Resolutions. UGH!.
Apparently you have to write them down or they don’t count. Then there’s the 40-day rule to change a habit. That already sounds like a carefully engineered path to disappointment. By February we’re all standing in the pantry eating low-salt chips, wondering where it went wrong.
I prefer a different word: Focus.
Focus on the goal, not the gymnastics required to get there.
Recently I went golfing—well, attended golfing. I don’t golf. I observe. And take pictures. What I learned is this: you don’t stare at the hole 400 feet away and hope for the best. You focus on the ball. Head down. One clean swing. When it goes wrong, someone inevitably says, “You took your eye off the ball.” When it goes right? “Way to keep your head down.” Same game. Same hole. Different focus.
That idea applies to just about everything. Eating better. Exercising more. Taking better care of your finances. The goal matters—but the progress happens by focusing on the next clear, manageable step. Even old-school cameras understood this. You didn’t snap the photo and hope for clarity later. You adjusted the focus first so the picture made sense.
Real estate works the same way. Whether you’re thinking about selling, buying, downsizing, or simply understanding today’s market, the key isn’t obsessing over the finish line. It’s getting the focus right at the start—pricing, timing, strategy, and expectations—so the rest of the picture comes into view.
So this January, forget resolutions.
Pick a focus.
Head down. One good swing. And ta-da you are on your way to the goal.
(My job is to take pictures. This is Ray, daughter Jess and wife Mel. We were playing one of the Rotonda West courses.)
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And if real estate is anywhere in your picture, Ray and I are happy to help you bring it into focus.
STATS and DATA Time
Market Snapshot: What Do the Numbers Actually Say?
To keep things apples-to-apples (no comparing beach houses to bungalows), I ran the numbers for single-family homes with pools, 3 bedrooms / 2 baths, 1,800–2,200 sq. ft., in Sarasota, Venice, and Punta Gorda.
I compared only December 2025 closings to December 2024 closings—in other words, the last 30 days versus the same time last year.
So… did the market go up? Go down? Or just catch its breath?
Sarasota
December 2024
17 homes sold
Price range: $400,000 – $1.9M
Median price: $606,000
Sellers received ~96% of list price
December 2025
24 homes sold
Price range: $482,000 – $1.95M
Median price: $532,000
Sellers received ~95% of list price
Takeaway: More activity, slightly lower prices, still strong seller performance.
Venice
December 2024
12 homes sold
Price range: $509,000 – $1.15M
Median price: $628,000
Sellers received ~98% of list price
December 2025
16 homes sold
Price range: $410,000 – $938,000
Median price: $529,000
Sellers received ~97% of list price
Takeaway: Increased sales with prices settling into a more comfortable range.
Punta Gorda
December 2024
9 homes sold
Price range: $365,000 – $699,000
Median price: $485,000
Sellers received ~98% of list price
December 2025
22 homes sold
Price range: $345,000 – $979,000
Median price: $522,000
Sellers received ~97% of list price
Takeaway: Big jump in sales volume—and a market that’s clearly waking up.
So What’s the Big Picture?
Yes, prices have come down from the peak we saw nearly two years ago. But here’s the key point: sales activity is up. That tells us buyers are re-engaging—and doing so with purpose.
Mortgage rates are now hovering in the low 6% range, and our calendar is already filling up with buyers coming down over the next couple of months. Translation? Prices feel more reasonable, and interest rates feel… well, friendlier.
We all remember when sellers were getting sky-high prices because interest rates were unbelievably low. Then rates jumped, and buyers collectively said, “I can’t buy at those prices with those rates.”
Now we’re in a healthier middle ground:
More balanced prices. Reasonable interest rates. Motivated buyers.
In real estate terms, that’s called a market that’s back to making sense.
Ray and I hope each of you have a wonderful & healthy 2026.
Here is this months giggle!
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