pad, Legacy Park's train-themed playground, Venice Beach, Maxine Barritt Park, the Venice Fishing Pier area and downtown Venice's Shark Spotting and fairy-door adventures. Families can also explore n

    You should consider having a structural engineer evaluate a home when a general inspection, visible condition, property history or planned renovation raises a meaningful question about the building's structural performance. Examples can include significant or unusual cracking, apparent foundatio

    A pending special assessment is not automatically a reason to avoid buying a condo, but it is a reason to investigate carefully before moving forward. The key questions are why the assessment is needed, whether it has actually been approved, how much could be allocated to the unit, what work it

    Lakewood National is a gated golf community in Lakewood Ranch built around 36 holes of Arnold Palmer-designed championship golf. Unlike communities where buyers purchase a home and then separately decide whether to join a private club, Lakewood National uses a bundled model that connects the gol

    Casa Sierra is a small four-unit condominium community in Holmes Beach on Anna Maria Island, with residences at 203 and 205 36th Street. The property is not directly Gulf-front, but current management information places the Gulf beach approximately a two-minute walk away. Casa Sierra combines tw

    Tradewinds Beach Resort at 1603 Gulf Drive North offers one of the more distinctive cottage-style settings in Bradenton Beach on Anna Maria Island. Instead of a conventional multistory condominium tower, Tradewinds features colorful coastal cottages and apartments surrounded by tropical landscap

    Sunset Villas is a small six-residence condominium community at 1001 Gulf Drive South in Bradenton Beach on Anna Maria Island. Positioned across Gulf Drive from the Gulf of Mexico, the community combines beach access, Gulf views, screened outdoor spaces and a heated pool with the lower-density a

    Earnest money and a down payment are not the same thing. Earnest money is a good-faith deposit connected with your purchase contract, typically paid after you enter into the agreement and held in escrow while the transaction moves toward closing. A down payment is the portion of the home's purch

    The best mortgage depends on your finances, down payment, credit profile, military eligibility, property type, location, expected ownership period and the actual loan offers available to you. Conventional financing may work well for many qualified buyers, FHA can offer additional flexibility for

    Some of the most popular places to go in Bradenton, Florida include the Bradenton Riverwalk, Robinson Preserve, The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature, De Soto National Memorial, LECOM Park and Manatee Village Historical Park. Bradenton also puts residents close to preserves, boating, golf and

      Deed restrictions are private restrictions or covenants that can limit or regulate how a property is used. Depending on the property and the applicable documents, they may address exterior changes, fences, landscaping, parking, leasing, signs, pets, architectural standards or other uses. In a

    One of the rewards of living on Florida's Gulf Coast is having remarkable wildlife experiences close to home. Around Sarasota, residents can watch dolphins in coastal waters, look for manatees, photograph wading birds, paddle through mangrove habitat and spend a morning exploring wetlands, prair