A Community Development District is a special local government that builds and maintains the roads, drainage and amenities of a planned community, and recovers the cost from owners through yearly assessments. They are common in the large communities east of the motorway. The assessments appear on your property tax bill in addition to ordinary taxes, and Florida law requires the sale contract to disclose them in bold type. Ask for the current annual amount and how many years of debt remain.

Waterfront homes with private docks in Sarasota, Florida

Buying a home in
Sarasota

Q: Can I let a house on Siesta Key or Anna Maria Island by the week?

It depends on the municipality and the zone. Unincorporated Sarasota County, which includes Siesta Key, generally prohibits leases of less than 30 days. The City of Sarasota requires registration and a minimum stay of seven nights in one to four family homes, with condominiums and owner-occupied rentals exempt from that scheme. On Anna Maria Island the three cities each have their own registration and minimum-stay rules. Manatee County was still debating its own ordinance in September 2026. Check the address with the local authority.

Q: Is flood insurance required?

If the home is in a high-risk flood zone and your lender is federally backed, yes. Standard home insurance never covers flood. Much of the waterfront and all of the barrier islands deserve a careful look at flood zone and elevation. Get quotes for home, wind and flood cover during the 15-day inspection period of the standard Florida contract.

Q: Can a European living in Europe get a mortgage here?

Yes, normally through a foreign national loan with a larger down payment and a higher rate than a resident would see. The lender will want documented income and assets from your home country and funds for closing held in a US account. If you are moving to Florida on a visa, mainstream conventional loans are available to lawfully resident non-citizens.

Q: Do these counties have a quieter market than the rest of Florida?

Prices were steady in the year to August 2026: up 5.9% for single-family homes in Manatee County and down 1.1% in Sarasota County. Supply stood at about four months for houses and five for condominiums, which gives buyers time to inspect and negotiate.

Florida's Gulf Coast between Tampa Bay and Venice is quieter than Miami and more residential than Orlando: white sand, barrier islands and large planned communities inland. For buyers from Europe the questions are where short lets are allowed, what the district fees add, and how to insure a home near the water.

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Everything about buying in Sarasota and Bradenton

Short answers on this page. The full guide has the detail, the figures and the sources.

The purchase and the loan

How a purchase runs here and which loans fit.

Financing

Prices, taxes and insurance

What homes cost and what you pay on top.

Costs of owning

Letting and living

Rental rules, local life and how to get there.

Where you can let, and for how long
Getting there

Read the full guide

The area in brief

Two counties make up this stretch of coast. Manatee County, to the north, has Bradenton, Anna Maria Island and most of Lakewood Ranch. Sarasota County, to the south, has the city of Sarasota and the barrier islands of Longboat, Lido and Siesta Key. Inland, large master-planned communities offer new houses with shared amenities. On the islands, older houses and condominiums sit a short walk from the Gulf.

In August 2026 the median single-family home sold for $470,000 in Sarasota County and $495,000 in Manatee County, and the median condominium or townhome for about $310,000 in both. With around four to five months of supply, buyers are not being rushed.

Modern white waterfront house with palm trees and a private dock in Sarasota, Florida

Sarasota and Bradenton at a glance

Figures last checked: 3 October 2026

This is not a lending decision: a US specialist confirms what applies to your own situation.

Median sale price	Single-family: $470,000 in Sarasota County and $495,000 in Manatee County. Condo or townhome: $310,000 and $307,000. August 2026 (Realtor Association of Sarasota and Manatee).
Loan limit 2026	$832,750 for a one-unit home in both counties.
Effective property tax	Manatee 0.76% and Sarasota 0.72% of home value on average (Tax Foundation). A new buyer usually pays more.
Short-term rental	City of Sarasota: 7-night minimum with registration. Unincorporated Sarasota County, including Siesta Key: generally 30-day minimum.
Tax on short stays	13% in both counties, combining state, surtax and tourist tax.
Flights home	Sarasota-Bradenton airport has no nonstop flights to Europe. Most Europeans arrive through Tampa, Orlando or Miami.

Sarasota skyline of modern apartment towers and boats seen across the bay on a clear day

White sailboat gliding over the calm blue waters of Sarasota Bay under a clear sky

Lifeguard station on white sand with pine trees and a yellow flag at Bradenton Beach, Florida

Orange sunset over Sarasota Bay with a flock of birds silhouetted against the sky

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Before you make an offer in Sarasota or Bradenton

Confirm the minimum rental period for the address with the city or county.
Read the association's own leasing rules.
Ask for the annual CDD assessment and the remaining term of its debt.
Check flood zone and elevation, and get home, wind and flood quotes.
For a condominium, read the milestone inspection and reserve study.
Get a property tax estimate at your purchase price without homestead.
Tell the lender whether the home is a residence, a second home or a rental.

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Questions people moving from Europe ask

Can I let a house on Siesta Key or Anna Maria Island by the week?

What is a CDD fee?

Is flood insurance required?

Can a European living in Europe get a mortgage here?

Do these counties have a quieter market than the rest of Florida?

Continue your research

Sources (13)

Figures and rules on this page were checked against these sources on 3 October 2026. Rates, prices and local rules change, so confirm anything you rely on before you commit.

Buying a home inSarasota