REAL ESTATE REPORTS

+ Barrier Island Realty opens third Longboat office
Barrier Island Realty opened its third Longboat Key office in January.

The new location at 4030 Gulf of Mexico Drive is located in the same shopping plaza as Ace Hardware and Quik-N-EZ convenience store. The company also has offices at Cedars Tennis Resort and 7000 Gulf of Mexico Drive.

For information, visit barrierislandrealty.com or call 387-8888.

+ MS & Co. Foundation collects $23,750
The Michael Saunders & Co. Foundation collected $23,750 between June 30 and Dec. 10.

The foundation allocates funds to local programs twice a year that support its mission of improving lives by offering shelter, sustenance, education and a path to self-sufficiency.

Its December distribution included donations to 23 organizations in Manatee, Sarasota and Charlotte counties.

+ Premier Sotheby’s reports 35% growth in 2012
Premier Sotheby’s International Realty announced sales of more than $2.3 billion through the end of 2012, a 35% increase over 2011.

The company was involved in half of the top 10 sales in Sarasota County during 2012, according to a prepared statement, and also expanded its presence with new offices in Lakewood Ranch and Longboat Key.

“The high-end market has recovered tremendously. Reduced inventory as a result of buyers coming off of the sidelines as the market improves has generated more demand to purchase now, and foreign investment has been a significant driver of this activity, particularly from Canada and the United Kingdom,” said Premier Sotheby’s president and CEO Judy Green in a prepared statement. “Supply and demand are returning to equilibrium in many communities within our Naples and Sarasota regions, and we expect this trend to continue in 2013.”

+ Sales in 2012 are the fourth highest in SAR history
The Sarasota Association of Realtors (SAR) reported that 2012 sales were the fourth highest in the group’s 90-year history, with 9,169 sales. The all-time highest year was 2004, when SAR members sold 11,267 properties.

December 2012 sales increased 28% from December 2011, while the median home price also rose by 18% for single-family homes and 21.6% for condominiums.