Luxury Home with pool and spectacular lake views, minutes to Siesta Key Beach,

Unless you know the property you're renting, you're always taking a bit of a gamble when renting a villa off the internet and quite often it can make or break your holiday.

Well, you won't be disappointed with this one!

It is beautifully decorated and furnished, the lanai area and patio furniture etc are excellent as is the outlook over the pond and the golf course. The pictures on the web site of the Deer are not a one off either, we saw them many times in the morning and was able to get close enough to take a picture from the other side of the lanai. We also saw 2 crocs or gaiters (not sure which) making their way across the pond. Sitting on the patio in the morning is something that will stay with us for a long time.

As for the location, the development is beautiful and is ideally situated for driving to Siesta Key, St Armands, Anna Maria Island, Venice, Stumps Pass beach (for finding sharks teeth) and Boca Grande. Also there are nearby supermarkets and restaurants on Clark Rd.

The owners Angie and Ray, could not be more helpful and contacted us by email / phone to make sure everything was ok. All in all it made for a great holiday and we would definitely return

We rented Ray and Angie's lovely home in Sarasota for the month of March 2011. This was our first trip to the area and we enjoyed the beaches, restaurants and all that the area has to offer. The house has a lot of space which came in handy when our daughter and son's families visited for five days. It is a fantastic house in a gated community on a golf course. The grandchildren and adults enjoyed many hours in and around the pool. Our young grandsons named the alligator that came around every once in a while in the lake behind the house Bob. You are only minutes away from the club house if you wish to play golf. Angie and Ray were very helpful and do everything they can to make your stay enjoyable. We will definitely rent this house again if we vacation in the Sarasota area again.

GREAT VACATION

"I fell in love with this house from the pictures on the website but, from prior experience, knew the "real thing" might be totally different. Well, I was wrong. From the moment you walk in the door, you can't help but be impressed with the flair for decorating down to the last detail in the accessories. The floor plan with the master suite on one side of the house and two bedrooms plus an office on the other easily accommodate 6 people. Having three "public" spaces (living room, family room and lanai) really helped when my daughter and I wanted to escape to read while the men were engrossed in sports on television. The office was equipped with a desk for two people to work easily with their computers....seems to be a requirement these days even on vacation.

We spent Christmas there with our "children" and spouses often with two cooks in the beautifully-equipped kitchen feeling right at home. As for the view, one of our favorite memories is waking up in the morning to see the lake out our bedroom window and listening to the birds.....even made friends with a couple who paraded across the lawn each morning. :-) Each morning started with coffee on the lanai again with a view of the lake and the golf course which, by the way, is open to the public and beautiful.

The house is only about 15 minutes from Siesta Beach which we loved.....plenty of parking, restaurants and loads of room even during the holidays. The sunsets on the beach are breathtaking! The heart of Sarasota is an easy drive north by expressway and well worth seeing.

Finally, the owners definitely go overboard to make your stay special. In fact, even before we arrived, she called to give us a list of restaurants and attractions and ask about any special needs we might have. This house is more than just a rental house to the owners. It has been their home for years and the maintenance and attention to detail attest to that. We'll definitely return!