Brandon Florida Real Estate

Belmont in Ruskin Florida

Becky Troutt (Reynolds Realty of Manatee Inc) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 18:15:06 -0500

Belmont is a brand new community in Ruskin that is currently being built. Belmont sits on nearly 1,000 acres and will have over 2,000 residences when completed.

Once completed, Belmont will offer a lot of amenities:

10,000 square foot pool complex
Olympic size pool
Splash zone
Flume slide
A 7.5-acre park area
Fishing pier that will extend into one of the park's ponds
Putting green
2 playgrounds
Basketball courts
Sand volleyball
Fields to play in
A colorful main boulevard to take a stroll down
Outdoor picnic pavilion
Bocce Ball Courts

Belmont is located in Ruskin off Hwy 301 about 2 miles south of Big Bend Rd.

Valencia Lakes in Wimauma Florida

Becky Troutt (Reynolds Realty of Manatee Inc) — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 08:41:18 -0500

I took my first drive through this community a couple days ago and I was pretty impressed. It's a beautiful community. You are welcomed into the community via a long winding road lined with lush tropical trees, greenery and rock waterfalls.

Valenica Lakes is a resort syle community for adults, which means there are age restrictions. They are currently in the process of building a 27,000 sq ft club house. They will also have plenty of other amenities when completed.

complete fitness center
resort pool
resistance pool
pool area spa
cabana bath
aerobics studio
art studio and gallery
wine bar
social hall with raised stage and dance floor
gaming room
multi-purpose room
internet cafe
locker facilities with steam
saunas
evaluation rooms
6 Har-Tru tennis courts with shade pavilions
Pickle ball and bocce ball courts
Half court basketball
Grandchildren's tot lot
Horseshoes play area
Community gardens
Dog park with agility training
RV and boat parking
recreational paths
wide variety of clubs
concerts

One thing I noticed was that all of the homes have tile roofs and brick paved driveways.

You can select from villas or single family style homes.

Valencia Lakes is located in Wimauma off Hwy 301 just a couple miles north of CR 674 and just a short drive to Sun City Center, a brand new Super Wal-Mart, restaurants, hospital, doctors offices, pharmacies, grocery stores, shopping and banks.

I found a commercial on YouTube and several other short videos that walk you through the model homes. Feel free to watch them!

The prices are lower now than mentioned in this video. Their website as of today says the villas start at $159,900. Prices are subject to change at any given time though.

Florida geckos will climb on anything...and anyone!

Becky Troutt (Reynolds Realty of Manatee Inc) — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 11:48:28 -0600

Geckos are everywhere here. Kinda like ants, everywhere you look, you are bound to see them. They crawl up everything, including people!

I was shopping the other day and was at the checkout lane where there was a group of people in front of the lane I was in, talking to one another. They appeared to be waiting for the rest of their group to finish shopping before they left.

Anyhow, they were all just standing around talking to one another when one when of them started kicking his leg everywhere and everyone stopped to see what the heck he was doing. He had a look of panic on his face as he was kicking his leg up and out and twisting and turning his body to get this creature off of him. Meanwhile, his shoe comes flying off and he is screeching....ahhh....ahhh....ahhh. So the gecko comes flying off of him and lands on the floor in front of him and doesn't move. The group of people then decide to gather around this tiny little 7 or 8 inch gecko to get a better look at it, I guess to see what it was. It appeared as if they had never seen one before. After a few moments of pointing at it and taunting it, the gecko ran off. As it ran off, the whole group jumped back (as if the gecko was going to get them). Now mind you the gecko is running AWAY from these people, but I guess since it moved, it must have scared them.

We all cracked up laughing when we realized that it was just a gecko they were all afraid of. It was pretty amusing to see.

These little lizards will crawl up anything and everything. They are always on the windows, screens in the lanai, trees, cars...anything they can crawl up, you are bound to see them. Anytime you open the door and go outside, they are always on the sidewalks and driveway and scurry away as soon as you come towards them.

They are harmless. They are more scared of you, I can assure you, then you should be of them.

Occasionally when I leave I will have one on the hood of my car. Now mind you, I am now driving down the road with a gecko on the hood of my car holding on for dear life looking at me through the windshield, like he just realized he is now riding on what must feel like riding on the outside of an airplane going down a runway 200 MPH and trying to hold on before getting sucked off. Kinda funny to watch though.....LOL

The last time my family came down to stay with us, my nieces wanted to sleep out in the lanai every-night because it was so nice out. So we blew up an air bed and they slept out there. We occasionally heard loud screams when they realized there was a gecko in the bed with them. That was pretty hilarious.

They are small enough and fast enough, that it is nearly impossible to always keep them from getting inside some part of your home. Occasionally, we have to shew them back outside before they run off somewhere and hide, where you can't get to them.

It still cracks me up to see people that live here run from them if they see them. I've seen people refuse to push a shopping cart if one was on it because they were afraid it would "get them." LOL....

They are always on the screens in the lanai crawling up and down them. The pictures above were taken in my lanai just this morning.

These little guys were great for one thing.....

Last year we had a black snake in our backyard a few times. And since the snake likes to eat these little guys, they of course run when they know the snake is coming and they climb up high on the screens where the snake can't get to them. So if I ever walk out to the lanai and there are a lot of geckos on the screen up high, I can almost bet that darn snake is around close by and I know not to go outside of the lanai.

So if you do come to visit Florida, don't worry, these little fellas won't harm you!!

Florida Residents; Apply For A Free Wind Inspection On Your Home

Becky Troutt (Reynolds Realty of Manatee Inc) — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 21:06:05 -0600

Go to MySafeFloridaHome.com and apply to see if you qualify for a free wind inspection on your home. The website states the following:

To help Floridians identify how they can strengthen their homes against hurricanes and to reduce hurricane damage exposure in our state, the My Safe Florida Home program is offering free wind inspections by qualified hurricane mitigation inspectors to eligible homeowners.

This is not an entitlement program. You must apply and obtain approval in order to receive the free inspection. Requesting or obtaining an inspection does not guarantee or automatically qualify you for a grant. Floridians whose homes have undergone wind certification and hurricane mitigation inspections approved by the Department of Financial Services may be eligible to apply for matching grants up to $5,000.

Simply click here to view the application and see if you qualify.

Also, if you do not qualify for the free wind inspection, you may still pay the $150 fee yourself to still get an inspection. Simply contact one of the firms directly.

From what I can tell, it is absolutely FREE to submit an application....so GO DO IT!!

Braden Castle Park

Becky Troutt (Reynolds Realty of Manatee Inc) — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 11:58:38 -0600

While out for a drive yesterday, I came across a tiny neat little neighborhood tucked away in North East Bradenton. It's just off of Manatee Ave and 27th St E. I just happened to glance up and saw a sign that said Historic Neighborhood with an arrow, so I quickly turned down the street and ended up in this neat little community.

It's a 55 and over community that sits where the Braden River meets the Manatee River. The first thing I noticed were that the streets are only wide enough for one car to pass and these homes are pretty close to each other, so there isn't much yard to worry about for maintenance. As I drove through the winding streets and up and down a few hills, I knew I was in a historic community. You could tell just from looking at the homes. They were all old homes that were built back in the 1920's and 1930's. Each one different from the next. Unique in it's own way.

As I continued to drive through the community, every person that I saw walking, driving a golf cart, riding a bike or just sitting outside of their home waved at me. All of them. This is small community full of friendly people. It was so nice to drive through someplace unknown to me and have people smile and wave as I passed them.

Making my way around this unique community, I came across the ruins of the Braden Plantation House, that was long known as Braden Castle. The Braden Plantation house was built in 1850 by Dr. Joseph Braden, whom Bradenton was named after. The Castle had 20 inch thick walls, was two stories high and measured about 100 ft on each side. There were 4 rooms on each floor that were all the same size measuring 20 sq ft each. The Castle also had 8 fireplaces and 4 chimneys.

In March of 1856, Indians attacked Braden Castle.

Dr. Braden fell onto some financial hardships in 1857. The home was foreclosed on by Daniel Ladd, but Ladd did not evict him. Braden later left Manatee for Texas around 1864.

The Braden Plantation was then purchased by Mary El Pelot and J. Crews Pelot after the civil war for $2,000. She then gave 320 acres to her father. For the next 10 years, Braden Castle was center of social life on the Manatee. When Mary's father died, the Plantation House and land was then deeded back to J. Crews Pelot. He later sold 34.75 acres that is now known as Braden Castle Park to Schmidlapp and McPherson.

Sometime around 1903 a fire that was reportedly started by vandals destroyed most of the home leaving only the concrete walls standing. A short time later, the walls collapsed into the ruins that still remain today. A fence has been placed around the ruins, but they still remain. It truly is a historic site to see.

In 1924 the Tin Can Tourists (Camping Tourists of America) purchased the 34.74 acres.

By 1930, most of the 197 bungalows had been built. Many of them have undergone several renovations yet still remain as they were, when they were built.

Originally there was a barbershop, post office, western union office, general store, a filing station, fire station, men's club house, women's club house, pavillion and 13 rental tourists cabins.

Today, this small 55 and over community has boat ramps, shuffleboard courts, a pier, a lagoon with a gazebo in the middle of it and beautiful views of the Manatee River. Sorry, but they don't allow pets here!

If you're looking to live in a historic community, this may be the place for you. The bungalows range in size from about 450 sq ft to 1700 sq ft. Most are on the smaller side though. They make perfect winter residences or year round living if you don't mind a small home to take care of.

*The above information and images are Copyright © 2007 Becky Troutt and may not be copied, reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed or published. All rights reserved. Plagiarism will be detected and is punishable by law.

American Home Shield; Are You Using The FREE "Extras" They Offer?

Becky Troutt (Reynolds Realty of Manatee Inc) — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 09:00:59 -0600

American Home Shield is a well known home warranty company. But did you also know they have a section on their website specifically for agents to market to buyers and sellers as well as things to help market your listings?

You don't have to purchase a warranty through them in order to use these freebies. They are for all agents!!

Go to OnMark Pro and create an account. It's FREE! Once you create an account you can get...

Monthly newsletters to send to your customers
Anniversary postcards
Birthday postcards
Recipes
Referral postcards
Holiday postcards
Farming postcards
Calendar
Listing postcards
Listing materials
Open house materials
Checklists
Home tips
Seasonal postcards

Some of the items you might find useful, and some you may not. But go check them out. I like the checklists they have!

These items are free for you to use. You can add your photo and contact info to all of them. Customize them with your info and then use them on your website, or print them off and mail them to your customers.

A Tribute To My Grandpa, Thomas Watkins

Becky Troutt (Reynolds Realty of Manatee Inc) — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 19:12:55 -0600

Thomas Watkins
March 5, 1925 - January 9, 2008
82 years old

Married 58 years to Lillian Watkins

Many words describe the type of person my grandpa was: Funny, charming, witty, honest, loving, hard working, stern, loyal, jokster, reliable, old fashioned, strict, solid, good, jack of all trades, man of his word, kind, stubborn and family man are just some of many that come to mind.

When ever I entered their home, his words to me were always...."Well there she is...hey squirt". I was always "squirt" to him. Very rarely did he ever call me by my real name.

In my younger years, the majority of my memories are of him either working in the garden or the yard, tinkering around in his workshop, fixing something around the house or at night time watching TV in his lazy boy recliner. He loved to be in his workshop, fixing something or making something. He just loved to tinker around. He took great pride in his garden and loved to grow vegetables every year. They always had a garden until he got older and couldn't keep one up anymore. He still grew tomatoes every chance he could get though. If he couldn't have the entire garden, he still wanted those tomatoes!

I remember sitting on the toilet watching him shave. He always used one of those old fashioned shaving brushes. He would swirl it in circles around his face to lather up the shave cream. Then he'd look down at me and point to my face with the shave brush and ask if I needed to shave my face too....then start giggling and finish shaving.

He was always a jokster. He stood 6'3" but didn't have an over bearing personality at all. I don't think my grandpa had a mean bone in his body. He never raised his voice to anyone, ever. He would much rather just let things go then to argue about them. My grandma could chew him out, up and down and he wouldn't ever say a word back to her. Sometimes, he'd just look at her and laugh...which of course only made her even more mad and she'd storm off and he'd just giggle. He use to deliberately do things to make her mad. We always asked him why he did that when he knew it would just set her off, and his answer was always "cuz I know it pushes her buttons, and it's fun to see her get mad". LOL.....that's my grandpa!

In many of the pictures we have of him, he's either horsing around, making funny poses or faces, sticking his two fingers up over other people's heads for "rabbit ears", or just not paying attention at all. Oh, my grandma use to yell at him, PAY ATTENTION, stop acting up, she'd say! LOL....he'd just laugh and pose for one "normal" photo, then go back to horsing around. He liked to goof around rather than be serious.

I remember spending many nights at their house when I was growing up. He always got up early in the morning long before us kids did. But he thought, if he was up, then we should be up too. He didn't like anyone sleeping in. So he'd sneak into the bedroom quietly, and tickle my nose with a feather until I woke up. UGH....that use to make me so mad...and he would just walk out of the room laughing so hard.

These last few years his health had declined quite a bit especially through this last year. He was in and out of the hospital quite a bit and was just plain tired. He was tired all the time and tired of everything. Tired of going to so many doctors, tired of being in the hospital, tired of not feeling good and tired of being tired.

He said many times that he was ready to go. He just wanted the Lord to take him, were his words. He didn't want to continue to live the way he was living. He didn't want to be tired and in pain any longer.

From growing up and remembering him as such a strong man that was always doing something to keep busy to watching him over the last couple years decline to someone that could no longer get out of bed or even turn over anymore by himself was hard. I know he is in a better place now and he is no longer in any pain or tired. He can laugh and joke again and just be his old-self once again.

He will be missed, but I have a lot of wonderful memories that I will cherish forever. One day I will see him again. One day he will be able to tickle my nose again with a feather and I will be able to hear that contagious giggle of his!

Until we meet again, I love you grandpa!

-Squirt

A Sign Of The Times; New Subdivision Appears To Be Abandoned By The Builders

Becky Troutt (Reynolds Realty of Manatee Inc) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 18:45:37 -0500

Just a few miles around the corner from where I live in Riverview is what was to be known as Triple Creek. Triple Creek is located near the intersection of Big Bend Rd and Balm Riverview Rd.

Triple Creek was supposed to be a large gated community of over 2,000 homes & townhomes ranging in size from 1,500 to 4,000 sq ft. Planned community amenities included a town center and a 6,000 sq ft clubhouse.

Triple Creek is located next to Balm-Boyette Scrub Nature Preserve. The 5,000-acre preserve features 21.5 miles of hiking and biking trails.

Sounds like a great community, eh? Well....this is what it looks like today....

It appears as if they have abandoned the entire project as of now. Trees are tipped over into the road, weeds and brush are overgrown onto the sidewalks and medians. Weeds are about waist high around the concrete block homes they started, but never finished. There are a few homes that were built and look like they were completed or are nearly completed, that were probably going to be the models. Some of the windows have been broken out of the homes, so who knows what type of damage or vandalism has been done to the inside of the homes.

It's a shame this community is now a ghost town. Abandoned. Not a single construction worker, car or truck in the subdivision. Hopefully, they will be able to get moving on this project again soon!

Please keep 2-year-old Lexi Antorino in your prayers

Becky Troutt (Reynolds Realty of Manatee Inc) — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 07:24:57 -0600

I have been following the story of 2-year-old Lexi Antorino in the news. This was such a sad accident to happen to a child.

She is such a beautiful little girl.

There are a several articles that talk about the accident that happened a few days ago in Palmetto.

A 14 year old family member had taken the little girl and 2 others to the park to play and while swinging, "a section of the swings crashed forward, a support pole struck the girl, bursting the main blood vessel in her brain and fracturing the top of her spinal cord." She had stopped breathing, but a neighbor of the park that heard the screams when it happened performed CPR on her. She may have died then if he hadn't.

She was flown to All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg where she has remained in a coma with no brain activity until yesterday. Late yesterday afternoon, tests discovered signs of brain activity in Lexi. It was also stated that her blood pressure rises when her family talks to her, which is a sign that she may be able to hear her family.

The parents of Lexi are Sarah Parkinson, 21 and fiancee' Nicholas Antorino, 22. They have been together since they were 15. They live in Palmetto and are expecting their second child, a boy to be named Nicholas Jr., in February.

"More than 200,000 children annually are treated in U.S. hospital emergency rooms for injuries associated with playground equipment. Each year, about 50,000 children go to U.S. hospital emergency rooms because of injuries on home playground equipment, according to the CPSC."

A fund has been set up for Lexi. If you would like to donate, please visit any Synovus Bank and give Lexi's name. For more information, call the bank at 941-757-2265.

A candlelit prayer vigil was scheduled for 8:15 p.m. today at Church on the Rock, 1401 14th Ave. W. in Palmetto.

Please keep this little girl in your prayers! And if you want to do something nice for someone, please donate to the fund for Lexi.

Update: Hundreds turned out for the prayer vigil. See the article here.

Update: As of Friday Dec 14th, Lexi's condition remains unchanged.

Update: Monday Dec 17th. Lexi's condition still remains unchanged. Candy & prayers are pouring into Lexi. "Sarah Parkinson said she and her husband have decided not to do anything extraordinary to save Lexi if her organs fail - but if the child keeps fighting they will fight along with her. Lexi's kidneys began to fail last week, but medication reversed the problem and her kidneys are working again, her mother said."

Update: Saturday Dec 22, 2007. Tests revealed Brain activity on Thursday, but doctors say it is unlikely Lexi will ever wake up. Lexi's parents marry in her honor.

Update: I was out of town, so didn't have a chance until today to follow up on how she is doing. As of Dec 28th, Lexi's family celebrates after Christmas visit. Her condition remains unchanged. She is still hanging in there though. Here is the video of Lexi on YouTube.

Update: Jan 5th, I found a MySpace page for Lexi. It is getting harder and harder to find updates on her condition.

Update: Jan 23rd, Investigation: Swing set collapse caused by missing bolts and no anchors. Lexi has shown some movement, but still remains in a coma.

Update: For more related posts about Lexi, please click here.

Update: Feb 16th, Upcoming Fishing Tournament Proceeds To Benefit Lexi Antorino.

Just for the record, I am not related to Lexi or her family in any way. I have never met them or spoke to them. I didn't want to confuse anyone if I did. I read the story about her in the newspapers and felt compelled to write about her in hopes that prayers will work for her. She is a bright beautiful little girl that I hope will pull through this.

Florida drivers need to check your SunPass statements

Becky Troutt (Reynolds Realty of Manatee Inc) — Wed, 23 May 2007 08:05:10 -0500

A story reported on TampaBays10.com is a reminder to check your SunPass statements to verify if all of the charges are correct. A Tampa Bay 10 photojournalist Kurt Beabes replenished his SunPass with $50 and then 2 days later it charged his card again with another $50. Beabes went online, checked his account and saw several charges for axle adjustments. He then called SunPass.

"SunPass said a lot of times when someone is riding through a toll plaza and somebody is riding the bumper, that person will get charged for both vehicles' tolls."

"10 News made a public records request to the SunPass agency and found similar e-mail complaints, including "axle adjustment for $6" and "axle adjustment for $12." There were email after email complaints.

If you use a SunPass, you may want to start checking your statements to make sure you're not being over charged.

In the Customer Agreement, it states the following:

Section 16. Dispute of Charges:

FDOT must be notified of any disputes of charges appearing on User's Prepaid Account within 90 days of the charge being posted. All disputes are subject to review and approval by FDOT and may require additional documentation or evidence from the User.

Hillsborough County Market Stats For June & July

Becky Troutt (Reynolds Realty of Manatee Inc) — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 07:52:17 -0500

Below are the stats for properties that SOLD and closed in June & July for Hillsborough County:

June 2007
# of single family homes SOLD = 895
Avg SOLD price for SFR = $321,436
Median price for SFR = $250,000
Average Days On Market = 133

# of condos SOLD = 256
Avg SOLD price for condos = $218,754
Median price for condos = $186,095
Average Days On Market = 249

June 2008
# of single family homes SOLD = 807
Avg SOLD price for SFR = $253,631
Median price for SFR = $208,000
Average Days On Market = 149

# of condos SOLD = 129
Avg SOLD price for condos = $171,319
Median price for condos = $139,000
Average Days On Market = 224

July 2007
# of single family homes SOLD = 835
Avg SOLD price for SFR = $322,177
Median price for SFR = $245,000
Average Days On Market = 125

# of condos SOLD = 215
Avg SOLD price for condos = $211,305
Median price for condos = $170,740
Average Days On Market = 235

July 2008
# of single family homes SOLD = 785
Avg SOLD price for SFR = $260,455
Median price for SFR = $208,500
Average Days On Market = 147

# of condos SOLD = 108
Avg SOLD price for condos = $164,947
Median price for condos = $129,000
Average Days On Market = 245

As of today, there are: 9,495 SFR Active on the market and 2,355 Condos Active on the market for sale.

To check previous months stats, click here.

*Information is deemed to be accurate, but is not guaranteed.

Flip This House is looking for more flippers

Becky Troutt (Reynolds Realty of Manatee Inc) — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 12:03:08 -0500

Willa from 813 Casting sent me an email this morning. It appears they are looking for new people for the upcoming season of the TV show Flip This House.

This is what she had to say:

"I‘m a casting director with 813 Casting and we're currently casting Flip This House on A&E"

"We're looking for teams or companies that buy, renovate and resell residential properties on a medium to large scale basis (no fewer than 10 "flips" per year). If your company fits this description and would be interested in being featured throughout the upcoming season of Flip This House, we'd love to talk with you!"

I don't know of anyone that would be interested in doing this, but figured I would post it here in case any of you know of someone. She can be reached at *note, she asked for her phone # to be removed, as she no longer works for them*.

She also sent me a copy of their Casting Application and a Casting Notice that are Word Documents. If you're interested in them, I can forward them on to you. Just send me an email.

6701 W 34th Ave Bradenton, Florida FOR SALE

Becky Troutt (Reynolds Realty of Manatee Inc) — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 12:41:15 -0500

Links

My Website

Photo Gallery

Description

Nothing needs to be done to this very well maintained home. Newer roof, hot water heater and garage door. Large fenced backyard overlooking water. Oversized lot. Room for a pool. No deed restrictions. Split floor plan. Very spacious bedrooms with large walk in closet in master bedroom. Built in vanity in master bathroom. Screened in lanai.

Features

Bedrooms:	2
Bathrooms:	2
Parking:	Covered
Year Built:	1986
Subdivision:	Cordova Lakes
Lot Size:	0.30 acres
Garage Size:	Single
Square Footage:	1220
Agent Name:	Becky Troutt
Broker:	Reynolds Realty of Manatee
MLS #:	M5798182

Location

6701 W 34th Ave Bradenton FL 34209

vFlyerId: 1850274

Manatee County Market Stats For June & July

Becky Troutt (Reynolds Realty of Manatee Inc) — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 07:32:08 -0500

Below are the stats for properties that SOLD and closed in June & July for Manatee County:

June 2007
# of single family homes SOLD = 404
Avg SOLD price for SFR = $372,744
Median price for SFR = $297,500
Average Days On Market = 120

# of condos SOLD = 38
Avg SOLD price for condos = $264,893
Median price for condos = $212,500
Average Days On Market = 200

June 2008
# of single family homes SOLD = 397
Avg SOLD price for SFR = $307,825
Median price for SFR = $249,900
Average Days On Market = 126

# of condos SOLD = 52
Avg SOLD price for condos = $275,308
Median price for condos = $160,000
Average Days On Market = 145

July 2007
# of single family homes SOLD = 302
Avg SOLD price for SFR = $372,769
Median price for SFR = $298,500
Average Days On Market = 119

# of condos SOLD = 49
Avg SOLD price for condos = $231,663
Median price for condos = $181,000
Average Days On Market = 135

July 2008
# of single family homes SOLD = 249
Avg SOLD price for SFR = $289,984
Median price for SFR = $250,000
Average Days On Market = 137

# of condos SOLD = 47
Avg SOLD price for condos = $242,140
Median price for condos = $170,000
Average Days On Market = 228

As of today, there are: 4,360 SFR Active on the market and 1,408 Condos Active on the market for sale.

To check previous months stats, click here.

*Information is deemed to be accurate, but is not guaranteed.

Bradenton Named One Of The Best Places To Retire

Becky Troutt (Reynolds Realty of Manatee Inc) — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 07:38:07 -0500

In the September-October issue of Where To Retire, Bradenton/Sarasota was named one of eight best places to retire.

Other cities also named were:

Ocala, FL
Phoenix, AZ
San Diego, CA
Myrtle Beach, SC
St. George, Utah
Santa Fe, NM
Brevard, NC

With so much to do here, this is a great place for people to retire. Miles and miles of gulf coast beaches, golfing, museums, boating, fishing, theaters, shopping and more! It's all located here in Bradenton!

In the March Issue of Art Calendar magazine, Bradenton was also named one of the top cities in the country for artists, because of the Village of The Arts.

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com