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Louise Bolger

Louise Bolger

August 17, 2017
Louise Bolger is The Sun’s Real Estate columnist.
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April 7, 2026
By Louise Bolger

Fireplaces: Romance or work?

Owning a home with a wood-burning fireplace can be a romantic notion, but having a fireplace also requires some work and planning.
March 31, 2026
By Louise Bolger

Selling your home gives you big tax breaks

April Fool’s Day is the one day a year when it’s okay to play a friendly trick on a friend. Two weeks later is April 15, Tax Day, and not a good day to play tricks, especially on the IRS.
March 25, 2026
By Louise Bolger

Hidden issues in your future home

You finally found the home of your dreams. Now you need to be certain that your dream won’t turn into a nightmare. Hiring a home inspector will probably be the best money you spend during the purc…
March 12, 2026
By Louise Bolger

The thaw has begun

If you listen carefully, you’ll hear sounds of the housing market beginning to warm up.
March 3, 2026
By Louise Bolger

Tips on selling in a funky market

In recent years, homeowners in Manatee County have lived through hurricanes, floods, droughts and super-sized construction projects. Every single one of these events have had an effect on the real es…
February 24, 2026
By Louise Bolger

January weather wasn’t the only thing chilly

I was really cold in January, but not as cold as the national real estate market, which apparently couldn’t think of anything else either.
February 18, 2026
By Louise Bolger

Castles in the Sand: Frozen in place

For a long time, we’ve been saying the real estate market is frozen in place, but on Feb. 2 it was confirmed by Punxsutawney Phil.
February 10, 2026
By Louise Bolger

Castles in the Sand: People change their minds all the time

Humans are notorious for changing their minds. It could be as simple as the flavor of ice cream to the color of your new car. But when you’re involved in a real estate transaction, changing your mind…
February 5, 2026
By Louise Bolger

Where did my parents’ Florida go?

Florida’s real estate market has changed a lot since the the 1970s, when a condo could be purchased for about $20,000.
January 28, 2026
By Louise Bolger

Castles in the Sand: A flipper is more than a pet dolphin

Columnist Louise Bolger shares some insights on house flipping.
January 21, 2026
By Louise Bolger

Castles in the Sand: Critical ignoring and crystal balls

The best thing that has happened to the real estate vocabulary in recent years is called critical ignoring.
January 13, 2026
By Louise Bolger

Marketing for the new year

It’s a new year and time for new marketing ideas. You may think you’ve tried everything to sell your home, but you’ll be surprised at what you may have overlooked. For about 25 years of my working l…
January 5, 2026
By Louise Bolger

Castles in the Sand: Sunny-side Up

Last week’s column was a bit of a downer. I’m not saying it wasn’t true, only that real estate sales need a sunnier pathway in order to encourage motion, so let’s see if we can let the sun shine in…
December 30, 2025
By Louise Bolger

Financially irrational real estate market

New Year’s Eve is tradition­ally the night of hope for the new year, resolutions and good wishes. When it comes to the real estate market, 2026 isn’t promising much of a variation from the old year…
December 22, 2025
By Louise Bolger

Legislation would eliminate property taxes

It’s been an interesting month, but then, December usually is. Lost in the gay atmosphere of the holidays, it’s easy not to notice that business goes on as usual, and this December didn’t disappoint…