Friday, September 25, 2009

Cougar Town Ruins Sarasota's Reputation


"Forget the reputation as a home for retirees and senior citizens; the Sarasota area is about to be known as “Cougar Town,” writes Jay Handelman in the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

If you watched the first episode of the new ABC comedy starring Courtney Cox as Jules Cobb, then you saw that the opening credits set the location in the Sarasota area, called the town Gulf Haven and nicknamed the place Cougar Town after the high school football team.

After the set up clips of Sarasota, the shooting locations shifted to California where similar Mediterranean-styled houses abound.

A 40ish real estate agent, Jules (Courtney Cox) parodies the profession with a revealing photo on her For Sale signs and a mouth that begs for prospects to overhear her snarky comments (which I won't repeat in a G-rated blog).

Here is a relatively clean videoclip:



After a passing reference to incest, Jules (Courtney Cox) flashes one of her son's classmates in an effort to show off her assets.

As it turns out, the only character with smarts is Jules's teenage son, Travis, played by Dan Byrd. The adults could use time in rehab.

The show ends up more on the sad side than hilarious.

As for reality? Yes, like Any Town USA, Sarasota has its share of "cougars," women between the ages of 30 and 40 who date much younger men. We also have our December-May romances.

Best of all, we love the many wealthy dowagers who bless our community with impeccable style and culture as well as incredible generosity. These ladies support Sarasota's claim to the sobriquet "Florida's Cultural Coast."

For more information, please call:
Louis Wery, CIPS, CRS, ABR, CLHMS
Coldwell Banker Real Estate, LLC
201 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Suite 1
Longboat Key, Florida 34228
Direct: (941) 232-3001
www.LouisWery.com

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Beyond Curb Appeal


In real-estate jargon, curb appeal gauges a buyer's first impression on seeing a home for sale. The cliche "you never get a second chance to make a first impression" rings just as true for houses as for people.

When sellers decide to put a house on the market, they spiff the place up by installing exterior decorations, re-painting or updating the landscaping. 

Perhaps they watch one of the television shows such as Designed to Sell, House Doctor or Flip This House to learn how to improve curb appeal in hopes of garnering a higher selling price.

Once the house looks as good as possible, the sellers call their real estate agent to put the property on the market.

Dream houses follow a different script.

The owners love living in their dream home and care for every detail from the beginning. When the time comes to sell, the sellers do not worry about curb appeal because that quality stayed with the property from Day One.

That's the story of this home in the Del Sol Village neighborhood of Longwood Run in northeast Sarasota, a short hop from I-75.

Watch this short video showing this beautiful home tucked away from the daily hustle:



From your first look, you see a beautifully landscaped lawn with tropical planting. Perched on the banks of a lake and preserve, the home offers changing scenes of migrating wild birds and other beautiful flora and fauna.

Your excellent first impression continues when you enter this perfectly maintained home and see the floor plan designed to flow smoothly from space to space. The rooms are large enough for entertaining yet carry a feeling of sociability. The gourmet kitchen serves as a gathering place for informal entertaining.

Enjoy touring! Perhaps you will make this home your dream home, too.

For more information, please call:
Louis Wery, CIPS, CRS, ABR, CLHMS
Coldwell Banker Real Estate, LLC
201 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Suite 1
Longboat Key, Florida 34228
Direct: (941) 232-3001
www.LouisWery.com

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Sarasota Draws Glam Residents


When Arthur Ferrante died Saturday on Longboat Key, my wife asked if I remembered him and his piano partner, Louis Teicher, who died last year in Sarasota. Never heard of either of them, I replied.

After all, I was a pre-teen living in Africa and then England when Ferrante & Teicher garnered billboard recognition for four big American hits: "Theme From The Apartment" (#10 on the pop charts), "Exodus," (#2), "Tonight" (#8), and "Midnight Cowboy" (#10).

Of course, I remember the movies scored by these Julliard-trained musicians.

Interesting that, when they stopped performing in 1989, they both chose the Sarasota area.

That started me thinking that so many celebrities seek haven here, perhaps because Sarasotans let celebrities enjoy the community without interference. I remember strolling the Circle (St. Armands Circle on Lido Key, just west of downtown Sarasota) one long-ago Christmas Day and seeing Jerry Springer with his entourage. Springer kept looking around for who-knows-whom. Papparazzi? Fans? Groupies? No matter, the people sharing that warm holiday afternoon studiously ignored him.

Springer relaxed and seemed to forget himself, too, and maybe that's why he keeps his house on Bird Key.

Other famous living residents with homes in the Sarasota area include founding member of the Allman Brothers Band Dickie Betts, celebrity tennis coach Nick Bollettieri,  food writer Marcella Hazan, AC/DC lead singer Brian Johnson, author Stephen King, tennis champions Martina Navratilova and Monica Seles, Comedian Dick Smothers, Canadian opera soprano Teresa Stratas, Aerosmith lead singer Steven Tyler and guitarist Joe Perry, singer Bobby Vinton, fashion designer Adrienne Vittadini, and ESPN college basketball analyst Dick "Awesome Baby!" Vitale.

Listen to Ferrante & Teicher and remember:



For more information, please call:
Louis Wery, CIPS, CRS, ABR, CLHMS
Coldwell Banker Real Estate, LLC
201 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Suite 1
Longboat Key, Florida 34228
Direct: (941) 232-3001
www.LouisWery.com

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Autumn Tiptoes into Sarasota


Yes, the calendar says that today is the First Day of Autumn yet the highs still hit the 90s.

After fanning yourself through the harsh summer, you feel a stirring of energy. The heat index drops and the humidity eases a tiny bit.

If you look closely, you discern slight changes in color and light, from burnt to vibrant and from hazy to clear.

Magnolias (pictured at left) at University Park demonstrate the edges of autumn. Walking paths trundle through patches of wildflowers. Mornings and evenings feel cooler. People stroll St Armands Circle and the Main streets of Sarasota and Lakewood Ranch.

And our beloved Snowbirds begin their migration south bringing a revivifying energy to the cultural events that abound on Florida's Cultural Coast during high season. Year rounders feel renewed.

Watch this video to see a lovely home that showcases Sarasota's seasons. As you stroll the walking paths, you see wildflowers that signal the fall season with typical Sarasota subtlety. Anglophiles will appreciate the garden bench positioned for admiring the garden. Take along a favorite book and bask in the serenity of this private place for meditation or reverie.



For more information, please call:
Louis Wery, CIPS, CRS, ABR, CLHMS
Coldwell Banker Real Estate, LLC
201 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Suite 1
Longboat Key, Florida 34228
Direct: (941) 232-3001
www.LouisWery.com