Although most Americans didn’t realize it then, the holiday season of 1946 was the opening bell of some of the most prosperous decades in our history. World War II had just ended, and men and women were coming home from overseas and starting new lives, which also included new homes.
The postwar housing boom created 40 million new homes starting in 1946. New suburban communities sprouted up all over the country but particularly adjacent to major cities where returning soldiers were filling jobs in a suddenly booming economy. Florida, of course, didn’t enjoy the same level of building as the Northeast and West Coast did, but starting after the war there was a steady increase in population that still hasn’t slowed down.
What happened in 1946 was the beginning of the suburban lifestyle. Americans for the first time had the choice of living in a single-family home and commuting to their jobs in the city. It was a way of life that mostly continued until COVID-19 locked everyone in their homes and on their computers. This once-in-a-century phenomenon pushed property values and the desire to own a home through the roof, which has substantially benefited Florida.
If you don’t pore over Manatee County listings like I do, take a few minutes to review the Realtor.com website. The website can be sorted by zip codes and if you start with the highest price properties you may be shocked. Here’s an overview, just to give you an idea as of this writing.
The city of Anna Maria has 79 listings. The highest price is $12 million and the lowest is $1.15 million. Less than half of the properties are under $3 million.
The combined cities of Holmes Beach and Bradenton Beach have 214 properties listed. The highest price is $10,950,000 and the lowest is $510,000. A little less than 25% of the properties are above $3 million.
All of Anna Maria Island has ongoing new construction of large homes with multi-million-dollar price tags. These properties have drastically changed the price point of properties on the Island, as you can see from the above.
Cortez has 19 properties listed starting at $3,750,000 and ending at $695,000. Out of the 19 listings, 12 are over $1 million. The construction of the new Hunters Point development on Cortez Road has also changed the price point of Cortez properties, listing new construction townhomes at just under $2 million.
If you are dazzled by the numbers, here’s a reason to step back in time. Another major event happening in 1946 was the release of the iconic holiday movie, “It’s A Wonderful Life.” This black and white film has been playing every year for 77 years and will undoubtedly go on forever. It’s a classic story about good and evil and the important things in life that rang true in 1946 as they continue to do today.
One of my favorite parts of the movie is when new homes are built for needy families in the town. James Stewart and Donna Reed present the keys to the new owners along with these gifts and an accompanying poem: “Bread that this house may never know hunger, salt that life may always have flavor and wine that joy and prosperity may reign forever.”
Wishing you a peaceful and happy holiday surrounded by friends and family in one of the world’s most beautiful places to live. Enjoy the food and the wine, and ring the bells because “Whenever you hear a bell ring, an angel gets its wings.” Happy holidays!
