There are no through streets, so the neighborhood is quiet — an obvious plus to its older residents.
But being situated on the southern part of Longboat has other benefits. St. Armands Key, with its shops, restaurants and night clubs, is just five minutes away. And, during season the residents don’t have to deal with as much traffic to get to downtown Sarasota as those living farther north on the barrier island.
The prestigious neighborhood is a haven for boaters. Most of the more than 400 homes are on the waterfront or deepwater canals, where private docks accommodate 30- to 40-foot vessels.
Access to the Gulf of Mexico is convenient, either through New Pass by Mote Marine Laboratory, or via Longboat Key Pass by Anna Maria Island.
There is also access to the beach on the Gulf of Mexico “across the street” — Gulf of Mexico Drive.
As one of the few neighborhoods of single-family homes on Longboat Key, Country Club Shores still has a vintage feel, although many of the original ranch-style homes have been restored or replaced. On the waterfront, two-story mansions now have a spectacular view of the Sarasota skyline across the bay.
The area is a mix of vacation homes and residences for mostly retirees and semi-retired people who work from home. If you see children and teenagers, they’re likely to be visiting their grandparents.
There are 35 homes listed for sale, ranging in price from $499,000 to $3.5 million.
At present, nine sales are pending.
Just as in a condo, where upper-floor apartments command higher prices, there is a pecking order at work here.
As one gets closer to the bay, the same house will cost more.
But while the area is considered prime real estate, it wasn’t immune to the downturn after the real estate boom.
Michael Moulton, a Realtor with Michael Saunders Co. who has sold luxury waterfront property for 17 years, said he has seen prices sag by more than half since the height of the bubble.
“Lots that were $1.1 million now sell for $500,000 or $600,000,” he says. “Homes in excess of $3 million have dropped to less than $2 million.”
According to Moulton, that makes for the perfect time to invest in real estate. “Many people feel this is the time to buy,” he said.
“It may be a few years before they can spend most of their time here, but they want to take advantage of the prices now,” he said of buyers.
At the same time, Moulton said, many of the older homes in the area will be gutted to make room for new construction.
“Of the 35 houses listed, at least 10 are probably homes that no one will ever live in again,” he said.
“The good inventory of reasonable prices has been picked over.
“Most people want a new home that has all the bells and whistles,” he said. “They go out to Lakewood Ranch and see the models, and say, ‘We want that here.'”
As a result, Moulton said, there will be more construction again in Country Club Shores, and on Longboat Key as a whole.
The two properties he has listed in the neighborhood are both teardowns whose owners are planning to build spec homes on them — 3,200-square-foot houses priced under a million dollars.
“People who want a canal home are looking at Bird Key and Country Club Shores,” Moulton said, “and with Country Club Shores, they’re getting more bang for the buck.”