The Anna Maria Island Sun Newspaper


Vol. 16 No. 40 - August 3, 2016

REAL ESTATE

Let the sun shine in

 

We live in the Sunshine State, and it's called that because Florida has an abundance, sometimes an overabundance, of sun year round. You would think that every roof on Anna Maria would have solar panels mounted. Well now may be the time to consider taking advantage of the sun's power.

During the past more than 30 years, solar costs have dropped so much that today it's possible to generate all or most of a home's electricity for about the cost of a new economy car. In addition, there are federal tax credits available that were extended by Congress not expiring until 2021.

Through 2019 there is a 30 percent tax credit available to homeowners who install a solar system then scaling down to 26 percent and then 22 percent through 2021. You also may qualify for additional solar incentives at the state and local level. And it appears a lot of people are getting on board with installations increasing almost 60 percent in one year, resulting in the cost of solar panels potentially reaching their plateau.

You can purchase or lease solar systems, however, purchasing provides a far greater return on your money and qualifies you for the federal tax credits. It generally costs between $15,000 and $20,000 to install a system after tax credits and can reduce your electricity bill by 70 to 100 percent. Most systems pay for themselves in five to seven years.

If you've always hated the look of solar panels, there is some new technology that makes those bulky roof panels go away. There are new solar cells designed to look and perform like shingles and roof tiles, creating a more acceptable appearance, as well as traditional concrete shingles or terra-cotta tiles available, all of which qualify for the federal tax credits. There also is progress on a transparent solar cell that could power computers and smart phones as well as powering buildings by installing windows made of the transparent solar cell material.

According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, there are 6,284 megawatts of home solar panels installed in the country. California has 48 percent of these with other states like Arizona, New York, New Jersey and Hawaii coming in next. However, Florida, in spite of it raking third in the nation for rooftop solar potential, only comes in 14th for cumulative solar capacity installed, also reported by the Solar Energy Industries Association. That said, it reported that over the next five years, Florida is expected to install 2,089 megawatts of solar electric capacity ranking the state 9th over that time span, so we are starting to use one of our top natural resources. In addition, there are more than 456 solar companies at work throughout Florida. The Solar Energy Industries Association SEIA has a website that could be helpful if solar energy is something you have been thinking about, www.seia.org.

There are certainly a lot of technical details that you need to educate yourself on, from inverters to batteries, to panel designs before going forward. The good thing is that there is a lot of information available on line and a lot of companies that can get you up to speed. But the real good thing is that we have plenty of sunshine in Florida to power a much larger percentage of homes than we now do. The Sunshine State is not living up to its potential, so let's get moving and let the sun shine in.

Real Estate Transactions
Real estate transfers of January-February 2016

Sponsored by Alan Galletto Island Real Estate

Sold Date | List Price | Sold Price | Address | Provision | Property Style

Anna Maria

2016-05-12 525,000 502,500 315 Hammock Cir 1652 3 Br/2 Ba SFR
2016-05-19 749,000 693,000 315 Hardin Ave 1472 2 Br/2 Ba SFR
2016-05-19 995,000 900,000 733 Holly Rd 2678 75x110 5 Br/4 Ba SFR
2016-05-09 949,000 925,000 311 Pine Ave 2160 3 Br/2 Ba SFR
2016-05-27 1,395,000 1,350,000 107 Willow Ave 2880 50x110 5 Br/3 Ba SFR
2016-05-02 1,595,000 1,500,000 115 Park Ave 2120 4 Br/3.5 Ba SFR
2016-05-12 1,849,000 1,700,000 812 Jacaranda Rd 2635 5 Br/2.5 Ba SFR
2016-05-06 1,950,000 1,750,000 913 N Shore Dr 2421 4 Br/3 Ba SFR
2016-05-02 3,195,000 2,700,000 810 S Bay Blvd 4008 4 Br/4 Ba SFR

Bradenton Beach

2016-05-11 699,900 680,000 100 7th St S 1452 3 Br/2 Ba SFR
2016-05-24 1,495,000 1,450,000 2119 Avenue C 2946 5 Br/4 Ba SFR
2016-05-12 1,895,000 1,700,000 2310 Canasta Dr 2669 3 Br/3 Ba SFR
2016-05-20 1,870,00 162,000 1603 Gulf Dr N #30 380 1 Br/1 Ba Condo
2016-05-20 199,990 190,000 1603 Gulf Dr N #16 540 1 Br/1 Ba Condo
2016-05-19 259,900 249,900 117 7th St N #10 864 2 Br/1.5 Ba Condo
2016-05-31 279,000 275,000 1325 Gulf Dr N #126 675 2 Br/1 Ba Condo
2016-05-31 289,000 291,000 1325 Gulf Dr N #123 675 2 Br/1 Ba Condo
2016-05-26 379,900 355,000 1801 Gulf Dr N #175 1080 2 Br/2 Ba Condo
2016-05-24 539,000 485,000 2319 Avenue C #200 1698 3 Br/2 Ba Condo
2016-05-20 740,000 675,000 2600 Gulf Dr N #44 1179 2 Br/2 Ba Condo
2016-05-16 289,900 280,000 2601 Gulf Dr N #S21 520 3 Br/2 Ba Mobile

Cortez

2016-05-26 1,395,000 1,268,600 12914 Yacht Club Pl 4039 4 Br/4.5 Ba SFR
2016-05-26 1,750,000 1,450,000 12901 42nd Ter W 3287 3 Br/3.5 Ba SFR

Holmes Beach

2016-05-02 489,900 442,000 226 85th St 1689 3 Br/3 Ba SFR, REO / Bank Owned
2016-05-02 659,000 600,000 216 68th St 1258 2 Br/2 Ba SFR
2016-05-03 635,000 635,000 304 60th St #A 1150 3 Br/2 Ba SFR
2016-05-03 675,000 655,000 524 69th St 1803 80x113 3 Br/2 Ba SFR
2016-05-24 679,000 665,000 309 58th St #A 1487 3 Br/2 Ba SFR
2016-05-02 739,000 689,000 309 59th St #B 2083 3 Br/2 Ba SFR
2016-05-12 735,000 715,000 313 58th St #B 1254 4 Br/3 Ba SFR
2016-05-09 749,000 725,000 514 56th St 1930 3 Br/2 Ba SFR
2016-05-20 829,000 790,000 604 Baronet Ln 1948 4 Br/2.5 Ba SFR
2016-05-12 1,124,999 1,025,000 520 72nd St 2647 3 Br/3 Ba SFR
2016-05-27 1,200,000 1,050,000 3109 Avenue E 2329 4 Br/3.5 Ba SFR
2016-05-13 1,199,000 1,150,519 603 Baronet Ln 2717 95x130 4 Br/4 Ba SFR
2016-05-16 1,379,000 1,255,000 205 79th St 2600 5 Br/4.5 Ba SFR
2016-05-20 1,399,900 1,300,000 691 Key Royale Dr 2055 3 Br/3 Ba SFR
2016-05-04 1,550,000 1,550,000 119 81st St 2196 Br/5.5 Ba SFR
2016-05-11 250,000 225,000 600 Manatee Ave#208 888 1 Br/1 Ba Condo
2016-05-23 237,000 225,000 600 Manatee Ave #11 4896 1 Br/1 Ba Condo
2016-05-27 279,000 269,000 6300 Flotilla Dr #81 1151 2 Br/2 Ba Condo
2016-05-17 295,000 270,000 600 Manatee Ave #220 1187 2 Br/2 Ba Condo
2016-05-13 359,900 354,000 3705 E Bay Dr #109 1121 2 Br/2 Ba Condo
2016-05-06 480,000 455,000 6309 Gulf Dr 1301 3 Br/2 Ba Townhome
2016-05-16 519,900 505,000 6250 Holmes Blvd #69 1536 3 Br/2.5 Ba Townhome
2016-05-20 698,000 667,500 303 64th St #B 85x110 3 Br/2 Ba Villa
2016-05-31 449,000 380,000 202 Haverkos Ct #A 1863 97x80 Duplex
2016-05-06 1,700,000 1,625,000 2812 Avenue E #A 1680 50x100 Duplex

Source: Mid Florida Multiple Listing Service


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