Realtors enjoyed a much better September this year than last, though that’s largely attributable to Hurricane Ian disrupting market activity in 2023.

The Realtor Association of Sarasota and Manatee reports 1,770 sales across the North Port-Sarasota-Beadenton metropolitical region. That’s a 40.1% increase over September 2022, when 1,263 units sold, but just a 0.7S% increase from August. Hurricane Ian made landfall on Sept. 28, but largely stopped for days before that, and recovery from the storm particularly in South Sarasota disrupted the market afterward.

“Despite the current market fluctuations, median sale prices in Sarasota and Manatee counties remain relatively stable,” said Brian Tresidder, 2023 RASM President and Strategic Growth & Sales Manager at William Raveis Real Estate. “Home prices are maintaining their value and only experiencing a marginal decrease from previous highs.”

The median sales price on single-family homes in the market was $499,945, a 1% drop from last year. For condos, the median sales price remained exactly the same as a year ago, at $375,000.

So while the volume of total sales was up $49 million in condos and $277 million in homes, the cast of homes remains roughly the same as it was last year and where it has been the last couple months. While sales activity comes and goes, prices stay largely the same.

“The real estate market in the North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton MSA is a constant ‘tug-of-war’ between new listings and pending sales,” said Tresidder. “This dynamic is contributing to a slow but steady rise in the month’s supply of inventory.”

But inventory reports signal this remains distinctly a seller’s market. There’s a 3.2-month inventory of homes and a 3.3-month supply of condos. Real estate professionals consider aix-month inventory of homes to be a balanced market. In Manatee County, the home inventory remains at less than a 3-month supply. 

Graphic courtesy RASM.

Tervis, the nationally loved and family-owned drinkware company founded in 1946, recently appointed Hosana Fieber as its new CEO, with Rogan Donelly, the company’s current CEO, moving into an executive chairman of the board position. The change in leadership comes as a result of the business being poised to enter a significant growth phase. As a whole, no changes will be made to the ownership of Tervis, and the Donelly family will continue to drive the family legacy through the brand.Fieber, who was most recently promoted to chief operating officer and chief financial officer of Tervis in 2021, first began her tenure with Tervis in 2009. Throughout her career with the drinkware company, she has held a number of roles, including financial planning and analysis manager, controller and vice president. “When I first started at Tervis many years ago, it quickly felt like I was part of an amazing family culture that produced timeless, quality products,” said Fieber. “I have a deep and strong affinity for the Tervis brand, and I'm passionate about our people and our product. My vision for the future is anchored in those truths." Most recently, Fieber was the chief financial officer at Organics Management Holdings in Okahumpka, Florida. She has her bachelor’s degree from The University of Miami and her master's degree in business administration from Florida State University. In her new returning role as CEO, Fieber will be tasked with running the day-to-day operations of the company, creating and driving a strategic plan for the organization, and ensuring both short and long-term goals are coming to fruition for Tervis. Donelly, a third-generation owner of Tervis, was appointed as CEO in 2016. As he moves into his new role as executive chairman of the board, Donelly will be entrusted with making higher-level decisions for the future and long-term vision of the company, monitoring and measuring the strategic plan, community philanthropy and ensuring the company’s mission is being met. The board currently has seven members, four of which are Donelly family members and three of which are external. “With such promising growth on the horizon for our brand, there is really no better time than now to have Hosana take the reins as Tervis’ new CEO,” said Donelly. “Hosana has an unwavering commitment to our family business and her goals are very closely aligned with ours. We are looking forward to her continuing the success of our brand.” The leadership change is effective immediately.

Pictured: Hosana Fieber and Rogan Donelly.

For the month of September, 230,685 passengers traveled through the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport, a 21% increase compared to 190,405 passengers in September 2022. The 12-month activity through September 2023 totals 4,249,760 passengers, a 13% increase compared to 3,746,571 passengers for the 12 months through September 2022. SRQ has seen a 14% increase in passengers for the calendar year-to-date as compared to the first 9 months of 2022. “We are pleased to see continued growth in the number of passengers using the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport. To support our ongoing growth, we are diligently working towards completing numerous infrastructure projects that will facilitate the expansion of the airport, while consistently delivering the level of customer service and amenities our passengers anticipate. In addition to the recently opened cell phone lot, airport improvements will include additional paved parking lots, a new ground transportation area, updated food and beverage concessions, and a new 5-gate terminal. Many of these improvements are currently on schedule to be completed by the end of next year,” stated Rick Piccolo, President, CEO of the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport. 

Sarasota Memorial Hospital honored two physicians for outstanding service this week and announced its 2023-2024 chiefs of staff for the SMH-Sarasota and SMH-Venice campuses. Rickey Wiseman, MD, was awarded Sarasota Memorial’s 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award and Matthew Waldron, MD, was named 2023 Physician of the Year. After input from the medical staff, a committee of physician leaders recognized Drs. Wiseman and Waldron at the SMH-Sarasota annual medical staff meeting on Oct. 17. Rickey Wiseman, MD, received the 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award for decades of dedicated service to Sarasota Memorial and the community. A longtime internal medicine specialist in the community, Dr. Wiseman has spent the past 45 years combining his passion for medicine, compassion for people and strong faith while caring for patients in our community. His peers praise him as a mentor and role model for compassionate, high-quality care. Dr. Wiseman has volunteered his time and services caring for low-income and uninsured patients at Sarasota Memorial’s Community Specialty Clinic since its inception 30 years ago, while also caring for patients in a busy private practice for decades. Among other contributions, he continues to serve as medical director and a volunteer physician in his retirement at the clinic, which provides free care, consults and specialty services to thousands of vulnerable Sarasota County residents each year. Mathew Waldron, MD, a cardiac anesthesiologist, was awarded Sarasota Memorial’s 2023 Physician of the Year. Dr. Waldron joined Sarasota Memorial’s medical staff in 2022, but served a vital role his first year as the health system opened its own anesthesiology practice to meet the growing region’s increasing medical needs. Although a relative newcomer to Sarasota, Dr. Waldron’s advocacy and unwavering dedication to patients and his ability to lead, unify and inspire his peers helped Sarasota Memorial create a new anesthesia practice that combined longtime anesthesiology professionals in the community with new ones recruited by SMH, creating the largest medical division within SMH’s First Physicians Group (FPG). Dr. Waldron’s peers praised him for his tireless efforts the past year to coordinate a successful transition during a challenging, nationwide shortage of healthcare professionals. In related news, the Medical Staffs of SMH-Sarasota and SMH-Venice selected their Chiefs of Staff for 2023-2024: Sarah Temple, MD, was named Chief of Staff, serving as the top representative of SMH-Sarasota campus’ 1,800-plus medical staff members and advanced practice providers; she succeeds Jonathan Hoffberger, DO, whose one-year term as chief ends this month. Scott Perrin, MD, was named Chief of Staff for the SMH-Venice campus, serving as the top representative for that hospital’s 1,200-plus medical staff members and advanced practice providers; he succeeds Christopher Jefferson, MD, who has served as chief since the hospital opened in 2021.  

The Federal Aviation Administration’s Southern Region Airports Division has named Fredrick J. Piccolo, AAE, President, Chief Executive Officer of the Sarasota Manatee Airport Authority, the 2022 Air Carrier Airport Manager of the Year.  This award is given to an airport professional who exemplifies excellence in airport management, demonstrates exceptional leadership, tirelessly works to promote the aviation industry, and has achieved efficiencies and improved productivity in their organization. Recognizing his achievements, the award emphasizes Piccolo’s aptitude for guiding the airport through unprecedented passenger growth, marked by an outstanding increase of 46% over 2021 and 155% over 2020.  From 2018 through 2022, the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport grew from 6 airlines and 12 nonstop destinations to 11 airlines and 54 nonstop destinations.  During this time, Piccolo ensured the design and construction of multiple projects to meet the growth of the airport, including an expansion of the screening checkpoint from four to six lanes which increased efficiency by 33%; enlarging the long-term, shade, and overflow parking lots; adding a new paved cell phone lot with amenities; quadrupling the on-site fuel storage capacity; and the groundbreaking and construction of a new 5-gate terminal. Piccolo has been successful in obtaining FAA, FDOT, and State grant money to help pay for several expansion projects, allowing the airport to remain debt free.  The pay-as-you-go philosophy Piccolo instituted after paying off the airport’s bond debt in 2014 has allowed the airport to keep its rates and charges low, resulting in increased demand by airlines to serve the airport.  “I am very grateful and humbled to receive this award from the FAA Southern Region Division.  This is a testament to the great team of employees and tenants at the airport who work diligently every day to make our users’ journey safe, secure, and as stress-free as possible, especially during this period of unprecedented growth at SRQ,” said Rick Piccolo, President, CEO. Piccolo has been President, CEO of the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport since 1995 and has served as Chairman with state, national and international aviation organizations. This is his second time being named FAA Air Carrier Airport Manager of the Year – he was honored with this award in 2005. Locally, Piccolo serves on numerous business, charitable and educational boards. He also serves on the University of South Florida Board of Trustees. 

Sarasota County Libraries and Historical Resources is giving residents a chance to tap into the power of legal knowledge by partnering with the Young Lawyer’s Division of the Sarasota Bar Association. Attorneys will provide free presentations followed by question and answer sessions at Selby Library, 1331 1st St., Sarasota on Oct. 25, Oct. 27 and Oct. 28. The sessions will take place over three days and cover a variety of topics including estate planning, financial literacy, landlord/tenant issues, debt collection, and more. “One of the most requested topics from library patrons is for legal advice,” said Renée Di Pilato, director of Libraries and Historical Resources. “Our goal is to empower residents by providing them with information on popular topics and by connecting them with resources for legal assistance.” The events are free and open to the public. Attendees will have the opportunity to have one-on-one discussions with attorneys and local organizations to learn what resources are available. “The Young Lawyer’s Division of the Sarasota Bar is dedicated to impacting our community in a positive way,” said Forest Sutton, Assistant State Attorney of the Twelfth Judicial Court. “I’m hopeful that this program will be a continuous endeavor towards increasing access to information and resources to our community members in vital areas that desperately need information. We’re honored to be able to assist those who seek out help that couldn’t otherwise afford legal representation.”  The schedule is as follows: 6 – 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 25 - Personal finances and budgeting and Financial Literacy and Debt and Credit. 2:30 – 4 p.m., Friday, Oct. 27 - Wills and estate planning and Controlling your assets. 10:30 – 2:30 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 28- Landlord/tenant rights (10:30 – 11:30 a.m.),  Domestic violence (12 - 1 p.m.) and Criminal law: interactions with law enforcement at traffic stops (1:30 – 2:30 p.m.). No registration is required. For more information, email mfavorite@scgov.net or call 941-861-5421. 

On Thursday, First Lady Casey DeSantis was joined by Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD) Director Taylor Hatch and New College of Florida President Richard Corcoran to recognize October as Disability Employment Awareness Month and highlight new job opportunities available through Hope Florida – A Pathway to Possibilities. Through this initiative, New College of Florida is providing employment opportunities for individuals with unique abilities, including positions at libraries and food-service locations on campus. As the first educational institution to partner with Hope Florida, New College announced scholarships specifically for Floridians served by Hope Florida, including Floridians with unique abilities. New College’s new Hope Florida scholarships include two full-tuition, room and board scholarships which will be awarded annually to two Hope Florida participants, as well as additional assistance opportunities, such as book stipends. Following the event, Chancellor of the State University System Ray Rodrigues and Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz Jr. sent a letter to all Florida colleges and universities asking them to join these efforts. Click here to view the letter. Ensuring there are employment opportunities for participants is a key component of Hope Florida. New College of Florida is partnering with the initiative to specifically provide jobs and educational scholarships for people with unique abilities and other Floridians served by Hope Florida. October is a key month for the developmental disability community and holds significant importance in raising awareness and promoting the employment and empowerment of individuals with these unique abilities. As a part of the event, First Lady DeSantis also recognized Aladdin Equipment Company, Inc. as an Exceptional Employer for their continued commitment to employing this population. Hope Florida, created by First Lady Casey DeSantis and implemented by a number of state agencies, was first launched in 2021. Since its inception, the initiative has served more than 74,000 people, helping over 8,500 Hope Florida participants to reduce or eliminate reliance on public assistance to meet food or cash needs. Over a 10-year period, participant reduction of public assistance will save taxpayers almost $190 million.