Affordability in the Sarasota real estate market is where things really start to get interesting. With strong fundamentals already in place, affordability is relatively high. That is to say: the Sarasota housing market is more affordable than most markets across the country. While the average city spends about 15 percent of their income on monthly mortgage payments, Sarasota homeowners only spend about 9.7 percent. Affordability is historically strong and looks to continue improving as the year progresses.

Sarasota real estate investing has benefited significantly from the discounts offered by the distressed market. Foreclosures, in particular, have given many Sarasota real estate investors the opportunity to secure assets with a strong return on investment (ROI). According to Realty Trac, foreclosures in Sarasota were down 16 percent year-over-year. With the drop, there are about 1,488 foreclosures on the market. However, while the number of foreclosures is down, the discounts they offer are on the rise.