Becky Troutt

It's that time of year again! In case you hadn't noticed, the Geckos are once again invading Bradenton. These aren't the small little creatures you normally see either. These are large 6 foot long geckos that are being spotted all over downtown Bradenton on the sides of buildings! These brightly colored hand painted creatures are a sight to see! The really are works of art.

The Bradenton GeckoFest first debuted in 2006 as a fundraiser for the Village of the Arts, creating an important bridge between the business and arts communities -- a brilliant pairing. Schools and social groups got involved, and funds were raised to augment the County's shrinking art education budgets. City residents and tourists alike were treated to these family-friendly colorful six-foot geckos crawling up and down sides of buildings throughout Downtown Bradenton.

You can visit the BradentonGeckoFest website to see pictures of all of them and a trail map to all of their locations. Trail maps will also be available at ArtCenter Manatee, the Arts Council of Manatee, at most galleries in the Village of the Arts, and at the South Florida Museum.

The geckos will remain up until mid-March, when they will all be taken down and sent to the Bradenton Auditorium and auctioned off to the highest bidder. If you're interested in attending the auction, sign up early. Last year they sold out!

Here are a few that I was able to get pictures of yesterday.

*Copyright © 2008 Becky Troutt. All rights reserved.

Good news for residents in the area since the one that was held in Bradenton on Main Street was closed last year because the local businesses said they didn't have the money to keep it going any longer.

2 local residents, Mitchell Armstrong and Kelvin Lindbloom say they want to try and make a go of Farmers Market in Palmetto along the Manatee River, near the pier at the foot the Green Bridge.

Palmetto leaders are likely to approve plans for the market in early February.

The plans were presented this week to city officials. Palmetto Mayor Larry Bustle called the proposal "a good thing for the city" because it could boost downtown business while keeping Palmetto's folksy feel.

Armstrong and Lindbloom will be selling plants they grow as well as inviting other vendors to sell fruits and vegetables.

An article in today's Bradenton Herald states that they will be doing a red light sting in Manatee County on Thursday to try and catch some of the folks that run red lights.

Many people run red lights everyday simply because they are in a hurry or don't want to wait. Many people are also killed each year by people running red lights.

"We are driving a loaded weapon and we have a bigger responsibility than anything when we get in our vehicles. Vehicles don't kill people. People kill people."

"If you're caught running a red light in Manatee County, it could cost about $188 and add three points to your license."

If you think running a red light doesn't matter, read this story!

There is a website, Florida Stops On Red that is helping to keep Florida safe against red light runners. They are trying to get a bill passed. Passage of this life-saving legislation will provide statewide standards and pave the way for Florida communities to adopt, implement and enforce red light photo enforcement programs that will save the lives in your community. The legislation is expected to be heard in committee in early 2008.

Below are the stats for properties that SOLD and closed in 2006 vs. 2007 for Manatee County:

Totals for 2006
# of single family homes SOLD = 2,700
Avg SOLD price for SFR = $376,548
Median price for SFR = $299,000

# of condos SOLD = 795
Avg SOLD price for condos = $264,928
Median price for condos = $200,000

Totals for 2007
# of single family homes SOLD = 2,287
Avg SOLD price for SFR = $351,324 (-7% from 2006)
Median price for SFR = $280,000 (-4% from 2006)

# of condos SOLD = 704
Avg SOLD price for condos = $253,419 (-4% from 2006)
Median price for condos = $190,000 (-5% from 2006)

To check previous months stats, click here.

*Information is deemed to be accurate, but is not guaranteed.

Below are the stats for properties that SOLD and closed in December for Manatee County:

Dec 2006
# of single family homes SOLD = 203
Avg SOLD price for SFR = $343,983
Median price for SFR = $279,000

# of condos SOLD = 55
Avg SOLD price for condos = $298,025
Median price for condos = $230,000

Dec 2007
# of single family homes SOLD = 170
Avg SOLD price for SFR = $346,417
Median price for SFR = $247,000

# of condos SOLD = 59
Avg SOLD price for condos = $256,058
Median price for condos = $200,000

As of today, there are: 4,182 SFR Active on the market and 1,930 Condos Active on the market for sale.

To check previous months stats, click here.

*Information is deemed to be accurate, but is not guaranteed.