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VOL 21 No. 15
January 20, 2021
County officials give COVID-19 vaccine update More vaccines are coming to Manatee County. If you’re registered in the vaccine standby pool, 311 operators book appointments from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays. BY KRISTIN SWAIN SUN STAFF WRITER | kswain@amisun.com
2020 was a banner year for Island Realtors JOE HENDRICKS | SUN
Jason Sato once again ranked #1 in Manatee County and on Anna Maria Island for total combined volume of sales and listings.
The COVID-19 pandemic inspired many to purchase second homes on Anna Maria Island. BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com
ANNA MARIA ISLAND – 2020 was a record year for real estate sales on Anna Maria Island, according to those in the business. For the sixth consecutive year, Sato Real Estate Realtor, broker and co-owner Jason Sato led all Manatee County and Anna Maria Island Realtors in total sales and listing volume. According to the 2020 Agent Market Share Report for Manatee County, Sato sold 48 properties, listed 58 properties and generated roughly $153 million in total combined volume. Forty-seven of the properties Sato sold were on Anna Maria Island, where he does most of his business. Judy Kepecz-Hays ranked second on the Island with $52.4 million in combined total volume, followed by Gregg Bayer at $43.6 million.
INSIDE NEWS READERS’ CHOICE STREET MAPS OUTDOORS WEDDINGS CASTLES IN THE SAND CROSSWORD CLASSIFIEDS
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JOE HENDRICKS | SUN
Duncan Real Estate owner Darcie Duncan and her team had another stellar year. Duncan Real Estate owner Darcie Duncan ranked eighth in Manatee County with 18 properties sold, 34 properties listed and a total combined volume of $46.6 million. She ranked fourth on the Island with nine properties sold and 23 listed for a combined volume of $37.3 million. Rounding out the top 10 on the Island were George DeSear at $35.5 million, Liz Blandford at $29.2 million, Hannah Hillyard at $25.6 million, Shellie Young
BOAT FIRE at
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Anna Maria Island, Florida
MANATEE COUNTY - A new round of vaccines has arrived in Manatee County, prompting 311 operators to start booking appointments for Jan. 20 and 21. After these appointments are booked, county officials hope that more vaccines will quickly arrive for distribution but they’re not sure when they’ll get here. During the Jan. 12 Manatee County commission meeting, Director of Public Safety Jake Saur reported that 1,000 doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine were received on Jan. 11, with 900 of those earmarked to be distributed to area seniors age 65 and older and 100 set aside to be given to first responders and frontline healthcare workers. Saur said 311 operators began contacting seniors randomly selected from the standby vaccine pool just after the announcement was made to county commissioners at around 9:10 a.m. with the expectation that all appointments would be filled by 4 p.m. the same day for distribution on Thursday, Jan. 14 at the Tom Bennett Park drive-thru vaccination location. As of Jan. 12, Saur said that nearly 60,000 individuals or couples have registered in the COVID-19 vaccination standby pool in Manatee County. Given that some of those registrations are couples who are allowed to register together, he said the number of people in the system is closer to 95,600. SEE COVID, PAGE 23
at $22.9 million, Trevor Bayer at $22.6 million and Ryan Sheck at $22 million. Alan Galletto, from Island Real Estate, ranked 11th with four properties sold, 17 listings and a total volume of $17.5 million.
MARKET INSIGHT
Sato, Duncan and Galletto shared their thoughts on the year that was. SEE REALTORS, PAGE 24
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