Blog - Gina Larouche

Real Estate Local Market

Sarasota: # 2 in Florida for Best to Retire in FL… AGAIN! 2019

OCTOBER 9, 2019 3 Fla. Cities in Top 10 ‘Best Places to Retire’ list U.S. News & World Report: Out of 125 cities ranked, 10 Fla. cities are in the top 50. In top 10: 1) Fort Myers, 2) Sarasota, 5) Port St. Lucie and 6) Jacksonville. WASHINGTON – U.S. News & World Report released […]
Real Estate Local Market

Can’t Afford to Buy a Home? Have You Considered Down Payment Assistance? 2019

Can’t Afford to Buy a Home? Have You Considered Down Payment Assistance? What’s the number one hurdle for renters making the leap to homeownership? That pesky down payment. Even with an FHA loan that only requires a minimum of 3.5% down, the thought of setting aside several thousand dollars is daunting (and for some, darn […]
Real Estate Local Market

PROPERTY SHARING: YOURS, MINE AND OURS

PROPERTY SHARING: YOURS, MINE AND OURS Many times property ends up having some form of shared ownership. Sometimes it is simply in the form of joint tenants or tenants in common, but sometimes more complex forms are involved such as life estates, ownership through entities or even by agreement (such as a co-habitation agreement). Over […]
Real Estate Local Market

Home Improvement Projects Worth Cost and Time. 2019

NAR Survey: Home Improvement Projects Worth Cost and Time Remodeling isn’t always more money at resale, though that’s important. NAR’s “Joy Score” analyzes the level of current owner satisfaction with remodeling projects. WASHINGTON – Homeowners who undergo a home improvement project, whether it be interior or exterior modifications, often find that the task was worth […]

Real Estate Local Market Sarasota: # 2 in Florida for Best to Retire in FL… AGAIN! 2019 OCTOBER 9, 2019 3 Fla. Cities in Top 10 ‘Best Places to Retire’ list U.S. News & World Report: Out of 125 cities ranked, 10 Fla. cities are in the top 50. In top 10: 1) Fort Myers, 2) Sarasota, 5) Port St. Lucie and 6) Jacksonville. WASHINGTON – U.S. News & World Report released […]

Real Estate Local Market Can’t Afford to Buy a Home? Have You Considered Down Payment Assistance? 2019 Can’t Afford to Buy a Home? Have You Considered Down Payment Assistance? What’s the number one hurdle for renters making the leap to homeownership? That pesky down payment. Even with an FHA loan that only requires a minimum of 3.5% down, the thought of setting aside several thousand dollars is daunting (and for some, darn […]

Real Estate Local Market PROPERTY SHARING: YOURS, MINE AND OURS PROPERTY SHARING: YOURS, MINE AND OURS Many times property ends up having some form of shared ownership. Sometimes it is simply in the form of joint tenants or tenants in common, but sometimes more complex forms are involved such as life estates, ownership through entities or even by agreement (such as a co-habitation agreement). Over […]

Real Estate Local Market Home Improvement Projects Worth Cost and Time. 2019 NAR Survey: Home Improvement Projects Worth Cost and Time Remodeling isn’t always more money at resale, though that’s important. NAR’s “Joy Score” analyzes the level of current owner satisfaction with remodeling projects. WASHINGTON – Homeowners who undergo a home improvement project, whether it be interior or exterior modifications, often find that the task was worth […]

Real Estate Local Market Study: Florida No. 1 in Welcoming New Residents. 2019 OCTOBER 2, 2019 Study: Florida No. 1 in Welcoming New Residents Lendingtree.com: In 2016, new residents brought $30.2 billion into Fla., with about 72% of that increased income coming from new residents age 55 and over. NEW YORK – Using IRS data from 2016, LendingTree found Florida the most popular place to move. New residents […]

Real Estate Local Market #3 and #18 …What’s it like to live in Sarasota ? … 2019 What’s it like to live in Sarasota, FL? https://realestate.usnews.com/places/florida/sarasota Profile written by: Vanessa Caceres. Warm temperatures year-round, award-winning beaches and a thriving arts and cultural scene have made Sarasota a go-to place for retirees and families, not to mention a handful of celebrities (including Stephen King and Rosie O’Donnell). This southwest Florida region, which is about […]

Real Estate Local Market The 3rd Ritz Building in Sarasota has broken ground 2019 Life Served to Perfection source: https://www.theresidencessarasota.com/press/life-served-to-perfection/?referer=MSC%20Email%20Database For generations, an incomparable array of world-class culture and beaches has made Sarasota the crown jewel of Florida’s Gulf Coast. At the pinnacle of this sophisticated seaside mecca comes the new Ritz-Carlton Residences, Sarasota. These 73 Grand Tower Residences, priced from $2.4 million, are nestled within a pristine locale right […]

Real Estate Local Market Florida Tourism Up 7% in 2018 ! Visit Florida reports record 126.1 million visitors to state in 2018 Source: Marco Santana Contact Reporter Orlando Sentinel Florida drew 126.1 million out-of-state visitors in 2018, setting a tourism record for the eighth consecutive year, Visit Florida said Wednesday. Overall, the total was a 6.2 percent jump over the previous record set in 2017, […]

Real Estate Local Market 100 Best Places to Retire in the USA – Sarasota #3 … 2019 100 Best Places to Retire in the USA To identify the best places to retire, U.S. News analyzed data for the 100 largest metropolitan areas in the USA to assess how well they meet Americans’ retirement needs and expectations. Top criteria include the happiness of local residents, housing affordability, tax rates and healthcare quality. Source: […]

Real Estate Local Market Sarasota is booming, and our readers are noticing… 2019 Condé Nast Traveler readers cast hundreds of thousands of votes for the best cities in the U.S. in the 2018 Readers’ Choice Awards survey—in fact, we got so much feedback, we had to divide our list in two. Here we honor the country’s smaller cities, with populations under one million, and its major hubs, with […]

Real Estate Local Market The word is out & the Chinese have heard it…. 2019 Fla. has more Chinese buyers seeking non-luxury homes ORLANDO, Fla. – Jan. 10, 2019 – Chinese homebuyers have been the top foreign buyers of residential housing in the U.S. for six consecutive years, and they’re now expanding their footprint beyond luxury markets to lower-priced tiers as well, the National Association of Realtors® (NAR) reports. Chinese […]

Real Estate Local Market NEW Sandcastle to replace an Aged-Out Castle …. 2019 Aging Sandacaste Resort to be Re-Built as A New Resort ….. 2019 From Sarasota Herald Tribune LIDO KEY — Plans to transform the aging Sandcastle Resort at Lido Beach — long known as the Helmsley Sandcastle — into a luxury contemporary resort were rubber-stamped by the Sarasota City Commission this week. The commission unanimously approved […]

Real Estate Local Market Wire Fraud is Real – Before wiring any money … Wire Fraud is Real Before wiring any money, call the intended recipient at a number you know is valid to confirm the instructions. Be safe. Review recommended steps below to safeguard your hard earned dollars…. There are steps homebuyers should take to make sure they are protecting themselves from falling victim to fraudsters, […]

Real Estate Local Market Reverse Mortgage ? Source: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fy1105 Reverse Mortgages: Understanding the Basics BY: 1Michael S. Gutter, Selena Garrison, Brent Litchfield, and Lisa Leslie2 Introduction For most people, their largest single investment is usually the home where they reside. One thing that most families don’t realize is how to use this investment of equity in their house to help fund their […]

Real Estate Local Market FIRPTA – Foreign real estate owners ….. Excellent FIRPTA Overview IRS FIRPTA info Video FIRPTA WithholdingWithholding of Tax on Dispositions of United States Real Property InterestsThe disposition of a U.S. real property interest by a foreign person (the transferor) is subject to the Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act of 1980 (FIRPTA) income tax withholding. FIRPTA authorized the United States […]

Real Estate Local Market FEMA 50% Rule Substantial Improvement/Damage FEMA 50% Rule Substantial Improvement/Damage March 23, 2018. – Berlin Patten Ebling Blog Post LINK “Sarasota in the 1950s was one of the most important places in the world for architectural creativity, where the greatest design movements of the day came together.”- Carl Abbott FAIA, original […]

Real Estate Local Market 2018 OCT- Sarasota & 2 other Fla. cities top U.S. News & … NEW YORK – Oct. 23, 2018 – The top recommendation for a U.S. retirement? Lancaster, Pa. But three Florida cities – Fort Myers, Sarasota and Lakeland ranked in the top 10. Fort Myers took the No. 2 spot in U.S. News & World Report’s 2019 list of the “100 Best Places to Retire in the USA.” According […]

Real Estate Local Market 2018 – The Bay ! …. Great Public Park Project …. The Bay ! Sarasota’s newest Public Park Design, has been Approved ! The Bay Sarasota has produced a finalized plan for redeveloping the land around the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall. by: David Conway Deputy Managing Editor – The Observer The Bay Sarasota, the independent group that’s worked to create a community-driven vision for […]

Real Estate Local Market 2018 – Sarasota stays on Top of Luxury Market… Realtor.com: Luxury market picks up speed SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Sept. 19, 2018 – Luxury home sales continued to break records as prices hit double-digit gains in 20 major counties, according to the realtor.com 2018 Luxury Home Index released today. Additionally, the number of sales at or above the $1 million mark rose 6 percent […]

Real Estate Local Market 2018 TaxWatch: Fla. still a low-tax state – No. 42 out TaxWatch: Fla. still a low-tax state – No. 42 out of 50 TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – July 19, 2018 – Florida retains its ranking as one of the nation’s lowest-tax states, according to the latest study released by Florida TaxWatch. Out of 50 states, Florida ranks No. 42 in the average amount of money paid […]