Realtor.com is part of my everyday life. I check it for new listings, sold listings, open houses and sometimes just to look at the pictures on what may be an otherwise slow day.
Sometimes I even learn something I didn’t know, like their recent story about the 10 most affordable beach towns.
Before you get all excited, all three cities on Anna Maria are not on this list. In fact, they are so far off the list that the median list price for number 10 on Realtor.com’s list couldn’t buy you a garage on Anna Maria Island. Nevertheless, knowing there are other beach towns and barrier islands in the country where properties are available within walking distance of the water will give you a new or continued appreciation of this country’s real estate diversity.
So, let’s start with Realtor.com’s list. Number 1 is Pascagoula, Mississippi on the Gulf coast, with a median list price of $164,900. Number 2 is Atlantic City, New Jersey, with a median list price of $239,000. Number 3 is Deerfield Beach, Florida, with a median list price of $239,950. Number 4 is Dennis Port, Massachusetts on Cape Cod, with a median list price of $277,500. Number 5 is Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, with a median list price of $299,500. Number 6 is Corpus Christi, Texas on the Gulf coast, with a median list price of $315,000. Number 7 is Sunset Beach, North Carolina, with a median list price of $340,000. Number 8 is Grand Isle, Louisiana, a barrier island in the Gulf, with a median list price of $375,000. Number 9 is Newport, Oregon, with a median list price of $399,950. And finally, number 10 is Ocean Shores, Washington, with a median list price of $425,000.
I find these numbers fascinating and some of them surprising. If I could, I would take a field trip to each of them to understand how their sand and water differs from Anna Maria’s. Anna Maria Island is a 7-mile-long barrier island with pristine beaches and aqua Gulf of Mexico water – we all know that. We also have retained a quaint beach community vibe despite the increase of visitors and developers building mega homes, all of which have brought in more high-quality restaurants and upscale shops. The flurry of annual street fairs, parades and entertainment on the Island continues the small-town feel. The annual Easter egg hunt on the beach behind the Sandbar Restaurant is something to be seen, as well as the fishing boats coming in to unload the day’s catch at the Cortez docks.
Anna Maria Island is a stone’s throw away from the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport, which is expanding and adding flights almost daily. We’re also within 10 miles of some of the best professional live theatres in the state. Let’s not forget access to the city of Sarasota with its fabulous waterfront, high-end restaurants and more shops and museums. Even little old downtown Bradenton is starting to shine with new hotels, a farmers market and street fairs.
Anna Maria Island, for all the changes it has gone through this century, is still a special place we have to protect at any cost. When people cross the bridge for the first time and wonder what it would be like to live here, we can all tell them, it’s great.
