https://activerain.com/blogs/liz123b en-us https://activerain.com/blogsview/644504/anna-maria-island--surfers-welcome-a-good-storm Another lovely day in Florida -the sun is shining for now and the air is humid -the temp is about 83 with some much needed breezes from the Gulf of Mexico.  Activity in real estate has slowed -pretty typical for this time of year but with it already being sluggish - us full time Realtors have to get back to the basics of Real Estate. I guess there is a storm "Fay" approaching ...ugh.  Pretty good for surfers though they look for this type of weather to "catch a wave".  Here on Anna Maria Island a local place where surfers meet and go is White Ave in the city of Anna Maria.  Off street parking is available -which is pretty rare.  It is a nice residential street with a few vacation rentals available take a look at www.islandreal.com our rental dept has a few available.  You can sit for hours watching the surfers at White -they also hold a summer surf camp for kids there.  It usually runs for a week and the kids love it because they get a chance to see there friends from school and learn some great techniques.  There are some great homes for sale in the same vicinity take a look at www.lizblandford.com I have a listing there where you can see the beach and the surfers from the roof top deck. That property has become a short sale which is priced at a unbelievable number.  I will say those buyers who are actually pulling the trigger are getting amazing deals.  We are getting sales... our island market is pretty unique and it is a beautiful place to visit/vacation or live full time. I hope "Fay" dissipates to nothing and the Sun continues to shine in Florida as well in the other parts of the country. Liz Blandford (Island Real Estate) Sat, 16 Aug 2008 04:17:20 -0700 https://activerain.com/blogsview/644504/anna-maria-island--surfers-welcome-a-good-storm https://activerain.com/blogsview/642043/anna-maria-island---not-just-a-vacation-a-real-community Anna Maria Island boast beautiful beaches and boating...REALLY a tropical paradise where many visit to escape the cold up north. This small barrier island is a real community made up of all age groups not just a vacation destination. Anna Maria Island is about 7 miles long and has 3 cities. The north end ...The City of Anna Maria has a wonderful community theater called Island Players http://www.theislandplayers.org/  which presents five productions a year at the historic Old Community House.  The north end of the island also features the community center...which is great for different events http://www.islandcommunitycenter.com/aboutus.html .  Our island also features an A rated elementary school which is located in the city of Holmes Beach and has grades K - 5th  http://www.manatee.k12.fl.us/sites/elementary/annamaria/index.html If your looking for a relaxed way of life where play dates are at the beach and evening walks are accompanied by a beautiful sunset ...make Anna Maria Island your home.  Island real estate market is a buyers market with so many properties to choose from. Liz Blandford (Island Real Estate) Thu, 14 Aug 2008 13:07:06 -0700 https://activerain.com/blogsview/642043/anna-maria-island---not-just-a-vacation-a-real-community https://activerain.com/blogsview/641976/anna-maria-island--our-beautiful-island-community Anna Maria Island Florida if you have never heard of it...it is an amazing location, located on the West Coast of Florida.  Our beaches are beautiful with turquoise water and white sugar sand.  Our boating is just as wonderful - really a boater's paradise with so many areas to discover and enjoy like Tampa Bay, the Manatee River, and Sarasota Bay just to name a few.  Our beautiful island community features a very laid back atmosphere with no crowds to fight or lines to wait in -except for maybe dinner time in high season.  Otherwise our island is a wonderful place to raise a family, retire, enjoy your time away or just call home. Our barrier island is about 7 miles long and about 1/2 mile wide at it's widest points.  We offer a free island trolley -so there is no need to drive while you are here. It is an amazing time to invest in our island real estate market.  It truly is a buyers market with some wonderful opportunities waiting.  So much inventory on this beautiful barrier island it can be a feast for those really looking for a piece of paradise.  Anna Maria Island is located on the Gulf Coast of Florida, about 2 hours from the Orlando theme parks and south of Tampa...at the mouth of Tampa Bay.  If you would like to learn more about the area and real estate opportunities feel free to email me at liz@blandford.cc or check out my website at www.lizblandford.com or www.islandreal.com Liz Blandford (Island Real Estate) Thu, 14 Aug 2008 12:14:42 -0700 https://activerain.com/blogsview/641976/anna-maria-island--our-beautiful-island-community