Sue Hogrefe, a Mortgage Loan Originator from Gulfside Mortgage services, is pictured with Neal Van De Ree, an Auctioneer/Realtor.  They both shared valuable information with the group about their unique services. Other Realtors present included Carole Fanelli and Brian Kile of Century 21 Almar & Associates, Steven Chapman of Venice Real Estate Company, and Richard Canham of Results Realty Group.

Richard Brady (Left) from Venice Communities Development  Group is one of the Developers for St. Andrews East, Brian Kile (Center) is the Sales Manager and Company Recruiter for Century 21 Almar & Associates and  Golda Radefeld (Right) of Fidelity National Title of Florida, Inc. (AKA Chelsea Title) were spotted networking before the meeting began.

There was a buzz of excitement and optimism about the Real Estate Market in Sarasota County for this year’s season.

Venice Communities Development Group is dedicated to building quality homes. Because of the attention to detail; there is nothing standard about the homes in St. Andrews East. Stop in to see for yourself!

We wish you a Healthy and Happy 2012!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from your friends at

 St. Andrews East

Thursday, January 19th from 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. “Ask the Expert” Space Planning and Design Considerations by Steve Lattmann, Architect.

Monday, January 23rd from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. “Chinese New Year” come and celebrate with us at this Social Event and get to meet your prospective neighbors at St. Andrews East.

Thursday, February 16th from 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. “Ask the Expert” Interior Design by Larry Cramer our Design Consultant.

Tuesday, February 21st from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. “Mardi Gras” come and celebrate Fat Tuesday with us at this Social Event and get to meet your prospective neighbors at St. Andrews East.

Thursday, March 20th from 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. “Ask the Expert” Home Efficiency & Protective Measures by the Venice Community Development Group.

Tuesday, March 20th from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. “Spring Fling” come and celebrate Spring with us at this Social Event and get to meet your prospective neighbors at St. Andrews East.

RSVP is requested at least 3 days prior to each event (941)493-9457, Thank you.

This new Patio Home offers an open kitchen concept leading into the Great Room. The beautiful vistas of St. Andrews East invite you to come out through the sliding glass doors leading to the lanai. The space is perfect for entertaining or just simply enjoying the Florida Lifestyle. The spacious plan includes a breakfast nook and a more formal dining area. The den has a closet and is large enough to become a third bedroom if you need extra space for guests. The Master suite was planned with optimal closet space, a luxurious roman shower and a private entrance to the lanai.

The Stamford Model will be built adjacent to the larger Estate Homes. The driveways will be brick pavers and the landscaping will be plush and tropical. This will create the elegant ambiance you expect from a neighborhood of the Plantation Golf and Country Club.  All but 2 of our Premium Lakeview Lots have sold, don’t wait too much longer, stop in and take a look!

St. Andrews East is the perfect place to retire. Maintenance free homes, a highly regarded member owned Golf & Country Club and it’s located in the Top 10 places to retire. At St. Andrews East it’s all about the Lifestyle….Live it Now!

Is a maintenance-free home possible? Yes, at St. Andrews East we have created the Lifestyle you’re looking for. We offer patio homes, paired villas and condominiums in a variety of sizes and styles. Each home style includes total lawn care and irrigation along with general maintenance of the exterior structure of your new home including painting and roof repair when needed. Insurance on the structure, pest control inside and out, and even basic cable are included.

The biggest problem you will have at St. Andrews East is deciding how to spend all that free time. That’s why a Social Membership Certificate to the Plantation Golf & Country Club is offered with the purchase of your new home.  St. Andrews East is a vibrant neighborhood nestled within The Plantation, a premium golf course community that has enjoyed over 20 years of success as the area’s finest member-owned club.  At the club you will find a friendly, yet refined atmosphere of comfortable elegance and first class
amenities.

Serene natural views and sparkling fountain-sprayed lakes set the tone for an inspired day of golf. Two Ron Garl designed 18-hole championship golf courses feature distinctively different layouts, providing challenging play and a rewarding golf experience at every level.

The Racquet Club features 13 Har-Tru tennis courts that are active with weekly leagues, junior tennis programs and other member activities, including night play.

Members can take advantage of the Fitness Center, where state-of-the-art equipment offers some of today’s most advanced workout systems. Although St. Andrews East has two neighborhood clubhouses with pools, you may prefer the Plantation’s pristine Jr.
Olympic-size heated pool and large hot tub.

The Plantation is a community comprised of smaller individual neighborhoods, each having their own identity. St. Andrews East is one of the last neighborhoods in The Plantation to be developed, and the last opportunity to purchase a new home on the golf course.

Imagine a new home that comes with a built-in community of friends, without the worries of maintaining it and you will find yourself at St. Andrews East.

“We can walk or bike to just about anything—activities, shopping, doctors, whatever,” says Paul Cline, who retired to Venice with his wife, Diane, nine years ago. The couple was drawn to Venice’s cozy design, which emphasizes a mix of housing that is close to shops and services, undeveloped beaches, neighborhood parks and—unusual for Florida—sidewalks.

Venice was planned, and most of its downtown was built, back in the 1920s. The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers bankrolled Venice as a place for its union members to retire. A crash in land values and the Great Depression stalled development, a fact that now seems fortunate. “It’s old Florida that didn’t lose its character,” says Shannon Staub, a commissioner for surrounding Sarasota County.

Venice has since turned into the charming core of a Gulf Coast community that has boomed since the 1980s, with most of the recent growth spreading into the surrounding county in the form of typically modern developments: often gated subdivisions that hug  championship golf courses. “But everyone in the area considers themselves a Venetian,” says Jack Meyerhoff, 81, who has lived for 25 years in the county. Apart from the history, he says, Venice has the hospital, art center, social clubs, award-winning community theater, and events big and small, including weekly jazz concerts in one of its many parks. And, of course, there is plenty of golf.

Venice also has its own small airport, built by the military as an airbase in World War II. Commercial flights can be caught in nearby Sarasota or Fort   Myers.

Venice sits on a coastal stretch without barrier islands, offering direct access to the Gulf of Mexico that makes for prized boating.

by David Lagesse U.S News

The State of Florida, Sarasota County, and the City of Venice specifically, all reported steady and increased home sales during 2011.  Average sales prices have increased each month since February, 2011, with a state average increase of 13% from this year’s low.

Additionally, the number of foreclosure sales significantly dropped, with the City of Venice now showing only 1 in 345 currently in foreclosure.  Compare that number to nearby North Port where 1 in 118 houses are in foreclosure.

So what does this mean for potential homeowners?  First, increasing home prices makes real estate a good investment.  Second, making a purchase sooner, rather than later, can assure that you are the homeowner benefiting from an increase in real estate value, rather than a potential buyer suffering from increasing purchase prices.

Data coutesy of realtytrac.com