Daylight Saving Time ends at 2:00 AM, Sunday, November 5th which means you will need to turn your clocks back one hour before you go to bed Saturday night, November 4th.

Trivia Fact… Did you know that Hawaii and most of Arizona do not follow DST?

When daylight savings time ends this weekend you can actually gain the benefit of an extra hour. We’ll set the clocks back one hour on Sunday and yet our body clocks will still be on Saturday’s rhythm. Instead of waking up at 7 a.m. it will actually be 6 a.m.  For the next 126 days you have been given an additional 60 minutes for whatever you want.  Do Something Special For Yourself With The Extra Hour.

The post Daylight Saving Time appeared first on Southwest Florida Real Estate from Sandra Rubinstein.

Sarasota has ranked # 1 as to the “Best Place To Live In Florida” and is in the top 100 of the best places to live in all of the United States.  In the recent survey published in the “U.S. News and World Report” the Sarasota area ranked # 21, Austin, TX. ranked # 1 as to the best places to live in the U.S.  “Warm temperatures year-round, award winning beaches and a thriving arts & cultural scene has made Sarasota a go-to place for retirees and families, not to mention a handful of celebrities” the report sited.  Sarasota also offers affordability, low property taxes and cost of living and excellent schools.   This is actually the second report that Sarasota has placed in the last few weeks.  TripAdvisor ranked Siesta Key Beach once again was the #1 beach in the United States.

***Other Florida Cities In The Top 100 are :

1.  Tampa, Fl.  # 35

2.  Orlando, Fl.  #40

3.  Jacksonville, Fl.  # 45

4.  Melbourne, Fl.  # 49

5.  Lakeland, Fl.  # 64

6.  Fort Myers, Fl.  # 70

7.  Daytona Beach, Fl. # 82

8.  Miami, Fl.  # 92

You may view the full report at:   www.usnews.com/places/rankings/best-places-to-live

Please feel free to contact me if you would like to explore the possibility of owning your “slice of paradise”.

The post Fun Facts: Sarasota Best Place To Live In Florida appeared first on Southwest Florida Real Estate from Sandra Rubinstein.

Atlanta has won the Number 1 destination for the past 7 years!  Tampa/Sarasota Florida places #5.

Here are the City rankings and some fun facts:

1.  Atlanta, Georgia:  Atlanta is home to the “Georgia Aquarium” which is the second largest in the world.  Median Home Value:  $198,100.0k (up 11.5% over 2015).  Median Rental:  $1574 per month.  Median Temperature:  61.4 (f).  Median Household Income:  $60,219
2.   Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas:  The Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport is the third busiest in the world and is actually larger than Manhattan.  Median Home Value:  $177,100.0k ( up 15.0% over 2015) Median Rental: $1148 per month.  Median Temperature: 64.8 (f). Median Household Income:  $60,410
3.   Phoenix, Arizona:  There is no Daylight Savings Time in Phoenix.  Median Home Value:  $200,900.0k (up 9.4% over 2015.  Median Rental:  $1055 per month.  Median Temperature:  75.1 (f).  Median Household Income:  $55,547.
4.   Denver, Colorado:  Denver is one of the sunniest cities in the U.S.  It has an average of 300 days with sunshine.  Median Home Value: $363,500.0k.(up 10% over 2015).   Median Rental:  $1577 per month.  Average Temperature:  50.2(f).  Median Household Income:  $70,283
5. Tampa/Sarasota, Fl. Did you know the first scheduled passenger flight flew from St. Petersburg to Tampa for $5.00 in 1914?  Median Home Value:  $216,350.0k (up 8.9% over 2015).  Median Rental:  $1264 per month.  Average Temperature:  73.2 (f).  Median Household Income:  $51,305.
6.   Orlando, Fl.  The first “Theme Park” to open in the U.S. was “Gatorland” in Orlando in 1949.  Its main attraction was a 15 ft. alligator.  Median Home Value:  $158,200.0k (up 10.3% over 2015).  Median Rental:  $1322 per month.  Average Temperature:  73.4(f).  Median Household Income:  $51,077.
7. Seattle, Washington:  The “Space Needle” was built in 1962 for the World’s Fair.  Median Home Value:  $611,500.0k (up 14.4% over 2015).  Median Rental: $2133.  Average Temperature:  52.0 (f).  Median Household Income:  $75,331.
8. Las Vegas, Nevada:  Almost all movie theaters in Las Vegas does “double duty” as a Casino.  Median Home Value:  $205,100.0k.  Median Rental:  950.00 per month.  Average Temperature:  69.3 (f).  Median Household Income:  $51,552.
9.   Houston, Texas:  Houston is actually larger than the whole Stat of Maryland.  Median Home Value:  $310,000.0k. (up 6.6% over 2015)  Median Rental:  $1392.  Average Temperature:  69.19 (F).  Median Household Income:  $61,465.
10.   Charlotte, North Carolina:  The downtown area of Charlotte, N.C. is referred to by the locals as “Uptown”.  Median Home Value:  $178,200.0k. up 8.0% over 2015.  Median Rental:  $1169 per month.  Average Temperature:  59.8 (f).  Median Household Income:  $54,836.

If you are looking to re-locate to the Florida West Coast in the Tampa to Fort Myers areas where the average temperature is  73 (f) and where the housing is affordable I would be happy to help you explore your options.

Source:  Penske Truck Rental.  Realtor Magazine

The post Fun Facts: The Top 10 Moving Destinations In The U.S. appeared first on Southwest Florida Real Estate from Sandra Rubinstein.

Things To do Around Longboat Key

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From Wikipedia:
“The Villages is a census-designated place in Sumter County, Florida, United States. It shares its name with a broader master-planned age-restricted community that spreads into portions of Lake and Marion counties.” Wikipedia

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The other bright spots that contributed to the Florida population gain are:
1. Tampa, St. Petersburg-Clearwater (about +41,000)
2. Cape Coral, Ft. Myers (about +18,000)
3. North Port, Sarasota, Bradenton (about +16,000)

Furthermore, six metropolitan areas in Florida were among the top 20 fastest growing in the U.S between 2013 – 2014. In addition to “The Villages”, they were
1. Cape Coral, Ft. Myers (6th)
2. Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island: (10th)
3. North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton: (18th)

-FloridaRealtors.org/News And Events March 27, 2015

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As a result, the number of direct travel-rated jobs in the state also hit a record high of 1,135,700, an increase of 3.6 percent, Visit Florida reported.

“Anyone would be happy to see their business grow by 4 percent year-over-year,” said Andrew Hertz, chairman of the Visit Florida’s board of directors, referring to the increase in total visitors. “But it is absolutely amazing when an entire industry keeps beating record numbers, while adding jobs and supporting the rest of the state’s economy.”

With tourism, comes jobs, & a healthier and more stable housing market.

Shouldn’t you consider coming out of the snow and sub-freezing temperatures to visit us and investing in your Vacation, Rental or your Retirement property while prices are still attractive?

The post Florida The New “It” Place to Visit? appeared first on Southwest Florida Real Estate from Sandra Rubinstein.