REAL ESTATE REPORTS

+ Four Coldwell associates named to Legends Society
Barbara Ackerman, Judy Kepecz-Hays, Lynne Koy and Roger Pettingell, all of Coldwell Banker’s Longboat Key office, were each named to Coldwell Banker Florida’s highest level of achievement, the Legends Society.

“This recognition is particularly unique because it is a top performance level that is achieved by only a handful of agents from the ranks of 4,600 Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate agents in Florida,” said office manager Bob Stanley in a prepared statement.

+ Michael Saunders & Co. launches quarterly magazine
Michael Saunders & Co. recently launched the new SaundersBEST magazine to showcase residential properties in Southwest Florida.

The winter 2013 issue features real-estate and company news, trends and shopping and dining information.
The inaugural edition includes homes on the mainland and barrier islands such as Longboat Key, Lido Key, Siesta Key and Casey Key.

But, the cover features an island that can be yours for a price: Little Bokeelia Island, located between Sarasota and Naples, is for sale at a listing price of $29.5 million.

+ Sale is the largest in Manatee County since May 2011
Premier Sotheby’s International Realty’s Shellie Young represented both the buyer and seller of the home at 7012 Riverview Blvd., Bradenton, that sold for $3.8 million last week.

The sale was the highest price recorded for a home in Manatee County since May 2011, when the home at 6477 Gulfside Road sold for $4.8 million.

The Bradenton property has nearly five acres and features a 7,676-square-foot main home, 4,271-square-foot second home and a riverfront guest cottage that was built in 1921 and recently renovated.

+ SAR reports 22% increase in January YTD sales
The Sarasota Association of Realtors reports that January 2013 sales were up 22% from the previous January.

Members sold 626 properties in January — 466 single-family homes and 160 condominiums — compared with 365 single-family homes and 148 condos in January 2012.

Single-family home prices were also up year-to-date, with a median price of $183,800, compared with $162,000 last January, while condo prices were down, with a median price of $130,000, a decrease from last January’s median price of $180,000.