01Selling after Helene and Milton
Helene stayed more than 100 miles offshore in September 2024, yet it still pushed about 5 to 6 feet of surge into Sarasota County. NOAA measured 6.68 feet on Longboat Key, and shops on St. Armands Circle sat under nearly five feet of water. On October 9, Milton made landfall on Siesta Key, which the city calls its first direct hit. County figures show more than $1.1 billion in Helene damage outside the cities, about 7,600 homes damaged by Helene and about 9,600 by Milton. Tropical Storm Debby had already flooded Laurel Meadows and other Phillippi Creek neighborhoods that August. You do not have to fix storm damage before you sell.
Source 1 · Source 2 · Source 3 · Source 4 02The 50% rule for flooded homes
If a home sits below today’s required flood elevation and the repair bill reaches 50% of the building’s market value, it counts as substantially damaged and must be brought up to current flood rules, which usually means elevating it. Both the county and the City of Sarasota count the structure only, not the land, and the city lets you submit your own licensed appraisal. On St. Armands, about half of the roughly 200 houses were built in the last 20 years and saw limited damage. Older homes took the worst of it, and some owners sold after contractors said the house had to come down.
Source 1 · Source 2 · Source 3 · Source 4 03Selling an older Sarasota condo
Florida’s condo safety law, SB 4-D, passed in 2022. Today the statute requires a milestone inspection for condo and co-op buildings three or more habitable stories tall by December 31 of the year the building turns 30, then every 10 years. A local building official may move the first one to 25 years for buildings near salt water. Associations also need a structural integrity reserve study every 10 years, and owners can no longer vote to waive those reserves. Sarasota County has 53,646 condo parcels on its 2025 tax roll. If an assessment is coming, buyers will see it in the association documents.
Source 1 · Source 2 · Source 3 · Source 4 04Insurance, Citizens and flood coverage
Citizens Property Insurance shrank from up to 1.4 million policies in 2023 to 293,772 by May 31, 2026, as policies moved to private carriers. Owners who stay with Citizens face a flood rule. Homes in a FEMA high-risk zone must carry flood insurance. Outside those zones, the requirement covers dwellings insured for $400,000 or more in 2026, and every policy in 2027. Condo unit-owner policies are exempt. First Street data on Redfin rates 26% of Sarasota properties at severe flood risk over the next 30 years. A cash or terms buyer does not need a new lender to approve the house.
Source 1 · Source 2 · Source 3 · Source 4 05Retirees, estates and inherited homes
Sarasota County’s median age was 57.8 in 2025, and 38.8% of residents were 65 or older, the highest share of any U.S. county with at least 250,000 people. Many sales here start with a move to assisted living, the loss of a spouse, or children settling an estate from another state. Probate runs through the Clerk’s office at the Historic Courthouse in Sarasota or the South County Courthouse in Venice. Since July 1, 2026, estates worth up to $150,000 may qualify for the shorter summary administration. You do not have to empty or repair the house first. A probate attorney can confirm which process fits.
Source 1 · Source 2 · Source 3 06Snowbirds and second homes
On Census Day in April 2020, 53,020 of Sarasota County’s 253,231 housing units were vacant, a count that includes homes held for seasonal use. Sarasota Opera says about 40% of its subscribers are snowbirds. Assessment increases on a non-homestead home are capped at 10% a year, against 3% for a homestead. If you are not a U.S. tax resident, federal FIRPTA rules can require the buyer to withhold up to 15% of the price at closing unless an exception applies, so talk with a cross-border tax professional early. We can see the house by video call while you are up north.
Source 1 · Source 2 · Source 3 · Source 4 07Selling a mobile home in a Sarasota park
Sarasota County has more than 60 manufactured housing communities with over 57,000 year-round residents. Milton hit some hard. At Tri-Par Estates in Sarasota, a park of 872 homes, managers estimated about 75% of the park was damaged and 35 to 40% of homes would need replacing. If you own the home but rent the lot, Florida law says the park cannot block a sale in place or take a commission unless it acted as your agent. The park must approve your buyer but cannot unreasonably refuse. We look at mobile homes on their own land and in parks.
Source 1 · Source 2 · Source 3 · Source 4 08Old neighborhoods, older houses
Sarasota became a city in 1913, and the county split from Manatee in 1921. Laurel Park is a National Historic District with 1920s houses. Newtown has been home to Sarasota’s Black community since 1914 and is now the largest Black historic district in Florida by number of contributing resources. Many of the city’s post-war modern buildings, the Sarasota School of Architecture, fell into disrepair and were torn down between 1960 and 1990. An older house that needs everything can still sell without a remodel first.
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