GREAT VALUE A 3,725- square-foot custom home on a cul-de-sac in the very private bayside section of The Oaks is listed by Nicole Dovgopolyi of Michael Saunders & Company at $1,095,000. Built in 2000, the three-bedroom home at 322 Banana Patch Court is a great value, says Dovgopolyi, because homes in the beautifully landscaped Oaks Bayside traditionally sell at a higher per-square-foot price than in the east-of-Tamiami-Trail section, and this particular residence is immaculate and has picture-perfect finishes. "We see everything as realtors," she says, "and this is excellent quality." In a nod to hurricane season, she notes that the home comes with custom Lexan hurricane shutters.

MARKET WATCH A 50-plus-year-old, one-time fishing camp on Blind Pass Road just south of Turtle Beach is listed at $2.4 million by Carla Rayman and Patricia Tan of Prudential Palms Realty. The same family has owned the one-acre Siesta Key property, which contains two original beach cottages plus a home built in the 1960s and another home built in the 1970s, for more than 50 years. "They find they’re not using it as much for family vacations as they used to," says Tan. The potential buyer, she says, would be someone who wants to redevelop into one large estate home or two separate homes. "The county recently reclaimed the beach in front of the house, and it’s beautiful, very deep and quiet," Tan says. "And behind the house, you’re on a sheltered inlet on deep sailboat water. Where else can you find beachfront and deepwater boat dock on the same property, so close to town?"

KUDOS The Codding Cot-tage, the Laurel Park bungalow featured in our March issue, recently earned a national award from the Consumer Electronics Association for Sarasota-based home electronics firm SmartHouse Integration LLC. The 2009 Mark of Excellence Platinum Award recognized Codding Cottage as the Best Green Project of the year for its custom energy and security management systems. 

Top of The Market

A luxurious, end-unit penthouse at The Ritz-Carlton Residences in downtown Sarasota sold for $3.3 million, after an original list price of $3,995,000, making it the highest-priced residential sale in March. The furnished, four-bedroom condominium, with nearly 5,200 square feet of living space, went to contract after just 11 days. Linda Driggs of Michael Saunders & Company was the listing agent; Terri Ann Sax of Prudential Palms Realty was the selling agent. Sales information provided by Kim Ogilvie of Michael Saunders & Company.

Green

report Felt rugs make a comeback.

Earth friendly and chemical free, the felt rug is an age-old tribal tradition that’s absolutely modern, thanks to eco-conscious companies like Peace Industry. Biodegradable vegetable dyes are applied to lamb’s wool, which—rather than being woven—is sprinkled with boiling water, then rolled, walked on and beaten by hand to create the felt. Felt rugs were first created in ancient Persia; nomads spread them through eastern Asia. That’s why you’ll find so many tribal and nature motifs. Look for the Peace Industry collection online at Design Within Reach (www.dwr.com).

Neighborhood

Next up in Nokomis.

watch

Savvy homebuyers are jumping at the values to be had in waterfront properties in Nokomis, says realtor Kim Tritschler, co-owner of Re/Max Effort Realty. An unincorporated south Sarasota County community that runs from Laurel Road to the City of Venice border, Nokomis boasts Intracoastal Waterway and canal-front subdivisions, Sorrento Shores, Bay Point and The Inlets among them—plus homes along Roberts Bay, Dona Bay and Lyons Bay. "It’s a little bit more laid back than Sarasota," says Tritschler. "You can get on a canal down here for $250,000. Yes, they’re older houses, but sometimes that’s the charm. They have terrazzo floors, and you can walk to the beach." The best part, Tritschler says, is that the expansion of U.S. 41 is completed, "and it’s beautiful. You’re only a mile or two from the island of Venice, with all of its charm but without the [additional] city taxes."

Total number of sales from 3/2008 to 3/2009: 220 Range of sale prices: $29,900 to $4.5 million Range of square footage: 285 to 5,443

MLS statistics courtesy of Kim Tritschler of Re/Max Effort Realty. MLS records transactions and listings by members of the Sarasota Board of Realtors Multiple Listing Service.

SAMPLE LISTING A three-bedroom home at 418 Palmetto Crescent, on Lyons Bay, built in 1966 and extensively remodeled in 2004, is on the market for $949,500. Interiors are opulent, with a granite kitchen and gas fireplace in the master suite. It has a 60-foot lap pool, tropical gardens designed by a master landscaper, and "to-die-for views," says listing agent Kim Tritschler.

RECENT SALE A four-bedroom, custom home at 435 Sorrento Drive recently sold in just 57 days to a South Dakota man for $3.5 million, after an original list price of $4 million. The 6,000-square-foot home, built in 2006, looks out over the Intracoastal to Casey Key. Terri Herschberger of Signature Sotheby’s International Realty was the listing agent; Kim Tritschler of Re/Max Effort Realty was the selling agent. Previous sale: $1.45 million (for the empty lot) in February 2005.