Total home sales in November increased year over year, and active listings reached a year-long high in the Sarasota-Bradenton region.

Data released by the Realtor Association of Sarasota and Manatee shows the market activity approaching levels leading into the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Total residential sales in the North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton metropolitan area rose more than 26% in November, compared to the prior year, but were down 1.6% compared to October.

Sarasota County saw particular growth in number of sales with a 31% jump in single-family home sales, to 541 sales, and a 30.7% spike in condominium unit sales, to 294 sales. In Manatee, home sales went up 22.2% to 550 sales while condo sales rose 20.7% to 198 sales.

“Despite the high prices, high-interest rates and insurance concerns, the housing demand in the area remains strong, keeping home sales and prices steady,” said Brian Tesidder, Realtor Association president and William Raveis Real Estate vice president of operations. “Despite the high prices, high-interest rates, and insurance concerns, the housing demand in the area remains strong, keeping home sales and prices steady.”

The median price of homes differed in each county, largely thanks to a luxury condominium development, Bayso, coming online in Downtown Sarasota. The median sales price on condominium units in Sarasota County jumped to a record high $547,704, a 58.8% increase from last November. Moreover, more than a third of all condo sales in the county were at $1 million or more. In Manatee, the price of condos decreased 1.8%, to $351,500.

Tresidder cautioned that surge in condo prices is somewhat misleading, as it counts all sales where a certificate of occupancy was just released.

“The surge in closings and median sale prices in the Sarasota condo market can be directly attributed to the completion of Sarasota's newest luxury condo building, marking the culmination of construction and the closing of a significant portion of the units for sale, providing a boost to the local real estate market,” Tresidder said.

“With new construction, data in the MLS isn’t typically marked as ‘closed’ until the building’s certificate of occupancy is issued and pending reservations can be completed. That’s why this month shows an atypical number of Sarasota County condos sold, thus doubling the dollar volume this month.”

In Manatee, the median price for single-family homes also dropped 4.1% to $485,861, while in Sarasota, it increased, but by less than 1% to $500,000.

The number of active listings reached a high point for the year, with 7,444 listings in the region at the close of November. That’s a 53.8% increase from the prior year, and almost at 11% jump from October.

In the home market, Sarasota had a 4.3-month supply of single-family homes, while Manatee had a 3.4-month supply. For condos, Sarasota saw a major surge and now had a 4.9-month supply, while Manatee has a 4.4-month supply. But throughout the region, it remains a seller’s market. Realtors generally consider a market balanced if there’s a 6-month supply of homes.

Graphic courtesy Realtor Association of Sarasota and Manatee.

St. Armand’s Circle is home to some of the best shopping in Southwest Florida and will soon welcome a brand new Monkee’s boutique location in early 2024. The Monkee’s franchise was started in 1995 by Dee Dee Shaw in Wilmington, North Carolina, with Shaw aiming to open a girly and fashion-relevant store that offered plenty of high-end, department store items in a small-town, charming boutique setting. Since then, Monkee’s has opened stores in 12 states and developed a cult-like following for its varied styles between locations and impressive list of designer vendors.

The new location is set to open on February 2nd, and is owned by Lori Harpsoe, who moved to Sarasota from Cleveland, Ohio with her husband and two children in 2021 during the pandemic. She was drawn to Monkee’s because of its impressive, designer labels while visiting the location at Waterside Place, which opened in December 2022. “I’ve always loved fashion and it is the one thing that has always made me happy. I used to say ‘I want to open a boutique one day, but life gets in the way with routines and kid stuff,’” she says. “I first visited the Waterside Place location when one of my best friends from Ohio was visiting and was immediately drawn to the high-end feel. As I looked at the labels, I noticed that you don’t really see these kinds of brands in boutiques too often, so I took a business card, saw that it said franchise opportunities and thought that was exactly what I needed.”

What makes the Monkee’s company and its growing fleet of boutiques unique is the freedom owners are given to inject their own personality and flavor into the store’s offerings. While stores in North Carolina, South Carolina or Alabama might offer styles geared towards more Deep South, preppy looks, Harpsoe says that the Sarasota location will carry clothes, accessories and shoes catered to those looking for funky and trendy resort wear that will make their vacation or staycation even more memorable.

Another reason for Monkee’s immense popularity is its age-inclusive range of styles. “One of Monkee’s philosophies is that three generations of women should be able to come in and find something that fits their needs. I was trying to keep that in mind because I want to make sure there is something fun for everyone, especially for people on vacation here. I want people to come home from vacation with something that's special and unique and from our store, something that not every other boutique carries. I think that’s the fun part.”

Harpsoe continuously studies the latest fashion trends and handpicks every item that will be in the store, hoping to create a positive combination of cutting-edge fashion and personalized attention for those looking to find unique pieces for special occasions and top-notch customer service.

For more information, visit shopmonkees.com. 

Pictured: The new Monkee's Sarasota location is set to open in February 2024 and will offer trendy, funky and unique resort wear. Photo by Lori Harpsoe.

Architecture Sarasota announces the launch of “Downtown Sarasota: Hindsight, Insight and Foresight,” a four-part speaker series conceived to spark an informed and constructive community-wide discussion about downtown’s future. Beginning on January 24, at Art Ovation Hotel, the series will explore downtown Sarasota's evolution over the last two decades with four distinguished speakers—Andrés Duany, David Houle, Mitchell Silver, and Victor Dover. Speakers will address vital topics, including the current downtown master plan and how it was shaped two decades ago; how downtown has developed since then; the macro-level forces affecting the city; effective current downtown planning practices; and insights drawn from successful urban planning in other locales. Tickets are $35 for the series or $10 per lecture and can be purchased at ArchitectureSarasota.org. For more information, call 352-219-4122. Art Ovation is located at 1255 N. Palm Ave., Sarasota.  

Pictured: Mitchell Silver. Photo courtesy of Architecture Sarasota.

The Sarasota Alliance for Historic Preservation (SAHP), in collaboration with the History and Preservation Coalition of Sarasota County (HPCSC), announces nominations are now open for the 2024 Sarasota County Heritage Awards. Both organizations seek to recognize individuals and organizations that have made outstanding contributions to the preservation and understanding of Sarasota County’s prehistoric, historic and historical resources. Besides honoring those who have devoted themselves to maintaining the integrity of our region’s remaining architectural, archaeological, and historical assets, and educating the public about their importance, the Heritage Awards aims to raise the level of public support for governmental and citizen-based efforts to preserve our common past so future generations may learn from it. All nomination materials must be submitted by email or regular mail by January 15, 2024. Award recipients will be notified on or before February 15, 2024, and the Awards Ceremony will be held on the evening of Thursday, March 21. Visit PreserveSRQ.org.  

Pictured: The Eagle House at 2516 Mulberry Terrace in Sarasota won in the Historic Rehabilitation category at the 2023 Sarasota County Heritage Awards.

Residents of Talon Preserve in Nokomis are now enjoying one of the most exciting resort-inspired lifestyles in the area with the completion of the community’s elevated amenities, replete with a grand 18,000-square-foot clubhouse and a freeform pool featuring a beach entry and a rock waterfall. Created by DiVosta, revered for introducing a vacation-every-day mindset to the residential experience, Talon Preserve’s expansive amenity campus represents a collaboration with the area’s top planners, architects and designers – and a goal of enhancing social connections, wellness, fitness and fun. Four professionally furnished model homes are open for touring and showcase the innovative new architectural styles, exterior colors and home designs that await at Talon Preserve. Featuring new floor plans tailored to today’s homebuyers, the models offer zero-entry walk-in showers, well-designed point-of-use storage, widened hallways, flexibility in space design that reflects the preferences and passions of today’s homebuyers, and expansive outdoor living spaces for alfresco entertainment. Planned for approximately 926 residences, Talon Preserve on Palmer Ranch is designed for an authentic ambiance in a natural environment with community-spanning sidewalks, and 170 acres of lakes and nature preserves. Talon Preserve also connects to Venice’s Legacy Trail, a continuous 20-mile nonmotorized path connecting to parks and beaches. Talon Preserve on Palmer Ranch is located at 6400 Talon Preserve Drive in Nokomis off Honore Avenue, half a mile south off FL-681. The on-site model center is open Monday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. For more information, call or text 941-300-1116 or visit www.TalonPreserve.com.   

To learn more, visit

Residents of Sapphire Point are enjoying holiday get-togethers in the new clubhouse, hot chocolate by the glow of the outdoor firepit and a little down time away from the season’s bustle on their favorite chaise next to the tinsel-like sparkle of the resort-style pool. With all amenities now open in Pulte Home’s 472 single-family home neighborhood in Lakewood Ranch, residents are experiencing a vibrant new social lifestyle focused on friendships, health and wellness. Located in sought-after Lakewood Ranch, the nation’s top-selling multigenerational community, Sapphire Point’s vacation-style amenities include a welcoming clubhouse featuring a fitness center equipped with state-of-the-art cardio and strength-training equipment and a social room with a gathering area and catering kitchen for events and activities. Colorful landscaping and palm trees fringe the large pool deck with lounge chairs and umbrella-shaded tables around the contemporary pool. Additional outdoor amenities include a poolside firepit lounge area, shaded playground, basketball court, open-air picnic pavilion and a dog park. New homes at Sapphire Point feature flexible designs reflecting the preferences and passions of today’s homebuyers with options for custom pools and spas, extended outdoor living areas and garages, and plan-specific opportunities for sunrooms, multigenerational suites, and second floors with lofts, and additional bedrooms and bathrooms. Home prices start from the $390,000s to $840,000s. Sapphire Point offers an ideal location in Lakewood Ranch, close to top-rated elementary, middle, and high schools, post-secondary education campuses, shopping, golf and tennis facilities, and the famed white-sand beaches of Sarasota and Anna Maria Island. The community is also convenient to Lakewood Ranch’s entertainment and dining destinations, 150 miles of biking and walking trails, and adjacent to The Premier Sports Campus which hosts year-round sports and recreation activities. For more information about Sapphire Point at Lakewood Ranch, visit the sales center at 16411 Sapphire Point Drive, Monday through Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Sunday noon to 5 p.m., or call/text 941-213-1179 to arrange an appointment. Additional information is also available at www.Pulte.com/SapphirePoint.

Debbie Bieg has joined RE/MAX Platinum Realty as a Realtor in the Venice office. She has five years of real estate experience, specializing in new homes, luxury homes and relocation. Bieg brings strong customer service skills and values relationships over sales. “I have relocated many times and I know how hard it is navigating the buying and selling process,” she says. She chose RE/MAX Platinum Realty because of its brand recognition, reputation and the opportunity to work with “the best of the best.” Bieg attended the University of Missouri and enjoys running, biking, golf, pickleball and going to the beach. The Venice office is located at 307 W. Venice Avenue, Venice, Florida 34285. Bieg can be reached at (281) 772-8283 or dsbieg@yahoo.com.