If you are looking to settle into a city that has a lot to offer, you need to take a close look at Sarasota.  Located on the southwest coast of Florida, you can find a wide range of attractions, great restaurants, some of the best beaches in Florida, intriguing museums and a whole lot more. To get a better understanding of what we’re talking about, you can visit www.sarasota.com.  It will clue you in on everything from artists and bakeries to vacation rentals and the weather.  Of course if you ask homeowners at The Founders Club why they settled here, they’d probably tell you that they love the fact that the community is slightly removed from all the hustle and bustle of the city, but just a 20 minute drive from most of the shopping, restaurants, museums and nightlife.  What’s on our don’t miss list?  The Ringling Museum.  It’s not just about the circus.  It’s about serious art.  Check it out.

Figures just release by the Sarasota Association of Realtors confirms that the real estate market in the region is continuing its rebound.  Sales in May 2011 hit their highest level in six years and the inventory of homes on the market declined to just over 5,000.  While that may sound like a lot of homes to move, at the current rate of sales that represents just a 5.8 month supply.  That’s down from 24 months in November 2008.  Experts say as inventory drops, buyers will start seeing multiple offers on their homes which would continue to help prices rise.  The average sales price rose by almost $5,000 during the 30 days between April and May.  A lot of factors can influence the market, but perhaps the most important is inventory, and that one is certainly trending in the right direction.  If you’re reading this, you are probably watching the market, so why not stop by The Founders Club.  You’ll be surprised at how attractive our pricing is today.

Just last week, the Wall Street Journal added its voice to the chorus of publications touting the many reasons to buy a home in today’s market. Whether it’s favorable prices and interest rates or dwindling inventory and pent-up demand, many publications, including Fortune have looked at the housing economy and found reasons to promote its value. And speaking of value, there’s also a new report out that says higher end homes have held their value much better than those in the lower end of the market. Did you know that in the Tampa region, 25% of all existing home sales are priced less than $50,000? That’s one reason prices seem to keep tumbling. In the category of “you have to look beyond the numbers,” an April report said home prices tumbled 7.5%. If you factor out distressed sales, prices dropped just 0.5%. Buying a home at the The Founders Club today may prove to be a wise and timely investment.

The green building movement has been gaining a lot of steam during the last few years as consumers and municipalities begin to demand more energy efficient and sustainable homes.  At a recent green building conference, there was a lot of chatter about the responsibilities that builders have to better educate consumers about the benefits of going green.  There are a lot of new products on the market that can help home owners become better stewards of the environment and in the process put more money in their pockets.  Nation’s Building News  recently did an article that addresses these very topics.  If you haven’t keep pace with the green building trend, you’ll find this an interesting read.  It will also help you become a more informed consumer, especially if you are in the market for a new home.  Of course any of the Preferred Builders at The Founders Club can also help you design and build a greener home.

It’s been less than a year since London Bay took control of the sales and marketing activities at The Founders Club.  And as they say, what a difference a year can make.  This past season, the Founders Club had a renewed visibility in the market with an attention-getting print and broadcast advertising campaign.  Soon after London Bay’s purchase of the remaining 86 home sites at The Founders Club they began work on three new million dollar models that brought some fresh designs to the community.  The recently concluded “Million Dollar Model Home Showcase” was another big hit, bringing more than 1,000 people into the community.  And most recently, the newly designed sales center was unveiled, creating a more welcoming and informative introduction to potential residents and members.  Oh…and did we mention this new website?  All of this work has helped to re-position this award-winning community in the market and generate new interest and sales.  Swing by this summer and see what’s new at The Founders Club.

With the generous support of more than 1,000 art lovers, more than $6,000 was raised at The Founders Club’s Million Dollar Model Showcase.  Three Sarasota charities, the American Cancer Society, Girls, Inc., and the Humane Society, each received checks for $1,700 from London Bay Homes.  In addition, visitors to the model homes selected the Humane Society as the recipient of another $850 check from London Bay.  And Jack O’Conner’s name was drawn as the winner of the Tropical Vacation cruise.  All in all, there were a lot of winners here.  We’d also like to thank Allyne Gallup Contemporary Art for the magnificent displays of art in the model homes.  And here’s some more good news…homes are selling at The Founders Club.   London Bay is now in the process of building a new Isabella model home because the previous one sold to a visitor of the Showcase.  If you haven’t visited lately, stop by and learn about some of the great values at The Founders Club, with homes now staring in the $500s and home sites priced from the $150s.

Brett Arends is a senior columnist for MarketWatch and a personal finance columnist for the Wall Street Journal.  In my book that makes him a guy worth listening to.  He just wrote a piece that takes a look at the housing industry.  And while there is still some gloom in his report, there are also a few spots of light.  Most notably in Southwest Florida, where he notes that Sarasota and Fort Myers are two of only four markets in America where Zillow says prices have leveled out and are actually increasing.  Despite the uncertainty in housing, Arends admits that he is now a “medium bull” when it comes to housing.  He points to things like affordability, low mortgage rates and the chance for a decent return on your investment during the next few years.  We hope he’s right about Southwest Florida.  Because history does show those markets that drop the hardest also rebound the quickest.  Something to keep in mind if you’re thinking about buying a new home.

There’s just one week left to help us raise funds for three local charities with our Million Dollar Model Home Showcase event.  Local chapters of the American Cancer Society, Girls, Inc., and the Humane Society all stand to benefit from your generosity and love of fine art.  (London Bay Homes will be making a special donation as well.)  More than 20 pieces of art are on display in the new million dollar models built by London Bay Homes here at The Founders Club.  We’d also like to thank Allyn Gallup Contemporary Art for sharing their artwork and for their support of these great charities.  A $5 donation is requested which will be shared by the three organizations.  The models have met with immediate acclaim, as evidenced by the fact that two of the three homes have already been purchased.  In addition the art, you’re sure to enjoy the furnishings and interior design by Romanza Interiors.

One of the most often-heard lines in Florida real estate circles is “buy now.”  And it appears that people searching for that great deal are doing just that.  In Sarasota, Realtors sold 10,102 homes last year, a 13 percent increase from 2009. The median sales price in Sarasota-Bradenton for 2010 was $158,000, a 1 percent decline from the previous year, but also an indication that the market’s pricing has finally reached stability.  Another item of good news is that with sales now at their highest level since 2005, the level of inventory in the market is being absorbed rapidly. The inventory of unsold single-family homes in the Sarasota – Bradenton market stood at 6,047 at the end of 2010, representing a 7.8 month supply and close to the levels that some would interpret as a healthy market.  At The Founders Club, things are also looking up.  In 2010, the average sales price in the community was $1 million, up 20% form 2009, and again, indicative of a market that’s improving.  So if you’re still on the sideline, remember those two words…buy now!