REAL ESTATE

20 THE SUN REAL ESTATE

AUGUST 11, 2021

COVID-19 has changed the meaning of home

If it’s true that everything old is new again, we may be living through the real estate version of that idiom. Small cities and small towns sprinkled over the entire United States are having a resurgence in popularity. The COVID-19 experience has brought a new appreciation of small-town living with the help of remote working.

I am mildly obsessed with the Netflix show “The World’s Most Extraordinary Homes,” which I discovered in my dentist’s office while waiting for my new crown to be finished. The show is pure escapism featuring unbelievably expensive homes, some in exotic locations all around the world. But the real estate trend in the United States at this time is not for extraordinary homes but for modest, get-back-to-basics homes in anything but exotic locations.

Smaller cities and regions are turning out to be the big draw for home purchasing. Places like Topeka, Kansas, and Decatur, Alabama, where homes would sit on the market, are now experiencing a shortage of inventory similar to the coastal regions outside of major metropolitan areas. This all started with COVID lockdowns and the desire to get out of densely populated areas, but it is now becoming a trend.

Young couples and singles are taking another look at the mid-sized cities and small towns they grew up in and saying this doesn’t look so bad anymore. I can park my car, get a table at a restaurant and get back into a comfort zone with family and old friends.

The only problem is investors are also looking at these areas, snapping up single-family homes and turning them into rentals. Investors are currently representing about a fifth of annual home sales, competing with local buyers and newly-relocated buyers. These smaller regions are experiencing bidding wars just like what we’re finding in coastal Florida.

The Realtor.com Emerging Housing Markets Index compiled in July represents the top 50 metro areas in the country. The top 20 in the index have an average population of just over 300,000, which is less than Manatee County. The index identifies the top metro areas for homebuyers looking for a good appreciating housing market and attractive lifestyle. These areas are ranked according to real estate market data and economic health and an interesting read for the real estate nerds out there, but I’ll just touch on a few of the areas.

First of all, Florida had two regions both represented in the middle of the index and both in the Panhandle - one in Fort Walton and the other in Pensacola. The other 48 regions are spread out all over the country, starting with Billings, Montana as number one and ending with Akron, Ohio at number 50. In between, there are cities like Raleigh, North Carolina, Colorado Springs, Colorado, Yuba City, California and Prescott, Arizona. Home prices in the top 20 markets in the Emerging Home Markets Index have risen 13.7% on average in the past year, per Realtor.com. This is less than the national average but impressive nonetheless. If you are interested in seeing the entire list, you should be able to find it on Realtor.com’s website.

So, is it back to the future? Have we gone from a more complex sophisticated culture to a more down-home 1950s and 1960s vibe? That, of course, remains to be seen. If COVID has changed things that much it wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing - everything in life can’t be exotic, and I did love The Donna Reed Show.

Castles in the Sand

LOUISE BOLGER

OBITUARIES

Thomas M. Cavallo

Thomas M. Cavallo, Sr. died Aug. 3, 2021. He is survived by his wife, Deborah Woodward, and son, Thomas, Jr.; his stepdaughters, Tara Woodward Bunn (Michael), Manchester, Mich.; and Lindsey Woodward Waters (Danny, Jr.), La Grange, N.C. He has four grandsons: Dalton, Grant, Parker, and Crayden. Thomas was preceded in death by his mother, Dorothy Pistanni Austin, and father, Ronzo Michael Cavallo. Thomas was a graduate of Hofstra University School of Law. He remained active in Boy Scouts of America and was an Eagle Scout. He mentored many young men in scouting, and this was one of the joys of his life. He was an avid model train collector, collecting Lionel trains throughout his lifetime. Thomas was a member of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church and a past member of the Order of the Moose on Anna Maria Island. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Camp Flying Eagle or Tidewell Hospice. Brown & Sons Funeral Homes 43rd Street Chapel, 604 43rd Street West, Bradenton, FL 34209, is in charge of arrangements. Condolences may be made to www.brownandsonsfuneral.com.

Scott Richard O’Brien

Scott Richard O’Brien died at Blake Medical Center on Monday, Aug. 2 at the age of 62. Scott was born in Fort Knox, Kentucky, on May 31, 1959. He was raised in Jersey City, New Jersey, and moved to Bradenton, Florida in 1992. He was a Telecommunications Supervisor for Manatee County until retiring in 2011. After retiring, his hobbies included watching sports, cooking and caring for his grandsons while their parents were at work. Scott spent many years volunteering. He coached football for the Manatee Wildcats, served on the North River Fire District Pension Board, was a trustee for the Bradenton Elks Lodge #1511 and helped with many other local charities and events.

His survivors include his wife of 41 years, Gale. Scott and Gale met when they were 13 years old and both of their families vacationed at the same campgrounds. Gale was the love of his life and he truly adored her.

Scott’s survivors also include his daughters, Kristin Slicker and Alyssa O’Brien; son-in-law Brian Slicker; grandsons Rowan and Corbin Slicker; brother, John O’Brien Jr.; nephews Shaun O’Brien (Jesyka) and Jason O’Brien (Stephanie); and many friends. He was predeceased by his parents, John and Evaline O’Brien, and his sister-in-law, Gail O’Brien.

Arrangements are being handled by Robert Toale & Sons Funeral Home (www.dignitymemorial.com).

A celebration of life will be held at the Bradenton Elks Lodge #1511 at 2511 75th St. W. on Sunday, Aug. 15 from 1 to 4 p.m. In lieu of flowers, Scott would want you to express your love to those you value. The family will be making donations to some of his favorite organizations. If you would like to contribute you can donate on Venmo@SOB-Donations or contact the family.

GALE O’BRIEN | SUBMITTED Gale and Scott O’Brien enjoyed 41 years of marital bliss before Scott’s recent passing. Scott O’Brien lived a life filled with family, friends and love

Scott O’Brien’s recent COVID-19-related death leaves family members and friends mourning his loss and appreciating and honoring the impact he had on their lives. Scott, his wife, Gale, and their daughters, Kristin and Alyssa, relocated from New York to Bradenton in 1992 and established deep roots in the Cortez, Bradenton, Anna Maria Island and Manatee County communities. After contracting COVID-19, O’Brien passed away at Blake Medical Center on Monday, Aug. 2. He was 62 and had previously received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Read the full-length story about Scott’s life and legacy at www.amisun.com.

Perico Bay Club—As Good As It Gets!!

Business As Usual…..Just A Li le Differently. If you’re looking to buy or sell in Perico Bay Club, or know someone who is, please give me a call!

Give me a call today if yo oGive me a call today if you’u re looking ge lookine re to Buy or Sell on Anna Maria Isla yBuy or Sell on Anna M Maria Isla MariaMari nd d or the surroundi a ng area!

anIsla ounding oun a a!ding g ng area ea Lynn Zemmer 941 41-1 730 30-0 1294 94 9 941.209.1542 I Lynn@Edgewaterami.com

There has never been a better time to sell your property

ANNA MARIA

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Visit or call us for a private consultation ListWithUsToday.com | 877.539.9865

BAYOU BEND

1112 64th Street NW $3,200,000 Lisa Morreale 941.400.9038 HOLMES BEACH

107 81st Street $1,850,000 Shellie Young 941.713.5458 TIDY ISLAND

92 Tidy Island Boulevard$925,000 Mike Seamon 941.586.1802

NORTHWEST BRADENTON

602 84th Street NW $749,000 Jayne Kocher 941.915.6000 WOODLANDS PARK

8224 8th Terrace NW $725,000 Ben Angerami 941.441.5765 MOUNT VERNON

4764Independence Drive #4764 $349,000 Jayne Kocher 941.915.6000

SARASOTA - DOWNTOWN | 941.364.4000

VENICE TO PUNTA GORDA | 941.412.3323 LAKEWOOD RANCH | 941.907.9541

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RENTALS | 941.364.4000

NESTING NEWS

Turtle nests laid: 413 (Record: 544 in 2019) False crawls: 557 Nests hatched: 58 Hatchlings hatched: 1,785 (Record: 35,788 in 2018) Nest disorientations: 15

ANNA MARIA ISLAND

607, 609, 611 Fern Streets & 610 Rose Street 12 Beds 6 Baths 1,568 Sq. Ft. Hannah Hillyard & George Myers 941-744-7358 A4497933 $5,900,000

ANNA MARIA ISLAND

102 Cedar Avenue 4 Beds3/1 Baths 2,290 Sq. Ft. Hannah Hillyard & George Myers 941-744-7358 A4507978 $4,200,000

ANNA MARIA ISLAND

2719 Gulf Drive 3 Beds2/1 Baths 2,119 Sq. Ft. Melinda Alvarez 941-704-0633 A4506596 $1,749,000

LONGBOAT KEY

25 Lighthouse Point Drive 4 Beds6/1 Baths 6,025 Sq. Ft. Sherri Mills 941-350-7112 A4503359 $5,600,000

ANNA MARIA ISLAND

106 Tern Drive SOLD 4 Beds4/1 Baths 3,649 Sq. Ft. Hannah Hillyard & George Myers 941-744-7358 A4501850 $3,595,000

HOLMES BEACH PENDING

611 Foxworth Lane 2 Beds 2 Baths 2,346 Sq. Ft. Hannah Hillyard & George Myers 941-744-7358 A4506865 $1,650,000

ANNA MARIA ISLAND

8017 Marina Isles Lane 3 Beds3/1 Baths 3,593 Sq. Ft. Kate Enis 941-330-6068 A4500595 $7,250,000

BRADENTON

240 Dove Trail 4 Beds 3 Baths 2,393 Sq. Ft. Lynne Callahan 941-720-3278 A4507115 $679,000

BRADENTON

1320 Perico Point Circle 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,547 Sq. Ft. Maruta Miluns 941-374-9702 A4502932 $489,000

LONGBOAT KEY

415 L Ambiance Drive D906 2 Beds2/1 Baths 2,634 Sq. Ft. Kim Ogilvie 941-376-1717 A4503404 $4,400,000

HOLMES BEACH PENDING

655 Key Royale Drive 3 Beds2/1 Baths 2,055 Sq. Ft. Hannah Hillyard & George Myers 941-744-7358 A4506752 $2,995,000

PERICO ISLAND

303 108th Street W 114 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,083 Sq. Ft. Hannah Hillyard & George Myers 941-744-7358 A4500468 $300,000

ANNA MARIA ISLAND

112 Mangrove Avenue 4 Beds2/1 Baths 3,577 Sq. Ft. Hannah Hillyard & George Myers 941-744-7358 A4502423 $4,350,000

BRADENTON

5948 Riverview Boulevard 5 Beds4/1 Baths 5,091 Sq. Ft. Kathy Valente & Gregory Zies, LLC 941-685-6767 A4504528 $2,300,000

NEW CONSTRUCTION

LONGBOAT KEY

The Residences at the St. Regis Sales Gallery, 100 South Washington Blvd. Georgia Kopelousos & Lynn Morris 941-928-7585 A4498523 $6,945,000