Business Observer 05.06.10

+ Monte Davis earns top status
Monte Davis, of RE/MAX Alliance Group, was accepted as a member of the Top 5 in Real Estate Network.

To qualify, each member must first meet a set of criteria based upon performance as well as educational and professional skills and service to the consumer. Members of the network are selected and managed by RISMedia. Davis is among the first real estate agents to be accepted into this elite organization.

“Monte has reached the very highest level of North America’s residential real estate industry,” said Allan Dalton, the president and co-founder of RISMedia’s Top 5 Network. “Not only are her professional accomplishments extraordinary, she has long been a true champion for homebuyers and sellers in her area.”

For more about Monte Davis, call 727-4422 or e-mail [email protected].

For more information on RISMedia’s Top 5 in Real Estate Network, please visit www.top5inrealestate.com.

+ Pat Neal reports real estate rebound
As of the end of April, Neal Communities has sold more than 85 homes this year and 30 homes in the last month.

The company has 15 contracts signed year-to-date at The Country Clubs in Lakewood Ranch, including Silverwood, Country Club East, Edenmore, Thornhill and Greystone, at prices from the high $200s to more than $1 million. Forest Creek, which reopened recently, had six contracts with prices ranging from $175,000 to $240,000.

“This is the signal we were looking for that the market has already stabilized and is on a steady course up,” states Neal Communities’ President Pat Neal. “By building in desirable neighborhoods and pricing the homes fairly, we’ve struck a chord with today’s buyers. They are looking for long-term value.”

According to the Sarasota Association of Realtors, Overall property sales reached 753 in the Sarasota market in March 2010, the highest total since December 2005 and more than 56% higher than March 2009. Also important, the inventory of homes available is at 7.2 months, which is almost equilibrium. This is the lowest level since the summer of 2005. In Manatee County, there were only five months of supply of inventory as of the end of March, which means a shift to a seller’s market.

Florida Realtors reported 1,055 single-family home sales in Sarasota-Bradenton in March, which is a 38% increase over March of last year. The median home price rose 9% to $163,800.

For more information, visit nealcommunities.com.