Episode 3 of The Lowry Report is here — and this week we handed the tape measure to you. Jackie toured a brand-new, nearly 6,000-square-foot Varen model at Monterey by Toll Brothers in Lakewood Ranch — five bedrooms, six baths, two dens, a jaw-dropping double staircase, a chef's kitchen with two islands, and an outdoor kitchen and pool with a lake view — and we're not telling you the price. Watch the tour and drop your best guess in the comments.
Around the region, the Sarasota–Bradenton Fall Home Show returns to Robarts Arena September 11–13, Sarasota and Venice celebrate Jimmy Buffett Day with tribute concerts and a memorial regatta, and O'Leary's Tiki Bar & Grill earns the Business Spotlight for its bayfront comeback.
Then Sarah busts the "market is slowing" myth with July's Sarasota County numbers — inventory down, homes going faster, and luxury sales up nearly 40% year over year — and we close with why Siesta Key's world-famous sand stays cool even in August. And it's your last chance to enter our free sunset-cruise giveaway at findyoursarasota.com/cruise.
In This Episode
- Model-home sneak peek: the ~6,000 sq ft Varen at Monterey by Toll Brothers — 5 beds, 6 baths, two dens, a double staircase, a chef's kitchen with two islands, an outdoor kitchen and pool with a lake view. Guess the price in the comments!
- The Sarasota–Bradenton Fall Home Show returns to Robarts Arena September 11–13 — hundreds of home-improvement vendors under one roof.
- Fins Up, Sarasota: Florida's Jimmy Buffett Day, the "Fins Up Forever" tribute in Venice (Sept 4–5), and the Parrot Head Tribute Regatta at the Sarasota Sailing Squadron (Sept 7).
- Business Spotlight: O'Leary's Tiki Bar & Grill — the beloved downtown-bayfront tiki bar, back and better after Hurricane Helene.
- Market Myth-Buster: the "slowing" Sarasota market is actually tighter and faster, with luxury sales up nearly 40% year over year.
- Sarasota fun fact: Siesta Key's sand is ~99% pure quartz, which is why it stays cool underfoot even in August.
- Last chance to win a sunset cruise for two on Sarasota Bay — free to enter at findyoursarasota.com/cruise.
Full Episode Transcript
Read the full transcript
Cold Open
SARAH: Good morning, Lakewood Ranch — I'm Sarah Lowry.
JONATHAN: And I'm Jonathan Lowry. Welcome back to The Lowry Report.
SARAH: Coming up today: the home show that turns "I'll fix it eventually" into "well, I bought a pergola."
JONATHAN: We're toasting a certain flip-flop philosopher, we're back on the water at Sarasota's favorite tiki bar, and we toured a brand-new, six-thousand-square-foot mansion —
SARAH: — that we're going to make YOU put a price tag on. Yes, you, at home. Let's get into it.
The Home Show
JONATHAN: We'll start with something for anyone whose house has a "project drawer." The Sarasota–Bradenton Fall Home Show takes over Robarts Arena at the Sarasota Fairgrounds — Friday through Sunday, September 11th, 12th, and 13th. Hundreds of vendors under one roof: renovations, kitchens and baths, flooring, outdoor living, landscaping. Admission's ten dollars at the door, parking is free, and you can grab free passes ahead of time at HomeShowFlorida.com.
Fins Up, Sarasota
SARAH: Mark your calendars, Parrot Heads. Florida has officially declared August 30th "Jimmy Buffett Day," and Sarasota and Venice are throwing the party. September 4th and 5th, "Fins Up Forever" brings a full Buffett tribute concert to Hotel Venezia in Venice. Then on Labor Day, Monday the 7th, the Parrot Head Tribute Regatta sets sail from the Sarasota Sailing Squadron in Jimmy's honor — sailboats, burgers, and live music from two o'clock on.
Local Business Spotlight
JONATHAN: This week's Local Business Spotlight is a Sarasota classic that earned its comeback: O'Leary's Tiki Bar & Grill, right on the downtown bayfront. Palm-thatch roof, open-air deck, live music, and it's kid- and dog-friendly. O'Leary's was shut down for more than seven months after Hurricane Helene, and this spring they came back better than ever. Go say hi and tell 'em The Lowry Group sent you.
Model Home Sneak Peek — Guess the Price
SARAH: This is usually where we'd show off one of our listings — but this week we did something better. We got an early look at the brand-new model home that just finished at Monterey by Toll Brothers. Two stories, five bedrooms, six bathrooms — two dens, a flex room, a family room AND a great room. Out back, a full outdoor kitchen and a pool. All in about six thousand square feet. It's called the Varen, and it is spectacular.
SARAH: Jackie walked the whole thing with a camera, so let's take the tour.
JONATHAN: Here's the fun part — Toll Brothers hasn't released the price on this one, and honestly, neither of us knows it. So after you watch Jackie's tour, drop your best guess in the comments. Price Is Right rules — closest without going over. We'll give the closest guesser a shout-out on an upcoming show.
The 60-Second Market Myth-Buster
SARAH: Quick market minute — no boring spreadsheets, just one myth to bust. The myth: "the market's slowing down." The reality, from this July right here in Sarasota County — the number of homes for sale is down more than twenty percent from a year ago, houses are going under contract faster than last summer, and here's the kicker: there were a hundred and twenty-one sales over a million dollars in a single month. That's up nearly forty percent.
JONATHAN: So "slow" is actually tighter, faster, and selling more luxury than a year ago.
SARAH: Exactly. Don't read the headline — read the numbers.
Fun Fact + Last Call
JONATHAN: Your Sarasota fact of the week: Siesta Key's world-famous white sand is almost ninety-nine percent pure quartz.
SARAH: Which is why, even on a scorching August afternoon, that sand stays cool under your feet — the quartz reflects the sun instead of soaking it up. A beach you can walk barefoot at high noon. Only in Sarasota.
JONATHAN: And this is your last chance to win our sunset cruise for two on Sarasota Bay — free to enter at findyoursarasota.com/cruise.
JONATHAN: For The Lowry Report, I'm Jonathan Lowry —
SARAH: — and I'm Sarah Lowry. Have a wonderful week, Lakewood Ranch —
JONATHAN: — and let's Find Your Sarasota. See you next Thursday.
