Tourism is booming on Anna Maria Island

There's one bright spot in the economy of Southwest Florida: Anna Maria Island tourism.

While the real estate market remains relatively sluggish, and prices continue to be depressed, the Island is really hoppin with winter visitors, weekly renters and mainlanders, including snowbirds who live (at least temporarily) in Bradenton, Palmetto and points east and north, like Tampa and Orlando.

They are clogging the roads, filling the public beaches, and making it tough to get a dinner reservation at one of the popular restaurants, or just about ANY restaurant, for that matter.

And that's good news, for everybody, especially Realtors on the Island. Because we all know that people who come to Anna Maria, love Anna Maria, and many eventually buy on Anna Maria.

So we're ready for the rebound. Prices rose higher, faster than just about anywhere else in Florida. And they dropped faster and lower, too. Right now, I lowered the price on a condo in a Gulf-front complex, with two bedrooms, two baths, a den and a peek of the Gulf, down to $349,000. At one time, two years ago, it was listed for sale at $635,000.

Are there deals? You bet! And the Manatee County Tourism Development Council is thinking it just might be time to snatch a tiny bit more marketing money from our happy visitors. For some news of that event, read what they said in today's Bradenton Herald.

http://www.bradenton.com/opinion/story/1274566.html

Wish us all well.

John