Florida Realtors shares the cash sales for single family homes in Sarasota County. Cash sales are the number of closed sales during the month in which buyers exclusively paid in cash. As seen on the graph, cash sales were higher October 2015 in comparison to October 2016. Investors are far more likely to have the funds to purchase a home available up front, however, there are many possible exceptions so this statistic should be interpreted with care.  

With a new US president on the way who promised changes to trade deals with Mexico and China, local manufacturing companies are keeping an eye on federal policy to see if changes could boost American competitiveness for domestic companies or raise the cost of parts coming in from overseas.

President-elect Donald Trump on the campaign trail discussed a 35-percent tariff on imports from Mexico and 45-percent tax on goods from China. Of course, specifics don’t often get fleshed out on the campaign trail, and Peter Straw, executive director of the Sarasota Manatee Manufacturers Association, says any talk remains speculative until an actual policy is put into play.

Peter Nesbitt, president of Quasar Bio-Tech, doesn’t expect his company to be negatively impacted by a new tariff policy. His company makes goods including Baby Quasar light therapy devices, which are primarily made here in Sarasota. The only imported goods are integrated circuit boards. “I don’t see any significant changes because the costs of those components are relatively low,” Nesbitt says.

Intertape Polymer Group, which has its US headquarters in Sarasota, makes tape products both in the United States and overseas, and serves manufacturers in countries around the globe. According to James Apap Bologna, vice president of marketing for IPG, the international market can sometimes be a more difficult place to compete. “Anything that will bring manufacturing back to the US, I would imagine that would be helpful,” he says. But he also stressed, like many manufacturers, his company did not want to step into a policy argument.

But while tariffs are a way to level the playing field for American manufacturers, the biggest risk may be in disrupting the world economy, Straw says. But ultimately, manufacturers need to rely on their own strategies to continue to grow, not on government policy shifts. “Manufacturers in Sarasota, Manatee and all of Florida will continue to do what they do inspite of policy,” Straw says, “not because of it.” 

Art Center Sarasota has issued a call for artists, makers and craftspeople looking to be vendors in its Art in the Garden: A Holiday Arts Boutique event on December 10–11. Vendor application and/or registration is now available for the available four foot by eight foor spaces remaining. Artists of all skill levels and mediums are welcome. 

Art Center Sarasota

Helen Burgess, JD and David Snyder, CPA of the Advantage Group will present a tax planning seminar luncheon on December 6 from 12–2pm in the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance office. Topics of discussion will include free rental income, self-directed IRAs, tax-free income, retirement contributions, investments and distributions and more. Also, the group will discuss some of the tax proposals from President-elect Donald Trump. Lunch will be provided for all registered participants. RSVP to reserve a seat. Space is limited. 

The Advantage Group

Fresenius Kidney Care North Sarasota will be celebrating five years of service to dialysis patients and individuals with chronic kidney disease in the northern Sarasota vicinity. The community is invited out Dedember 8 to meet the staff, tour the facility and learn about all the services offered. Hors d' oeuvres, cake, raffles and gift bags are all part of the festivities. Registration is not required. 

Fresenius Kidney Care North Sarasota