CHICAGO (October 20, 2005) –Public opinion of the nation’s Realtors® has reached an all-time high for the third straight year according to an annual tracking survey conducted to measure the effectiveness of the eighth season of the National Association of Realtors®’ multimillion-dollar Public Awareness Campaign.
The survey’s composite image score of 19 beliefs, opinions and attitudes about Realtors® rose from 56 percent in 2004 to 59 percent—up 11 points since 2002. The survey also found that the likelihood of real estate consumers to use a Realtor over a real estate licensee who is not a Realtor® rose 4 points to 64 percent this year.
Some of the consumer beliefs and opinions that improved most over the past 12 months are: “Realtors® bring the latest technology to buying and selling a home” (up 6 points to 63 percent); “Realtors® have the expertise to help sellers price their home fairly” (up 4 points to 64 percent); “Realtors® earn their commission” (up 6 points to 50 percent) and “Realtors® advocate private property rights of homeowners” (up 12 points to 54 percent).
“Public support for Realtors® and the value Realtors® bring to the real estate transaction is higher than it has ever been. Consumer attitudes towards Realtors have been improving steadily for the past few years due to many factors, especially the effectiveness of the Public Awareness Campaign,” said NAR President Al Mansell of Salt Lake City.
Total awareness of NAR’s television and radio advertisements reached the highest level in the history of the campaign. Awareness rose 2 points to 73 percent—reaching nearly three out of four real estate consumers in America. In 2005, 55 percent of consumers recalled seeing or hearing at least one of the NAR advertising executions, an increase of 2 points over 2004. Awareness of the call to action introduced last year, “Ask your agent if they’re a Realtor®, a member of the National Association of Realtors®,” increased from 32 percent to 39 percent.
Beliefs about Realtors® that improved the most this year were: that they have the best network of sources to help buyers and sellers (79 percent up 6 points over year ago); that they are best qualified to promote the sale of a home (73 percent, up 12 points); that they are professional (70 percent, up 13 points); that they conduct business with ethics and integrity (69 percent, up 11 points); and that they get the job done properly (68 percent, up 10 points).
Buyers who purchased a home in the past 12 months reported a jump from 39 percent to 56 percent in agents identifying themselves as Realtors®, while sellers reported an even more dramatic 23 percentage point gain, from 41 percent to 64 percent.
Realtor® support for the advertising campaign continues at levels similar to those last year, according to a survey of NAR members conducted in concert with the consumer survey. Ninety-eight percent of all NAR members favor the ad program, 94 percent would like to see more advertising, and 78 percent rate the advertising effectiveness as excellent/very good (up four points). Sixty-seven percent of members, a significant 10 point gain over last year, cite NAR’s advertising as an important reason for joining the association.
The National Association of Realtors® Public Awareness Campaign kicked off its eighth season last February and it will end next week. New ads this season featured people talking about their real estate experiences and touting the benefits of working with a Realtor®. The ads encourage consumers to contact a Realtor® first when it comes time to buy or sell a home or lease a commercial space.
The $25 million advertising campaign featured four new television commercials this year and four new radio spots, as well as new customizable print ads, posters and Web banners for state and local associations to use. Commercials included NAR’s first-ever Spanish-language television ad. The new spot, which closely resembles the English-language version, featured Hispanic Americans sharing their hopes, dreams and stories about trying to achieve the American dream of homeownership.
The National Association of Realtors®, “The Voice for Real Estate,” is America’s largest trade association, representing more than 1 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.
Monday, October 31, 2005
National Parks in Florida
If you plan to visit Lakewood Ranch Florida, here is the list of national parks located in Florida:
Big Cypress National Preserve
Ochopee, FL National Preserve
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Biscayne National Park
Miami, Key Biscayne & Homestead, FL National Park
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Canaveral National Seashore
Titusville and New Smyrna Beach, FL National Seashore
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Castillo De San Marcos National Monument
St. Augustine, FL National Monument
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De Soto National Memorial
Bradenton, FL National Memorial
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Dry Tortugas National Park
Key West, FL National Park
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Everglades National Park
Miami, Naples, and Homestead, FL National Park
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Fort Caroline National Memorial
the Timucuan Preserve; Jacksonville, FL National Memorial
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Fort Matanzas National Monument
St. Augustine, FL National Monument
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Gulf Islands National Seashore
Gulf Breeze, Florida and Ocean Springs, Mississippi , FL,MS National Seashore
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Timucuan Ecological & Historic Preserve
Jacksonville, FL Ecological & Historic Preserve
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ParkNet U.S. Department of the Interior FOIA Privacy Disclaimer FirstGov
Big Cypress National Preserve
Ochopee, FL National Preserve
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Biscayne National Park
Miami, Key Biscayne & Homestead, FL National Park
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Canaveral National Seashore
Titusville and New Smyrna Beach, FL National Seashore
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Castillo De San Marcos National Monument
St. Augustine, FL National Monument
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De Soto National Memorial
Bradenton, FL National Memorial
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Dry Tortugas National Park
Key West, FL National Park
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Everglades National Park
Miami, Naples, and Homestead, FL National Park
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Fort Caroline National Memorial
the Timucuan Preserve; Jacksonville, FL National Memorial
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Fort Matanzas National Monument
St. Augustine, FL National Monument
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Gulf Islands National Seashore
Gulf Breeze, Florida and Ocean Springs, Mississippi , FL,MS National Seashore
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Timucuan Ecological & Historic Preserve
Jacksonville, FL Ecological & Historic Preserve
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ParkNet U.S. Department of the Interior FOIA Privacy Disclaimer FirstGov
Thursday, October 27, 2005
Sarasota Reading Festival
Sarasota Reading Festival
The Sarasota Reading Festival is an annual free community event promoting literacy and
celebrating the pleasures of reading. The Festival is one of our area’s special events that truly offers something for everyone! There are dozens of events, including readings and discussions by award-winning authors, book signings, food booths, inventive crafts, and children’s activities.
The Festival is held each year in downtown Sarasota, and attracted over 18,000 people in 2004.
The Festival is produced by Friends of the Selby Public Library, Inc., and New College Library Association, Inc. Presenting Sponsor is the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
The 2005 Sarasota Reading Festival will be held Saturday, November 5, in downtown Sarasota.
Up-to-the-minute Festival information may be found at the Festival Web site, www.sarasotareadingfestival.com, or by calling 941.906.1733.
Begins: 11/05/2005 09:30 AM
Ends: 11/05/2005 05:00 PM
The Sarasota Reading Festival is an annual free community event promoting literacy and
celebrating the pleasures of reading. The Festival is one of our area’s special events that truly offers something for everyone! There are dozens of events, including readings and discussions by award-winning authors, book signings, food booths, inventive crafts, and children’s activities.
The Festival is held each year in downtown Sarasota, and attracted over 18,000 people in 2004.
The Festival is produced by Friends of the Selby Public Library, Inc., and New College Library Association, Inc. Presenting Sponsor is the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
The 2005 Sarasota Reading Festival will be held Saturday, November 5, in downtown Sarasota.
Up-to-the-minute Festival information may be found at the Festival Web site, www.sarasotareadingfestival.com, or by calling 941.906.1733.
Begins: 11/05/2005 09:30 AM
Ends: 11/05/2005 05:00 PM
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
County, city to sell a lot of lots
Article published Oct 26, 2005
County, city to sell a lot of lots
Seized North Port properties to be sold for affordable housing
By Doug Sword
SARASOTA COUNTY -- North Port and Sarasota County will jump into the real estate market in a big way next week, hoping to make $50 million to $70 million that the county can use for affordable housing.
The county has already committed much of its windfall, expected to top $20 million, to affordable housing initiatives. While North Port hasn't yet dedicated its windfall, one commissioner said the city needs to use the money to pay for road projects.
While officials already had the money spent, a Web site is scheduled to launch Monday to whet the public's appetite for 2,100 North Port properties seized between 1998 and 2003 after the owners didn't pay their property taxes.
If the average parcel sells for $25,000, that would bring $51.2 million to the city and county after expenses.
The two governments hired Fisher Auction Co. of Pompano Beach on Tuesday to conduct the auction with bidding, some via the Internet, starting in early January and ending Feb. 11.
General Development Corp. originally sold the 2,100 lots beginning in the 1950s. After decades of little appreciation in value, the owners, mainly Midwesterners, stopped paying property taxes by the early 1990s, said David Bullock, deputy county administrator. At the time, a typical tax bill was only $20 or $30 a year, he said.
It's taken a decade to get control of the properties and for North Port and Sarasota County to settle a lawsuit over ownership. The two governments went to mediation and North Port will get 55 percent of the profit from the massive property sale, while Sarasota County gets 45 percent.
An initial estimate puts the estimated profits from the sale at about $50 million.
"I'd say that's conservative," said North Port Commissioner Barbara Gross. The city hasn't decided how to spend the money, but Gross would like to see much of it spent on improving roads.
The county will spend its share on affordable housing initiatives and infill development, which could include extending utilities to parcels in urban and suburban areas that development has skipped over.
The 21,000 properties, scattered throughout North Port, have been unwanted for years. During the 1990s, they were all put up for public auction because of unpaid back taxes. But there were no bidders.
Officials say that won't be the case this time around. The properties were appraised at $11 million two years ago. North Port's population has risen by 55 percent over the last four years so the two governments expect that appraisals could easily quadruple.
Based on recent sale prices, the average bid price during the auction could be $35,000, said Larry Arnold, general manager of business operations for the county's public works department.
County, city to sell a lot of lots
Seized North Port properties to be sold for affordable housing
By Doug Sword
SARASOTA COUNTY -- North Port and Sarasota County will jump into the real estate market in a big way next week, hoping to make $50 million to $70 million that the county can use for affordable housing.
The county has already committed much of its windfall, expected to top $20 million, to affordable housing initiatives. While North Port hasn't yet dedicated its windfall, one commissioner said the city needs to use the money to pay for road projects.
While officials already had the money spent, a Web site is scheduled to launch Monday to whet the public's appetite for 2,100 North Port properties seized between 1998 and 2003 after the owners didn't pay their property taxes.
If the average parcel sells for $25,000, that would bring $51.2 million to the city and county after expenses.
The two governments hired Fisher Auction Co. of Pompano Beach on Tuesday to conduct the auction with bidding, some via the Internet, starting in early January and ending Feb. 11.
General Development Corp. originally sold the 2,100 lots beginning in the 1950s. After decades of little appreciation in value, the owners, mainly Midwesterners, stopped paying property taxes by the early 1990s, said David Bullock, deputy county administrator. At the time, a typical tax bill was only $20 or $30 a year, he said.
It's taken a decade to get control of the properties and for North Port and Sarasota County to settle a lawsuit over ownership. The two governments went to mediation and North Port will get 55 percent of the profit from the massive property sale, while Sarasota County gets 45 percent.
An initial estimate puts the estimated profits from the sale at about $50 million.
"I'd say that's conservative," said North Port Commissioner Barbara Gross. The city hasn't decided how to spend the money, but Gross would like to see much of it spent on improving roads.
The county will spend its share on affordable housing initiatives and infill development, which could include extending utilities to parcels in urban and suburban areas that development has skipped over.
The 21,000 properties, scattered throughout North Port, have been unwanted for years. During the 1990s, they were all put up for public auction because of unpaid back taxes. But there were no bidders.
Officials say that won't be the case this time around. The properties were appraised at $11 million two years ago. North Port's population has risen by 55 percent over the last four years so the two governments expect that appraisals could easily quadruple.
Based on recent sale prices, the average bid price during the auction could be $35,000, said Larry Arnold, general manager of business operations for the county's public works department.
Four questions to ask yourself before you jump on the home buying bandwagon
Should I buy a house?
Four questions to ask yourself before you jump on the home buying bandwagon.
April 4, 2005: 8:54 AM EDT
By Sarah Max, CNN/Money senior writer
Salem, Ore. (CNN/Money) –A month ago my friend caught me off guard when she asked the seemingly simple question: "Should I buy a house?"
After seeing all of our friends – even the single and unsettled – jump on the buying bandwagon, this free-spirited friend was starting to think that she too should commit to a mortgage.
"Am I going to kick myself a year from now for not doing it?" she asked.
"Do you even know where in the world you'll be a year from now?" I came back, thinking of recent conversations about out-of-state job opportunities and international fellowships.
Still, I wasn't about to take responsibility for this kind of decision.
So I did what any good friend would do: I asked a few leading questions and waited for her to come to her senses.
Why do you want to buy a house?
It used to be that buyers wanted to find a place to live, with the additional benefit of making some money over the long run. Increasingly, buyers say they want to find a place to invest, with the additional benefit of having somewhere to live in the short term.
Yet, even cheerleaders of the housing market warn that double-digit price gains aren't realistic. David Lereah, chief economist of the National Association of Realtors and author of the new book "Are You Missing the Real Estate Boom?" says he expects healthy price appreciation through the next decade. But his idea of healthy is 4 percent to 6 percent a year.
Even in strong markets, you may not break even if you sell too soon.
Let's say my friend buys a $200,000 house and sells it a year later for 10 percent more than she paid, which a pretty nice return by historical standards. After she pays a real estate agent, accounts for her closing costs and pays capital gains taxes, she'll walk away with less than $4,000 -- which is what I'm guessing she would spend sprucing up the house.
If the house appreciates only 5 percent, she'll lose money on the deal.
True, my friend could hold the house and rent it out. Of course, if she's not sure she's ready for the responsibilities of owning a house, she's definitely not ready to be a landlord.
At least she won't throw away money renting, right? Actually, most of her mortgage payment will go toward interest during her first year, and what little she puts toward principal will be eaten up by property taxes, insurance and other costs of owning.
A reasonable timeframe is three to five years, said Linda Marcelli, managing director of Merrill Lynch in Tampa Bay, Fla. "If you do happen to buy a house at the top of a market, you need to have flexibility to wait for prices to come back," she said.
Can you afford it?
Given that you can buy a house with no down payment, roll your closing costs into your mortgage and opt for an interest-only loan, this question might sound outdated.
But buying a house still takes money even if you manage to keep your mortgage payments low and save on closing costs. Between the time you pay for a home inspection and make your hundredth trip to Home Depot -- and I'm speaking from experience -- you could spend thousands of dollars in incidental expenses.
"We always advise people to have a cash reserve of four to six months of expenses in the bank," said Marcelli. "But if you're buying a house you should have even more."
What is the cost of renting?
Nationally, the gap between the cost of renting and the cost of owning is now the widest it's been in a decade, according to Gleb Nechayev, senior economist for Torto Wheaton Research. In most markets, he said, the price of owning has gone up while the cost of renting has remained flat or declined.
If you're weighing the pros and cons of buying, you might find it useful to take the pulse of the local rental market for a couple of reasons.
First of all, you might learn that you can actually save more money renting over the course of a year or two than you would on an appreciating home. My friend thinks she could rent a small two-bedroom house for about $700 a month in her market.
Her mortgage, property taxes and insurance on a similar house would likely ring in at close to $1,300 a month. At that rate her house would need to appreciate more than 10 percent in a year (assuming she sells with an agent) for her to walk away with more than she saved renting.
Second, the relationship between rent prices and the cost of owning is one way to gauge the health of a real estate market.
"There is an underlying relationship between home price and rents in close analogy to the stock market's [price-to-earnings ratio]," said Nechayev. If the cost of owning is significantly higher than renting similar property, the housing market may be overvalued relative to its economic fundamentals.
Are you ready to commit?
You should weigh the pros and cons of owning, take a close look at what you can afford and research your local market. But, at the end of the day the answer to the question "Should I buy a house" isn't going to show up on a spreadsheet or be revealed by a survey of friends and family.
"Emotionally, I'm not ready to commit," my friend told me a few weeks after she first came to me with her dilemma. "I feel like I should listen to that."
"A house is a huge commitment," I added, thinking how instead of touring Europe this summer I'll be landscaping my overgrown yard and pulling up tile in an out-of-date bathroom. "You'll know when the time is right."
As the saying goes: You want to own the house. You don't want the house to own you.
Four questions to ask yourself before you jump on the home buying bandwagon.
April 4, 2005: 8:54 AM EDT
By Sarah Max, CNN/Money senior writer
Salem, Ore. (CNN/Money) –A month ago my friend caught me off guard when she asked the seemingly simple question: "Should I buy a house?"
After seeing all of our friends – even the single and unsettled – jump on the buying bandwagon, this free-spirited friend was starting to think that she too should commit to a mortgage.
"Am I going to kick myself a year from now for not doing it?" she asked.
"Do you even know where in the world you'll be a year from now?" I came back, thinking of recent conversations about out-of-state job opportunities and international fellowships.
Still, I wasn't about to take responsibility for this kind of decision.
So I did what any good friend would do: I asked a few leading questions and waited for her to come to her senses.
Why do you want to buy a house?
It used to be that buyers wanted to find a place to live, with the additional benefit of making some money over the long run. Increasingly, buyers say they want to find a place to invest, with the additional benefit of having somewhere to live in the short term.
Yet, even cheerleaders of the housing market warn that double-digit price gains aren't realistic. David Lereah, chief economist of the National Association of Realtors and author of the new book "Are You Missing the Real Estate Boom?" says he expects healthy price appreciation through the next decade. But his idea of healthy is 4 percent to 6 percent a year.
Even in strong markets, you may not break even if you sell too soon.
Let's say my friend buys a $200,000 house and sells it a year later for 10 percent more than she paid, which a pretty nice return by historical standards. After she pays a real estate agent, accounts for her closing costs and pays capital gains taxes, she'll walk away with less than $4,000 -- which is what I'm guessing she would spend sprucing up the house.
If the house appreciates only 5 percent, she'll lose money on the deal.
True, my friend could hold the house and rent it out. Of course, if she's not sure she's ready for the responsibilities of owning a house, she's definitely not ready to be a landlord.
At least she won't throw away money renting, right? Actually, most of her mortgage payment will go toward interest during her first year, and what little she puts toward principal will be eaten up by property taxes, insurance and other costs of owning.
A reasonable timeframe is three to five years, said Linda Marcelli, managing director of Merrill Lynch in Tampa Bay, Fla. "If you do happen to buy a house at the top of a market, you need to have flexibility to wait for prices to come back," she said.
Can you afford it?
Given that you can buy a house with no down payment, roll your closing costs into your mortgage and opt for an interest-only loan, this question might sound outdated.
But buying a house still takes money even if you manage to keep your mortgage payments low and save on closing costs. Between the time you pay for a home inspection and make your hundredth trip to Home Depot -- and I'm speaking from experience -- you could spend thousands of dollars in incidental expenses.
"We always advise people to have a cash reserve of four to six months of expenses in the bank," said Marcelli. "But if you're buying a house you should have even more."
What is the cost of renting?
Nationally, the gap between the cost of renting and the cost of owning is now the widest it's been in a decade, according to Gleb Nechayev, senior economist for Torto Wheaton Research. In most markets, he said, the price of owning has gone up while the cost of renting has remained flat or declined.
If you're weighing the pros and cons of buying, you might find it useful to take the pulse of the local rental market for a couple of reasons.
First of all, you might learn that you can actually save more money renting over the course of a year or two than you would on an appreciating home. My friend thinks she could rent a small two-bedroom house for about $700 a month in her market.
Her mortgage, property taxes and insurance on a similar house would likely ring in at close to $1,300 a month. At that rate her house would need to appreciate more than 10 percent in a year (assuming she sells with an agent) for her to walk away with more than she saved renting.
Second, the relationship between rent prices and the cost of owning is one way to gauge the health of a real estate market.
"There is an underlying relationship between home price and rents in close analogy to the stock market's [price-to-earnings ratio]," said Nechayev. If the cost of owning is significantly higher than renting similar property, the housing market may be overvalued relative to its economic fundamentals.
Are you ready to commit?
You should weigh the pros and cons of owning, take a close look at what you can afford and research your local market. But, at the end of the day the answer to the question "Should I buy a house" isn't going to show up on a spreadsheet or be revealed by a survey of friends and family.
"Emotionally, I'm not ready to commit," my friend told me a few weeks after she first came to me with her dilemma. "I feel like I should listen to that."
"A house is a huge commitment," I added, thinking how instead of touring Europe this summer I'll be landscaping my overgrown yard and pulling up tile in an out-of-date bathroom. "You'll know when the time is right."
As the saying goes: You want to own the house. You don't want the house to own you.
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
Sarasota #4 in the Nation
DANA SANCHEZ
Herald Staff Writer
MANATEE - We're on the map in more ways than one.
Manatee County's recent astronomical property appreciation rate - 41 percent this year - brought national attention to the area. Now the growing Sarasota-Bradenton Metropolitan Statistical Area is drawing attention for other reasons: showing up on quality-of-life indexes on an almost daily basis.
Like Entrepreneur Magazine's Top 50 Places for Entrepreneurs (Sarasota-Bradenton was No. 47) and Colin Powell's Alliance For Youth 100 Best Communities for Young People (We showed up on the unranked list). We're also No. 8 on a list of 100 top renter-friendly midsize towns by ApartmentRatings. com.
On Tuesday, the area landed the No. 4 spot on a list of the 10 hottest major metropolitan markets for jobs by American City Business Journals.
Sarasota-Bradenton is the top Florida market for jobs and is bettered by only Las Vegas, Phoenix and Washington, D.C., according to a report at www.bizjournals. com.
The study compared unemployment rates (3.5 percent for Sarasota-Bradenton in June, down from 4.4 percent last year), non-farm employment, jobs added and the percentage change.
This area's work force grew by 16,500 jobs from June 2004 to June 2005, the study found. That's a 5.6 percent increase.
Quality of life and a growing population are getting the area onto lists, said Nancy Engel, executive director of the Manatee Chamber's Economic Development Council.
"When your metropolitan statistical area grows, that kicks in more things being recognized," Engel said.
The population for the Sarasota-Bradenton Metropolitan Statistical Area is 639,438, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2004 American community survey.
Some list-makers consider that a large city like Entrepreneur.com, which ranked the hottest large, mid-size and small cities for entrepreneurs.
Sarasota-Bradenton ranked 47th on its list of top 50 large cities to start and grow a business. Phoenix ranked No. 1 followed by Charlotte and Raleigh-Durham, N.C., and Las Vegas.
Phenomenal demand for real estate has helped Sarasota-Bradenton rank high in quality-of-life indexes, said Jim Parrish, a business analyst at the University of South Florida's Small Business Development Center in Tampa.
"When people move to an area to achieve quality of life, they need things," Parrish said. "Any business oriented towards consumers is going to do very well." That includes restaurants, retail establishments, financial services and banking, he said.
Here's a list we didn't show up on: Forbes' 2005 list of most expensive ZIP codes. Heading that list was the Atherton, Calif., ZIP code 94027, with a median home price of $2,496,553. Miami Beach's 33109 ZIP code was the most expensive Florida ZIP to make the list, with a median home price of $1,505,655.
This compares with Sarasota-Bradenton with a median home price of $347,400 in August, up 34 percent from $258,700 last year, according to the Florida Association of Realtors.
Here's an informal sampling of other lists ranking Sarasota-Bradenton:
• The area ranked No. 161 for risk from diesel soot out of 359 metropolitan statistical areas, according to a February study by the Clean Air Task Force using data from the Environmental Protection Agency.
• The Milken Institute, a nonprofit economic think tank ranked Sarasota-Bradenton sixth in a list of top performing cities in November.
• Sarasota ranked third in a list of top 10 Best American Art Towns, a guide to galleries, museums, festivals, lodging and dining, according to the Economic Development Corp. of Sarasota County.
• Sarasota was named sixth on a list of best markets for the creation of start-up businesses, according to a study by SalesGenie.com.
Herald Staff Writer
MANATEE - We're on the map in more ways than one.
Manatee County's recent astronomical property appreciation rate - 41 percent this year - brought national attention to the area. Now the growing Sarasota-Bradenton Metropolitan Statistical Area is drawing attention for other reasons: showing up on quality-of-life indexes on an almost daily basis.
Like Entrepreneur Magazine's Top 50 Places for Entrepreneurs (Sarasota-Bradenton was No. 47) and Colin Powell's Alliance For Youth 100 Best Communities for Young People (We showed up on the unranked list). We're also No. 8 on a list of 100 top renter-friendly midsize towns by ApartmentRatings. com.
On Tuesday, the area landed the No. 4 spot on a list of the 10 hottest major metropolitan markets for jobs by American City Business Journals.
Sarasota-Bradenton is the top Florida market for jobs and is bettered by only Las Vegas, Phoenix and Washington, D.C., according to a report at www.bizjournals. com.
The study compared unemployment rates (3.5 percent for Sarasota-Bradenton in June, down from 4.4 percent last year), non-farm employment, jobs added and the percentage change.
This area's work force grew by 16,500 jobs from June 2004 to June 2005, the study found. That's a 5.6 percent increase.
Quality of life and a growing population are getting the area onto lists, said Nancy Engel, executive director of the Manatee Chamber's Economic Development Council.
"When your metropolitan statistical area grows, that kicks in more things being recognized," Engel said.
The population for the Sarasota-Bradenton Metropolitan Statistical Area is 639,438, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2004 American community survey.
Some list-makers consider that a large city like Entrepreneur.com, which ranked the hottest large, mid-size and small cities for entrepreneurs.
Sarasota-Bradenton ranked 47th on its list of top 50 large cities to start and grow a business. Phoenix ranked No. 1 followed by Charlotte and Raleigh-Durham, N.C., and Las Vegas.
Phenomenal demand for real estate has helped Sarasota-Bradenton rank high in quality-of-life indexes, said Jim Parrish, a business analyst at the University of South Florida's Small Business Development Center in Tampa.
"When people move to an area to achieve quality of life, they need things," Parrish said. "Any business oriented towards consumers is going to do very well." That includes restaurants, retail establishments, financial services and banking, he said.
Here's a list we didn't show up on: Forbes' 2005 list of most expensive ZIP codes. Heading that list was the Atherton, Calif., ZIP code 94027, with a median home price of $2,496,553. Miami Beach's 33109 ZIP code was the most expensive Florida ZIP to make the list, with a median home price of $1,505,655.
This compares with Sarasota-Bradenton with a median home price of $347,400 in August, up 34 percent from $258,700 last year, according to the Florida Association of Realtors.
Here's an informal sampling of other lists ranking Sarasota-Bradenton:
• The area ranked No. 161 for risk from diesel soot out of 359 metropolitan statistical areas, according to a February study by the Clean Air Task Force using data from the Environmental Protection Agency.
• The Milken Institute, a nonprofit economic think tank ranked Sarasota-Bradenton sixth in a list of top performing cities in November.
• Sarasota ranked third in a list of top 10 Best American Art Towns, a guide to galleries, museums, festivals, lodging and dining, according to the Economic Development Corp. of Sarasota County.
• Sarasota was named sixth on a list of best markets for the creation of start-up businesses, according to a study by SalesGenie.com.
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