Siesta Key. Is it Time to Make Your Move ?

Posted October 14, 2011

Siesta Key is one of the major barrier islands situated just off Sarasota Florida and separated from the mainland by Sarasota Bay. On the Gulf side of this eight-mile long island, Siesta Key has some of the nicest beaches in the state of Florida facing the calm, warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Siesta Beach, itself, rated the #1 beach in America in 2011 by Dr. Beach, is world-famous for its soft white, powdery quartz sand, unsurpassed anywhere in America in its beauty.

On the inland side, Siesta Key faces Sarasota Bay and the Florida Intracoastal Waterway where residents and visitors enjoy boating and sailing on protected water and fishing along the edges of scenic mangrove forests.

The Travel Channel said of Siesta Key; "Relaxing is easy on Siesta Key with its sand as soft and white as sugar, its brilliant sunshine and azure waters. But be prepared, with so much to see and do, it's almost impossible to lie idly on this island!"

Siesta Key has shops and boutiques from the chic and elegant to the hip and funky, with all sorts of casual fashions, beach accessories and souvenirs. There are restaurants where you can grab a quick breakfast or lunch in your flip-flops or relax in style over an extraordinary dinner. And, of course, there are grocery stores, drug stores, a post office conveniently located on the island. And right across either of the two causeways lie all the arts, cultural and other venues that make Sarasota so attractive to so many.

For housing, Siesta Key offers a wide spectrum of options in an eclectic collection of settings. Siesta Key neighborhoods vary from an artists and writers colony at Siesta Village, single-family homes and condos, and exclusive waterfront estates. From one end of the island to the other, you will experience a vibrant island lifestyle. Many who live on Siesta Key consider it “Florida's Paradise.”

Despite the troubling condition of the overall Florida housing market, Siesta Key home and condo sales have increased each year since 2007. During the initial onset of the housing problem, prices on Siesta Key dropped dramatically. While single-family home prices have rebounded somewhat since their 2009 lows, Siesta Key home prices today are still nearly 40% below their 2007 level. Condominium prices are even more attractive, nearly 55% below their market highs.

So, is Siesta Key a spot you should consider as you decide where to buy that get-away spot or permanent home you’ve been dreaming about ? A lot of people think the answer is “yes.”

Home and condo buyers have been taking advantage of those still-depressed prices on Siesta Key real estate to buy their own “Little Pieces of Paradise.” Although prices have crept up by about 17 - 20% in the past year, home and condo prices on Siesta Key are still very attractive at 40% to 55% below their highs. But hurry, this opportunity may soon be gone.

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