New College, a liberal arts honors college located in Sarasota, was recently rated by Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine as being one of the top 10 best deals in colleges in the United States.

The ratings were based on comparison of a number of factors, which included: SAT or ACT scores, retention rates, student - faculty ratios, graduation rates, costs and financial aid available.

The 115 acre campus is located on the bay, near the Ringling Museum.

Recently released statistics from the Sarasota Association of Realtors show October sales increased 24% over the same month in 2011 and sales were up 10.9% for October 2012 vs September 2012.

Pending sales also increased in October, putting the local market at a low 4.4 month inventory of homes for sale and a 6.4 month inventory of condos for sale.

It's interesting to note that short sales and REOS (bank owned) currently make up only 14.8% of available properties in...

Adult (55+) communities come in many different configurations, but the basic concept is that residency is open to all people who meet the required minimum age of 55 years of age.

For a community to be considered a 55+ community, ie housing for older persons, the housing must be intended and operated for occupancy by persons 55 years of age or older and meet the following requirements:

(1) at least 80% of the occupied units are occupied by at least one person 55 years...

If you’re considering the purchase of a condo, townhome or villa that is a short sale, an important question to ask is whether the seller is current in paying the monthly or quarterly maintenance fees. Why?

When a condominium unit is transferred, in addition to being responsible for future assessments, the new owner will be jointly and severally liable with the previous owner for amounts owed. In order to obtain title that is free of any lien or encumbrance, a purchaser will request...

I've found the best way to approach short sales is to get as much preliminary info up front. Here are some important questions to ask before you sign a contract on a short sale:

(1) How many lien holders are involved in this short sale?

Any time there's more than one lien holder you should expect a longer approval time period. That is especially true if there are other judgments, mechanic's liens, vendor liens and/or HOA liens. Remember, every lien holder has to be on...